Syndication players had a lot to smile about for the week ending Jan. 6, since programs in virtually every genre experienced rating spikes, according to Nielsen Media Research.
For the advertiser-oriented gross average audience ratings, which are specifically ordered when one or more markets air repeat telecasts (tuning and viewing are counted each time), household scores showed improvement, especially for newsmagazines and the relationship crop.
Newsmagazines fared the best overall for the week, with all four contenders showed improvement week to week. “Entertainment Tonight” once again led the pack, shooting up a dramatic 43 percent to a 7.0 household GAA rating, marking the show’s best number since last February. Year to year, the strip is up 9 percent in the ratings.
Runner-up “Inside Edition” entered the year with its own bang, rising 38 percent for the week to a 3.6. The strip is also up 13 percent compared with the same period last year.
“Extra” enjoyed a 15 percent climb to a 3.0 GAA rating, narrowly edging “Access Hollywood” at a 2.9, which was a 21 percent increase for the week. Year to year, “Access’ is up 16 percent, while “Extra” is off 9 percent.
This year’s hottest trend in syndication-dating shows-has proven steady in growth, with all but one of the strips up during the time frame. While veteran strips “Blind Date” and “Change of Heart” proved their mettle with ratings bumps of 24 percent and 6 percent (to a 2.1 and 1.7) respectively, it is the freshmen crop that merited the most attention.
Two of the series, “Elimidate” and “The 5th Wheel,” tied for first place in the rankings. Of the two, “Elimidate” grew the most for the week with a 20 percent climb to a 1.8 GAA household score. The series was up 80 percent from its debut 16 weeks before. “The 5th Wheel” has its own reasons to boast, though, climbing 15 percent to a 1.8 and soaring 64 percent above its debut numbers.
“Shipmates” locked up the next spot with an 8 percent climb to a 1.4 rating, rising 40 percent over its debut. “Rendez-View” was the only relationship strip to be even for the week, scoring a 1.0 rating, which was nonetheless up 25 percent from its premiere.
Among off-net strips, “Friends” continued to hold court despite the top five shows in the category each jumping by double digits. “Friends” was up 15 percent to a 7.6 GAA rating, fending off “Seinfeld,” which, at a 6.8, was up 11 percent for the week.
Freshman “Everybody Loves Raymond” posted a 13 percent rise to a 6.0 for a solid third-place showing, while “Frasier” ballooned 23 percent for the week to a 3.7, and “King of the Hill” finished in fifth place with a 33 percent jump to a 3.2.