Logo

Breaking News Archives

Jan 22, 2003  •  Post A Comment

Posted Wednesday Jan. 22.

‘Pulse’ returns with ‘Joe’ interview

“The Pulse,” the newsmagazine produced by Fox News for a brief run last year, will return to Fox Broadcasting 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, with a reality-driven lineup that includes an interview by entertainment reporter Kit Hoover of Fox’s reality-TV poster boy “Joe Millionaire” and “revealing interviews” with people who knew him when he was plain old Evan Marriott. There will also be interviews with contestants from the previous night’s “American idol” on Fox. Back for a second stint is Fox News anchor Shepard Smith as host and Bill O’Reilly’s “Who’s Annoying Me Now” segment. Geraldo Rivera will continue to contribute segments.

Johansen exits NATPE post: As expected (EM, Jan. 13), Bruce Johansen has announced that he is stepping down after 10 years as president and CEO of the National Association of Television Program Executives. At a press conference at the NATPE convention in New Orleans this morning, Mr. Johansen said that leaving is “bittersweet.” He said he will be staying in the business and that he will continue to oversee NATPE until a successor is found.

It was also announced that a committee to find Mr. Johansen’s replacement has been formed. It will be chaired by Lew Klein, co-founder of the nonprofit organization and president of NATPE’s educational foundation.

Fox’s ‘Idol’ crushes the competition: “American Idol” returned to Fox with a bang last night, with the two-hour “Idol”-related block sweeping the night in adults 18 to 49, total viewers and households, according to Nielsen Media Research fast affiliate data. Fox won the night in adults 18 to 49 with a 12.1 rating and 29 share, a 246 percent advantage over second-place ABC, which had a 3.5/9. NBC was third for the night with a 3.4/8, followed by CBS with a 3.1/8.

The real story of the night was “American Idol.” The first hour, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., drew 24.7 million viewers, 10.4 million more than second-place “JAG” on CBS, and an 11.4 rating/29 share among adults 18 to 49. The 9 p.m.-to-9:30 p.m. half-hour grew to a 14.2/33 and 30 million viewers — almost 20 million more viewers than second-place “According to Jim” on ABC. Viewership took a slight dip from 9:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. with a where-are-they-now special on the 10 finalists from the first “Idol,” but the show still left the competition in its dust with an 11.2/26 among adults 18 to 49 and 23.6 million viewers.

NBC’s “InStyle Celebrity Weddings” special at 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. ended up in fourth place for the hour with a 2.1/5 in adults 18 to 49 and 5.8 million viewers. NBC rebounded a bit at 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., taking first place among adults 18 to 49 with a 5.6/14 for the second episode of “Meet My Folks.”