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Newsmagazines, Most Rookie Syndies Up

Oct 26, 2004  •  Post A Comment

With high viewer interest in actor Christopher Reeve’s death and Fox News host Bill O’Reilly sexual harassment lawsuit, the syndicated entertainment newsmagazines saw increases in their national ratings for the week of Oct. 11-17.

Paramount’s “Entertainment Tonight” was the top performer in the genre, scoring a 5.3 weekly household rating, up 15 percent from the previous week, marking the show’s highest weekly number for the season according to Nielsen Media research. King World’s “Inside Edition” scored a 3.4, up 10 percent for the week.

Telepictures’ “Extra” was up 10 percent to a 2.3, equaling its season high, while its sister show “Celebrity Justice” was flat with a 1.0. Paramount’s “The Insider” was up 8 percent for the week to a 2.6 (a new series high) and “Access Hollywood” was up 8 percent to a season high of 2.6.

Among the rookies, NBC Universal’s “The Jane Pauley Show” was up 8 percent for its seventh week to a 1.4 rating, and Buena Vista’s “The Tony Danza Show” matched its high from the week before with a 1.3. Telepictures’ “The Larry Elder Show” was up 13 percent to a 0.9, while Sony’s “Pat Croce: Moving In” was up 17 percent to a 0.7. Sony’s “Life & Style” was flat for the week with a 0.5.

Among rookie off-nets, NBC Universal’s “Fear Factor” had its best week yet with a 1.8 while Twentieth Television’s “Malcolm in the Middle” was down 7 percent to a 2.7. Twentieth’s “Yes, Dear” was up 6 percent to a 1.7. That tied Paramount’s “Girlfriends,” which was flat for the week with a 1.7.

All four of the top-rated strips were up for the week as well, with King World’s “Wheel of Fortune” improving 6 percent to a 9.0 rating, a new season high. “Jeopardy!” was up 9 percent to an 8.6, “The Oprah Winfrey Show” was up 4 percent to a 7.8 and off-net comedy “Everybody Loves Raymond” was up 3 percent to a 6.4, also a new season high.