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Returning ‘Affair’ Flat With Year-Ago

Mar 28, 2005  •  Post A Comment

Twentieth Television’s latest edition of the newsmagazine “A Current Affair” was on par with its year-ago time period average in its debut week, where it aired on mostly Fox-owned stations.

“Affair,” which premiered March 21, scored a 3.4 household weighted metered market four-day average rating in its primary runs, according to Nielsen Media Research. That was even with its year-ago time period average but down 17 percent from its average lead-in (4.1).

“Affair” opened with a 3.5 rating on Monday and grew to a 3.6 on Tuesday before declining Wednesday (3.4) and Thursday (3.1).

Bob Cook, Twentieth Television’s president and CEO, said it was much too soon to make any judgments on “Affair,” which is airing on only 26 stations.

“It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” he said. “Right now it looks pretty good, but nobody is going to high-five until we’re a couple of months down the road.”

“Affair,” which has replaced off-network comedies in most markets, is primarily scheduled as a lead-out from local news. In New York on WNYW-TV at 6:30 p.m. (ET), the show’s four-day average was a 2.1 rating, down 42 percent from “The Simpsons” in the same time period in March 2004. In Los Angeles on KTTV at 11 p.m. (PT), “Affair” scored a 2.4 four-day average, down 29 percent from the time slot’s year-ago performance, which also was occupied by “The Simpsons.”

In Chicago on WLFD-TV at 4 p.m. (CT), “Affair” scored a 1.6 for its first four days, even with “King of the Hill’s” year-ago performance.