Oscars Give WABC One, Two Punch in Weekly Ratings

As Hollywood was crowning The King’s Speech, WABC was basking in the Oscar night festivities.

It was no surprise that the Academy Awards, typically one of the highest-rated shows of the year, was number one for the week.

The compact (by Oscar standards) three-hour plus telecast pulled in an estimated 4 million viewers with a 19.8 rating. The 30-minute Oscar preview on the Red Carpet was number two with 3 million and a 14.2 rating, according to the Nielsen Company.

Earlier portions of the arrivals at the Kodak Theater were fifth and sixth for the week, averaging more than 1.3 million viewers.

Fox 5/WNYW resumed its regular juggernaut–American Idol. The judges did their final cuts, taking the talent competition to its Top 24.

Over two nights (two hours for each broadcast), the shows tied for number three (1.7 million/8.6).

Following Idol, the Fox 5 News at 10 landed at number 25 both nights (604,000/3.0).

The NCIS dramas held down the next two positions.

The original NCIS was number seven (1 million/5.4), while NCIS: L.A. took eighth (1 million/5 .1).

Rounding out the Top 10 after the jump

The remainder of the Top 10:

•  9th    Glee                        WNYW   (965,000/4.8)
• 10th  The Good Wife    WCBS    (923,000/4.6)

Other Top 30 highlights:

Charlie Sheen’s popularity hasn’t waned, as Two and a Half Men was 11 (866,000/4.3).  

MTV’s Jersey Shore was 12th (846,000/4.2).

The New York Knicks made a rare appearance in the weekly prime time ratings, at least up to this point. The debut of Carmelo Anthony, on MSG Network, was the 17th-rated program for the week (733,000/3.6).

WNBC had no entries in the Top 30.

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