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TV ratings: 'Idol' scores another win Wednesday
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Fast National ratings for Wednesday, March 3, 2010"American Idol" steamrolled its way to another ratings win Wednesday night, giving FOX more than double the audience of its closest competitor.
FOX averaged 23.55 million viewers and a 13.4 rating/21 share in households for the night and finished far ahead of second-place CBS (10.5 million, 6.6/11). NBC (7.5 million, 2.3) came in third. ABC's comedies took a hit, dropping the network into fourth with 5.6 million viewers and a 3.6/6. The CW (768,000, 0.6/1) was well off the pace with more reruns.
In the adults 18-49 demographic, FOX's 8.5 rating beat the combined total of the other four networks. CBS took second with a 2.8, followed by NBC at 2.3 and ABC at 2.0. The CW earned a 0.3.
Wednesday's hour-by-hour numbers:
8 p.m.
FOX: "American Idol" (23.2 million viewers, 13.2/21 households)
NBC: "Mercy" (6 million, 4.0/6)
CBS: "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (5.95 million, 3.8/6)/"Gary Unmarried" (6 million, 3.8/6)
ABC: "Modern Family" rerun (5.2 million, 3.3/6)/"The Middle" (6 million, 3.7/6)
The CW: "Life Unexpected" rerun (1.05 million, 0.7/1)
18-49 leader: "American Idol" (8.3)
9 p.m.
FOX: "American Idol" (23.85 million, 13.7/21)
CBS: "Criminal Minds" (13.2 million, 8.2/13)
NBC: "Law & Order: SVU" (7.5 million, 4.9/8)
ABC: "Modern Family" (8.1 million, 4.9/8)/"Cougar Town" (5.4 million, 3.5/5)
The CW: "Gossip Girl" rerun (482,000, 0.4/1)
18-49 leader: "American Idol" (8.7)
10 p.m.
CBS: "CSI: NY" (12.45 million, 7.8/14)
NBC: "Law & Order: SVU" (9 million, 5.9/10)
ABC: "The Oprah Winfrey Oscar Special" (4.4 million, 3.1/5)
18-49 leader: "CSI: NY" (3.1)
Ratings information includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change. Source: The Nielsen Company.
More ratings at Zap2it: Daily, weekly and cable
Photo credit: FOX
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What is happening to ABC's comedy line-up? Please don't tell me its because people are watching American Idol...
Another stellar night on that pathetic network ABC. Nice work guys!! I think they need useless programming like The Bachelor and Dancing with Useless People to keep their ratings up. No wonder Disney wants to sell this useless network!
ABC was bankrupt again last night, it can't get to much worse for them.
I agree with "Yikes", people are really missing out by watching A.I. But the ratings are down as low as I thought. Cougartown is very low though!
It's sad that such great comedies like Cougar Town and Modern Family take ratings hits because of Idol. Especially an Idol season like this where only a tiny portion of the contestants are decent and worth viewership. Glad the comedies were already renewed, but man, I hope they pick up the ratings somehow.
You know things are bad when NBC beats you. Can't Believe ABC took such a nose dive. Wednesday is my least favorite night of the week now that LOST is on Tuesdays.
I know everything.
looks like its time to stop bad mouthing NBC, since ABC is now the messed up network in last place with bad programing. Even Jay Leno is handing dave his own head on a platter with his ratings, now we know why dave jumped on the " lets bash jay " bandwagon, he knew jay would kill him in the ratings.
Its funny how well a SVU repeat did @ 9 coming close to Modern Family and blowing away Cougar Town
Looks like "dumb reality" shows and "boring old police dramas" beat out ABCs lineup.