Oscars Give ABC Best Network of Week Award

Despite its lowest rating in a decade, the Academy Awards telecast presented ABC only its fifth prime-time ratings win in 28 weeks this season, according to figures released Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

ABC’s highlights were few after the Oscars, as even Moses and President Clinton couldn’t rescue the network from its current prime-time doldrums. The opening part of “The Ten Commandments” fell to a record low for that epic, ranking well behind CBS’ “A Walton Easter,” which featured Richard Thomas as John-Boy with a baby, and the Tom Cruise movie “A Few Good Men.” ABC’s presidential gala at Ford’s Theatre also generated dismal ratings Saturday.

Network viewing in general seemed to take a spring-break dive, in fact, as “Friends” and “Suddenly Susan” slumped to season-low audiences, and the end of “Law & Order’s” Hollywood plot scored its lowest rating in three Thursday airings. NBC still managed to surpass ABC for the week in key demographics.

In addition, only 4.2 million people watched ABC’s prime-time “town meeting” hosted by Peter Jennings culminating the “March Against Drugs” campaign. By way of comparison, the same hour more than 18 million people tuned in “60 Minutes,” which featured an interview with former members of the Heaven’s Gate cult.

Network Averages

Here is the number of viewers that each network averaged per hour of prime time, for last week and for the season.

Last Week

ABC: 13.97 million

NBC: 13.86

CBS: 12.69

FOX: 9.72

UPN: 4.05

WB: 3.13

Season to Date

NBC: 15.38 million

CBS: 13.82

ABC: 13.75

FOX: 11.97

UPN: 4.53

WB: 3.66

Southland Viewing

Here are Nielsen’s Top 10 prime-time programs in the Los Angeles area during the same week. The rankings are based on the number of households watching.

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Program Station House-holds 1. Academy Awards KABC 2,263,638 2. Barbara Walters Special KABC 1,467,905 3. Seinfeld KNBC 1,102,164 4. Friends KNBC 929,179 5. Academy Awards Preshow KABC 845,157 Suddenly Susan KNBC 845,157 7. The Naked Truth KNBC 815,503 8. Academy Awards Winners KABC 795,733 9. The X-Files KTTV 780,906 10. Law & Order KNBC 731,481

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Source: Nielsen Media Research