Ratings News - 10th May 2012 *Full Tables Added*

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Metered Market Wednesday Ratings
Idol Down But Still Dominant; CBS Consistent

Wednesday 5/09/12
Metered Market Results

Household
Rating/Share
Fox 11.2/18
CBS 7.0/11
ABC 5.4/ 9
NBC 3.4/ 5
CW 0.9/ 1

-Percent Change from Year-Ago Evening – Wednesday 5/11/11
ABC: +26, CBS: + 1, NBC: no change, Fox: - 8, CW: -31

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-Winners:
American Idol (Fox), Survivor: One World (CBS), Modern Family (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS), CSI (CBS)

-Losers (excluding repeats):
Rock Center With Brian Williams (NBC), America’s Next Top Model: British Invasion (CW)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
Fox was the dominant network on this second Wednesday in May, with a healthy 4.2 metered market rating point advantage over second-place CBS. But American Idol remained on the double-digit downside, with an 11.2 rating/18 share from 8-10 p.m. Comparably, that was off by 24 percent from the year-ago evening (14.7/23 on 5/11/11). Ryan Seacrest, of course, is returning as host of Idol next season, but will the three judges be back? And will the audience erosion continue?

Survivor: One World on CBS was on the map with a second-place 6.5/10 at 8 p.m. And that was right on par with the year-ago edition themed Redemption Island. Next was Criminal Minds (#2: 7.4/12 at 9 p.m.: down 11 percent from one year earlier), which concludes for the season with a two-hour edition next Wednesday, followed by the season-finale of CSI at a 7.2/12 at 10 p.m. Compared to failed year-ago occupant Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (5.9/10 on 5/11/11), CSI increased by 22 percent. Not bad for a 12 year-old series.

Modern Family, of course, was the standout on ABC with a second-place 7.6/12 at 9 p.m. Comparably, that built by 65 percent from lead-in Suburgatory (#3: 4.6/ 7 at 8:30 p.m.), and it grew from its year-ago overnight performance (7.2/11 on 5/11/11) by six percent. But am I the only one beginning to think Modern Family is not as good as it used to be? (http://www.facebook.com/TVMediaInsights).

Earlier in the evening on the alphabet net was dependable The Middle at a third-place 5.0/ 8 at 8 p.m., which built by four percent from the year-ago evening (4.8/ 8 on 5/11/11). At 9:30 p.m., episode five of Don’t Trust the B_____ in Apartment 23 (#3: 4.4/ 7) held only 58 percent of the Modern Family lead-in, while freshman drama Revenge perked up a bit to a second-place 5.4/ 9 at 10 p.m. One year earlier, two episodes of Happy Endings averaged a 2.8/ 5 in the 10 p.m. hour.

Yesterday, ABC released what it referred to as its “Primetime Talking Points for the Upfront.” The included series (in alphabetical order) were America’s Funniest Home Videos, The B____ in Apartment 23, GCB, Grey’s Anatomy, Happy Endings, Last Man Standing, The Middle, Modern Family, Once Upon a Time, Private Practice, Revenge, Scandal, Shark Tank, Suburgatory and Wipeout. Not on the list were Body of Proof, Cougar Town or Missing, which does not bode well for renewal. Dancing With the Stars and 20/20 will, of course, be returning.

Elsewhere, it was another lackluster Wednesday on NBC care of two episodes of Betty’s White’s Off Their Rockers (#4: avg. 3.5/ 6 from 8-9 p.m.), older-skewing Rock Center With Brian Williams (#4: 2.2/ 3) and veteran Law & Order: SVU (#2: 4.6/ 7), which will return for a 14th season. But Betty White and company did build by 75 percent from game show Minute to Win It on the year-ago evening (2.0/ 3).

A double dose (repeat and original) of tired America’s Next Top Model: British Invasion was a bust on The CW, meanwhile, with a 0.7/ 1 for the encore at 8 p.m., and a 1.1/ 2 for the original at 9 p.m. Year-to-year, the original telecast dropped by 35 percent. That said, isn’t it time for The CW to let Top Model go already?

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Source: Marc Berman@TVMediaInsights