‘Seinfeld’ a Network Beacon in Alternative Choices

“Seinfeld”--television’s top-rated program five of the last six weeks--remains a lonely bright spot for the major networks this summer, according to results for last week issued Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

Viewers continue to find alternatives to ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, which accounted for 62% of prime-time viewing during the regular TV season but haven’t totaled half the available audience since the NBA playoffs ended in mid-June.

Even in repeats, some newer programs are exhibiting promise, including Fox’s animated “King of the Hill,” which on Sunday out-rated “The X-Files” and “The Simpsons”--the veteran shows that bookend it. NBC’s first-year sitcom “Men Behaving Badly” also appears to have developed a following after “Friends” but will undergo major changes before returning on a different night in the fall.

Though “Seinfeld” is bucking the trend, some long-running programs are showing their age. The first Wednesday telecast of “Murphy Brown,” which is due back for a 10th season, fell off substantially from “The Nanny’s” audience levels preceding it. ABC’s “Roseanne” is also fading away with uncharacteristic silence, last Tuesday finishing fourth in its time period, trailing all three rival networks.

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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

NBC 10.30 million

CBS 9.12

ABC 8.78

FOX 6.92

UPN 3.57

WB 2.99

Season to Date

NBC 14.35 million

CBS 12.91

ABC 12.44

FOX 10.63

UPN 4.26

WB 3.52

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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 Households 1. Seinfeld KNBC 667,229 2. ER KNBC 622,747 3. 60 Minutes KCBS 612,863 4. The X-Files KTTV 607,920 5. “Telling Secrets” Part 2 KABC 568,381 6. 20/20 KABC 556,496 7. Friends KNBC 553,553 8. Suddenly Susan KNBC 514,014 9. Men Behaving Badly KNBC 504,129 10. NYPD Blue KABC 499,186

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Source: Nielsen Media Research