• by Wayne Friedman , June 28, 2006

ABC News' "World News Tonight" new frontman, Charles Gibson, is starting to see some results.

For the week of June 19, ABC's "World News Tonight" edged out NBC's "Nightly News" for the lead among viewers ages 25-54--a key demographic for advertisers such as pharmaceutical companies--with a 2.1 rating/9 share. NBC posted a 2.0/9 for the same time period.

NBC still has the lead in overall viewers--but just barely. "Nightly News" posted 7.63 million to "World News Tonight"'s 7.46 million. In recent months, NBC has been on top in both categories--8.2 million overall viewers and a 2.2 rating in viewers 25-54 to ABC's 7.4 million overall viewers and 2.1 rating in viewers 25-54.

While CBS has also seen improvement, its "CBS Evening News" trails with a 1.8 rating among 25-54 viewers, with 7.0 million overall viewers over the last several months.

Charles Gibson was recently announced as the lead anchor for "World News Tonight," as a result of abandonment of the short-lived two-anchor "World News Tonight" format resulting from Bob Woodruff's serious injury from his Iraq war coverage stint and Elizabeth Vargas' departure to tend to family duties.

Separately, there are other on-air personality comings and goings at ABC. The AP reported that Star Jones Reynolds is leaving "The View" in July. This has followed ABC's recent announcement that Rosie O'Donnell would be joining the women's talk group in the fall. O'Donnell is replacing Meredith Vieira, who has gone on to take Katie Couric's spot on "The Today Show."

According to AP, Jones Reynolds gave an interview to People magazine in which she said--even before the O'Donnell-Vieira-Couric musical chairs began--that her contract would not be renewed.