• by April 24, 2002

For the second week in a row, ad-supported cable exceeded a 50 primetime share of viewing against regularly-scheduled (non-summer) broadcast network programming.

According to a Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau analysis of Nielsen data for Week #30 (April 15–21) of the 2001/2002 TV season, ad-supported cable recorded a 50.9 primetime U.S. household share—up 7.3 points (+16.7%) from the same period last year.

Delivery rose 4.9 million homes to 31.3 million (+18.7%); and rating increased almost 4 points to 29.7 (+15.1%). The seven broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN, PAX), on the other hand, had collective double-digit audience declines in Week #30, losing 3.6 million homes (–11.8% versus the year before); 4.3 rating points (–14.5%); and more than 6 share points (–12.9%).

Individually, six of the seven broadcast networks posted audience losses.

This is the fourth week out of the last five that ad-supported cable has surpassed the seven broadcast networks combined in primetime viewing.