• by May 11, 2001

NBC's political drama "The West Wing" has the wealthiest audience of any prime-time television network show, according to a new report.

It's the only program whose viewers have an average household income of $70,000 or more, said the analysis by TN Media, a New York ad buying agency.

That's a key point for advertisers, who are usually anxious to reach an affluent audience. As is typical, NBC's audience had the highest average income, at $63,300. ABC was at $58,500, CBS had $57,700 and Fox $54,000.

"ER," "Frasier," "The Practice," "NYPD Blue," and "60 Minutes" are among the shows where the audiences have a higher-than-average income, the report said.

Among the shows with the poorest audience, in the $30,000 to $40,000 range, is the "WWF Smackdown!" on UPN.

- AP