• by Ken Liebeskind , July 10, 2002

CBS edged out NBC last week for the prime average lead with 60 Minutes the week's top show. Three news shows made the top 10, including 48 Hours (CBS) ranked sixth, and Dateline NBC ninth. 60 Minutes scored a 15 share and 4.6 household average.

CBS had the top three shows, with the CBS Sunday Movie and Everybody Loves Raymond following 60 Minutes.

NBC's new game show, Dog Eat Dog, continued its success as the fourth ranked show for the week. The Tuesday episode of Fox's American Idol, another new show, ranked seventh.

CBS's Becker and NBC's Law and Order and Crime and Punishment rounded out the top 10.

CBS had the top prime ranking last week (11 share/5.7 household), followed by NBC (10/5), Fox (7/3.6) and ABC (7/3.5).

Cable leaders for the most recent week were The Dead Zone (USA), WWE Entertainment (TNN), AFI Awards (USA) and BET Awards (BET). Dead Zone scored a 3.3 household with 3.5 million households tuned in.

Sports leaders for the most recent week were Fox Saturday Baseball, WWF Smackdown (UPN), World Cup Soccer (ABC), US Senior Open (NBC) and Wimbledon tennis (NBC). Fox baseball scored a 3.3 household with 3.5 million homes.

In other TV news, NBC says it will air four episodes of Court TV's Forensic Files series this summer, a rare occasion when a network buys a cable program, not the other way around. It will be the first time NBC broadcasts a cable series. Two of the episodes will debut on NBC with the other two Court TV reruns.

The shows will start running in late August, just before the fall season starts.

In other news, NBC and USA Network will promote each other’s shows in a series of 30-second spots. NBC will promote USA's summer hit Dead Zone and Monk, which debuts Friday, while USA will promote NBC's fall lineup. The fact the networks aren't co-owned makes the deal unusual.

Dead Zone drew the highest ratings for any cable premiere on June 16. The show was developed for UPN but never made it on the air.