• by Wayne Friedman , August 3, 2005

Despite its fourth-place finish last year, new research from Magna Global suggests that NBC hasn't fallen too far in regard to upscale viewers.

Among both adults 18-49 and adults 25-54, NBC still retains the highest upscale index of all broadcast networks, grabbing a 113 index for adult 18-49s with incomes of $100,000 or more, and a 139 index for adults 25-54 with incomes of $100,000 or more.

Close behind are ABC and Fox. Fox came in second with a 113 for adults 18-49, and ABC came in second with a 130 index for adult viewers 25-54. The index number compares a show with the overall U.S. population, with a 100 index being the same as the U.S. population.

Among the top shows for upscale viewers--when analyzing the percentage of upscale viewers and overall ratings---NBC had five of the top seven shows--"Apprentice 3," "Apprentice 2," "Will & Grace," "West Wing," and "E.R."

Among the top shows when surveying just the percentage of upscale viewers, NBC also had five of the top seven--"The Office," "Scrubs," "Committed," "Hit My Baby One More Time," and "Will & Grace."

Upscale viewers are some of the most valuable in TV for many networks. NBC built its reputation on those viewers over the last decade, and because of it, had been the leader in network upfront advertising sales activity.

All this suggests to media analysts that while NBC may have lost a big chunk of money--some $700 million in this past upfront market, according to the company's estimates--that could have been much worse if NBC had not retained its valuable upscale viewer domination.

Steve Sternberg, executive vp of audience analysis for Magna Global, who produced the report, writes that overall broadcast networks are generally not upscale--and especially not with men. Most upscale viewer scores are driven by women viewers. The six-network average for woman is a 112 index for adults 18-49 and 140 for adults 25-54.

But that index is just 79 for men in the adults 18-49 $100,000 demographic. Men score better in the older demo, adults 25-54, with a 95 index.

Among the dozens of cable networks, only eight score higher than the population as a whole--Golf Channel (166), Bravo (154), CNBC (136), E! (125), ESPN (124), TLC (120), HGTV (111), and MSNBC (110).

The five lowest non-kids cable networks are Animal Planet, CMT, Court TV, TV Land, and the Hallmark Channel, which had indexes in the range of 40 to 49.

Sternberg says most network ratings calculations are processed incorrectly. Data is typically crunched, he says, by dividing a program's adults 18-49 $100,000 rating by its overall adults 18-49 rating.

But this does not show whether a program is actually more upscale then another, he writes. Instead, he divides the upscale composition of a show--such as "E.R."'s 15.2% of adults 18-49 $100,000 number--by that demo in the total U.S. population, which is 9.5%. That gives "E.R." a 160 index.