'High School Musical' Is Music To Disney's Ears

Thanks to shows like "High School Musical," Disney Channel edged out USA Network for the number one spot in prime-time viewers for March.

Posting an average 2.2 household rating and 1.933 million viewers, Disney climbed 0.2 rating points--10 percent--from the previous month. During March, Disney kept in the game with "Musical," as well as high-rated shows "Cow Belles" and "Hannah Montana," the second and fourth best-viewed shows of the month.

USA Network still improved slightly to 1.930 million from 1.920 million from its usual staple of shows--"Monk" and "WWE Entertainment." With its multiple airings, "WWE" took eight of the top 15 places in March.

TNT drifted lower to a 1.8 household rating, from a 2.1 in February. It trended down to a 1.66 million viewers. Its top show in March was its mother ship off-NBC show, "Law & Order."

ESPN scored well with a top pre-NCAA tournament game with perennial powers, North Carolina-Duke. ESPN increased slightly in viewers in March from February--climbing to 1.11 million from 1.01 million. The top-rated "Flavor of Love," from VH1--the reality show featuring Flavor Flav in his quest to find the perfect single woman among 20 contestants--continued its strong winning ways. It earned 5.8 million viewers, and a 2.6 household rating/6.6 share.

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All this gave VH1 just a little bump--up to 607,000 average viewers in prime time from 539,000.

For some networks, the quarterly period ending in March brought good news--especially Discovery Channel and TLC--both of which suffered double-digit percentage ratings declines last year.

Discovery Channel grew 13 percent to an average 1,091,000 viewers in the first quarter 2006. Most of its increases came with older viewers--a 20 percent gain among viewers 25-54; 14 percent among men 25-54, and 33 percent among women 25-54. Shows such as "Mythbusters" and "Dirty Jobs," and specials such as "Grizzly Man," helped improved the picture.

TLC saw prime-time viewers climb 11 percent to 832,000 and household ratings rise 17 percent. New series "Little People, Big World" and returning series "Miami Ink" and "What Not to Wear" were the highlights.

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