Top Primetime Average Goes to CBS

9/11, the CBS Sunday Movie, was the top show in the Nielsens this week, helping the network win the top prime average for the second week in a row. CSI, Survivor and Everybody Loves Raymond were also in the top six, giving CBS four of the top six shows.

9/11 received a 32 share and a 14.4 household rating and was watched by 39 million people. It was the most watched non-sports program in prime time this season, following only the Super Bowl and two Olympics telecasts. Viewership peaked after 10 p.m. when 43 million watched.

CBS earned a 15 share and 9.4 household rating for the week, followed by NBC (13/8.2), ABC (8/5.1) and Fox (8/4.7).

NBC won the rest of the top ten, with Friends and E.R. ranking highest, followed by Law and Order, Leap of Faith, Will & Grace and Becker. All of the top 25 shows were CBS and NBC except for two Fox shows, Simpsons and Malcolm in the Middle, ranked 19 and 21.

CBS owns the contractual rights to show 9/11, the documentary on the terrorist attacks, once more and will probably rebroadcast at the first anniversary of the attacks.

Cable leaders for the most recent week were WWF Entertainment ranked one and two (TNN), followed by Super Sunday Showcase Pretty Woman (TBS), TNT Big Picture Movie Pale Rider and Saturday Night New Classics In the Line of Fire (TNT). WWF's highest rated episode scored a 3.8 household rating with 6.1 million viewers.

Sports leaders for the most recent week were the Fox NASCAR Winston Cup, Genuity Golf (NBC), WWF Shakedown (UPN) and NBA Basketball (NBC). Fox NASCAR had a 6.4 household rating and 10.1 million viewers.

In other TV news, David Letterman passed up the opportunity to move to ABC and renewed his contract with CBS, a five-year deal valued at $150 million. Ted Koppel's Nightline may be temporarily safe in the late night slot at ABC, but the network may still be looking to replace it.

After nearly two decades on the air, Sally Jessy Raphael's daytime talk show was cancelled by Studios USA Domestic Television for low ratings.

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