Ad-supported cable made significant primetime audience gains in Week #24 (March 4–10) of the 2001/2002 television season, picking up 3.4 homes (+12.8%), 2.4 rating points (+9.2%) and 4.1 share points
(+9.6%) versus the same period a year ago. According to a Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau analysis of Nielsen data, these gains—in tandem with continued primetime audience losses by the seven
national broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN, WB, PAX)—put cable in a virtual viewership tie with broadcast for the week. As the CAB reports, collective primetime viewership of the seven
broadcast networks in Week #24 fell by more than 1 million homes (–3.3%); 1.9 rating points (–6.3%); and 3.1 share points (–6.2 percent). Also in Week #24, NBC lost its weekly lead for the first time
since the Winter Olympics, and ABC’s plight continued with the network losing a third of its audience.
