• by Paul Gough , May 23, 2003

A playoff game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs topped the cable programs for the week ended May 18.

A Nielsen Media Research analysis found that coverage of the Tuesday game on TNT delivered a 5 rating with 5.3 million households and 7.6 million people tuning in. NBA playoff games on TNT were also among the top-rated shows for the week, along with several Nickelodeon programs and two movies, Liar Liar on USA and Pretty Woman on TBS.

In pay cable, a new episode of Six Feet Under on HBO topped the list, drawing a 3.1 rating with 3.2 million households and 4.6 million people. The top-rated sports program for the week ended May 11 was a Sunday night playoff game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers on ABC, delivering a household rating of 5.7 and a 15 share with 6 million households and 8.2 million people.

The top-rated syndicated program for the same week was Wheel of Fortune, drawing an 8.7 rating with 9.2 million households and 12.6 milion people tuning in. Among males 35-64, Seinfeld was the top-rated program with a delivery of 4.2 and 2.24 million men ages 35-64 viewing and a gross average audience of 4.9 and 2.5 million men. The gross average audience is the sum of the percent of households or persons tuning or viewing during the average minute of each telecast of the program, including repeat telecasts, during the report interval. Duplicated tuning and viewing to the same program or its repeat telecast by the same household, during the report period, is counted each time, Nielsen said.

The top 10 cable programs for the week ended May 18:

1. NBA Playoffs-Lakers vs. Spurs (TNT), 5.0 rating, 5.3 million people.

2. WWE Raw Zone (TNN), 3.6 rating, 5.3 million people.

3. NBA Playoffs Kings-Mavericks (TNT), 3.4 rating, 5.2 million people.

4. WWE Raw Zone (TNN), 3.4 rating, 5 million people.

5. Winston Cup Race (FX), 2.9 rating, 4.9 million people.

6. NBA Playoffs 76ers-Pistons (TNT), 2.8 rating, 3.7 million people.

7. Fairly Odd Parents (Nick), 2.8 rating, 3.7 million people.

8. Spongebob (Nick), 2.7 rating, 4.4 million people.

9. Spongebob (Nick), 2.7 rating, 4 million people.

10. NBA Playoffs Kings-Mavericks (Nick), 2.7 rating, 3.7 million people.