• by Wayne Friedman , October 2, 2008

Cable networks may continue to claim increasingly higher ratings at the expense of the broadcast networks, but looking at the 100 best-rated shows, the Television Bureau of Advertising wants you to know that its broadcast shows still dominate in overall popularity.

The TVB, the TV station advertising organization, says the recently concluded debut week of the TV season showed that 91 of the 100 TV shows for 18-49 viewers are broadcast network shows.

The top five shows in terms of live plus same day ratings among 18-49 viewers were ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" (7.4 rating), ABC's "Desperate Housewives" (7.1 rating), "NBC Sunday Night Football" (6.9 rating), ABC's "Dancing With The Stars" (5.3 rating), and CBS' "Two & A Half Men" (5.3 rating).

The best-rated ad-supported cable TV show was ESPN's "NFL Regular Season," which landed in 9th place, reaching a 5.0 adult 18-49 rating. After the ESPN's NFL coverage, another cable TV show doesn't make an appearance until 43rd place, with another ESPN football event--its Thursday college football game which posted a 2.5 rating among 18-49 viewers.

Next is the Presidential Debate on CNN, in 48th place, recording a 2.4 rating. For the same event, Fox News Channel had a 2.2 number in 53rd place. In the 65th spot was USA Network's "WWE Entertainment" with a 1.9 number.

Near the bottom of the top 100 list was ESPN's "SportsCenter"--with the 94th spot and a 1.2 rating among 18-49ers. "House" on USA Network took the 98th spot with a 1.1 rating; "The Office" on TBS was in 99th place with a 1.0 number, and the Presidential Debate on MSNBC was in 100th place, also scoring a 1.0 number.

Surveying all ad-supported cable networks for the first week told a slightly different story, according to IPG's media research and consulting group, Magna--perhaps that smaller-rated TV shows were eating into broadcast total pie.

Cable networks rose 12% among 18-49 viewers to a collective 17.3 number, while broadcast networks were down 3% in live-plus-same-day to a collective 13.1 rating, respectively.