-- Site Summary ---
Visits
Total ........................ 1,237
Average per Day ................. 42
Average Visit Length .......... 1:49
This Week ...................... 297
Page Views
Total ........................ 2,081
Average per Day ................. 64
Average per Visit .............. 1.5
This Week ...................... 448
--- Visits this Week ---
Hour 9/21 9/22 9/23 9/24 9/25 9/26 9/27 Total
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1 2 2 1 1 0 2 2 (10)
2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
4 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2
5 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 5
6 3 3 2 3 2 0 0 (13)
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8 1 2 2 1 0 0 3 9
9 2 1 0 0 0 1 6 (10)
10 2 2 3 0 3 2 1 (13)
11 0 2 3 0 0 8 2 (15)
12 4 4 2 1 1 2 1 (15)
13 3 6 3 0 2 1 3 (18)
14 1 4 4 2 5 1 1 (18)
15 6 9 4 1 1 1 1 (23)
16 5 4 3 1 1 3 5 (22)
17 5 1 3 1 0 4 5 (19)
18 5 5 3 1 1 6 1 (22)
19 2 0 0 3 5 1 1 (12)
20 3 4 2 8 2 2 3 (24)
21 6 1 1 2 1 0 1 (12)
22 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 3
23 4 0 1 0 2 4 2 (13)
24 3 1 3 2 0 1 3 (13)
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ -------
59- 53- 41- 30- 29- 41- 44- 297
--- Page Views this Week ---
Day
Hour 9/21 9/22 9/23 9/24 9/25 9/26 9/27 Total
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1 2 2 1 3 0 2 3 (13)
2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
4 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2
5 0 1 1 1 0 3 0 6
6 8 3 4 3 3 0 0 (21)
7 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 4
8 5 4 3 1 0 0 5 (18)
9 2 2 0 0 0 1 (10) (15)
10 2 5 5 0 3 3 1 (19)
11 0 2 5 0 0 (11) 12 (30)
12 4 5 2 1 1 2 2 (17)
13 3 6 4 0 2 1 4 (20)
14 1 7 6 2 (11) 1 1 (29)
15 (13) (10) 9 2 1 1 1 (37)
16 8 9 7 1 1 4 6 (36)
17 9 1 4 2 0 4 8 (28)
18 (14) (14) 4 1 1 (16) 5 (55)
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21 7 2 1 3 1 0 1 (15)
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23 5 0 2 0 2 6 2 (17)
24 3 1 5 3 0 2 3 (17)
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93- 81- 65- 39- 37- 60- 73- 448
Monday, October 24, 2005
BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLICANS
Mine Eyes have seen the bungling of that stumbling moron Bush;
he has blathered all the drivel that the neo-cons can push;
he has lost sight of all reason 'cause his head is up his tush;
The Doofus marches on.
I have heard him butcher syntax like a kindergarten fool;
There is warranted suspicion that he never went to school;
Should we fault him for the policies - or is he just their tool?
The lies keep piling on.
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
His wreckage will live on.
I have seen him cut the taxes of the billionaires' lone heir;
As he spends another zillion on an aircraft carrier;
Let the smokestacks keep polluting - do we really need clean air?
The surplus is now gone.
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Your safety net is gone!
Now he's got a mighty hankerin' to bomb a prostrate state;
Though the whole world knows its crazy - and the U.N. says to wait;
When he doesn't have the evidence, "We must prevaricate."
Diplomacy is done!
Oh, a trumped-up war is excellent; we have no moral bounds;
Should the reasons be disputed, we'll just make up other grounds;
Enraging several billions - to his brainlessness redounds; The Doofus marches on!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
THIS...DOO...FUS...MAR...CHES...ON
he has blathered all the drivel that the neo-cons can push;
he has lost sight of all reason 'cause his head is up his tush;
The Doofus marches on.
I have heard him butcher syntax like a kindergarten fool;
There is warranted suspicion that he never went to school;
Should we fault him for the policies - or is he just their tool?
The lies keep piling on.
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
His wreckage will live on.
I have seen him cut the taxes of the billionaires' lone heir;
As he spends another zillion on an aircraft carrier;
Let the smokestacks keep polluting - do we really need clean air?
The surplus is now gone.
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Your safety net is gone!
Now he's got a mighty hankerin' to bomb a prostrate state;
Though the whole world knows its crazy - and the U.N. says to wait;
When he doesn't have the evidence, "We must prevaricate."
Diplomacy is done!
Oh, a trumped-up war is excellent; we have no moral bounds;
Should the reasons be disputed, we'll just make up other grounds;
Enraging several billions - to his brainlessness redounds; The Doofus marches on!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
THIS...DOO...FUS...MAR...CHES...ON
REVIEW: Dennis Kyne: All We Want Is The Truth!
By Keith Hannaleck, 10/1/2005
Besides rockin’ down the house, he gets his point across really well on this CD...
Artist: Dennis Kyne
Title: I’m Not Resisting
Genre: Rock
Label: Independent
What happens to a man that is in the Army for 15 years and he gets out five years before retirement, and then decides to start offering the truth about the military to those that will listen? If you can deal with it all the bullshit the military deals out for 20 years, you get to walk away from it and collect a paycheck for doing nothing the rest of your life. Well there has to be a damned good reason for a person to pack it all in with 75% of the commitment already fulfilled. Listen to this CD for the answers.
Dennis Kyne is one such person that turned his back on a fully benefited military retirement because his conscience would not allow him to see it through until the end. He needed to start again somewhere else, and start with the truth first. I believe in national security and our military but I do not support some of the senseless wars the U.S. has waged.
Kyne left behind 15 years of sacrifice to expose some of the awful truths about our military in a book called "Support The Truth," a play on words from the commonly used "support our troops" motto. And now we have a musical version of his story, well part of it, in I’m Not Resisting. He communicates his tale through some hearty rock tracks. Some of the subject matter obviously pertains to his protesting activities and ensuing arrests, depicted on the cover of this CD. Switching between the acoustic and electric guitar, Kyne makes his way through 11 tracks of emotional fist waving at our government and military. In a bit of irony, our government wants us to support our troops but does not think twice about putting our brothers and sisters in harms way, even using them as guinea pigs in some cases. Kyne sings about all of this and the tragedies of veterans coming home changed forever. Some are insane and living like dogs on the street. These are the realities of war and our government likes to turn its head to this heartbreak. Kyne is not going to let it slide; he wants everyone to know what the truth is.
Besides rockin’ down the house, he gets his point across really well on this CD. If he is playing an acoustic number like the opener "All We Want Is The Truth," sounding like Iggy Pop every step of the way, he has this high level of energy that bites like a pit bull and it hangs on without letting go. His message is so important that there is no time to waste in any song, and he makes the best use of his time. This is what you call optimizing your moment in the sun. Five of the tracks are crackling with spontaneity. They were recorded live at KZSU Stanford Live. The rest of the tracks sound live off the floor in the studio as well. The entire album has that feel, that gritty edge and undying tension that you would need in conveying such a message. This element turns out to be Kyne’s most reliable friend. He has a decent voice and his guitar playing is above average. It is a good thing because there is no way that this recording would have the meaning it does without the piss n’ vinegar of a hard-edged voice and some rockin’ six-string to drive it home.
He has some great support along the way from his comrades Shawn Packer (guitar), James Bradford (bass), Ryan Hoffman (drums), and Ward Reilly (percussion on track 1). You cannot make music this good without a little help and nobody knows better than Kyne.
Best tracks for my money are "All We Want Is The Truth," "Scratched Out In Soul" and "Whiskey." For me these are the songs that define Kyne’s purpose and meaning for making this CD in the first place. This CD is jam packed with powerful eye opening messages and good music to back it all up, when does it get any better or more in your face than that?
© Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
September 30, 2005
Rating-8/10
01. All We Want is the Truth (3:44)
02. Curbside (3:26)
03. All In (4:22)
04. What's the Purpose? (3:21)
05. Playin' it Cool (3:20)
06. Corner (3:52)
07. Scratched Out in Soul (0:16)
08. Whiskey (4:44)
09. Cut Around Sally (4:09)
10. Sittin' In Tally (3:50)
11. Hangin' (2:38)
Monday, October 03, 2005
ABC News news
October 3, 2005
ABC News Closes in On Anchor Duo
Net Denies Decision Made By Michele Greppi, TV Week
While it is not finalized and could change, ABC News is moving toward naming Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas as the permanent co-anchors of "World News Tonight," succeeding the late Peter Jennings, according to informed sources.
Such a decision would be a blow to Charles Gibson, the current co-host of "Good Morning America," who has been filling in on "World News Tonight," and frequently acting as the face of ABC News on big breaking stories. Mr. Gibson, 62, is believed to want the "World News Tonight" anchor job which would cap a distinguished career that has earned him widespread respect within ABC News and beyond.
If he doesn't get the job, sources said Mr. Gibson would likely stay with "GMA" for another year and a half, and then might leave the network. ABC, a division of the Walt Disney Company, has been hesitant to move Mr. Gibson away from "GMA" at a time he and co-hosts Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts have led a strong resurgence for the hugely profitable morning program which has moved it closer in the ratings to NBC's "Today Show" than it has been in a decade.
An ABC News spokesman on Friday told TelevisionWeek that no decisions about "World News Tonight" have been made and because things are going so well, there is no pressure to move quickly. "Your story is wrong," said Jeffrey W. Schneider, VP and spokesman for ABC News. "To be clear, no decision has been made. At best your sources are ill-informed gossips. At worst, your sources know they don't know what they are talking about. We are in no rush to make this decision. When we are prepared to make an announcement, we will make one."
However, well-connected sources inside ABC and other sources in the TV news circle say that ABC News hopes to beat CBS News to the punch by rolling out a younger-generation flagship newscast. Mr. Woodruff, who is 43, is seen as the epitome of that future. The ABC News spokesman said that what CBS does is not a factor in when ABC News will make its changes. Mr. Woodruff and Ms. Vargas have often anchored "World News Tonight," as has Mr. Gibson, since Peter Jennings announced he had been diagnosed with lung cancer in April. Mr. Jennings died in early August.
Inside ABC News, many regard Mr. Woodruff as a worthy successor to Mr. Jennings. He is a polished newsman who has reported from Iraq, New Orleans, the South Pacific tsunami or, as he did earlier this year, from inside North Korea.
Although Ms. Vargas, 42, who co-anchors "20/20" with John Stossel, has done several serious prime-time specials and reportedly has the enthusiastic backing of ABC News Senior VP Paul Slavin, she does not have the widespread rank-and-file support that Mr. Woodruff does. There is speculation that Mr. Woodruff often might be deployed in the field on big stories with Ms. Vargas at the anchor desk.
"World News Tonight" has been closing in on "NBC Nightly News" since last year, before Tom Brokaw turned the anchor desk over to Brian Williams, and "World News Tonight" edged "Nightly" in the 25-54 demographic for the just-concluded third quarter.
Meanwhile, there is speculation that pieces are falling into place for the next generation of "Nightline." Anchor Ted Koppel and executive producer Tom Bettag will leave the show and the network at the end of December. Informed sources said "primetime>live" correspondent and legal analyst Cynthia McFadden would take the anchor role held since 1979 by Mr. Koppel. Under this scenario, Terry Moran, who now covers the White House, would be a "Nightline" correspondent; and Jim Avila, the former NBC News correspondent who joined ABC News in 2004, and since has broken a number of big news stories, may succeed Mr. Moran on the White House beat.
Veteran investigative journalist Martin Bashir, who joined "20/20" in September, 2004, is also expected to be assigned as a "Nightline" correspondent.
The ABC News spokesman dismissed possible changes on "Nightline" as speculation.
Mr. Woodruff, who trained as a lawyer and is a veteran foreign correspondent, is currently also an anchor on ABC News' "World News Tonight Saturday." He moved to New York in 2002 after working for ABC in London.
Ms. Vargas joined Mr. Stossel as co-anchor of "20/20" in September, 2004. She has anchored numerous ABC News specials, including several one-hour "Vanished" reports and a "Child First Safety Special." She joined ABC from NBC News, where she was a correspondent and substitute anchor for "Dateline NBC" and "Today," and also a substitute anchor for NBC Nightly News' weekend editions.
ABC News Closes in On Anchor Duo
Net Denies Decision Made By Michele Greppi, TV Week
While it is not finalized and could change, ABC News is moving toward naming Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas as the permanent co-anchors of "World News Tonight," succeeding the late Peter Jennings, according to informed sources.
Such a decision would be a blow to Charles Gibson, the current co-host of "Good Morning America," who has been filling in on "World News Tonight," and frequently acting as the face of ABC News on big breaking stories. Mr. Gibson, 62, is believed to want the "World News Tonight" anchor job which would cap a distinguished career that has earned him widespread respect within ABC News and beyond.
If he doesn't get the job, sources said Mr. Gibson would likely stay with "GMA" for another year and a half, and then might leave the network. ABC, a division of the Walt Disney Company, has been hesitant to move Mr. Gibson away from "GMA" at a time he and co-hosts Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts have led a strong resurgence for the hugely profitable morning program which has moved it closer in the ratings to NBC's "Today Show" than it has been in a decade.
An ABC News spokesman on Friday told TelevisionWeek that no decisions about "World News Tonight" have been made and because things are going so well, there is no pressure to move quickly. "Your story is wrong," said Jeffrey W. Schneider, VP and spokesman for ABC News. "To be clear, no decision has been made. At best your sources are ill-informed gossips. At worst, your sources know they don't know what they are talking about. We are in no rush to make this decision. When we are prepared to make an announcement, we will make one."
However, well-connected sources inside ABC and other sources in the TV news circle say that ABC News hopes to beat CBS News to the punch by rolling out a younger-generation flagship newscast. Mr. Woodruff, who is 43, is seen as the epitome of that future. The ABC News spokesman said that what CBS does is not a factor in when ABC News will make its changes. Mr. Woodruff and Ms. Vargas have often anchored "World News Tonight," as has Mr. Gibson, since Peter Jennings announced he had been diagnosed with lung cancer in April. Mr. Jennings died in early August.
Inside ABC News, many regard Mr. Woodruff as a worthy successor to Mr. Jennings. He is a polished newsman who has reported from Iraq, New Orleans, the South Pacific tsunami or, as he did earlier this year, from inside North Korea.
Although Ms. Vargas, 42, who co-anchors "20/20" with John Stossel, has done several serious prime-time specials and reportedly has the enthusiastic backing of ABC News Senior VP Paul Slavin, she does not have the widespread rank-and-file support that Mr. Woodruff does. There is speculation that Mr. Woodruff often might be deployed in the field on big stories with Ms. Vargas at the anchor desk.
"World News Tonight" has been closing in on "NBC Nightly News" since last year, before Tom Brokaw turned the anchor desk over to Brian Williams, and "World News Tonight" edged "Nightly" in the 25-54 demographic for the just-concluded third quarter.
Meanwhile, there is speculation that pieces are falling into place for the next generation of "Nightline." Anchor Ted Koppel and executive producer Tom Bettag will leave the show and the network at the end of December. Informed sources said "primetime>live" correspondent and legal analyst Cynthia McFadden would take the anchor role held since 1979 by Mr. Koppel. Under this scenario, Terry Moran, who now covers the White House, would be a "Nightline" correspondent; and Jim Avila, the former NBC News correspondent who joined ABC News in 2004, and since has broken a number of big news stories, may succeed Mr. Moran on the White House beat.
Veteran investigative journalist Martin Bashir, who joined "20/20" in September, 2004, is also expected to be assigned as a "Nightline" correspondent.
The ABC News spokesman dismissed possible changes on "Nightline" as speculation.
Mr. Woodruff, who trained as a lawyer and is a veteran foreign correspondent, is currently also an anchor on ABC News' "World News Tonight Saturday." He moved to New York in 2002 after working for ABC in London.
Ms. Vargas joined Mr. Stossel as co-anchor of "20/20" in September, 2004. She has anchored numerous ABC News specials, including several one-hour "Vanished" reports and a "Child First Safety Special." She joined ABC from NBC News, where she was a correspondent and substitute anchor for "Dateline NBC" and "Today," and also a substitute anchor for NBC Nightly News' weekend editions.
ABC Entertainment
ABC Early Leader in Demo; Fox, UPN Also Ahead of Last Season's Fall Pace
ABC, Fox and UPN have gotten off to a fast start this fall. (TV Week)
With strong premiere performances from its sophomore hits and the debuting sci-fi drama "Invasion," ABC-whose key demographic ratings perked up 16 percent over the course of last season-has emerged as the No. 1 network in the adults 18 to 49 demographic for the first days of the 2005-06 season, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Powered by "Lost," "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy," the network is enjoying double-digit increases in the demo over the same period a year ago. But eclipsing ABC in year-to-year growth are Fox and UPN, which have each benefited from strong opening ratings for new and returning shows.
In addition, for the first season in several years of a sitcom drought, two of the most promising broadcast network debuts are half-hour comedies-NBC's "My Name Is Earl" and UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris."
"After years and years of sitcoms not really resonating, perhaps now the comedy pendulum is swinging the other way," said Brad Adgate, senior VP of research for Horizon Media.
Last Tuesday at 9 p.m. (ET) NBC's "Earl" scored a 5.1 in the demo for its second airing, a decline of 23 percent from its debut number but still high enough to beat all of its network competition during the half-hour. Combined with the night's big demo winner, "Law & Order: SVU," at 10 p.m., "Earl" helped NBC win Tuesday in adults 18 to 49. An NBC spokesman declined to comment on the network's new-season ratings. Last Thursday at 8 p.m., UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris" declined 28 percent from its record-setting series premiere the previous week, tying the first half-hour of ABC's "Alias" for last place in the time period. Despite the week-to-week drop, "Chris" has improved the time period for UPN from last season by 85 percent in adults 18 to 49 and 68 percent in total viewers.
Like last season, 2005-06 looks like it will be another neck-and-neck competition between as many as four networks for the top spot in adults 18 to 49, Shari Anne Brill, VP and director of programming for Aegis Group's Carat, said. ABC is likely to do better than last year's third-place demo finish, she added. "I do expect that ABC has a much stronger chance to make second. They are looking very good now," Ms. Brill said.
ABC also looks like a potential winner to Mr. Adgate, who jokingly noted ABC's ratings success could finally lead to more substantial profits for the network.
"Certainly, there has been no sophomore jinx for 'Housewives' and 'Lost,'" he said. "Another hit or two and maybe next year they will ask for the big increases in the upfront."
On the second Wednesday of the season, an original episode of the mysterious drama "Lost" at 9 p.m. was the top-rated show for the night in the demo, scoring a 9.7, down 5 percent from its season premiere the previous week. "Lost" lead-out "Invasion" scored a 5.1, a 25 percent decline from its premiere, but was still the victor in the 10 p.m. time period. "Invasion" beat out the second episode of the season for NBC's historically dominant "Law & Order" (4.8) and the season premiere of CBS's "CSI: NY" (4.5).
But ABC's biggest success has come on Sundays, where "Housewives" debuted Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. with a 12.3 in the demo, easily winning the night and growing 38 percent from its series premiere last fall. At 10 p.m. "Anatomy" hit an 8.3 in adults 18 to 49, increasing 15 percent over its midseason premiere and growing 73 percent over the premiere of "Boston Legal" in the time period a year ago.
Last Tuesday ABC's highly promoted 9 p.m. debut of its presidential drama "Commander in Chief" was the most-watched show of the night with 16.4 million viewers but did little to increase the network's competitive time period performance in adults 18 to 49. "Commander" scored a 4.3 in the demo, improving by 5 percent the year-ago premiere average for "According to Jim" and "Rodney." That was only good enough for ABC to tie the first half of CBS's special two-hour "Amazing Race: Family Edition" and NBC's "Earl" and "The Office" comedy block. Late last week NBC gave "The Office" a full season pickup.
Fox, usually a fall ratings laggard until the beginning of postseason baseball in October, has enjoyed success, thanks to the continued strength of its new Monday 9 p.m. drama "Prison Break," which got an early debut Aug. 29. Last Monday "Prison Break's" rating in adults 18 to 49 grew 5 percent from its performance the previous week to a 4.0. Two days later Fox announced it was giving the show, along with the Sunday animated comedy "American Dad," a full season pickup.
"We're continuing to be happy with where we are, because we had a plan of getting our shows on early," Mr. Beckman said. "We're getting a much better sense of where we are after baseball."
The other bright spot for Fox was its new Tuesday lineup, which features the debuting procedural "Bones" at 8 p.m. and the returning sophomore medical series "House" at 9 p.m. Last Tuesday "House" won its time period in the demo with a 5.2 and tied NBC's "SVU" as the top-rated show for the night in adults 18 to 49.
The fact that Fox is performing early in the fall with series in their regular time slots is a good sign for the network, Mr. Beckman said.
"We're doing it with our schedule," he said, "not with stunts or anything."One of the more closely watched rescheduled time periods of the new season is CBS's Monday night comedy linchpin "Two and a Half Men" at 9 p.m., which scored a 4.8 last week, down 6 percent from its season premiere the previous week. With perennial 9 p.m. time period holder "Everybody Loves Raymond" no longer on the schedule, "Men," the former 9:30 p.m. show, has moved into the plum comedy spot for the night and become the network's most important sitcom. For the first two weeks, "Men"" was down 17 percent from "Raymond's" performance in the time period a year ago (5.0 versus 6.0).
"Men" is performing for the network, Kelly Kahl, senior executive VP of programming operations for CBS and UPN said. "Generally, we're pleased," Mr. Kahl said. "The competition in the hour has gotten much more difficult. We never expected it to do what 'Raymond' did."
An initial area of struggle for CBS was the time period premiere of the Wednesday 9 p.m. procedural "Criminal Minds," which scored a 3.3 in the demo, down 49 percent from its special Thursday debut the previous week and down 16 percent from the year-ago debuts of the time period's "King of Queens" and "Center of the Universe."
Not all Viacom networks had a disappointing 9 p.m. performance. UPN's "Veronica Mars" was down 24 percent to a 1.3 in the demo from last season's time period premiere of "Kevin Hill," but "Veronica" improved over its year-ago Tuesday premiere in a number of demos, including a 56 percent gain in women 18 to 34 (2.5) and more than doubling its female teen number (3.1).
"We did it a favor putting it behind '[America's Next] Top Model'; we didn't do it a favor putting it up against 'Lost.' Mr. Kahl said.
ABC, Fox and UPN have gotten off to a fast start this fall. (TV Week)
With strong premiere performances from its sophomore hits and the debuting sci-fi drama "Invasion," ABC-whose key demographic ratings perked up 16 percent over the course of last season-has emerged as the No. 1 network in the adults 18 to 49 demographic for the first days of the 2005-06 season, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Powered by "Lost," "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy," the network is enjoying double-digit increases in the demo over the same period a year ago. But eclipsing ABC in year-to-year growth are Fox and UPN, which have each benefited from strong opening ratings for new and returning shows.
In addition, for the first season in several years of a sitcom drought, two of the most promising broadcast network debuts are half-hour comedies-NBC's "My Name Is Earl" and UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris."
"After years and years of sitcoms not really resonating, perhaps now the comedy pendulum is swinging the other way," said Brad Adgate, senior VP of research for Horizon Media.
Last Tuesday at 9 p.m. (ET) NBC's "Earl" scored a 5.1 in the demo for its second airing, a decline of 23 percent from its debut number but still high enough to beat all of its network competition during the half-hour. Combined with the night's big demo winner, "Law & Order: SVU," at 10 p.m., "Earl" helped NBC win Tuesday in adults 18 to 49. An NBC spokesman declined to comment on the network's new-season ratings. Last Thursday at 8 p.m., UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris" declined 28 percent from its record-setting series premiere the previous week, tying the first half-hour of ABC's "Alias" for last place in the time period. Despite the week-to-week drop, "Chris" has improved the time period for UPN from last season by 85 percent in adults 18 to 49 and 68 percent in total viewers.
Like last season, 2005-06 looks like it will be another neck-and-neck competition between as many as four networks for the top spot in adults 18 to 49, Shari Anne Brill, VP and director of programming for Aegis Group's Carat, said. ABC is likely to do better than last year's third-place demo finish, she added. "I do expect that ABC has a much stronger chance to make second. They are looking very good now," Ms. Brill said.
ABC also looks like a potential winner to Mr. Adgate, who jokingly noted ABC's ratings success could finally lead to more substantial profits for the network.
"Certainly, there has been no sophomore jinx for 'Housewives' and 'Lost,'" he said. "Another hit or two and maybe next year they will ask for the big increases in the upfront."
On the second Wednesday of the season, an original episode of the mysterious drama "Lost" at 9 p.m. was the top-rated show for the night in the demo, scoring a 9.7, down 5 percent from its season premiere the previous week. "Lost" lead-out "Invasion" scored a 5.1, a 25 percent decline from its premiere, but was still the victor in the 10 p.m. time period. "Invasion" beat out the second episode of the season for NBC's historically dominant "Law & Order" (4.8) and the season premiere of CBS's "CSI: NY" (4.5).
But ABC's biggest success has come on Sundays, where "Housewives" debuted Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. with a 12.3 in the demo, easily winning the night and growing 38 percent from its series premiere last fall. At 10 p.m. "Anatomy" hit an 8.3 in adults 18 to 49, increasing 15 percent over its midseason premiere and growing 73 percent over the premiere of "Boston Legal" in the time period a year ago.
Last Tuesday ABC's highly promoted 9 p.m. debut of its presidential drama "Commander in Chief" was the most-watched show of the night with 16.4 million viewers but did little to increase the network's competitive time period performance in adults 18 to 49. "Commander" scored a 4.3 in the demo, improving by 5 percent the year-ago premiere average for "According to Jim" and "Rodney." That was only good enough for ABC to tie the first half of CBS's special two-hour "Amazing Race: Family Edition" and NBC's "Earl" and "The Office" comedy block. Late last week NBC gave "The Office" a full season pickup.
Fox, usually a fall ratings laggard until the beginning of postseason baseball in October, has enjoyed success, thanks to the continued strength of its new Monday 9 p.m. drama "Prison Break," which got an early debut Aug. 29. Last Monday "Prison Break's" rating in adults 18 to 49 grew 5 percent from its performance the previous week to a 4.0. Two days later Fox announced it was giving the show, along with the Sunday animated comedy "American Dad," a full season pickup.
"We're continuing to be happy with where we are, because we had a plan of getting our shows on early," Mr. Beckman said. "We're getting a much better sense of where we are after baseball."
The other bright spot for Fox was its new Tuesday lineup, which features the debuting procedural "Bones" at 8 p.m. and the returning sophomore medical series "House" at 9 p.m. Last Tuesday "House" won its time period in the demo with a 5.2 and tied NBC's "SVU" as the top-rated show for the night in adults 18 to 49.
The fact that Fox is performing early in the fall with series in their regular time slots is a good sign for the network, Mr. Beckman said.
"We're doing it with our schedule," he said, "not with stunts or anything."One of the more closely watched rescheduled time periods of the new season is CBS's Monday night comedy linchpin "Two and a Half Men" at 9 p.m., which scored a 4.8 last week, down 6 percent from its season premiere the previous week. With perennial 9 p.m. time period holder "Everybody Loves Raymond" no longer on the schedule, "Men," the former 9:30 p.m. show, has moved into the plum comedy spot for the night and become the network's most important sitcom. For the first two weeks, "Men"" was down 17 percent from "Raymond's" performance in the time period a year ago (5.0 versus 6.0).
"Men" is performing for the network, Kelly Kahl, senior executive VP of programming operations for CBS and UPN said. "Generally, we're pleased," Mr. Kahl said. "The competition in the hour has gotten much more difficult. We never expected it to do what 'Raymond' did."
An initial area of struggle for CBS was the time period premiere of the Wednesday 9 p.m. procedural "Criminal Minds," which scored a 3.3 in the demo, down 49 percent from its special Thursday debut the previous week and down 16 percent from the year-ago debuts of the time period's "King of Queens" and "Center of the Universe."
Not all Viacom networks had a disappointing 9 p.m. performance. UPN's "Veronica Mars" was down 24 percent to a 1.3 in the demo from last season's time period premiere of "Kevin Hill," but "Veronica" improved over its year-ago Tuesday premiere in a number of demos, including a 56 percent gain in women 18 to 34 (2.5) and more than doubling its female teen number (3.1).
"We did it a favor putting it behind '[America's Next] Top Model'; we didn't do it a favor putting it up against 'Lost.' Mr. Kahl said.
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