TWO SHOWS TIE FOR FIRST PLACE IN RATINGS AGAIN

For the second week in a row — and the first time in memory — the same two shows tied for first place in the Nielsen ratings. ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and CBS’s NCIS each attracted 18 million total adult viewers. Fox’s American Idol was close on their heels with 17.9 million viewers. Overall, however, CBS dominated the ratings, winning in total viewers and viewers in the key 18-49 age group. Among the top 20 shows for the week, CBS held 12 positions, while ABC held 5, Fox 2, and NBC 1. Among the nightly news shows, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams continued to dominate with 8.0 million viewers, versus 7.1 million for ABC World News with Diane Sawyer and 5.8 million for CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley with 5.8 million. For the week, CBS finished with an average 7.1 household rating and a 12 share. ABC placed second with a 4.9/8, followed by Fox with a 4.0/7 and NBC with a 3.1/5.

The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:
1. Dancing with the Stars (Monday), ABC, 11.5/18; 1. (Tie) NCIS, CBS, 11.5, 19; 3. American Idol (Wednesday), Fox, 10.5/17; 4. Dancing with the Stars (Tuesday), ABC, 10.2/16; 5. American Idol (Thursday), Fox, 9.6/16; 5. NCAA Basketball Championship (Saturday), S, CBS, 9.6/17; 7. NCIS: Los Angeles, CBS, 9.2/14; 8. Person of Interest, CBS, 9.0/14; 9. The Mentalist, CBS, 8.6/15; 10. The Big Bang Theory, CBS, 8.5/14.