CBS STAYS AT NO. 1 DESPITE BLACKOUT

The blackout of CBS stations in Time Warner Cable areas, including New York, Los Angeles and Dallas, failed to impact the Nielsen ratings again last week as CBS remained far and away the most-watched network, among total adults and those in the key 18-49 age bracket. The CBS summer drama Under the Dome also remained the No. 1 television show during the week, and the only one to crack 10 million viewers — 10,360,000 to be more precise, according to the Nielsen figures. Coming in second was the Wednesday edition of NBC’s America’s Got Talent, which drew 9.5 million viewers, while ABC’s telecast of the CMA Music Festival placed third with 8.3 million. The evening newscasts saw significant ratings erosion. NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams slipped to 7.2 million viewers as Williams, recovering from knee surgery, was temporarily replaced by Lester Holt. ABC World News with Diane Sawyer was a close second with 6.9 million viewers, while the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley drew 5.8 million viewers. For the week overall, CBS led with a 3.6 household rating and a 6 share. ABC placed second with a 2.7/5, edging out NBC with a 2.6/5. Fox trailed with a 2.4/4.

The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:
1. Under the Dome, CBS, 6.4/11; 2. America’s Got Talent (Wednesday), NBC, 5.7/9; 3. CMA Music Festival, ABC, 5.3/9; 3. NCIS, CBS, 5.3/9; 5. America’s Got Talent (Tuesday), NBC, 5.2/9; 6. 60 Minutes, CBS, 5.0/9; 7. The Big Bang Theory, CBS, 4.5/8; 8. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 4.3/7; 9. Unforgettable, CBS, 4.2/7; 10. NFL On Fox Preseason (Sunday), Fox, 4.1/7.