Another week, another summer triumph in primetime for Lifetime Television
with the Nielsens.
The women's-targeted network averaged a 2.1 rating from July 30 through Aug.
5, according to a Turner Entertainment Research analysis of Nielsen Media
Research data. The victory crowned Lifetime with the primetime diadem for the
fourth time during the past five weeks and for the fifth time out of the past
nine weeks, beginning June 5, according to Lifetime research.
Buoyed by an Aug. 1 airing of Jackie Chan vehicle Rush Hour that
drafted on the hype for its sequel's theatrical debut last weekend, TBS
Superstation was second with a 1.9 average, according to the Turner
analysis.
USA Network and Cartoon Network -- the latter of which set a
household-delivery record for original series mainstay Dexter's
Laboratory July 31 -- were tied for third with 1.8 averages.
Nickelodeon was fifth with a 1.7, ahead of Turner Network Television's 1.5.
Rounding out the medium's top 10: A&E Network at a 1.2, Discovery Channel
with a 1.1, Sci Fi Channel at a 1.0 and TNN: The National Network, MTV: Music
Television, The History Channel and Comedy Central, all at 0.9.
Gauged on a total-day basis, Nickelodeon, per usual, was first with a 1.5
average, trailed by Lifetime at a 1.3, Cartoon at a 1.2 and TBS at a 1.0. USA,
TNT and A&E were knotted in fifth at a 0.8 average for the 24-hour
measurement.
TBS set the pace among adult viewers, capturing the top
spot among the 18-through-49 and 25-through-54 demographics. The network --
which also scored well with premiere and encore editions of Ripley's Believe
It or Not! Aug. 1 and a season-high Major League Baseball rating for its
coverage of the Atlanta Braves-St. Louis Cardinals game July 31 -- averaged 1.03
million viewers among both demos.
TNN had the week's two highest-rated shows with its July 30 presentations of
World Wrestling Federation Entertainment Inc. fare, with the 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.
slot averaging a 6.1 household rating and the preceding hour a
5.2.
