Lifetime Television easily clinched basic cable's primetime-ratings crown
in 2002 with a 2.0 average, flat with last year.
The women's network topped Turner Network Television (1.8); Nickelodeon and
USA Network (1.7 each); Cartoon Network (1.6); ESPN and TBS Superstation (1.5
each); Fox News Channel (1.2); and A&E Network and Discovery Channel (1.0
each).
Of all the basic networks, Hallmark Channel saw the biggest
primetime improvement, jumping 25 percent versus 2001 to a 0.5 average.
Fox News and Food Network had solid years, each gaining 20 percent in the
ratings.
The biggest losers in primetime: CNBC (down 50 percent); MSNBC and CNN
Headline News (down 33 percent each); SoapNet (down 29 percent); Bravo and
Travel Channel (down 25 percent each); and A&E and Discovery (down 17
percent each).
TNT won among adults 18 through 49 and 25 through 54, while MTV: Music
Television was tops among adults 18 through 34.
Nick won the total-day race with a
1.5 rating.
It was followed by Lifetime (1.2); Cartoon (1.1); TBS (1.0); TNT (0.9); USA
(0.8); and A&E, ESPN and Fox News (0.7).
ESPN's National Football League coverage dominated the top 20 programs of the
year, while the 8.3 MTV pulled for its 2002 Video Music Awards was good
enough for No. 7, and the 5.9 TBS generated for Atomic Twister was good
for 19th place.
