Mr. October: Cable Ties Broadcasters

Facing formidable obstacles, the new fall-season shows and the Major League Baseball playoffs and World Series, cable still scored its best-ever October primetime viewership, tying with the "Big Four" broadcasters, the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau said Thursday.

Ad-supported cable registered an average primetime delivery of 30.8 million homes, up 6.2% compared with last year, tying with the total reached ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox -- 30.8 million, which was a 1% dip for them -- according to a CAB analysis of Nielsen Media Research data.

In October, cable stacked up a 28.4 rating, a 4.4% gain, and registered a 46.2 share, up 4.1%, the CAB said. The Big Four tallied a 28.4 rating, down 2.6%, and a 46.5 share, a drop of 2.7%.