Philbin's Announcement Boosts 'Live!' Ratings

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As with most other shows in daytime, Disney/ABC’s
Live! With Regis and Kelly isn’t the ratings powerhouse
it once was, but Regis Philbin can still attract
a crowd. After Philbin announced live on his show
on Jan. 18 that this will be his final season, ratings
for both Live! and the entertainment magazines that
covered the news shot up.

In the week ended Sunday, Jan. 23, Live! improved
3% to a season-high 3.0 live plus same-day household
rating, according to Nielsen. On announcement
day, the show’s ratings were up even more, hitting a
3.1. Live! also finished out the week with a kick, moving
up to a 3.2 when the show was guest-hosted by
movie star Ashton Kutcher, on hand to promote his
new romantic comedy No Strings Attached.

Paige Albiniak
Paige Albiniak

Contributing editor Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.). She has written for such publications as TVNewsCheck, The New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B+C’s Los Angeles bureau chief from September 2002 to 2004, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997 - September 2002.