CBS Holds Onto Primetime Ratings Lead

NEW YORK (AP) – With broadcast networks unveiling their new schedules, the television industry is focused on potential ratings hits next season.

But TV programming remained largely status quo last week with CBS maintaining its decisive lead, Nielsen Co. figures showed Tuesday.

CBS’s decade-old smash, “NCIS,” held onto the No. 1 position, drawing more than 17 million viewers. Right behind was the network’s sitcom hit, “The Big Bang Theory,” seen by 16 million viewers, followed by spinoff “NCIS: Los Angeles,” with 13 million viewers.

Overall, CBS easily won the week in primetime, averaging 9.4 million viewers and claiming a dozen of the Top 20 shows.

Runner-up ABC had 7.2 million viewers, while NBC had 5.7 million, Fox had 5.4 million, Univision had 3.3 million, Telemundo had 1.6 million, the CW had 1.3 million and Ion Television had 1.1 million.

TNT was the week’s most popular cable network, averaging 3.1 million viewers in prime time. USA had 2.2 million, the Disney Channel had 2.3 million, Fox News Channel had 2.0 million and History had 1.7 million.

NBC’s “Nightly News” topped the evening newscasts with an average 8.2 million viewers. ABC’s “World News” was second with 7.5 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 6.4 million viewers.

The Top 20

Primetime viewership numbers compiled by the Nielsen Co. for May 6-12. Listings include the week’s ranking and viewership.

1. “NCIS,” CBS, 17.56 million.

2. “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 16.30 million.

3. “NCIS: Los Angeles,” CBS, 13.18 million.

4. “Person of Interest,” CBS, 13.16 million.

5. “Dancing With the Stars,” ABC, 13.12 million.

6. “Two and a Half Men,” CBS, 12.83 million.

7. “The Voice” (Monday), NBC, 12.15 million.

8. “American Idol” (Thursday), Fox, 11.57 million.

9. “The Voice” (Tuesday), NBC, 11.35 million.

10. “American Idol” (Wednesday), Fox, 11.11 million.

11. “Castle,” ABC, 10.84 million.

12. “Dancing With the Stars Results,” ABC, 10.79 million.

13. “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 10.30 million.

14. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 10.26 million.

15. “Survivor: Caramoan (Finale),” CBS, 10.16 million.

16. “Criminal Minds,” CBS, 10.08 million.

17. “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS, 9.82 million.

18. “Survivor: Caramoan,” CBS, 9.51 million.

19. “Elementary,” CBS, 9.29 million.

20. “Modern Family,” ABC, 9.02 million.