Few Gainers In Week One of TWC-CBS Fight

The beginning of the CBS station blackout on some Time Warner Cable systems kept a lid on ratings in the week ending Aug. 4. However, the top two talk shows, Dr. Phil and Live with Kelly and Michael, scored huge increases compared to last year at this time when NBC carried the Olympics.

Phil led the talkers for the 40^th time this season, surging 37% from the same week last year, despite being in reruns all week; and Live was a powerful second, growing 47% from last year.

Judge Judy, which was one of only a handful of shows able to move up from the prior session, was the highest-rated show in first run for the 14^th week in a row, improving 9% from last year, even though it was all repeats.

The week’s top nationally rated talk shows in the women 25-54 demo were:

• Dr. Phil (1.4, down 7% from the week before), tied with Live with Kelly and Michael (1.4, -7%)

• Maury (1.3, +8%)

• Ellen (1.2, -8%), tied with Dr. Oz (1.2, unchanged)

• Ray (0.8, unchanged), tied with Wendy Williams (0.8, -27%), which aired all repeats.

• Steve Harvey (0.7, unchanged), tied with Steve Wilkos (0.7, -13%), Jerry Springer (0.7, unchanged) and The Doctors (0.7, unchanged)

In the household rating rankings that follow, * indicates a new season high rating; ** indicates a new season low; % change is from the previous week; NC indicates no change from the previous week.

TALK SHOWS

1. Dr. Phil (CTD) 2.6 +4%

2. Live with Kelly and Michael (Disney-ABC) 2.5 NC

3. Dr. Oz (Sony) 2.0 -5%

4. Maury (NBCU) 1.9 -5%

5. Ellen (WBDTD) 1.9 NC

6. Katie (Disney-ABC) 1.4** -13%

7. Rachael Ray (CTD) 1.3 NC

7. Jerry Springer (NBCU) 1.3 NC

9. Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 1.2 -8%

9. Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 1.2 -14%

9. Steve Harvey (NBCU) 1.2 NC

9. The Doctors (CTD) 1.2 NC

13. Trisha (NBCU) 0.5 NC

14. The Better Show (Meredith) 0.2 NC

FRESHMEN TALKERS

1. Katie (Disney-ABC) 1.4** -13%

2. Steve Harvey (NBCU) 1.2 NC

3. Trisha (NBCU) 0.5 NC

COURT SHOWS

1. Judge Judy (CTD) 6.2 +3%

2. People’s Court (WBDTD) 1.6 +7%

3. Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 1.3 NC

4. Judge Alex (Twentieth) 1.1 +10%

5. Divorce Court (Twentieth) 1.0** -9%

6. America’s Court with Judge Ross (Entertainment Studios) 0.6 NC

7. Justice for All with Judge Cristina Perez (Entertainment Studios) 0.4 -20%

8. We the People with Gloria Allred (Entertainment Studios) 0.2 NC

MAGAZINE SHOWS

1. Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 3.3 NC

2. Inside Edition (CTD) 2.7 NC

3. TMZ (WBDTD) 1.8 NC

4. Access Hollywood (NBCU) 1.6 NC

5. Extra (WBDTD) 1.3 NC

5. OMG Insider (CTD) 1.3 NC

7. Dish Nation (Twentieth) 0.9 -10%

GAME SHOWS

1. Wheel of Fortune (CTD) 5.9 -2%

2. Jeopardy (CTD) 5.5 -2%

3. Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury) 4.6 +2%

4. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) 2.3 -*%

5. Baggage (GSN) 1.0 NC

OFF-NET SITCOMS

1. Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 6.3 -2%

2. Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 4.1 -2%

3. Family Guy (Twentieth) 3.4 -3%

4. How I Met Your Mother (Twentieth) 2.3 -4%

4. Friends (WBDTD) 2.3 +5%

6. King of the Hill (Twentieth) 2.2 -8%

7. Seinfeld (Sony) 2.1 -5%

8. Everybody Loves Raymond (CTD) 1.8 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

1. Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 3.3 -13%

2. Law & Order (NBCU) 2.6 -7%

3. Criminal Minds (CTD) 2.5 +9%

4. House (NBCU) 2.4 +33%

5. CSI Miami (CTD) 2.2 +10%

5. Castle (Disney-ABC) 2.2 -8