Regis Philbin and the Rock may seem like mismatched bookends, but the series they represent--the quiz show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and wrestling program "WWF Smackdown!"--have helped ABC and UPN buck the inexorable trend toward declining viewership that has plagued network television.
Among the six broadcast networks, only those two outlets achieved year-to-year audience gains for the just-completed 1999-2000 prime-time season, which began in September and ended Wednesday night.
Yet thanks to ABC, the four major networks--ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox--reached about 48 million people during an average minute of prime time, essentially mirroring their total from the previous year. That halts a stretch of steady viewer erosion, with overall declines of 4% or more each of the last three seasons.
"Millionaire" was clearly the phenomenon most responsible for stemming this tide, not only thrusting ABC to the top of the standings for the first time in five years but luring back some of those viewers fleeing to cable.
Moreover, TV viewing in general rose for the season, providing little support thus far for assumptions that the Internet and new technologies will take a bite out of TV watching as a leisure-time activity. For better or worse, Nielsen Media Research data indicates more than 98 million people watch TV in prime time during an average night, a 2% increase from year-ago levels.
With "Millionaire" running at least three nights per week since January, ABC finished the season averaging 14.3 million viewers, a stunning 21% jump over the 1998-99 season.
Beginning from a much smaller base, UPN also rebounded from its dismal performance last season with an extra 1.2 million people tuning in, or about 3.9 million viewers--an infusion of young males attributable largely to "Smackdown!," which more than doubled the network's Thursday night ratings.
Some of those gains came at the expense of the other broadcast networks, whose ratings diminished anywhere from 3% to 20%.
CBS held on to second place at 12.4 million viewers, edging NBC (12.3 million). Fox slipped to just 9 million viewers, a 15% swoon versus the prior year. The network endured a disappointing fall before exhibiting some promise in calendar year 2000 with the new comedies "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Titus."
