NBC scores with `Talent,' ABC doesn't mind Heat

The two-hour premiere of the talent show hosted by Regis Philbin averaged 12.41 million viewers last Wednesday, the second-most of any original entertainment program this summer, trailing only the June 5 season finale of "Deal or No Deal," which averaged 18.24 million.

ABC's "Master of Champions" drew 6.1 million viewers for its premiere Thursday, second in the 8-9 p.m. time period behind CBS' "Gameshow Marathon," which attracted 7.5 million viewers.

For the second consecutive week, an NBA Finals game was the week's most-watched program. ABC's coverage of the Miami Heat's 95-92 title-clinching victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6 June 20 averaged 15.71 million viewers, 17% more than Game 6 of the 2005 Finals between the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs.

The six-game series averaged 13 million viewers, a 4% increase over last year's seven-game finals.

Sunday's premiere of the first part of the two-part "Broken Trail" on AMC was cable's most-watched program of the week, with 9.8 million viewers, the second most for a made-for-TV movie on cable since 1995, according to AMC.

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Here are the rankings for national prime-time network television last week (June 19-25) as compiled by Nielsen Media Research. They are based on the average number of people who watched a program from start to finish. Nielsen estimates there are 277.93 million potential viewers in the U.S. ages 2 and older. Viewership is listed in millions.

*--* Program Net- work View- ers Program Net- work View- ers

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*--* 1 "NBA Finals" (Tue.) ABC 15.71 2 America's Got Talent (Wed.) NBC 12.41 3 CSI CBS 11.95 4 CSI: Miami CBS 11.34 5 Without a Trace CBS 10.16

6 Law & Order: SVU NBC 9.72 7 CSI: NY CBS 9.38 60 Minutes CBS 9.38 9 So You Think You Can Dance (Thu.) FOX 9.28 10 So You Think You Can Dance (Wed.) FOX 9.11

11 House (9 p.m.) FOX 9.03 12 "Nextel Cup Winners Circle" FOX 8.75 13 NCIS CBS 8.47 14 Numb3rs CBS 8.46 15 Cold Case CBS 8.23

16 Two and a Half Men CBS 8.05 17 Criminal Minds CBS 7.99 18 Hell's Kitchen (9 p.m.) FOX 7.50 19 Game Show Marathon (Thu.) CBS 7.46 20 Close to Home CBS 7.39

21 Last Comic Standing 4 NBC 7.34 22 Law & Order: Criminal Intent (Sun.) NBC 7.31 23 "Enough" CBS 7.16 24 Old Christine CBS 7.13 25 King of Queens CBS 6.99