CBS Opens Fall Television Season On Top

CBS Opens Fall Television Season On Top

WRAL-TV's mother network, CBS bested powerhouse NBC to win the first week of ratings for the fall television season. During the opening week last week (September 23 - 29), CBS averaged 13.9 million viewers with a 9.1 rating, 15 share, while NBC trailed with 13.4 million average and ABC pulled in a distant third.

Nielsen Media Research Top Ten Shows (Sept 23 - 29)
1.	Friends	NBC	20.3
2.	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	CBS	18.2
3.	ER	NBC	16.9
4.	Everybody Loves Raymond special	CBS	15.3
5.	CSI: Miami	CBS	14.9
6.	Everybody Loves Raymond	CBS	14.7
7.	"Frasier"	NBC	14.1
8.	Will & Grace	NBC	13.9
9.	"Scrubs"	NBC	13.9
10.	"Monday Night Football: St. Louis vs Tampa Bay"	ABC	12.5

CBS ranked high with popular returning shows "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Survivor" and the new blockbuster "CSI: Miami," spin-off of the hit "CSI." CBS had a total of 13 shows in the top 30 Nielsen Media Research weekly ratings; NBC had 12, and ABC had 5.

Specifically at WRAL, "CSI: Miami" on Monday night debuted with a 16.6 rating, 25 share, winning the time period and improving the time period delivery by 84% over last year in the WRAL viewing area. "CSI" ranked as the #1 show on Thursday night with a whopping 19.7 rating, 27 share, outperforming the "Friends" hotly-anticipated premiere (15.2) and the "ER" premiere (13.2). The hot new drama "Without a Trace," also on Thursday, debuted ahead of "ER," delivering a 13.3 rating.

POSTED: October 4, 2002