‘Lion King’ Propels Abc To Nielsen Ratings Victory

ABC’s Disney connection carried the network to its first ratings victory of the television season last week.

On the strength of its broadcast of Disney’s movie “The Lion King” on Sunday night, ABC scored an 11.1 rating and 18 share for the week, according to Nielsen Media Research. “The Lion King” became the highest-rated movie of the season.

NBC was second with a 10.7 rating and 18 share, and CBS third with a 9.4 rating and 16 share. Fox, which won the previous week with its World Series coverage, was back in fourth place with a 7.5 rating and 12 share.

All four networks now have won at least once during the seven-week fall season. And although NBC is still in the lead for the season, one analyst said its gradual weakening is behind the ratings volatility.

“It’s certainly more competitive than it’s ever been,” said Steve Sternberg, an executive with the advertising firm BJK&E Media.

“The Drew Carey Show” scored its highest ratings ever for ABC, finishing just out of the week’s top ten, and “Home Improvement” had its best showing of the season.

In the evening news race, ABC’s “World News Tonight” scored an 8.9 rating and 17 share, just beating NBC’s “Nightly News” with its 8.7 rating and 17 share. The “CBS Evening News” had a 7.4 rating and 15 share.

Prime-time ratings as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Oct. 28-Nov. 3. Listings include the week’s ranking (season-to-date ranking in parentheses), rating for the week and total homes. An “X” in parentheses denotes onetime-only presentation. A rating measures the percentage of the nation’s 97 million TV homes viewing the program.

1. (2) “ER,” NBC, 21.3, 20.6 million homes

2. (1) “Seinfeld,” NBC, 20.3, 19.7 million homes

3. (4) “Home Improvement,” ABC, 18.5, 17.9 million homes

4. (3) “Suddenly Susan,” NBC, 16.4, 15.9 million homes

5. (5) “Friends,” NBC, 16.0, 15.5 million homes

6. (5) “NFL Monday Night Football,” ABC, 15.6, 15.1 million homes

7. (X) “The Lion King,” ABC, 15.2, 14.7 million homes , 8. (7) “Single Guy,” NBC, 15.1, 14.6 million homes

9. (8) “Spin City,” ABC, 14.9, 14.5 million homes

10. (9) “NYPD Blue,” ABC, 14.6, 14.2 million homes

11. (18) “Drew Carey Show,” ABC, 13.9, 13.5 million homes

11. (13) “20/20,” ABC, 13.9, 13.5 million homes

13. (10) “Touched by an Angel,” CBS, 13.5, 13.1 million homes , 14. (10) “60 Minutes,” CBS, 13.2, 12.8 million homes

15. (20) “CBS Sunday Night Movie: Mary & Tim,” CBS, 12.7, 12.3 million homes

16. (X) “ABC Sunday Night Movie: To Brave Alaska,” ABC, 12.3, 11.9 million homes

16. (18) “X-Files” FOX, 12.3, 11.9 million homes

18. (25) “Walker, Texas Ranger,” CBS, 12.2, 11.8 million homes

19. “Primetime Live,” ABC, 12.1, 11.7 million homes

20. (25) “Grace Under Fire,” ABC, 11.9, 11.5 million homes