Abc, Nbc Tie For Top Spot In Weekly Nielsens

ABC and NBC tied for first place in the latest network ratings contest. CBS trailed, although its UCLAArkansas basketball championship broadcast did well.

NBC had the three most-watched programs with “ER,” “Seinfeld” and “Friends,” and ABC boasted 11 of the top 20 programs for the week of April 3-9.

Both networks earned an 11.4 average rating and 19 share, according to Nielsen Media Research figures released Tuesday. ABC remains the 1994-95 season leader so far with a 12.1 average, 20 share.

CBS placed two shows in the week’s top 10: UCLA’s 89-78 victory in the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball final and the newsmagazine “60 Minutes.” The postgame show was CBS’ only other top 20 program, as the network posted a 9.9 rating, 17 share.

Here are the top 25 shows. An “X” in parentheses denotes one-timeonly presentation. One ratings point equals 1 percent of the nation’s estimated 95.4 million TV homes, or 954,000 households, according to Nielsen. Share is the percentage of sets tuned to a specific network during a particular time period.

1. (2) “E.R.,” NBC, 24.4, 23.3 million homes

2. (1) “Seinfeld,” NBC, 21.3, 20.3 million homes

3. (8) “Friends,” NBC, 20.5, 19.6 million homes

4. (X) “CBS NCAA Basketball Championship,” 19.3, 18.4 million homes

5. (3) “Home Improvement,” ABC, 18.2, 17.4 million homes

6. (14) “Ellen Special,” ABC, 17.0, 16.2 million homes

6. (4) “Grace Under Fire,” ABC, 17.0, 16.2 million homes

6. (7) “NYPD Blue,” ABC, 17.0, 16.2 million homes

9. (6) “60 Minutes,” CBS, 15.6, 14.9 million homes

10. “Coach,” ABC, 15.3, 14.6 million homes

11. “Primetime Live,” ABC, 14.5, 13.8 million homes

12. (12) “Hope & Gloria,” NBC, 14.0, 13.4 million homes

13. (X) “CBS NCAA Basketball Championship Post Game Show,” 13.7, 13.1 million homes

14. (19) “Danielle Steel’s ‘Vanished’ - NBC Monday Night Movies,” 13.4, 12.8 million homes

15. (16) “20 - 20,” ABC, 13.1, 12.5 million homes

16. (11) “Mad About You,” NBC, 13.0, 12,4 million homes

17. (X) “America’s Funniest Videos,” ABC, 12.8, 12.2 million homes

18. (22) “The Ten Commandments - ABC Sunday Night Movie,” 12.7, 12.1 million homes

18. (14) “Ellen,” ABC, 12.7, 12.1 million homes

18. “Thunder Alley,” ABC, 12.7, 12.1 million homes

21. “Frasier,” NBC, 12.3

22. “Wings,” NBC, 12.1

23. “Full House,” ABC, 12.0

24. “Robin Hood - CBS Sunday Movie,” 11.7

24. “Roseanne,” ABC, 11.7