Nbc Tips In Narrow Ratings Victory

With “Friends” at No. 1 and the National Basketball Association playoffs in the Top 10, NBC edged ABC in the latest weekly Nielsen ratings.

For the week of June 5-11, NBC had a 9.7 rating and 18 percent share of the audience.

ABC was just three-tenths of a point back, with a 9.4 rating and 17 share. CBS trailed with a 7.9 rating, 15 share.

The Fox Broadcasting Co., programming 15 of the 22 primetime hours, earned a 5.1 rating, 10 share. Its highest-rated shows were “Married … with Children” and “The Simpsons,” tied for 53rd place.

The race for first place was close in terms of “total viewers,” the category including everyone over age 2. NBC averaged 13.6 million viewers, while ABC averaged a shade under 13.4 million.

ABC’s strong performance was bolstered by its news magazines. “Turning Point” was TV’s No. 2 show, “PrimeTime Live” was seventh, and “20/20” finished ninth.