Ratings Up On Dole’s Big Night

TV viewership jumped for the Republican National Convention’s finale Thursday night, when Bob Dole and Jack Kemp gave their acceptance speeches.

Viewership for Thursday’s “prime hour” of coverage by the three major networks was the highest over the conventions’s four days.

The combined 13.4 rating showed an increase from about 2 million households from Wednesday’s 11.3 rating. Tuesday night, the three networks got a total 11.6 rating, and Monday’s was 12.7

During the 10 p.m. EDT hour Thursday, NBC had a 5.6 rating, while ABC notched a 4.3 and CBS scored a 3.5, according to Nielsen Media Research figures.

One rating point represents 959,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation’s estimated 95.9 million TV homes.

Over the four days, NBC notched an average 4.9 rating, ABC had 4.1 and CBS got 3.4.

Thursday’s tune-in was 32 percent below that for the same period of the GOP’s 1992 gathering, and 36 percent below its Wednesday viewership in 1988.

For the 8-11 p.m. EDT block Thursday, CNN captured 1.6 million TV homes after drawing 1.2 million the previous night, and 1.3 million the first two nights.