‘Dateline’ Segments Help Nbc Capture Ratings Victory

Three “Dateline NBC” installments finished among last week’s 12 top-rated shows, and Tom Brokaw’s evening news program was first for the eighth straight time, as NBC won the Nielsens ratings race.

NBC had an 8.2 rating and 15 share, Nielsen Media Research said Tuesday.

Monday’s “Dateline NBC” episode, which featured an update of a 1995 story about a Vietnam War veteran who had been hiding in New Zealand, was the week’s mostwatched program. It was the second time ever that “Dateline” reached the top spot.

NBC’s “Nightly News” finished with a 7.5 rating and 17 share, ABC’s “World News Tonight” had a 7.2 rating and 17 share, and the “CBS Evening News” was third with a 6.4 rating and 15 share.

In prime time, CBS finished second for the week with a 7.3 rating and 13 share, followed by ABC’s 6.7 rating and 12 share and Fox’s 4.8 rating and 8 share. UPN had a 2.9 rating and 5 share, with WB at 2.4 with a 4 share.

Prime-time ratings as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Aug. 18-24. Top 10 listings include the week’s ranking, with rating for the week, season-to-date rankings in parentheses, and total homes.

An “X” in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation. A rating measures the percentage of the nation’s 97 million TV homes. Each ratings point represents 970,000 households.

1. (14) “Dateline NBC,” (Monday) NBC, 14.2, 13.8 million homes.

2. (1) “Seinfeld,” NBC, 13.5, 13.1 million homes.

3. (13) “Dateline NBC,” (Tuesday) NBC, 11.8, 11.4 million homes.

4. (10) “60 Minutes,” CBS, 11.3, 11.0 million homes.

5. “3rd Rock From The Sun,” NBC, 11.2, 10.9 million homes.

6. (9) “Touched By An Angel,” CBS, 11.0, 10.7 million homes.

7. (12) “Primetime Live,” ABC, 10.9, 10.6 million homes.

8. (17) “CBS Sunday Movie: The Man Without A Face,” CBS, 10.8, 10.5 million homes.

8. (2) “ER,” NBC, 10.8, 10.5 million homes.

10. (11) “20/20,” ABC, 10.7, 10.4 million homes.

11. (5) “Friends,” NBC, 10.4, 10.1 million homes.

12. (27) “Dateline NBC,” (Friday) NBC, 10.2, 9.9 million homes.

13. “Men Behaving Badly,” NBC, 9.7, 9.4 million homes.

14. (X) “John Stossel: Freeloaders,” ABC, 9.3, 9.0 million homes.

15. (22) “Drew Carey Show,” ABC, 9.1, 8.8 million homes.

15. (8) “Home Improvement,” ABC, 9.1, 8.8 million homes.

17. “Law And Order,” CBS, 8.5, 8.2 million homes.

18. (X) “Miss Teen USA,” CBS, 8.4, 8.1 million homes.

18. (23) “NBC Sunday Night Movie: Sweet Dreams,” NBC, 8.4, 8.1 million homes.

20. (19) “Spin City,” ABC, 8.3, 8.1 million homes.