Fox TV grabs spot as most popular network

With a strong finishing kick from “American Idol,” Fox captured the distinction of being America’s most popular television network for the first time since it began operation in 1987.

Fox, which took the title from CBS, was the only major broadcast network with more prime-time viewers than the previous season, thanks in part to its telecast of the Super Bowl this year.

The game, television’s biggest event, was on CBS in 2007.

In Fox’s other blockbuster, the competition between the two Davids on “American Idol” – winner David Cook and runner-up David Archuleta – was seen by 31.7 million people on Wednesday, up 1 million from last season.

It was a heartening finish for Fox executives, who admitted to concern when the ratings for TV’s most popular show faded in recent weeks. But “Idol” viewership was down slightly from last year among 18- to 49-year-olds, an indication that the show’s audience is aging.

Fox cultivates a young, hip image and concentrates its business on the 18-to-49 demographic, where it was the top network for the fourth year in a row.

“We have to be mindful, we have to keep our brand rooted in what it has been historically,” said Kevin Reilly, Fox entertainment president. “We’re not looking to turn into CBS.”

CBS traditionally has the oldest audience of the major networks.

Fox averaged 11.1 million viewers in prime-time this season, up 7 percent from last year.

CBS was second with 10.5 million, down 16 percent. Analysts said CBS was particularly hurt by the television writers strike, when it relied heavily on reruns that didn’t do as strongly in the ratings as the network anticipated.

ABC was third with 10 million viewers (down 7 percent) and NBC finished fourth with 8.9 million (down 9 percent).

The troubled CW network was down 19 percent, with 2.6 million viewers, and faces the loss of professional wrestling next season, one of its most popular programs.