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Fox Ties CBS for First Place
By James Hibberd
Fox has moved into a first-place tie with CBS for the season, and it likely will pass CBS to lead all networks within the next two days.
Fox and CBS have a 3.9 rating among adults 18 to 49, according to Nielsen, with Fox on the verge of rounding up to a 4.0 with the next two nights of "American Idol."
That will put Fox in the solo lead position at an early point in the season, a lead that network ratings analysts expect Fox to maintain through the end of May.
Though Fox typically rises from fourth place to first during the spring, this will be the first time in years that the presumptive season winner has taken the lead position this early. During the past three years, the 18-to-49 race has been decided by a mere tenth of a rating point. Last year, the race between ABC and Fox went down to the last few days of the season, then Fox pulled out a victory.
The last time the winning network took the season-to-date lead this early was in 2003-04, when NBC was still powered by hits like the final season of "Friends," "ER," the first season of "The Apprentice" and "Will and Grace."
Among the runners-up, ABC has a 3.5, NBC has 3.4, Univision has a 1.6 and The CW a 1.3.
By James Hibberd
Fox has moved into a first-place tie with CBS for the season, and it likely will pass CBS to lead all networks within the next two days.
Fox and CBS have a 3.9 rating among adults 18 to 49, according to Nielsen, with Fox on the verge of rounding up to a 4.0 with the next two nights of "American Idol."
That will put Fox in the solo lead position at an early point in the season, a lead that network ratings analysts expect Fox to maintain through the end of May.
Though Fox typically rises from fourth place to first during the spring, this will be the first time in years that the presumptive season winner has taken the lead position this early. During the past three years, the 18-to-49 race has been decided by a mere tenth of a rating point. Last year, the race between ABC and Fox went down to the last few days of the season, then Fox pulled out a victory.
The last time the winning network took the season-to-date lead this early was in 2003-04, when NBC was still powered by hits like the final season of "Friends," "ER," the first season of "The Apprentice" and "Will and Grace."
Among the runners-up, ABC has a 3.5, NBC has 3.4, Univision has a 1.6 and The CW a 1.3.
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