I TOP OF THE WEEK or stirring journalism- surrounding the line crew in New York and Washington. But cording to Nielsen statistics, beat the net- uale announcement. writing off live coverage of political conven- works on the first three nights of the Repub- "What relationship does that have to the tions would probably be premature. Laur- lican convention, but lost to the networks :oll call [on Wednesday night] that went on ence Tisch, president and chief executive for the closing night. Independents took two intil midnight [NYTj," asked Richard officer of CBS Inc., appears to be steadfast of the four nights of the Democratic conven- Wald, ABC News senior vice president. in his view that CBS, at least, should contin- tion, losing to the networks on the second overage of the call of the roll of the states ue the kind of coverage it now provides. As and closing nights. o vote on the Bush nomination, he said, in Atlanta last month, he said: "It's our On the first night of the Republican con- was " pointless." Then, reflecting the view obligation to the American people. If they vention (Monday, Aug. 15), the networks )f ABC News President Roone Arledge and want to see it, they should have the privi- had a combined 18.8/35, while indepen- )[her network critics of the present practice, lege." And in 1992, he said, "we intend to dents had a 20.6/38. Night two (Tuesday, to asked: "How much time is a convention be there." When it was pointed out that C- Aug. 16) gave the networks a 17.3/33 to the worth ?" His answer: "It's how much news SPAN and CNN offer full coverage of the independents' 20.0/38. The third night, here is." conventions, he said: "But we're free TV. Wednesday, Aug. 17, put the standings at ABC, he said, could wrap up convention We have to keep free television strong." 17/32 for the combined networks and :overage in an expanded, one -hour version o 20.1/38 for independents. Closing night for >f Nightline each night. And if a story, like As with the Democratic convention five the Republicans brought in a combined net- he Quayle controversy, were to break, the weeks ago, TV viewers opted for indepen- work rating of 21.1/39, and an 18.4/34 for rogram could be extended. It was clear he dent TV stations and other alternatives to the the independent stations. hought the present system of coverage had three broadcast TV networks' coverage of Cable viewership came in with a 9.7/18 >ecome an anachronism -and one, he said, the Republican convention. For the four for the first convention night, while super- armful to the American public. Viewers get nights, independent stations averaged a stations had a 4.5/8 and pay services had a he idea that, with conventions merely pro - 19.8/37, while the three networks averaged 5.8/11. 7besday night numbers were: cable, :esses of ratification, "politics is cut and an 18.5/35 for the same common, prime 9.9/19; superstations, 4.3/8, and pay, fried." But Wald was not predicting what time period. ABC won the four-night battle 5.9/11. Cable rolled in with a 10/19 on he network would do in 1992. "That's a with a 6.7/13 average for the period, over Wednesday, while superstations had a 4.3/8 ong time off," he said. NBC's 6.2/12 and CBS's 5.6/11. These and pay services a 6.8/13. Closing night The networks last week went to work in numbers are down from the Democratic figures were: cable, 9.5/17; superstations, slew Orleans with fewer troops than in At- convention's ratings, when the three net- 4.8/9, and pay, 5.1/9. PBS numbers broke anta last month -100 fewer in the case of works averaged a 19.8/36 for the four out to: 2.9/5 on Monday, 2.7/5 on Tuesday, a ABC, although some of that reduction was nights. 2.8/5 on Wednesday and a 3.2/6 on Thurs- attributed to the decision to leave the Night- Programing by independent stations, ac- day.

Paul Harvey, ABC top RADAR rankings

ABC's Harvey grabs top Friday at 7:25 a.m., with 1,952,000 listen- 5.1% loss in listeners, average 1,161,000), five slots; network leads ers; ABC Information Network Monday and ABC's FM Network (remaining in 10th in several categories, has through Friday 7 a.m. newscast, with place but with a loss in listeners of 2.4 %, Bight programs in top 20 1,888,000 listeners, and the 6:25 a.m. Mon- average 1,143,000). day through Friday Osgood File, with RADAR "All Broadcasts" ranking, insti- ABC Radio's weekday morning 1,858,000 listeners. tuted last year, ranks only programs that show now has an average audience of more In the RADAR 37 largest common day - networks ask RADAR to include in the than 6.03 million listeners aged 12 and over, part category for all full- service networks survey (excluding overnight). Top five rank- according to the just -released spring 1988 (Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. -7 p.m.) ings in the category for total persons 12 -plus RADAR 37 results. Harvey has captured the for listeners aged 12 and over, ABC topped were ABC's Information Network (jumping top five network radio program slots, the list with its Information Network (aver- from third to first place with an average which, along with ABC's ninth, I Ith, and age 2,032,000 listeners per commercial, a 1,644,000 listeners, a 7.6% gain); ABC's 18th slots for weekday Information Network 7.1% gain) and Entertainment Network Entertainment (remaining in second place news, gives the network eight of the top 20 (average 1,923,000 listeners, a 1.2% gain). but with a 0.6% gain in average listeners, programs in network radio. ABC shares the Transtar Radio Network recorded the largest 1,588,000); Mutual Broadcasting System top -20 list with CBS, which managed to gain with a 34% increase in the category, (dropping from first to third place with a 3% draw 12 of the shows most listened to by rising from eighth to third place with an loss in average listeners, now 1,564,000); persons 12 and older. average 1,653,000 listeners. Mutual Broad- ABC's Contemporary (remaining in fourth Harvey's dominance includes Paul Har- casting System dropped from third to fourth place but with a 2.1% gain in average listen- vey News at 8:30 a.m., Monday through place, a 3% loss, with an average I ,564,000 ers, I ,388,000), and Transtar (jumping from Friday, which averages 6,033,000 listeners; listeners (Mutual PM and Satellite Music 2 10th to fifth with an average 1,326,000 his 12:06 p.m. Monday through Friday 15- were not included in the largest common listeners, a 36.6% gain). Mutual PM, mea- minute slot, 4,309,000 listeners; his 8:30 daypart category because they offer no pro- sured for the first time in RADAR 37, a.m. Saturday show, 3,780,000 listeners; graming during the period). placed 16th, with an average 706,000 listen- his 11:10 a.m. Saturday show, 2,980,000 Filling out the top 10 networks in the ers. listeners, and Rest of the Story, airing Mon- common daypart category were ABC's Con- Mutual held the number-one ranking for day through Friday at 3:06 p.m., 2,676,000 temporary Network (dropping from fourth adults 25 -54 in the All Broadcasts category listeners. All data is based on Eastern stan- to fifth place but with a 2.2% gain in listen- with an average 900,000 listeners, a 13.6% dard time. ers, average 1,552,000); CBS Radio Net- gain. ABC's Entertainment placed second in The remainder of the top 10 network work (rising from seventh to sixth place the category with 868,000 listeners, an radio programs for audiences aged 12 and with an average 1,388,000 listeners and an 8.9% loss. over, according to the survey, were the CBS 11.7% gain); 's Source RADAR results are delivered twice annu- Monday through Friday 6 a.m. newscast, (dropping from fifth to seventh place with a ally by New Jersey -based Statistical Re- with an average 2,147,000 listeners; the 4% loss in listeners, average 1,273,000); search, Inc. The spring and fall reports rely CBS Monday through Friday 7 a.m. news- NBC Radio Network (dropping from sixth on continuous measurement of a 10,000 - cast, with 1,994,000 listeners; the Osgood to eighth place but with a 0.3% gain in person sample aged 12 and older. RADAR File, anchored by CBS News correspondent listeners, average 1,256,000); ABC's Rock 37 data was supplied to BROADCASTING by Charles Osgood and airing Monday through Network (staying at ninth place but with a ABC, CBS and Transtar.

Broadcasting Aug 22 1988 25