Big 4 wrap up season with fewer viewers; prime time audience dips to 62%; cable, UPN, WB all factors. (television broadcasting industry)(includes related article on the National Broadcasting Company's rating)

Broadcasting & Cable, May, 1997 by Schlosser, Joe

Prime time audience dips to 62%; cable, UPN, WB all factors Another TV season down, another gain for the cable industry. The Big Four broadcast networks share of the television viewing audience fell by another 6% this year, as cable gained more ground on its over-the-air network rivals.

"Odysseus should be more worried about the shoals of cable than about the god Poseidon," says Tim Brooks, USA Networks head researcher, referring to NBC's Odyssey miniseries. Nielsen's end-of-season numbers revealed that ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC's prime time viewing percentage dropped to 62%, down from 65.2% a year earlier. Basic cable networks grew to 32.4% from last season's 29.5%. Cable officials estimate the Big Four networks have 1.7 million fewer homes...

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