MTV's April spike: The Osbournes translates into a big $!@*!# hit. (Programming).(television show popularity gives MTV Networks its strongest ratings in a year; other cable networks rating mentioned)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Broadcasting & Cable, May, 2002 by Romano, Allison

Skip the champagne. They're probably biting the heads off bats these days at MTV. In April, cable's strange flavor of the month, The Osbournes, propelled MTV to its best ratings month in more than a year.

MTV notched a 1.2 average in prime for the month, up 33% from its first-quarter average, according to Nielsen. The Osbournes scored April's highest singleshow rating, a 5.9 rating on April 23, and shoved the usual winner. TNN's World Wrestling Federation Raw, to second place (a 5.2 on April 1). Two Osbournes episodes earlier in April registered a 5.2 rating each, but Raw delivered a few more households.

The Osbournes has more than doubled its audience since its March 5 debut garnered a respectable 2.8 rating. MTV's mainstay teens have tuned in...

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