Summer TV ratings? Don't sweat it

0 Comments | USA TODAY, July, 2008 | by Gary Levin

It's no wipeout: Summer doldrums that normally afflict network TV are lifting this year, a possible side effect of high gas prices and the wilting economy.

The Big 4 networks (and total TV viewing) are up slightly, reversing years of declines, even as basic cable continues to grow with more original series.

ABC's Wipeout is the lone new broadcast hit, but top shows Hell's Kitchen and America's Got Talent have gained viewers, and NBC's picture is poised to brighten considerably next week with the Olympics.

"People are home more," says John Rash, media buyer at Campbell Mithun, a Minneapolis ad agency. "The sluggish economy may have meant more people opted for television as their entertainment of choice."

USA's Burn Notice, Monk and Psych,...