CBS's primetime coverage of the Winter Olympics on Monday earned a 15.3 rating/23 share and the network estimates that 56 million people watched all or part of the telecast. The Games have averaged a 16.4/27 through Monday, which is 15% below the '92 Albertville Games (19.2/30) and 37% below the '94 Lillehammer Games (25.9/40). CBS won the night in 36 of the 38 Nielsen metered markets (CBS Sports). DAILY VARIETY's Rich Katz writes that CBS "still has a shot" at catching the '72 Sapporo Winter Games, which averaged a 17.2 rating over eight nights (DAILY VARIETY, 2/18). AT THE LOCAL LEVEL: MEDIAWEEK's Claude Brodesser reports that the Games "fell well short in delivering viewers last week" as a lead-in for local affils' late news. One GM of a CBS O&O: "There's a feeling of bad luck and bad performance." While most CBS stations were "winning their late news races last week, executives acknowledge that they had hoped to do better" (MEDIAWEEK, 2/16 issue).....CBS Exec VP/Research David Poltrack said that the Games "had not been a flop" with the "affluent," as viewers with a household income above $75,000 have averaged a 24 rating over the first five nights of the Games, more than 45% higher than the overall rating (Bill Carter, N.Y. TIMES, 2/18). MORE REAX: Criticism continues of CBS's coverage: USA TODAY's Olympic section features a full-page examination of CBS's coverage, as Ann Oldenburg writes, "Bashing CBS' Olympic coverage has become the new winter sport." On CBS SportsLine, the "most popular topic" was "TV Coverage -- Constructive Criticism" (USA TODAY, 2/18). In Chicago, Carol Slezak: "[H]ow is it possible that CBS came to Nagano without a contingency plan for inclement weather? Give us curling, give us an investigative piece on the crazy ice dancing judges, give us anything but yet another cutaway to figure skating practice and more commercials" (SUN-TIMES, 2/18). In N.Y., David Bianculli writes that "much of [CBS's] coverage continues to frustrate. ... I resent the blatant manipulation in the primetime packaging of events that occurred many hours earlier" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/18). In NEWSWEEK, Frank Deford writes under the header "The Temple And The Tube: Why Is CBS So Sappy -- And Where Was Picabo? TV Types Just Don't Get The Games." Deford: "NBC better learn these lessons well, and change the formula, or Sydney and Salt Lake City are surely going to mean more diminishing returns" (NEWSWEEK, 2/23 issue). ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY's Ken Tucker calls primetime host Jim Nantz "a nice, well-trained young man without a trace of wit or perspective in his commentary" (ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, 2/20 issue).