NBC earned a 14.6/23 overnight rating for its coverage
of the Yankees' win over the Indians last night in Game Six
of the ALCS. Locally, the ALCS earned a six-game overnight
average of a 21.7/34 in N.Y., and a 36.8/56 in Cleveland.
The NLCS has drawn a five-game overnight average of 23.8/38
in Atlanta and a 36.3/59 in San Diego (THE DAILY).
PEACOCK PEAKING: For the week of October 5, the ALCS
"helped" NBC secure a win among ages 18-49 on Saturday, a
No. 2 ranking on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday (all behind
ABC) and a fourth-place finish on Sunday (behind No. 1 CBS).
NBC won the third week of the TV season among adults 18-49
and total viewers (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 10/14). DAILY
VARIETY's Tom Bierbaum writes that the ALCS has "bolstered"
NBC's ratings, while Fox has "languished" with a "weak" NLCS
(DAILY VARIETY, 10/14). NBC's ALCS Games One-Five averaged
an 8.7, up 9% from last year's 8.0 for Orioles-Indians on
Fox. Fox's NLCS is averaging a 7.7, down 8% from '97's 8.4
for NBC's Braves-Marlins. USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke notes
that the NLCS has been affected by a lengthy rain delay, and
was up against two primetime NFL games (USA TODAY, 10/14).
NOT READY FOR PRIMETIME? Today's NLCS Game Six will air
at 4:00pm ET, "because Fox could only switch to a night game
if the ALCS had ended Sunday," as an ALCS Game Seven would
have aired in tonight's primetime slot. Fox Sports VP/Media
Relations Lou D'Ermilio: "There was some talk about the game
being moved, but there isn't enough time. You're talking
about less than 24 hours' notice. Also, 4 o'clock is a
better time for kids" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/14).
NATIONAL PAST-TIME: ABC's "MNF" Dolphins-Jaguars game
earned a final rating of 11.7/19, second-lowest for the
season and above only the 11.1 for Bucs-Lions on September
28, which was up against the Giants-Cubs playoff game.
ABC's "MNF" season average is now at 13.3 (THE DAILY).
Monday's rating was the third-lowest "MNF" rating ever, but
was enough to top Fox's NLCS Game Five coverage, which drew
a 9.5/16. Fox's NLCS coverage beat "MNF" in 13 of 40
overnight markets, including top-five markets N.Y., L.A. and
S.F. (AP, 10/14). The 13.3 "MNF" average is the "lowest
all-time" after six weeks (Rudy Martzke, USA TODAY, 10/14).
AND JUSTICE FOR ALL: Indians DH David Justice
"apologized" to ESPN's Peter Gammons yesterday, "saying he
misunderstood" a Sunday report in which he thought Gammons
had suggested that he had taken himself out of the lineup
for Game Five of the ALCS (Mult., 10/14).