Preliminary big-market overnight Nielsen ratings for
last weekend's NFL Divisional Playoffs on CBS and Fox
"dipped an average of 9% to 18.4 from last year, following a
15% decline for the wild-card weekend," according to USA
TODAY's Rudy Martzke. Pilson Communications President Neal
Pilson, on the ratings drop: "Ratings are cyclical. But it
would appear the smaller market teams didn't do well in the
ratings compared to last year's teams." Pilson "expects a
ratings decline" for CBS' AFC Championship Game, featuring
the Titans-Jaguars, compared to last year's Jets-Broncos AFC
Championship Game. But Pilson "believes" that the Bucs-Rams
NFC Championship Game "will fare well" (USA TODAY, 1/18).
For additional overnight Nielsen ratings, see (#30).
IT'S A SMALL, SMALL WORLD: In Dallas, Barry Horn
compares the TV market rankings for the four remaining teams
and notes that Tampa, ranked No. 14, is the "largest" TV
market remaining in the playoffs. St. Louis ranks No. 21,
Nashville ranks No. 30 and Jacksonville ranks No. 52. Horn
estimates the combined number of TV homes in all four
markets at 3.9 million, which is 1.2 million fewer than in
the No. 2 market, L.A. (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/18).
NEWSDAY's Steve Zipay writes, "ABC shouldn't be worried
about a possible Titans-Bucs Super Bowl. A Rams-Jaguars
matchup might lead to more big plays, but the Super Bowl has
evolved far beyond who's playing." Zipay notes that Super
Bowl ad spots are "sold out at record prices" and a 40
rating "is just about guaranteed." But Zipay adds "a lot
depends on how many houses ... stick around for the second
half, and a Titans-Bucs defensive struggle could keep
viewers glued to the tube" (NEWSDAY, 1/18). But in Boston,
Dan Shaughnessy notes the small-market teams remaining and
writes, "Where have all the Cowboys gone?" He adds,
"Jacksonville is Worcester on the St. John River. It's what
Hartford would have been if Homer Simpson hadn't
contaminated the proposed Patriot site at Yo Adriaen's
Landing. ... Nashville is Jacksonville without the
sophistication." With the four teams remaining, Shaughnessy
writes that Super Bowl XXXIV is "guaranteed to be Yahoo Bowl
I" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/18).
HOMETOWN HEROES: In Nashville, John Shiffman reports
that Sunday's Titans-Colts game earned a 47.1 local rating,
translating to 389,000 homes. The game is the "highest-
rated local program" since July '97, when Nielsen Media
Research installed computerized meters in about 400 local
homes. Other Nashville local ratings records: the '83 final
episode of "MASH" drew a 55 rating; the '94 Tonya
Harding/Nancy Kerrigan Olympic competition earned a 48
rating; and the Univ. of TN's national football championship
win last year earned a 43 rating (TENNESSEAN, 1/18).
RAVE ON: In N.Y., Richard Sandomir writes that CBS'
Greg Gumbel "delivered" during Sunday's Titans-Colts game.
But Sandomir adds that the play-by-play of Fox's Pat
Summerall, during Sunday's Vikings-Rams game, "ranged from
the sometimes engaged to the bored." Sandomir: "He is not
his once impeccable self" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/18).
