NBC is averaging a 14.8/26 national Nielsen rating
through eleven nights of its Olympic coverage, which is down
35% from Atlanta's 22.8/43 in '96, down 20% from Barcelona's
ten-day average of an 18.4/35 in '92 and down 17% from
Seoul's 17.9/32 in '88. NBC's coverage on Monday from
7:30pm-12:00am ET averaged a 15.8/26, which more than
doubled NBC's normal Monday season-to-date average of a
7.2/12 and outperformed all primetime competition, including
ABC's "MNF", which earned a 10.3/17 (see #16). NBC's
primetime coverage, from 8:00-11:00pm ET, averaged a
17.1/26. For the first week of the Games, MSNBC averaged a
0.8 cable rating, four times the network's third quarter
average of a 0.2. In the 25-54 demo, MSNBC tripled its
third quarter average of a 0.1 to a 0.3. CNBC's Olympic
coverage has increased ratings from its third quarter
average of a 0.4 to a 0.6 cable rating. CNBC also tripled
its rating in the 25-54 demo, from a 0.1 to a 0.3 (NBC).
A REASON FOR THE RATINGS GAIN: In DC, de Moraes & Farhi
report that Nielsen confirmed that NBC has "instructed" the
ratings company "to withhold" ratings "on the lower-rated
first half-hour of each night's prime-time broadcast." The
7:00-7:30pm ET portion of each night's telecast has been
"about" 40% lower rated than the rest of the night. But de
Moraes & Farhi report that since last Friday, Nielsen has
"stopped reporting numbers" for that half-hour. A network
"doesn't have to count ratings during any period in which it
has not sold national ads." By removing those first 30
minutes, NBC is "able to report nightly averages about 1.5
million viewers stronger than they would be otherwise." NBC
Sports Dir of Communications Cameron Blanchard: "We're doing
what every network has the option to do and the plan was in
place over a year ago." Execs at other networks "have
resigned themselves to NBC's strategy." One exec: "Based on
the fact that the ratings now look substantially higher --
wouldn't you?" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/27). NBC's Blanchard told
THE DAILY this morning, "It is a practice that is made
available to all the networks. It is completely
commonplace." NBC Sports VP/Communications Kevin Sullivan
said, "'Monday Night Football' does it every single Monday."
NBC execs also disputed the news that the practice had begun
last Friday. Blanchard: "We did this with opening
ceremonies and the writers were told about it" (THE DAILY).
DAILY VARIETY's Rick Kissell writes the removal of the first
30 minutes "can boost the net's nightly averages by a few
tenths of a ratings point." Kissell: "To make up for this,
NBC is adding these national ad minutes to later in the
broadcast, and also cutting back on promotional time and
local affiliates' news breaks" (DAILY VARIETY, 9/27). DAILY
VARIETY's Josef Adalian writes that NBC had been airing 15-
20 promos for primetime programs during its Games coverage,
but "that number is now being reduced by two to five spots
each evening" (DAILY VARIETY, 9/27).
