Network Ratings Are Down; Costs Are Up

Editor's Note: Thanks to our popular "Summer Reading Event" and our preview of the new shows on the six broadcast networks, it has been a while since we've done a typical column. We hope you enjoyed our special events. Now on to some of the latest news from the world of television.

As we get ever closer to the once unimaginable 500-channel world, the broadcast networks continue to struggle with how to maintain viewers, especially during the summer. Network viewing has declined substantially over the last several years and the news just keeps getting worse.

Thanks in large part to the unscripted "reality" based series such as BIG BROTHER and FEAR FACTOR, ratings for repeats of second run dramas and comedies are down this summer. The networks count on the second-run airings of their major programs to help pay for the ever increasing production costs of their first-run episodes.

How low are the ratings? According to figures released last week, viewing for second airing episodes of ER are down an average of 14%. Second run airings of THE X-FILES are down 20% while repeat ratings for THE PRACTICE are down an astonishing 28%.

To recoup their money networks will have to continue to come up with creative programming ideas. One that has worked for NBC is airing repeats of LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT on USA approximately a week after they originally air on NBC. Both networks share the production cost and each keep the advertising generated from the airing on their particular network.

Producers of the WB's CHARMED plan to follow suit and air their series on TNT shortly after the episode premiere on the WB. Look for other networks to do the same with some of the cable networks that they own.

Reality shows join fall line-up: Thanks to their continued ratings and cheap production costs, two summer "reality" shows will join the NBC fall line-up. SPY TV and FEAR FACTOR will join the prime time line-up in early fall. THE WEAKEST LINK meanwhile will become a five-day-a-week show airing in the daytime as well as continuing to air in prime time.

Syndicated ratings: Speaking of repeats, here are the five most popular situation comedies that are currently in syndication. Is your favorite program among them? 1) FRIENDS, 2) FRASIER, 3) SEINFELD, 4) 3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN, 5) THE DREW CAREY SHOW.

This week in television history: The game show TIC TAC DOUGH premieres on CBS on July 30, 1956. During its three year run it had three different hosts: Jay Jackson, Jack Barry and Gene Reyburn. The series was reborn in

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