Frugal Café Blog Zone

Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on November 28, 2009

'So You Think You Can Dance' has helped push FOX network to the Number 1 slot for November sweeps

The youngest major television network is about to become the highest rated network. For the November sweeps, FOX will be higher rated in viewership than ABC, NBC, and CBS. Recently, FOX’s national news station was the highest rated over all the other networks’ news stations… suppressing the news about ACORN’s escalating corruption and the exposed global warming hoax has turned millions of viewers seeking the truth away from ABC, MSNBC, CBS, and CNN to the only news network reporting on these stories. Now FOX’s regular programming is leaving the other three in the dust.

From AOL, Inside TV, Fox Poised to Win First Its November Sweeps Ever:

According to the Live Feed, preliminary numbers for the month suggest that Fox is going to take the final ratings roundup of the year — and in a big way. The network is estimating that it will close out the month with a commanding 3.6 rating in the bellwether adult demographic, making it the only network to post gains over last year and giving it a decisive edge over second place ABC, which clocks in with a 3.1 rating.

CBS is a competitive third at 3.0, while struggling NBC trails the pack with a disappointing 2.6.

Niche network the CW rounds out the field with a 1.2 rating for the month.

Fox’s win can be attributed to a few factors, including a strong sports package highlighted by the Yankees-Phillies World Series, which pulled in large numbers in key marketplaces New York and Philadelphia. The network also boasts the highest-rated new scripted series of the year, ‘The Cleveland Show’, while the pairing of musical hits ‘Glee’ and ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ continues to draw strong numbers on Wednesdays.

The biggest change, though, may not be the hits but the relative lack of misses. In past years, Fox has been as known for its flops as for its hits, meaning that every big gain was offset by a massive loss, leading to uneven numbers. This year, however, Fox has finally put together a lineup that is competitive across the board, with results that speak for themselves.

From Forbes, A Fox Sweeps Surprise – The network shows it can win without ”Idol.” Who knew?:

If all goes according to plan, Fox will walk away with the biggest sweeps margin (nearly 20%) in half a decade.

The network’s win is particularly noteworthy since Fox has historically struggled during the fall. In years past, baseball has wreaked havoc on fourth-quarter viewing patterns and the lineup has been littered with programming holes. Still worse, Fox hasn’t had ratings juggernauts like American Idol and 24 steam-rolling through until the spring.

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The network isn’t without weak spots. Its Thursday night line-up (Bones and Fringe) regularly gets clobbered by ABC (Flash Forward and Grey’s Anatomy) and CBS (Survivor and CSI); and Friday-night offerings like Brothers and doomed Dollhouse failed to lure audiences on a weekly basis.

At the same time, CBS was helped by heavyweights like NCIS, Big Bang Theory and newcomer NCIS: Los Angeles (the No. 1 new show in total viewers), while ABC scored big with Dancing with the Stars and the American Music Awards during sweeps. Fourth-place NBC, on the other hand, suffered still more losses as its cost-saver The Jay Leno Show shed viewers during its once-valuable time slot and helped sink the network’s entire schedule.

With the exception of its highly rated Sunday Night Football franchise, NBC doesn’t have a single series in Nielsen’s top 30 this season. Is it any wonder General Electric is looking for a way out?

From Blend Television, FOX Poised To Take November Sweeps Crown:

For the last several years, the pattern on network television has been for ABC, CBS and NBC to duke it out in the fall, only to be bowled over by American Idol and 24 on FOX come January. But the network has been making some smart moves, and utilizing those post-Idol slots to grow some of their other shows.

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So You Think You Can Dance has even proven itself a capable, if not stellar, performer in its first ever fall season. They also got a big break this year with a very exciting six-game World Series. The numbers tell it all. Of the four major networks, FOX is the only one to show year-to-year growth. So the little network that could is now showing the old farts how it’s done. How much will they dominate February and May 2010?

Categories: Entertainment, Celebrities, Media & Communication, Social and Political Climate
Tags: ABC, CBS, FOX Network, Fox News, FOX top network, NBC, November sweeps