Palin’s TV ratings bounce back in third week

A week after losing nearly 40 percent of its audience, "Sarah Palin's Alaska" rebounded in the ratings Sunday night. According to the Hollywood Reporter's James Hibbard, roughly 3.5 million people watched the third episode of the ex-governor's show. That's still about a 1.5 million viewers fewer than the show's premiere got, but according to TLC, it's still the channel's highest-rated show.

For Palin, it's not just about ratings. As Time's Jay Newton Small notes, Palin's advisers are partly crediting the show for a surge in contributions to Palin's political action committee, Sarah PAC. According to Tim Crawford, its treasurer, Sarah PAC has raised $469,000 over the past month. That means Palin has raised roughly $3 million in 2010 — less than PACs linked to other 2012 hopefuls like Mitt Romney, but still a significant amount, especially considering that Palin hasn't held any fundraising events.

(Photo of Palin courtesy TLC)