Prime-Time Metered Market Wednesday Ratings: CMA Awards Lead ABC to Victory

-Yesterday's Winners:
The 43rd Annual CMA Awards (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS), CSI: NY (CBS)

-Honorable Mention:
Glee (Fox)

-Disappointing:
Mercy (NBC), So You Think You Can Dance (Fox), America's Next Top Model (CW)

-Yesterday's Losers:
The Jay Leno Show (NBC)

----------

-Ratings Breakdown:
ABC rose to the top of the overnight Wednesday charts care of The 43rd Annual CMA Awards, which averaged a healthy 9.6 rating/15 share from 8-11 p.m. Comparably, that was an increase of nine percent from the 8.8/14 in the metered markets on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008 (which resulted in 15.90 million viewers and a 5.0/13 among adults 18-49, based on the final nationals). Here is the half-hour breakdown:

CMA Awards (ABC)
8:00 p.m.: 9.7/16 (#1)
8:30 p.m.: 9.7/15 (#1)
9:00 p.m.: 10.1/16 (#1)
9:30 p.m.: 9.6/15 (#1)
10:00 p.m.: 9.2/15 (#1t)
10:30 p.m.: 9.0/15 (#2)

Next was CBS with its combination of The New Adventures of Old Christine (#2: 4.2/ 7), compatible Gary Unmarried (#2: 4.4/ 7), Criminal Minds (#2: 7.8/12) and CSI: NY (#1: 9.1/15), which featured part two of the Lawrence Fishburne CSI franchise crossover. In the battle of Criminal Minds versus NBC's relocated Law & Order: SVU (5.8/ 9), the overnight advantage for Criminal Minds was 34 percent last night. Looking ahead, my prediction is SVU will move back into the Tuesday 10 p.m. hour next season after sure-to-be axed The Jay Leno Show fades away.

Speaking of NBC, full-season-renewed freshman medical drama Mercy kicked-off the night with an uneventful third-place 3.9/ 6 in the overnights at 8 p.m., followed by aforementioned Law & Order: SVU (5.8/ 9) and The Jay Leno Show (#3: 3.4/ 6) from 9-11 p.m. Retention for Leno out of the second half of lead-in SVU (6.0/ 9) was 57 percent.

Fox aired lackluster So You Think You Can Dance (#4: 3.4/ 6), which host Nigel Lythgoe is openly complaining about the caliber of contestants this season, and critically acclaimed Glee (#4: 4.4/ 7), which I agree is totally unique. Comparably, Glee built out of the 8:30 p.m. portion of So You Think You Can Dance (3.6/ 6) by 22 percent.

Over at the CW was diluted America's Next Top Model (#5: 2.4/ 4), which concludes the season next Wednesday, and a repeat of The Vampire Diaries (#5: 0.9/ 1). Compared to the year-ago evening (3.1/ 5 on Nov. 12, 2008), Top Model was down by 23 percent.

Wednesday 11/11/09

HH
Rtg/Shr
ABC 9.6/15
CBS 7.1/11
NBC 4.4/ 7
Fox 3.9/ 6
CW 1.6/ 3

----------

-Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Wednesday, November 12, 2008):
ABC: + 9, NBC: + 5, CBS: - 3, Fox: -25, CW: -30

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

• Read more at Mediaweek.com
• To subscribe to Mediaweek, click here.