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BROADCAST
NETWORKS
ABC
TELEVISION NETWORK
With the 1999-2000
season underway, ABC has captured the attention of audiences and critics
with its line-up of new shows and returning favorites.
The new drama,
Once and Again, was the first break-out show of the season. ABC
also delivered the season’s biggest hit show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,
which has become ABC’s most-watched new series in six years, drawing
an average of 24.2 million viewers each episode.
ABC was watched
by more people during the full broadcast day than any other network
and was number two in the key 18-49 demographic in primetime. The network
went on to win the November sweeps - the critical four-week period which
determines advertising rates - for the first time since 1994.
In primetime,
The Practice was honored with the Emmy for Outstanding Drama
Series for the second year in a row. NYPD Blue’s Dennis Franz
won for Best Actor in a Drama Series. Returning favorites like Dharma
& Greg, The Drew Carey Show and Monday Night Football continued
to attract wide audiences.
ABC earned singular
praise from the Television Critics’ Association (TCA). When asked which
network they would watch if they could only watch one, critics chose
ABC by a two-to-one margin.
In news, Good
Morning America moved to a new state-of-theart studio overlooking
New York’s Times Square. Ratings for GMA are up 20 percent since
Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer took over as co-anchors last year.
World News
Tonight with Peter Jennings remains the leader in nightly news,
attracting more viewers than any other newscast for the 1998-99 season.
Nightline, recognized as one of the most respected news programs
on TV, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
ABC Daytime dominated
the ratings among women 18-49 for the 23rd straight year. ABC Daytime
swept the top three awards at last year’s Daytime Emmys, winning Outstanding
Drama Series, General Hospital, Best Actor, Tony Geary, and a
long-deserved Emmy for Susan Lucci in the Best Actress category.
Disney’s One
Saturday Morning block of programming for children was number one
among all broadcast networks for the 1998-99 season for the second year
in a row.
ABC Sports built
on its tradition of excellence last year, delivering memorable moments
like the women’s World Cup soccer final and the first-ever broadcast
network primetime golf match, Showdown at Sherwood: Woods vs. Duval.
Ratings powerhouse Monday Night Football celebrates its 30th
anniversary this year, broadcasting in high definition (HDTV). ABC caps
off football coverage with Super Bowl XXXIV in January.
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