Games feel the heat

Games feel the heat
Peacock weighing advertiser concerns
By RICK KISSELL

PIC: ABC's 'Grey's Anatomy' was easily Sunday's highest-rated show,
building on its 'Housewives' lead-in for a second straight time.

PIC: CBS' 'Survivor,' along with ABC's 'Dancing With the Stars,' pushed
the Olympics into third place Thursday.

The Winter Olympics on NBC have been nothing if not consistent -- winning
against lesser competish but unable to hold up against primetime's hottest
series.

Patrick Joseph McNamara...

It might be better for NBC if they actually COVERED the games rather than
just REPORTING them.

It's stuff like this that makes me glad I live in Southern Ontario. Best
place to watch TV (though satellite has changed that a little). We not only
see what Canada offers, but England (through the CBC, BBC Canada) and the US
(networks) as well.

In a conference call from Torino, NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said
that the company expects to see a profit of between $50 million and
$75 million. This, despite speculation that the network would have to
give makegoods to advertisers due to low ratings, which Ebersol denies.

And it's about to face its toughest test yet tonight.

The Winter Olympics usually peak in the ratings as women's figure skating
moves to the forefront, as it now. But tonight and Wednesday on Fox,
the competition phase of "American Idol" begins with two-hour episodes
that are expected to tame the Games in the Nielsens.

"Idol" is one of a handful of series to beat the Olympics head-to-head
over the previous 10 days. And last Thursday, the Games settled for
an embarrassing third-place finish in the night's opening hour.

ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" on Sunday became the latest series to outdraw
the Olympics, continuing to build on the momentum it created with its
post-Super Bowl episode. Medical drama was easily the night's highest-rated
show (prelim 10.8 rating/24 share in adults 18-49, 24.3 million viewers overall)