Posting its Strongest Numbers in 5 Years, ABC Finishes the 2005-06 TV Season as the Only Network to Grow its Adult 18-49 Audience

ABC Airs 5 Top-12 TV Series This Season in Adults 18-49, More Than Any Other Net

ABC Emerges This Season as the Top-Rated Network Among Upscale Young Adults

ABC�s Complete 2005-06 TV Season (9/19/05-5/24/06)

Coming off its record-setting performance during the 2004-05 Television Season, when it delivered substantial increases in viewers and young adults, ABC carried its momentum into the 2005-06 Season. The Network delivered improved ratings across its primetime schedule for the second season in a row. ABC�s key returning series such as �Lost,� �Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,� �Desperate Housewives,� �Grey�s Anatomy� and �Dancing with the Stars� came back as strong as ever. In just 2 years, since the end of the 2003-04 TV Season, ABC�s primetime delivery is up by 20% in Total Viewers (10.8 million vs. 9.0 million) and by 25% in Adults 18-49 (4.0/11 vs. 3.2/9).

� Overall Improvement: ABC was the biggest gainer among the networks during the 2005-06 Television Season in Total Viewers (+7% - 10.8 million vs. 10.1 million) and Adult 18-49 (+8% - 4.0/11 vs. 3.7/10). In fact, ABC was the only network to grow its audience in the key Adult 18-49 sales demographic from the same point a year ago (CBS, NBC, UPN and WB were each down year to year, while Fox was flat). The Network delivered its most-watched season and highest-rated among Adults 18-49 in 5 years � since the 2000-01 TV Season.

� Season Standing Across Demographics: ABC earned a strong second place during the 2005-06 TV Season among Total Viewers, across each of the key adult demographics, among teens and kids: Total Viewers (10.8 million), Adults 18-34 (3.2/10), Adults 18-49 (4.0/11) and Adults 25-54 (4.6/11), Teens 12-17 (2.0/7) and Kids 2-11 (1.5/6). ABC stood as the No. 1 network for the season among Women 18-49 (4.6/12).

� Ratings Growth with Non-Sports/Entertainment Series Programming: ABC�s year-to-year ratings growth is driven by its entertainment programming. The Network is up with its regular entertainment series programming, growing by +7% in Total Viewers and by +2% in Adults 18-49 from the same point last year. Excluding sports from the averages, ABC is up by 3% in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.

� Rank and Growth by Night: ABC was the No. 1 network during the season among Adults 18-49 on Sunday night, leading the evening for 17 consecutive weeks, the Net�s longest Sunday winning streak in at least 15 years � the top network on the night on 30 of 35 weeks of the season. The Net also ranked No. 1 in the key young adult sales demographic on Monday. ABC was second on Wednesday night. ABC was up in Total Viewers on 5 of 7 nights: Monday (+10%), Tuesday (+1%), Thursday (+35%), Friday (+4%) and Sunday (+17%). In Adults 18-49, the Net was up or even on 4 of 7 nights: Monday (+10%), Thursday (+27%), Friday (even) and Sunday (+18%). Furthermore, ABC (+20 half-hours) was up the most in half-hours on its regular primetime schedule this season among Adults 18-49, topping CBS (+19 half-hours), Fox (+18 half-hours) and NBC (+6 half-hours).

� Season�s Top Rated Series: In Adults 18-49, ABC aired 5 of the Top 12 TV series this season, the most for any network: �Desperate Housewives� � No. 3, �Grey�s Anatomy� � No. 4, �Lost� � No. 8, �Monday Night Football� � No. 9 and �Extreme Makeover: Home Edition� � No. 12. In Total Viewers, ABC claimed 7 of the Top 20 most-watched series: �Desperate Housewives� � No. 4, �Grey�s Anatomy� � No. 5, �Dancing with the Stars� � No. 7, �Monday Night Football� � No. 12, �Lost� � No. 14, �Dancing with the Stars Results� � No. 18 and �Extreme Makeover: Home Edition� � No. 19. ABC�s �Desperate Housewives� and �Grey�s Anatomy� ranked as TV�s Top 2 scripted series this season in the key Adult 18-49 sales demographic.

� Highest-Rated Nights of Television: ABC claimed 3 of the Top 8 highest-rated nights of television during the week among Adults 18-49: Sunday � No. 2 (7.3/18), Monday (4.5/11) � No. 5 and Wednesday (4.4/12) � No. 8.

� Highest Income Break - Upscale Adults 18-49 in Homes with $100K+ Annual Income: ABC ranks as the No. 1 network this season among upscale high-income Adults 18-49 (4.3 rating), beating perennial leader NBC by +13% (3.8), Fox by +10% (3.9) and CBS +16% (3.7). In addition ABC claims 6 of the Top 20 highest-rated TV series this season among upscale young adults, including 3 of the Top 6 shows: �Desperate Housewives� (12.3) � No. 3, �Grey�s Anatomy� (11.0) � No. 4, �Lost� (8.4) � No. 6, �MNF� (6.6) � No. 11, �Extreme Makeover: Home Edition� (6.3) � No. 12 and �Dancing with the Stars� (5.9) � No. 17.

� Network 10:30 p.m. Late Local News Lead-in (Monday excluded during 4th Quarter, due to �MNF� and College Bowl Games): ABC has offered its stations an improved lead-in to the late local news for the second season in a row. In the 10:30 p.m. half-hour, ABC is up by 10% among Adults 25-54 (4.4/11 vs. 4.0/10) and by 9% among Adults 18-49 (3.8/10 vs. 3.5/10), as compared to the same point last season.

� TV�s No. 1 10 o�clock Show: For the second season in a row, ABC�s �Grey�s Anatomy� was the No. 1 TV program on any network in the 10 o�clock hour among Adults 25-54, Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34. It�s also the most-watched 10 o�clock TV program this season, surpassing CBS� �Without a Trace� for the title this season.

Source: Nielsen Media Research, NTI (Live+SD), 9/19/05-5/24/06 vs. 9/20/04-5/25/05, or as dated.