IT'S A GRAND FINALE FOR 'AMERICA'S GOT TALENT': #1 FOR THE WEEK IN TOTAL VIEWERS, #1 IN KIDS, #2 IN TEENS

THE PENULTIMATE AND FINAL EDITIONS OF THIS SUMMER'S #1 NEW SERIES DELIVER PRIMETIME'S TWO BIGGEST AUDIENCES SINCE BASEBALL'S ALL-STAR GAME

BURBANK, Calif. �- August 22, 2006 -� The final two episodes of this summer's "America's Got Talent" were the two "most-watched" shows of the week of August 14-20 in total viewers, as the summer's #1 new series delivered top-10 rankings in all key demographics, including #1 and #2 finishes among kids and a #2 ranking among teens. In total viewers, last week's climatic Wednesday and Thursday telecasts of "America's Got Talent" delivered the two biggest overall primetime audiences since Fox's Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 11, according to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research..

NBC averaged a 2.0 rating, 6 share in adults 18-49 and 6.5 million viewers overall for the week of August 14-20.

"America's Got Talent" concluded its summer run as the #1 new original summer series of 2006. Thursday's finale and Wednesday's penultimate telecast of "America's Got Talent" ranked #1 and #2 respectively this week (out of a total 110 programs) in total viewers. Among adults 18-49 the two telecasts ranked #4 and #7 (tie), among adults 25-54 they ranked #3 and #5 (tie) and among teens 12-17 they ranked #2 (tie) and #5, with Thursday's "Talent" finale trailing only Fox's telecast of the "Teen Choice Awards." The broad appeal of "America's Got Talent is further reflected in its #1 and #2 rankings among kids 2-11 (for the Wednesday and Thursday telecasts respectively). Primetime averages for the week of August 14-20 in adults 18-49 were Fox (2.5/8), CBS (2.3/7), NBC and ABC (2.0/6), Univision (1.5/5), UPN and WB (0.7/2) and Telemundo (0.4/1). Versus the same week last year, NBC was up 5 percent in 18-49, marking the sixth consecutive week NBC has topped its 18-49 rating of the year-ago week. In overall total viewers the weekly averages were CBS (7.5 million), NBC (6.5 million), Fox (6.3 million), ABC (5.8 million), Univision (3.3 million), UPN (1.8 million), WB (1.7 million) and Telemundo (0.8 million).

Since the end of the traditional broadcast season, NBC is running #2 (tied with CBS) in adults 18-49. The current summer-to-date averages in 18-49 are Fox (2.4), NBC and CBS (2.1) and ABC (1.9) for the period May 25-August 20, 2006.

NBC highlights for the week of August 14-20:

* Thursday's finale of "America's Got Talent" was the #1 telecast of the night in 18-49 and in total viewers. "Talent" scored its highest Thursday results of the summer, up 40 percent in 18-49 versus its prior summer-to-date Thursday average.

* With 12.0 million and 11.6 million average total viewers, the Thursday and the Wednesday editions of "America's Got Talent" are now the #1 and #2 "most-watched" telecasts of the summer in total viewers since the July 11 broadcast of Major League Baseball's All Star Game.

* Also on Thursday, an encore "My Name is Earl" hit its highest 18-49 rating in four weeks, "Windfall" scored its highest 18-49 and total viewer results in eight weeks and an encore of "The Office" delivered its highest total viewership of the summer.

* On Wednesday, "America's Got Talent" hits its highest 18-49 rating since July 12 and its biggest total viewership since July 5

* The "NBC Sunday Night Football" telecast of the Seattle Seahawks versus the Indianapolis Colts was the top-rated and most-watched pre-season NFL telecast of the week, outperforming Fox's Thursday NFL primetime game by 35 percent in 18-49 and 42 percent in total viewers and outdelivering CBS' Friday primetime NFL game by 80 percent in 18-49 and 73 percent in overall viewers. NBC now has the three highest-rated NFL pre-season telecasts of the summer: this Seahawks-Colts game, the August 13 Redskins-Bengals game and the August 6 Raiders-Eagles match-up.

* On Tuesday, an encore "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" was #1 in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, total viewers and other key measures.

* On Friday, "Dateline NBC" ranked #1 in its hour in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 (tie). "Dateline" matched its highest Friday 18-49 rating since May 24.

Excluding sports, 18-49 averages for the 2005-06 broadcast year to date are Fox (a 3.6 rating), CBS (3.3), ABC (3.2), NBC (2.9), WB (1.2) and UPN (1.1). This summer, non-sports 18-49 averages are: Fox (a 2.3 rating), NBC (2.1), CBS (2.1), ABC (1.7), UPN (0.7) and WB (0.7).

Ratings reflect "live plus same day" data unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date figures are averages of live only results through Dec. 25 and "live plus seven day" data since then, except for the two most recent weeks, which are live plus same day.

Additional NBC highlights for the week of August 14-20:

On Monday, August 14 at 9 p.m. ET, "Treasure Hunters" averaged a 1.8 rating, 5 share in adults 18-49 and 4.8 million viewers overall, building by 50 percent in 18-49 rating versus its lead-in from the previous hour � a 1.2/4 in 18-49 and 3.8 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. for a special broadcast of the USA Network series "Psych" from 8-9 p.m. At 10 p.m., an encore "Medium" averaged a 1.6/4 in 18-49 and 4.7 million viewers overall.

On Tuesday, August 15 from 8-10 p.m. ET, "Miss Teen USA 2006" (1.7/5 in 18-49, 5.7 million viewers overall) ranked #1 among teen viewers 12-17.

Also on Tuesday from 10-11 p.m. ET, an encore telecast of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (2.5/7 in 18-49, 7.9 million viewers overall) ranked #1 in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, total viewers and other key measures.

On Wednesday, August 16 from 8-10 p.m. ET, "America's Got Talent" (3.3/10 in adults 18-49, 11.6 million viewers overall) hit its highest Wednesday 18-49 rating since July 12 and its highest Wednesday total viewership since July 5. "Talent" was up 57 percent in 18-49 versus NBC's average in this time period last summer (3.3 vs. 2.1). "America's Got Talent" ranked #2 in adults 18-49 for its two-hour time period and was #1 ahead of Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" in adults 25-54, all key adult male demos and total viewers.

Also on Wednesday, an encore "Law & Order" (2.5/7 in 18-49, 8.3 million viewers overall) tied for #1 in 18-49 and matched its highest rating since May 31.

On Thursday, August 17 at 8 p.m. ET, an encore "My Name is Earl" (2.0/7 in 18-49, 5.6 million viewers overall) ranked #2 in the time period among adults 18-49, hitting its highest 18-49 rating in four weeks. At 8:30 p.m., an encore telecast of "The Office" (2.0/6 in 18-49, 5.3 million viewers overall) scored its highest 18-49 rating since June 15, retaining 100 percent of its "Earl" lead-in. In total viewers, this was the "most-watched" episode of "The Office" so far this summer.

Thursday from 9-10 p.m. ET, the finale of "America's Got Talent" (3.5/10 in 18-49, 12.0 million viewers overall) was the night's #1 telecast in both 18-49 and total viewers. The "Talent" finale delivered that series' highest Thursday results of the summer in 18-49 and total viewers. "Talent" was up 40 percent in 18-49 versus its Thursday summer average (with a 3.5 rating vs. a 2.5 average) and in total viewers it was the most-watched network telecast since the July 11 Major league Baseball All-Star Game on Fox.

"America's Got Talent" ranked #1 in its time period in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and total viewers.

Thursday at 10 p.m. ET, "Windfall" (2.1/6 in 18-49, 5.5 million viewers overall) collected its highest 18-49 and total viewer results in eight weeks (since June 22).

On Friday, August 18 from 8-9 p.m. ET, "Dateline NBC" (1.7/7 in 18-49, 5.4 million viewers overall) was #1 for the hour in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 (tie). "Dateline" matched its highest Friday 18-49 rating since May 24.

On Saturday, August 19 from 10-11 p.m. ET, "Dateline NBC" averaged a 1.9/5 in 18-49 and 4.9 million viewers overall, building by 60 percent in 18-49 rating from its lead-in � a 1.0/3 in 18-49 and 3.3 million viewers overall for an encore "Dateline" from 9-10 p.m.

On Sunday, the "NBC Sunday Night Football" telecast of the Seattle Seahawks versus the Indianapolis Colts (2.7/8 in 18-49, 8.2 million viewers overall, 5.5/9 in households from 8:06-11:03 p.m. ET) ranked #1 in the time period in adults 18-49 and other key measures.

The "NBC Sunday Night Football" game was the highest-rated and most-watched NFL pre-season telecast of the week. It out-delivered Fox's Thursday primetime game by 35 percent in 18-49 (with a 2.7 rating vs. a 2.0) and 42 percent in total viewers and CBS' Friday primetime NFL game by 80 percent in 18-49 (2.7 vs. 1.5) and 73 percent in overall viewers. NBC now has the three highest-rated NFL pre-season telecasts of the summer, last Sunday's Seahawks-Colts game, the August 13 Redskins-Bengals game and the August 6 Raiders-Eagles Hall of Fame Game.

From 8-8:06 p.m. ET Sunday, the "NBC Sunday Night Football" Pre-Kickoff telecast averaged a 1.8/6 in 18-49, 5.7 million viewers overall and a 3.6/7 in households.