Primetime Ratings Report For the week of September 22, 2008 (Premiere Week National Live + 7 Day Program Ratings)

The No. 1 Net, ABC's Premiere Week Results Grow from Originally Reported Numbers by 6% in Viewers, by 8% in Adults 18-49 and by 10% in Adults 18-34

In the Final DVR Playback Tallies, ABC is Up 5% from Opening Week Last Year With Viewers and Retains 100% of its Adult 18-49 and Adult 18-34 Audience

ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" is Once Again TV's Most Popularly Recorded and Played Back Show, Jumping by 2.7 Million Viewers from its Originally Reported Numbers

ABC Scripted Series Exhibiting Increases of 1 Million Viewers or More -- and/or a 10% or Greater Increase in Adults 18-49 in the Finalized DVR Playback Numbers -- Include "Grey's," "Housewives," "Boston Legal," "Ugly Betty" & "Brothers & Sisters"

2008-09 WEEK No. 1 Live + 7 Day Ratings:

Based on the first round of Live + 7 Day rating for the new television season, ABC saw its premiere week primetime averages grow from its originally reported Live + Same Day numbers by +6% in Total Viewers (13.0 million vs. 12.3 million) by +8% in Adults 18-49 (4.1/11 vs. 3.8/10) and by +10% in Adults 18-34 (3.4/10 vs. 3.1/9). In the final DVR numbers, ABC remained the definitive No. 1 network during premiere week (w/o 9/22/08), beating its nearest competitors by 1.1 million viewers (13.0 million vs. 11.9 million - CBS) and by 11% in Adults 18-49 (4.1/11 vs. 3.7/10 - NBC).

* Comparing the Live +7 Day premiere week ratings year to year, ABC grew its overall audience from the opening week of last season (w/o 9/23/07) in Total Viewers (+5% - 13.0 million vs. 12.4 million) and retained 100% of young adult audience in both Adults 18-49 (4.1/11) and Adults 18-34 (3.4/10). Disney-owned ABC was also up from its year-ago Live + 7 Day Week 1 averages in Men 18-34 (+5% - 2.2/7 vs. 2.1/7), Teens 12-17 (+13% - 1.8/6 vs. 1.6/6) and Kids 2-11 (+8% - 1.4/6 vs. 1.3/6).

* Similarly to last season, ABC series were among the most popularly recorded and played back. Like last season, ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" was once again TV's most-played-back show this season. On average, "Grey's Anatomy" stood as the biggest actual gainer from the originally reported premiere week numbers (Live + Same Day) to the finalized DVR playback numbers (Live + 7 Day), generating an additional +2.7 million viewers (18.5 million to 21.2 million). With a sharp jump in DVR penetration year to year (20% to 28%), "Grey's" DVR increase was up 29% from its average increase last season, when it gained +2.1 million viewers from Live + Same Day to the Live + 7 Day averages in originals (2007-08 = 18.0 million to 20.1 million). ABC scripted series gaining 1 million viewers or more on average from their originally reported numbers to the final DVR playback numbers included "Grey's Anatomy" (+2.7 million), "Desperate Housewives" (+1.2 million), "Boston Legal" (+1.2 million) and "Brothers & Sisters" (+1.0 million).

* Among Adults 18-49, 4 of ABC's scripted series registered ratings increases of +10% or more during premiere week: "Grey's Anatomy" +18% (7.4 to 8.7), "Boston Legal" +13% (2.4 to 2.7), "Ugly Betty" +12% (3.3 to 3.7) and "Brothers & Sisters" +11% (4.6 to 5.1).

A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 28% currently, from 20% at the same point in 2007. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.

Source: Nielsen Media Research (National Live+7 Day Program Ratings), week of 9/22/08.