nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for friday, october 14, 2011)

Here are the highlights of the 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

CBS (9.56 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #1) held onto to the top spot on Friday with new episodes of "A Gifted Man" (7.75 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T5), "CSI: NY" (10.02 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T1) and "Blue Bloods" (10.91 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T1).

FOX (3.39 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #2) then took home the silver with fresh installments of "Kitchen Nightmares" (3.60 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.4, #4) and "Fringe" (3.14 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T8).

Next up was NBC (4.37 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T3) with encores of "The Office" (2.10 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T11) and "Parks & Recreation" (1.55 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.5, #14) followed by a new two-hour "Dateline NBC" (5.63 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #3).

Meanwhile, ABC (4.34 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T3) likewise offered up repeats of "Last Man Standing" (4.87 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T5), "Modern Family" (3.69 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T5) and "Suburgatory" (3.14 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #10) plus a new "20/20" (4.74 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T8).

And finally, new episodes of "Nikita" (1.67 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.6, #13) and "Supernatural" (1.61 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T11) on The CW (1.64 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.6, #5) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+20.00% - Nikita
+9.09% - 20/20
+8.33% - A Gifted Man
+7.14% - Dateline NBC
+6.25% - CSI: NY
0.00% - Supernatural
-6.67% - Kitchen Nightmares
-7.69% - Fringe
-10.53% - Blue Bloods

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+75.00% - Kitchen Nightmares (vs. House (Repeat))
+50.00% - Fringe (vs. The Good Guys)
+25.00% - Dateline NBC
+8.33% - A Gifted Man (vs. Medium)
0.00% - CSI: NY
0.00% - Blue Bloods
-7.69% - 20/20
-41.67% - Supernatural
-53.85% - Nikita (vs. Smallville)

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

Not yet available.

[NOTE: Today's numbers are courtesy of TVMediaInsights.com due to delays from our usual sources.]

Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (10/15/10):

CBS (8.66 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.5, #1) was the network to beat on a low-key Friday with new episodes of "Medium" (6.14 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T5), "CSI: NY" (9.54 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T1) and "Blue Bloods" (10.29 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T1).

The silver then went to a resurgent The CW (2.99 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #2) with the 200th episode of "Smallville" (3.18 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T3) and a new "Supernatural" (2.80 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T5).

Next up was NBC (4.26 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T3) with the launch of "School Pride" (2.90 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.9, #10) followed by the relocated "Dateline NBC" (4.93 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T5).

Meanwhile, ABC (4.22 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T3) offered up an encore of "No Ordinary Family" (4.11 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.0, #9) followed by a new "20/20" (3.86 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.1, #8) adn a second hour of "20/20" (4.69 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T3).

And finally, a repeat of "House" (2.67 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T11) lead into a new "The Good Guys" (2.33 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T11) on FOX (2.50 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Smallville (30.00%), Supernatural (20.00%), Medium (0.00%), The Good Guys (0.00%), Blue Bloods (-5.60%), CSI: NY (-10.50%), Dateline NBC (-25.00%), 20/20 (-27.80%).

In late-night metered market ratings, ABC's "Nightline" (2.6/6) took top honors over CBS's "Letterman" (2.3/5) and NBC's "Leno" (2.8/7). Rounding out the night then were "Kimmel" (1.3/4) on ABC "Ferguson" (1.3/4) on CBS and "Fallon" (1.5/5) and "Daly" (0.9/3) on NBC.

Source: Nielsen Media Research