nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for wednesday, november 9, 2011)

Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

ABC (16.32 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.8, #1) surged in front on Wednesday with its coverage of "The 45th Annual CMA Awards" (16.32 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.8, #1).

FOX (10.14 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.7, #2) then claimed the silver with fresh installments of "The X Factor" (9.85 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.6, #3) and a second "The X Factor" (10.43 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 4.0, #2).

Next up was CBS (10.66 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #3) with new episodes of "Survivor: South Pacific" (10.60 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.1, #5), "Criminal Minds" (11.31 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.4, #4) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (10.09 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.5, #6).

Meanwhile, NBC (5.95 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #4) offered up its mix of "Up All Night" (4.79 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.8, #8), a repeat of "Up All Night" (3.51 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.2, #10), "Harry's Law" (7.06 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.3, #9) and, with a series low among adults 18-49, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (6.64 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.9, #7).

And finally, an encore of "America's Next Top Model" (0.98 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.5, #12) led into a new "America's Next Top Model" (1.65 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #11) on The CW (1.31 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.6, #5). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Top Model" posted a 0.8 rating at 8:00/7:00c and a 1.3 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+18.18% - Harry's Law
0.00% - Up All Night
0.00% - America's Next Top Model
-2.44% - The X Factor - 9:00
-2.70% - The X Factor - 8:00
-5.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
-5.56% - Criminal Minds
-7.41% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
-11.43% - Survivor: South Pacific

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+50.00% - Up All Night (vs. Undercovers)
+44.00% - The X Factor - 8:00 (vs. Hell's Kitchen)
+38.89% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (vs. The Defenders)
+37.93% - The X Factor - 9:00 (vs. Hell's Kitchen)
+13.33% - Criminal Minds
+11.76% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. Law & Order: Los Angeles)
-3.13% - Survivor: South Pacific
-11.11% - America's Next Top Model (vs. Hellcats)
-35.00% - Harry's Law (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)

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

In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 3.1/8; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.6/7; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.8/9; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.8/6.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.9/4; "Late Show," 0.8/4; "Nightline," 1.2/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.6/6 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.4/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.5/3).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 1.0/5 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Here are the highlights of the 11 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (11/10/10):

ABC (16.50 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.7, #1) overshadowed the competition on Wednesday thanks to its broadcast of "The 44th Annual CMA Awards" (16.50 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.7, #1).

The silver then went to CBS (10.68 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T2) with new episodes of "Survivor: Nicaragua" (11.25 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.2, #2), "Criminal Minds" (12.44 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #3) and "The Defenders" (8.33 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #7).

Next up was FOX (5.71 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T2) with the return of "Hell's Kitchen" (5.51 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.5, #5) followed by a second "Hell's Kitchen" (5.91 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.9, #4).

Meanwhile, NBC (6.36 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) was out of the hunt with its mix of "Undercovers" (5.13 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T9), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (7.17 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.0, #6) and "Law & Order: Los Angeles" (6.77 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.7, #8).

And finally, new episodes of "America's Next Top Model" (2.67 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T9) and "Hellcats" (1.94 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.9, #11) on The CW (2.31 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.1, #5) rounded out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Hellcats (0.00%), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (-4.80%), America's Next Top Model (-7.70%), Undercovers (-7.70%), Law & Order: Los Angeles (-10.50%), Hell's Kitchen (-12.90% vs. 10/13/10), Survivor: Nicaragua (-13.50%), Criminal Minds (-21.10%), The Defenders (-21.70%).

In late-night metered market ratings, ABC's "Nightline" (3.7/9) took top honors over NBC's "Leno" (3.0/8) and CBS's "Letterman" (2.6/7). Rounding out the night then were "Kimmel" (1.8/6) on ABC "Ferguson" (1.4/5) on CBS and "Fallon" (1.4/5) and "Daly" (0.9/4) on NBC.

Source: Nielsen Media Research