Media Metrics

This week we stack the numbers for network news viewers compared with similar stats for cable programming, per Medialink. As the accompanying charts show, a growing number of
viewers are flocking to the nets' morning shows -- folks just can't seem to get enough of her Royal Cuteness Katie Couric, we suppose -- whereas their cable cousins have to
settle for the scraps. It's a different story when people tune into the evening news, however. While Peter, Dan and Tom still generate the biggest number of eyeballs for ABC, CBS
and NBC, respectively, the long-term numbers are starting to descend for the nets and rise for cable news shows. Prime time for both the nets and cable got a surge in viewers in
2002 -- most likely a result of more people watching TV news in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

The increasingly popular (network) morning shows seem to be taking on the role once reserved for the (now defunct) evening newspapers. Whereas, people used to grab the evening
newspaper to catch up on the day's headlines after work, now the morning shows, such as NBC's "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America" (portend) to give viewers the news they need
before work. And once they get to work, of course, people will get the day's news via the Web, thus making the evening news less compelling.