Ratings Archives: Week of July 13, 1998

It is the middle of the summer season, in 1998, and CBS and NBC tie for the week, mostly filed with repeat programming and newsmagazines. Four of the top five program are news shows, with 60 MINUTES leading the way, and another is added when including the top 10 programs. All five news programs draw more than 11 million viewers each, with 60 MINUTES getting 15 million.

Five of the top 10 programs (a tie for 10th) are all NBC sitcoms, with JUST SHOOT ME, as the top scripted program, at #5. Only ER cracked the top 10, as a drama.

Saturday night drama, WALKER, TEXAS RANGER, is the only Saturday program to top 10 million viewers, and that is with a repeat episode. Times were a lot different, 17 years ago.

The WB is now clearly better than UPN, averaging near a full household ratings point more.

The week's five lowest rated programs were:

106) THE SENTINAL (UPN) - 1.6 HH rating / 3 share
106) LOVE BOAT (UPN) - 1.6 HH rating / 3 share
108) CLUELESS(UPN) - 1.4 HH rating / 3 share
108) THE PARENT 'HOOD (WB) - 1.4 HH rating / 3 share
108) CLUELESS(UPN) - 1.4 HH rating / 2 share

Nielsen Broadcast ratings chart for the week of July 13, 1998.