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FOR the second consecutive year, NBC used the week before Christmas to successfully launch a new game show, with "Identity" winning its time slot on three of five nights, according to figures released Wednesday by Nielsen Media Research.
With the network using the identical strategy as it did a year earlier when it premiered "Deal or No Deal" against primarily reruns on the other networks, "Identity" won its time slots Dec. 18, Dec. 20 and last Friday, helping NBC to a second-place finish behind CBS between Dec. 18-24.
The two programs to top "Identity" were reruns of "NCIS" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," both on CBS.
The Dec. 19 rerun of "NCIS" drew 10.92 million viewers from 8 to 9 p.m., while "Identity" drew 8.21 million, still a season high for NBC in the time period.
Thursday's rerun of the perennial Christmas favorite "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," first broadcast in 1964, drew 10.58 million viewers to "Identity's" 9.53 million during that night's 8 to 9 p.m. time period.
Reruns of the "CSI" franchise helped CBS remain undefeated for the season in the weekly ratings race, averaging 8.84 million on what is traditionally a little-watched week because of holiday vacations and reruns. NBC was second with 7.33 million, followed by ABC with 6.25 million, Fox with 5.61 million and the CW with 2.47 million.
CBS had 10 of the week's 12 most-watched programs. Its five- minute National Football League postgame show was No. 1, with 17.32...