Cable TV Ratings – 4/12/09

For the week ending on April 12, USA Network’s WWE RAW delivered the top two positions. According to Nielsen Media’s Cable TV ratings, Nickelodeon’s iCarly attracted an impressive audience, occupying the No. 3 spot. NCIS grabbed four of the top 10 positions, peaking at No. 4, and occupying nine of the top 20 spots!

Faring well on ESPN, viewership of The 2009 Masters Golf Tournament increased 6% from 2008. Attracting a total audience of 42 million, this year’s tournament – originally broadcast on CBS – was the most watched competition since 2001.

According to Nielsen Media, cable TV ratings for the week ending on April 12 were as follows:

1. WWE Entertainment - USA
2. WWE Entertainment - USA
3. iCarly - NICK
4. NCIS - USA
5. SpongeBob SquarePants - NICK
6. NCIS - USA
7. The O’Reilly Factor - FOXN
8. NCIS - USA
9. NCIS - USA
10. SpongeBob SquarePants - NICK
11. Penguins of Madagascar - NICK
12. NCIS - USA
13. NCIS - USA
14. True Jackson, VP - NICK
15. NCIS - USA
16. The O’Reilly Factor - FOXN
17. Masters Golf Tournament - ESPN
18. NCIS - USA
19. NCIS - USA
20. Nora Roberts Tribute - LIFE

The hit show, NCIS, grabbed nine of the top 20 positions this week. Originally broadcast on CBS, this action drama is syndicated for three straight hours – every weeknight – on USA Network. Although the episodes are repeats (reruns), NCIS on USA Network manages to draw millions of viewers each week. What makes this series so popular?

NCIS, which stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service, follows the lives of fictional crime detectives. The special agents on NCIS conduct investigations pertaining to crimes in the Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy. The JAG spin-off, NCIS, premiered in 2003 on CBS. The program has broadcast five successful seasons.