Access Hollywood Obama Interview Scores in Midwest, South

Part one of Access Hollywood’s exclusive interview with presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and his family, which aired Tuesday night, averaged a 2.0 rating/5 share in the metered markets.

That was down 20% from the show’s average lead-in of 2.5/6 but up 11% from its year-ago time-period average of 1.8/5.

Maria Menounos’ interview with the family as they campaigned in Butte, Mont., over Independence Day turned in its best performances in Memphis, Tenn., at a 6.7/11; Kansas City at a 6.5/11; Cleveland at a 6.1/10; Orlando, Fla., at a 4.8/8; and Atlanta at a 4.3/8.

Menounos’ wide-ranging conversation with Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama continues Wednesday and Thursday nights.

Paige Albiniak

Contributing editor Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.). She has written for such publications as TVNewsCheck, The New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B+C’s Los Angeles bureau chief from September 2002 to 2004, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997 - September 2002.