In the national standings for the July 4th holiday week, which ended Sunday, July 5, most of syndication lost ground as the number of households viewing network affiliates plunged week-to-week by an average of 555,000 homes, to the lowest viewing levels of the season.
Making things even tougher for syndies were pre-emptions on NBC stations for coverage of the Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament.
Daytime shows were especially hard-hit as Paramount Television’s Judge Judy sank to its lowest rating in more than five years, dropping 11% to a 4.2, although it remained the top court show in syndication. Compared with last year at this time, Judy was down 9%.
Paramount’s Judge Joe Brown was down 9% to 3.1 in second place and even with last year.
Twentieth Television’s Divorce Court at a 2.8 was flat week-to-week and year-to-year.
Among talk shows, King World Productions’ Oprah matched its season low, losing 11% to 4.9, but it was still up 11% from last year.
King World’s rookie, Dr. Phil, dipped 2% to 4.3. Universal Television’s Maury dropped 9% to 3.2, but it was up 14% from last year.
Buena Vista’s Live with Regis and Kelly slipped 3% to 3.2, tying Maury for third and remaining flat compared to last year.
Universal’s The Jerry Springer Show was down 7% to 2.5 and was even with last year, while Paramount’s Montel Williams equaled its lowest rating ever, tumbling 9% to 2.1, which put it down 16% from last year.
In rookie action, after Dr. Phil, Buena Vista’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire slipped 9% to 2.9.
Sony Pictures Television’s Pyramid hit a new low with a 1.6 as its ratings crumbled 20%. Warner Bros.’ Celebrity Justice was unchanged at 1.2.
Twentieth’s Good Day Live was also steady at 1.1, but Twentieth’s newcomer, Ex-Treme Dating, in its fourth week, hit its lowest rating yet, falling 18% to a 0.9.
One genre that showed resistance to the downtrend was the weekly hours, where Paramount’s Entertainment Tonight Weekend was No. 1, gaining 3% to 3.1.
Moving into second place was Twentieth’s The Practice, which was up 21% to 2.3.
The top rookie among weekly hours this week was NBC Enterprises'/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.’s She Spies, which rallied 12% to 1.9.
