Well, the ratings are starting to...

 Posted on 1/28/1994 by STRACZYNSKI [Joe] to GENIE


Well, the ratings are starting to come in. We won't know the full
story on the ratings until next week, because syndication doesn't work
quite the same as network shows. Some places are yet to air the first
episode, and as with the ST shows, you add both airings to get a
cumulative total.

That said...we have some ratings/shares from the first night's
single airings. (By comparison, and I pass this along only as a
benchmark, the ST shows generally get around an 8 or 9 rating and about
an 11 share. That's the *cumulative* rating, not a single-night rating.)

So when you consider the following numbers, realize that they're
not complete, and will increase maybe another 30% after the second
airing (give or take).

New York: 7.2 rating, 10 share.
Los Angeles: 12 rating/17 share.
San Francisco: 7.4 rating, 11 share
Washington DC: 7.7 rating, 11 share
Seattle: 10.4 rating, 16 share
Minneapolis: 7.1 rating, 11 share
Orlando: 8.8 rating, 16 share
San Diego: 9 rating, 15 share
Portland OR: 9.6 rating, 14 share
Kansas City: 9.4 rating, 13 share

In many markets, we beat in one night what it takes the ST shows
two showings to pull, ratings-wise. In many markets we beat network
shows. The LA showing beat "Beverly Hills 90210." In some places, the
ratings shot up 220% over what they normally get in that time period.

Translation: we're not a success.

We're a bona fide *hit*.

Most significant of all are the quarter-hour breakdowns. All the
PR in the world might get you to tune into a show, but PR won't *keep*
you there. If the audience finds the show uninteresting, the numbers
will fall each quarter hour.

Practically across the board, the ratings either built or didn't
change by quarter hours.

To say that the people at Warner Bros./PTEN are stunned would be
a considerable oversimplification.

We did it. Now the interesting thing will be to see if we can
sustain it. Onward and upward....

jms