TV Ratings : CBS Edges ABC to Score Another Weekly Win

ABC had four of the six top-rated programs last week but still ran second overall in prime time to CBS, figures from the A.C. Nielsen Co. showed Tuesday. It was CBS’ 18th victory in the 25 weeks since the 1992-93 season began.

ABC’s “Home Improvement,” with Tim Allen, topped the list of most-watched shows, even with a repeat. But the best news for ABC was not in the Top 10. In its second outing, the newsmagazine “Day One,” with Forrest Sawyer, registered a 30% increase in ratings to finish second in its Sunday time slot behind CBS’ “Murder, She Wrote” and No. 20 among the week’s 93 prime-time programs. NBC’s “I Witness Video,” which had beaten “Day One” the week before, fell 24% and ranked 55th overall.

ABC also saw its police drama “Sirens” get off to a respectable start. The show finished second in its time period behind CBS’ “48 Hours,” delivering what ABC said were the best ratings the network has had on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. since April 4, 1990.

In the battle of TV movies Sunday night, CBS’ “Men Don’t Tell”--which starred Judith Light, formerly of ABC’s “Who’s the Boss?”--beat ABC’s “Lies and Lullabies,” which starred Susan Dey of CBS’ “Love & War.”

WEEKLY AVERAGES CBS: 12.9

ABC: 12.7

NBC: 10.4

FOX: 7.9

SEASON TO DATE CBS: 13.5

ABC: 12.5

NBC: 11.1

FOX: 7.8