CBS takes top spot for 21st time this season

Spring break came early for TV viewers, with Fox the only major network to improve versus the same week a year ago, while CBS posted its 21st ratings victory in 29 weeks this season, based on viewing estimates issued Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

Despite a significant drop from last year, CBS benefited from its NCAA championship telecast, while NBC scored Tuesday with its Cher concert special -- belting out the network’s best performance with an entertainment program for those two hours in 2 1/2 years.

NBC’s “Ed” also enhanced its chances of being renewed by ending its third season on a high note -- attracting its biggest audience since January despite its shift to Friday, a night when TV viewing levels tend to be lower. On the downside for NBC, “America’s Most Talented Kid” took a dive after promising results its first two weeks.

Fox continues to ride the “American Idol” gravy train, with the show’s big Wednesday audience helping “The Bernie Mac Show” deliver its highest rating yet. Moreover, better than 90% of those viewers hung around for the new sitcom “Wanda at Large.”

Facing a rerun episode of “ER,” CBS’ “Without a Trace” uncovered its third highest rating.

The network’s Clinton-Dole experiment on “60 Minutes,” however, clearly yielded only short-term dividends, with the show’s audience having retreated to where it was before the segment was introduced in early March.

On cable, Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor” averaged 5.2 million viewers last week, as the channel accounted for 10 of the 15 most-watched cable programs.

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Prime-Time TV Rankings