Jay walking all over Dave

So why, with the ratings on CBS going up, up, up and those for NBC going down, down, down -- at least in prime time -- why is Jay Leno again pulling away from David Letterman? I posed that question to Rick Ludwin, the network's longtime head of late night. He thinks it has a lot to do with Jay. I think it has a lot to do with NBC.  But on one thing we're agreed: If Wal-Mart held onto customers the way "The Tonight Show" held onto viewers, its stock price would be a lot higher.

Hear my interview with Rick Ludwin (MP3, 7:42)

In related news, Jeff Zucker was promoted last week, making him the heir apparent to Bob Wright, NBC's top executive. No "Today Show," no "Tonight Show," no promotion, don't you think?

Ratings PR on the jump.

JAY LENGTHENS HIS LEAD IN THE NOVEMBER SWEEP, WINNING BY A 30 PERCENT MARGIN IN 18-49, UP FROM 16 PERCENT LAST YEAR

DESPITE A MUCH-HYPED OPRAH APPEARANCE ON LETTERMAN LAST WEEK, JAY WINS THE WEEK IN THE VALUABLE ADULT 18-34 CATEGORY AND PULLS WITHIN A TENTH OF A POINT OF #1 IN 18-49

CONAN TOPS 'LATE LATE SHOW' FOR THE WEEK, DESPITE FERGUSON'S BIG THURSDAY ADVANTAGE FROM AN OPRAH-BOOSTED LEAD-IN

'LATE NIGHT' RULES NOVEMBER BY A 48 PERCENT MARGIN IN 18-49 VIEWERS AND STRETCHES ITS STREAK TO 44 CONSECUTIVE SWEEP MONTHS WITHOUT A LOSS

JAY FINISHES #1 ON 19 OF 20 NIGHTS IN THE SWEEP IN 18-49, CONAN WINS 20 OF 20

BURBANK, Calif. - December 8, 2005 - NBC's late-night lineup ruled the November sweep, with "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" increasing its lead over CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman" from a 16 percent margin one year ago to 30 percent in November 2005.  In total viewers, Jay stretched his lead from last year's 15 percent to 29 percent this year.  "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" won the 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET hour by a 48 percent margin for the sweep, which extended from Nov. 3 to Nov. 30.

For the week of Nov. 28-Dec. 2, Jay defeated "Late Show" in the valuable adult 18-34 demographic and pulled within a tenth of a point of first place among adults 18-49 despite Letterman's big Thursday numbers with guest Oprah Winfrey.  While "Late Show" easily won that night, "Tonight" was #1 on Monday, Tuesday and Friday and tied for #1 on Wednesday night in 18-49.  In total viewers, "Tonight" was #1 outright on four of five nights last week.  For the season, Jay has finished #1 on 53 of 55 nights in both 18-49 and total viewers against regular competition (including one tie in 18-49).

Conan won the week over CBS' "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" in 18-49 (1.0 rating vs. 0.9) and total viewers (2.386 million vs. 2.360 million), despite a significant boost for the Thursday "Late "Late Show" due to its lead-in from the Oprah Winfrey edition of Letterman. For the season, Conan has finished #1 on 54 of 55 nights versus regular competition in 18-49 (including a tie) and 52 of 55 nights in total viewers.

Even with last week's results figured into averages, Jay continues to enjoy significantly bigger season-to-date leads over Letterman versus his year-ago margins.  The "Tonight" advantage in 18-49 viewers through 11 weeks of the season is 34 percent, up from 22 percent at this point last season, and Jay's lead in total viewers is 29 percent, up from 22 percent.  For the season, Jay is averaging 2.529 million adult 18-49 viewers and "Late Show" is averaging 1.886 million.

Including the November 2005 sweep, Jay has won 39 sweep months in a row and Conan is undefeated and has won 44 sweep months in a row.

Jay won 19 of 20 nights in the sweep among adults 18-49 and 20 of 20 nights in total viewers (note that the Oprah Winfrey edition of "Late Show" aired outside of the November sweep, which concluded last Wednesday).  Conan won 20 of 20 nights (including a tie) in 18-49 and 19 of 20 in total viewers.

"Last Call with Carson Daly" tied ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and CBS' Ferguson in adult 18-49 rating for the November sweep.  In adults 18-34, "Last Call" out-rated Ferguson and Kimmel, though "Last Call" airs 90 minutes later than Kimmel and an hour later than Ferguson in much of the country.

WEEKLY AVERAGES
(According to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research for the week of Nov. 28- Dec. 2)

ADULTS 18-49

NBC "Tonight," 2.0 rating, 8 share
CBS "Late Show," 2.1/9
ABC "Nightline," 1.0/4*
ABC "Kimmel," 0.7/4*

NBC "Late Night," 1.0/6*
CBS "Late Late Show," 0.9/5

NBC "Last Call," 0.6/5*

TOTAL VIEWERS

NBC "Tonight," 6.0 million viewers
CBS "Late Show," 6.5 million viewers
ABC "Nightline," 3.4 million viewers*
ABC "Kimmel," 1.7 million viewers*

NBC "Late Night," 2.4 million viewers*
CBS "Late Late Show," 2.4 million viewers

NBC "Last Call," 1.4 million viewers*

* "Late Night" and "Last Call" aired encore episodes on Monday and "Kimmel" aired a rebroadcast on Thursday.  Monday results for "Nightline" and "Kimmel" were delayed by football and the Monday "Nightline" is excluded from these averages.

NOVEMBER SWEEP AVERAGES

ADULTS 18-49

NBC "Tonight," 2.0/8
CBS "Late Show," 1.5/7
ABC "Nightline," 1.2/5
ABC "Kimmel," 0.7/4

NBC "Late Night," 1.1/7
CBS "Late Late Show," 0.7/4

NBC "Last Call," 0.7/5

Each rating point equals 1.30 million viewers

TOTAL VIEWERS

NBC "Tonight," 6.0 million viewers
CBS "Late Show," 4.6 million viewers
ABC "Nightline," 3.7 million viewers
ABC "Kimmel," 1.7 million viewers

NBC "Late Night," 2.5 million viewers
CBS "Late Late Show," 2.0 million viewers

NBC "Last Call," 1.5 million viewers

SEASON-TO-DATE AVERAGES

ADULTS 18-49

NBC "Tonight," 1.9/8
CBS "Late Show," 1.5/6
ABC "Nightline," 1.1/4
ABC "Kimmel," 0.6/4

NBC "Late Night," 1.0/7
CBS "Late Late Show," 0.7/4

NBC "Last Call," 0.7/5

Each rating point equals 1.30 million viewers

TOTAL VIEWERS

NBC "Tonight," 5.8 million viewers
CBS "Late Show," 4.5 million viewers
ABC "Nightline," 3.5 million viewers
ABC "Kimmel," 1.6 million viewers

NBC "Late Night," 2.4 million viewers
CBS "Late Late Show," 1.9 million viewers

NBC "Last Call," 1.5 million viewers

SELECTED CABLE RESULTS, WEEK OF NOV.  28-DEC. 2

NATIONAL ADULT 18-49 RATING

Comedy Central, 11 p.m., "The Daily Show," 0.8
Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m., "The Colbert Report," 0.5

Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m., 0.8
Adult Swim, 12:30-1:30 a.m., 0.3

Each rating point equals 1.30 million viewers