Craig Ferguson is thisclose to Conan in ratings

The gap in total viewers in late night between (number one) CBS and (number four) NBC is (perhaps inevitably) closing to just 50,000 souls watching Conan as opposed to watching Craig. That is not a one-week anamoly, that is a season-to-date number.

Note, as you reading the duelling press releases, that NBC thinks total audience is so 1994.

CRAIG TOPS CONAN ... AGAIN

"The Late Late Show" Continues Upward Trajectory -- Besting "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" in Viewers and Delivering Its Highest Weekly Audience Since Feb 2007

Season-to-Date Gap Narrows to Just 50,000 Viewers

CBS's THE LATE LATE SHOW with CRAIG FERGUSON continued its late night momentum, out-delivering "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" in viewers (2.13m vs. 2.07m) and tying it in households (1.6/05 vs. 1.6/06), according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for the week ending Dec. 19. This is THE LATE LATE SHOW's best delivery in households since the week ending May 11, 2007, best viewer performance since the week ending Feb. 16, 2007.

THE LATE LATE SHOW posted a 1.6/05 in households with 2.13m viewers, up +14% in households (from 1.4/05) and +22% in viewers (from 1.75m) compared to the same week last year. THE LATE LATE SHOW was up +14% in adults 25-54 (0.8/05 from 0.7/04), +67% in adults 18-34 (0.5/03 from 0.3/02) and even in adults 18-49 (0.6/03) compared to the same week last year.

Season-to-date, THE LATE LATE SHOW is up +8% in households (1.4/05 from 1.3/05), +11% in viewers (1.90m from 1.72m), +14% in adults 25-54 (0.8/04 from 0.7/04) and even in both adults 18-49 (0.6/03) and adults 18-34 (0.4/03) compared to last year.

Season-to-date, THE LATE LATE SHOW is tied with "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" in adults 25-54 (0.8/04 vs. 0.8/05). Last year, season to date, THE LATE LATE SHOW trailed "Late Night" by -0.1 in adults 25-54. THE LATE LATE SHOW has improved its competitive position with "Late Night" in viewers (-50,000 viewers in 2008 from -120,000 viewers in 2007) and adults 18-49 (-0.1 in 2008 from -0.2 in 2007).

JAY LENO AND CONAN O'BRIEN TAKE THE WEEK OF DEC. 15-19 AMONG 18-49 VIEWERS

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - December 29, 2008 - NBC's late-night lineup has won the week of December 15-19 in adults 18-49 and other key categories, with "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" taking the 11:35 p.m. ET hour by an 11 percent margin over CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman" in 18-49 viewers and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" beating CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" at 12:35 a.m. by 23 percent.

Both Jay and Conan stretched their leads among younger adults, with Jay topping Letterman for the week by a 32 percent advantage among adults 18-34 and Conan achieving a 63 percent margin over Ferguson.

Season to date, "Tonight" is delivering an 18 percent margin of victory over "Late Show" in adult 18-49 viewers and a 25 percent advantage in total viewers, while Conan's leads over "Late Late Show" are 25 percent in 18-49 and 3 percent in total viewers. Both Jay and Conan once again pull away among younger adults, with Jay leading the season by a 37 percent margin among adult 18-34 viewers and Conan winning by 60 percent.

For the week of December 15-19, Jay's average 1.854 million adults 18-49 topped the 1.667 million of Letterman; in total viewers, Jay's audience of 5.293 million persons beat Letterman's 4.584 million; and in adults 18-34, Jay's 783,000 out-delivered Letterman's 595,000. At 12:35 a.m. ET, Conan's 996,000 adults 18-49 for the week out-delivered Ferguson's 813,000; in total viewers, Conan's 2.070 million trailed Ferguson's 2.131 million; and in adults 18-34, Conan's 520,000 topped Ferguson's 320,000.

While "Late Night" trailed "Late Late Show" last week in total viewers, Conan generated bigger audiences than Ferguson in adults, men and women 18-34; adults, men and women 18-49; and adults and men 25-54.