Cable beats broadcast nets in sweeps for first time

Cable beat the seven broadcast networks in February sweeps for the first time ever, notching a 49.4 household share in prime time compared with broadcast’s 48.6. Cable is set to win its second straight broadcast season with a 51.8 share this season to date, compared with broadcast’s 45.7, according to Turner Research analysis of Nielsen numbers. Turner Chief Research Officer Jack Wakshlag was incredibly proud about this, saying “The end of the broadcast-dominated world is in place. Unless something incredibly extraordinary happens, broadcast will never win another sweeps.”

Sci Fi Channel posted the top two new ad-supported cable originals in the first quarter of 2005 to date, with new episodes of Battlestar Galactica and Stargate Atlantis averaging 1.77 and 1.58 million viewers in the 18-49 demo, respectively. Way to go, guys. (So why didn't SFC make the announcement? Well, their research department's gone downhill since a purge there three years back... yes, we still remember, you %$#@!!)