CBS: Take A Look

"The top 10 highest rated shows on the Web this past week were:

1."American Idol" (32.35 percent)
2."Deal or No Deal" (9.91 percent)
3."America's Most Wanted" (4.62 percent)
4."Survivor" (3.58 percent)
5."Lost" (3.21 percent)
6."Dancing with the Stars" (2.13 percent)
7."America's Next Top Model" (2.12 percent)
8."One Tree Hill" (1.78 percent)
9."Jericho" (1.75 percent)
10."The Biggest Loser" (1.45 percent)"




"It's no longer enough to look simply at ratings when judging the worth of a TV show. That's only part of it. A lot of other factors come into play, and now Publicis-owned agency Optimedia has set about to factor those in to determine a show's true popularity with viewers. A new study ranks the reach and power of broadcast programs based on viewership and buzz across digital and traditional media, and it comes up with some surprising results. "Gossip Girl," the CW show that ranks a mere 115th in TV ratings this season, ranks No. 15 on Optimedia's content power ratings, higher than hits with much bigger TV audiences like ABC's "Private Practice" and CBS's "CSI: NY." Networks are starting to pay more attention to this broader potential audience. Tellingly, "Gossip" has been renewed for another season. Other shows that shot up in content power ratings include NBC's "30 Rock" and "Friday Night Lights," which rank in the 80s for TV and in the top 20 for Optimedia. Greg Kahn, senior vice president and director of strategic resources for Optimedia, talks to Media Life about why such new ways of looking at ratings are crucial to media people, what types of shows rate highly, and why networks are taking the trends into account for the upfront."