Fox's IDOL, TOUCH Take Top Spots in Thursday's Ratings Race

FOX (13.35 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.6, #1) coasted to victory on Thursday thanks to a new AMERICAN IDOL (15.01 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.0, #1) - which actually was its Thursday low this season - and the time period launch of TOUCH (11.69 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.2, #2).

CBS (6.75 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.3, #2) then claimed the silver with its coverage of the "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Wisconsin vs. Syracuse" (7.52 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T3), "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Update" (5.35 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.8, #5) and "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Cincinnati vs. Ohio State" (6.28 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T3).

Next up was NBC (3.84 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #3) with its mix of "Community" (3.89 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.7, #6), "30 Rock" (3.27 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T8), a second "30 Rock" (3.42 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T8), "Up All Night" (3.18 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.4, #10) - its series low - and "Awake" (4.65 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T12).

Meanwhile, ABC (5.61 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #4) offered up week two of "Missing" (8.70 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.6, #7) alongside repeats of "Grey's Anatomy" (4.71 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T12) and "Private Practice" (3.41 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.9, #14).

And finally on The CW (2.23 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #5), originals of "The Vampire Diaries" (2.73 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.3, #11) and "The Secret Circle" (1.74 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.7, #15) closed out the evening. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" posted a 2.0 rating while "Circle" delivered a 0.9 rating.

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):
In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 2.9/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 1.1/4 with an encore delayed by basketball; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.3/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.5/4.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.8/4; "Late Show," 0.4/2 with an encore delayed by basketball; "Nightline," 0.9/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.5/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (0.7/3 with an encore delayed by basketball). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.2/2 with an encore delayed by basketball).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 in metered-market households and a 0.3/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

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