Ratings from the 80's

[kalbir]

Days beats Y&R for 2 consecutive weeks and comes w/in 0.2 of Y&R in the other two weeks.

In the 1990s AFAIK, the closest Days got to Y&R was June 23-27, 1997 when Days was w/in 0.3 of Y&R.

[Soapsuds]

ATWT still doing well even though it's at #6.

GL still struggling and soon will be surpassed by AW and fall to #8.

ATWT was smokin with Holden, Beau and added Spence in Robert Tyler.

Please register in order to view this content

 

[Soapsuds]

ATWT:

Next set of ratings involves Hank coming out to Iva and the rest of Oakdale. 

Paul treats Hank like dirt after finding out he is gay. The hatred continues until March of the following year.

[JAS0N47]

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 8/15/88-8/19/88 & 8/22/88-8/26/88:

Please register in order to view this content

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 8/29/88-9/2/88 & 9/5/88-9/9/88:

[BoldRestless]

So on 8/17/88  they basically split Y&R into two halves rather than preempt? Never heard of that before! 

 

Some newsworthy things that day include a US Ambassador being killed in a plane crash, a nuclear test in Nevada, and George HW Bush being nominated for president. So maybe they cut in to show the Republican National Convention?

[JoeCool]

Wow! The first time I have ever seen One Life to Live at No. 1. I think this maybe the first time in its history.

DAYS is still strong but starting to weaken.

 

WHAT also is shocking is that Another World Beat Guiding Light one week? Why are GL's ratings so low?

[Contessa Donatella]

Well, you know what people say about GL when it aired in the morning where they lived? They say they never watched it & they didn't know anyone who did either! That's what. 

[JAS0N47]

 

After August 1987. we only have some time slot data as to what special reports aired during the week, but for the 12:30-1PM slot that week, it shows: ABC Special Report- 12:30PM, CBS Special Report and NBC Special Report # 3. So, unfortunately none have the explanation as to what it was exactly.

[Gray Bunny]

From the start of August through the 2nd week of September, you saw 4 shows hit the No. 1 spot  (Y&R, DAYS, GH, OLTL). That's pretty interesting to see the top spot switch from week to week. All that is missing is a good week for All My Children. 

[JAS0N47]

Don't know why, but when I see a comment like that, I double check and make sure I typed it correctly, and I did...

Please register in order to view this content

 

[Gray Bunny]

 

After all is said and done, it'd be fun to go back and dissect the Households to Average Audience, since the household number represents a different amount of people year to year.  For instance, right here in 1988 it shows Guiding Light's 5.2 rating equals an audience of 4,590,000 viewers.  Yet, I can remember reading something about GL's numbers as late as 1999 saying they had 5 million viewers. But by 1999, GL's rating points were usually in the upper 3's.  (although that 5 million number figure may have been in reference to its previous year's average, which averaged around a 4.0 HH I believe) 

Edited October 27, 2023 by Gray Bunny

[JAS0N47]

 

I have this at the bottom of one of my ratings pages, so if it helps any with 1989-2022 TV seasons!

Each rating point represents: 921,000 homes (8/89-9/23/90); 931,000 homes (9/24/90-9/8/91); 921,000 homes (9/9/91-9/20/92); 931,000 homes (9/21/92-8/15/93); 942,000 homes (8/16/93-9/18/94); 954,000 homes (9/19/94-9/17/95); 959,000 homes (9/18/95-9/15/96); 970,000 homes (9/16/96-8/31/97); 980,000 homes (9/1/97-8/25/98); 994,000 homes (8/26/98-8/22/99), 1,008,000 homes (8/23/99-9/3/00); 1,022,000 homes (9/4/00-8/19/01), 1,055,000 homes (8/20/01-8/25/02), 1,067,000 homes (8/26/02-8/2003); 1,084,000 homes (2003-2004 season); 1,096,000 homes (2004-2005 season); 1,102,000 homes (2005-2006 season); 1,114,000 homes (2006-2007 season); 1,128,000 homes (2007-2008 season); 1,145,000 homes (2008-2009 season); 1,149,000 homes (2009-2010 season); 1,159,000 homes (2010-2011 season); 1,147,000 homes (2011-2012 season); 1,142,000 homes (2012-2013 season); 1,158,000 homes (2013-2014 season); 1,164,000 homes (2014-2016 seasons); 1,184,000 homes (2016-2017 season); 1,196,000 homes (2017-2018 season); 1,199,000 homes (2018-2019 season); 1,206,000 homes (2019-2020 season); 1,210,000 homes (2020-2021 season); 1,224,000 homes (2021-2022 season).

[Soapsuds]

GL was really struggling in the ratings. It wasn't that good and that's why the low numbers. 

The show was mostly fluff with annoying Harley, AM and the teen scene....only serious story was Will and Sonni/Solita one. If you didn't like that one you had nothing else to entertain you.

Edited October 27, 2023 by Soapsuds

[JoeCool]

Thanks. I did not watch GL but I was just shocked.

 

@JAS0N47 So OLTL hit number 1 for the week of 8/29/88, was there any other week prior where OLTL hit number 1 or tied for No. 1?  I think the week of 8/29/88 was the first week OLTL hit Number 1 outright.

@JAS0N47 OLTL tied for Number 1 with GH during the week of 12/7/87. Checking your website!!

[Soapsuds]

I'm shocked OLTL hit #1 in 88. It's a rating period that was missing from the SOD magazines.