Charles in charge
ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” failed to retain its total viewership victory last week – but it did continue its streak of winning the key demos.
“World News” came within 90,000 viewers of the “NBC Nightly News,” which won the week (10.2 million viewers). But “World News” did win, again, in adults 25-54, the “money” news demo. It’s the newscast’s best delivery in that demo in over a year and the third consecutive first-place finish in that category. And while it didn’t win the week in total viewers, its 10.1 million mark (10.06 to be technical) was its best total viewership tally in nearly two years (since Feb. 28, 2005).
Elsewhere, Fox News Channel’s “The ½ Hour News Hour” snared 1.4 million viewers in its Sunday debut, while “Judge Judy” averaged 11 million viewers nationally Feb. 5-11 – its largest audience in nearly two years.
Last, but not least:
* Democratic presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama hosts “Crucibles of Courage” 9 p.m. tonight on The Biography Channel.
* Tonight: Ch. 2’s Maurice DuBois co-emcees the One Hundred Black Men benefit gala (New York Hilton).
* Debo rah Nor ville has inked a multi-year contract extension at “Inside Edition.”
* “Idol time“: Katharine McPhee live on today’s “ME: TV” (5 p.m./ Nickelodeon and nick.com).
* “Rules of Engagement” star Oliver Hudson and wife Erinn Bartlett at the launch of the Georg Jensen CAVE collection at L.A.’s Sunset Tower Hotel.
* Who knew? Q104’s Shelli Sonstein sends the “Tonight Show” a report each day (celeb birthdays, celeb news, etc.) used by Jay Leno’s writ ers to craft his monologue.