By DAVID BAUDER, Associated Press
Published April 16, 2004
[Photo: ABC]
Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson performing on The Nick and Jessica Variety Hour Sunday. More than 11-million viewers tuned in to the show on ABC.
NEW YORK - Television viewers didn't abandon their sets during a spring holiday weekend - just ask Jessica Simpson and Janet Jackson.
Struggling ABC had a rare ratings winner with the Easter variety special starring Simpson and husband Nick Lachey. The 11.5-million audience was relatively modest, but it enabled ABC to win Sunday night among young viewers craved by advertisers.
Jackson's guest-host appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live helped that show to its best performance since Al Gore was on in December 2002, according to preliminary Nielsen Media Research ratings.
As if Donald Trump's self-image needed any help, The Apprentice hit a milestone last week by outdrawing producer Mark Burnett's other creation, Survivor.
Peter Jennings' three-hour special on Jesus and Paul drew 11.2-million viewers last Monday. While not up to the 16.6-million audience for Jennings' In Search of Jesus special in 2000, it was still a strong showing for ABC.
CBS won the week in prime time, averaging 11-million viewers. NBC was second with 10.2-million, but won among the 18-to-49-year-old demographic.
Fox had 8.6-million viewers, ABC 7.7-million, the WB and UPN each had 2.7-million and Pax TV 1-million.
NBC's Nightly News won the evening news ratings race, averaging 8.9-million viewers. ABC's World News Tonight had 8.4-million and the CBS Evening News had 6.6-million.
