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Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Mon., Jan. 5) -- CBS off to best start as winter season wars begin

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
A panorama of first-run programming hit prime-time Monday, with CBS emerging as the pacesetter while NBC and Fox respectively hung in with The Celebrity Apprentice and Gotham.

In D-FW’s total viewers Nielsens, CBS swept the entire night with its lineup of 2 Broke Girls (285,934 viewers); Mike & Molly (265,012); Scorpion (362,648) and NCIS: Los Angeles (306,856).

Celebrity Apprentice had a solid showing from 7 to 9 p.m. with 223,168 viewers and Gotham had the same number of viewers in the 7 p.m. hour.

ABC’s three-hour season premiere of The Bachelor averaged 181,324 viewers, outdrawing only Fox’s Sleepy Hollow (104,610) from 7 to 8 p.m. and NBC’s State of Affairs (also 104,610 viewers) from 9 to 10 p.m. among the Big Four broadcast networks.

Gotham made downtrodden Fox happy with a 7 p.m. win among advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-olds, edging the CBS sitcoms and hour one of Celebrity Apprentice. Donald Trump’s latest collection of minions won from 8 to 9 p.m. in this key demographic before Fox4’s local newscast and NCIS: Los Angeles tied for the top spot in the 9 p.m. hour.

That’s a super-crappy restart for The Bachelor, which couldn’t even beat Sleepy Hollow among 18-to-49-year-olds during the 8 p.m. hour. NBC’s State of Affairs was the night’s other big loser, running a distant fourth across the board at 9 p.m. Consider it all but canceled, despite NBC’s continued proclamations that it’s a major hit.

The local news derby wars also resumed Monday after a holiday respite. Here are the results.

Gannett8 overcame a less than stellar lead-in from The Bachelor to win at 10 p.m. in both total viewers and 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).

Fox4 likewise swept the 6 a.m. competitions and added 5 and 6 p.m. firsts in the 25-to-54 demographic.

CBS11 had the most total viewers at 6 p.m. and Gannett8 ran first in that measurement at 5 p.m.

LOCAL NEWS NOTE: Whoosh, there he went. George Rodrigue, who joined The Dallas Morning News in 1983 and spent his last decade there as managing editor, has left the Gannett8 building after barely three months as assistant news director for the Dallas-based TV station.

He’s taken his talents to Cleveland, where Rodrigue, 58, on Monday was named the new editor of The Plain Dealer. That’s a newspaper, by the way.

It’s not known whether Gannett8 management wishes him well. The station has an ongoing policy of not commenting publicly on personnel matters where departures are concerned. But as one who previously worked with him at the DMN, your friendly content provider bids him safe travels, champagne wishes and caviar dreams.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net