For NBC's bosses the task of turning around the embattled network is getting tougher by the day.
In the news ratings, Diane S has beat Brian W among viewers 25-to-54 years old, the most important category for advertisers on news. “World News” won by a narrow margin of 38,000 viewers. ABC drew 1.917 million viewers, compared with 1.879 million at NBC.
In an earlier blow NBC canceled “Rock Center With Brian Williams,” the 2-year-old attempt at a modern news-magazine that struggled to keep up in the ratings.
NBC’s Today, was the most profitable program in the news division, losing the top spot in the morning ratings race last year to arch-rival ABC GMA. This latest defeat has the alarm bells going off NBC News, especially with a new boss coming on board on Monday.
On top of the morning and evening news losses, the peacock network is dealing with a number of headaches throughout NBC, which includes MSNBC and CNBC. July ratings delivered bad news for those cable outlets.
Now we learn that “Today” host Matt Lauer traveled to Cleveland but was refused an interview with Ariel Castro. Lauer came close, but got nothing after he arrived at the jail one day after a judge sentenced Castro to life in prison without parole plus 1,000 years for the kidnapping and rape of three women over the last decade.
NBC declined to comment. It is not the first time they strike out and looks like there may be additional disappointments ahead.