HispanicBusiness

ABC's new hidden-camera show, "Just for Laughs," had the last laugh in the Hispanic TV ratings, leapfrogging a host of Fox programs for the top spot, according to figures released by the Nielsen Media Group for the week of July 23-29.

"Just for Laughs" earned a 4.5 rating to lead all others and deny Fox the No. 1 spot in the Hispanic TV ratings for English-language programs for the first time in five weeks. But Rupert Murdoch's network managed to dominate the rest of the top five with a heavy dose of animation on Sunday. A 9 p.m. episode of "Family Guy" placed second with a 3.9 rating while its 9:30 p.m. showing tied for third with fellow Fox programs "Hell's Kitchen" and "American Dad" with 3.8 marks.

Fox has held at least a share of the No. 1 slot since mid-June. During that stretch, five different Fox programs – "So You Think You Can Dance," "Hell's Kitchen," "Family Guy," the MLB All-Star game, and "The Simpsons" – won or tied for No. 1. Prior to this week, the last non-Fox program to top the chart was ABC's broadcast of the NBA Finals during the June 11-17 ratings period.

Univision's nightly telenovela "Destilando Amor" reclaimed No. 1 in the Hispanic TV ratings for Spanish-language programs this week after a two-week drought. It ran away with a 20.7 five-night average rating. The Thursday night broadcast attracted more than 2.6 million Hispanic Households, good enough for a week-best 22.4 rating.

"Destilando Amor" has been recently eclipsed in the ratings by Mexico's semifinal appearance in Copa America and the season finale "Duelo De Pasiones."

A Univision news special, "Noticiero Univision Presenta," claimed second place this week with an 18.9 rating while Cristina Saralegui's weekly talk show "Cristina" was third with an 18.4 mark.

Nielsen's figures, however, have their detractors. One group has started a petition, hoping Nielsen Media Group will change the way it samples the U.S. Hispanic population in its English and Spanish TV ratings. The Help Change TV group, which has a petition at www.HelpChangeTV.com, claims that Nielsen does not include enough U.S.-born Hispanics in its audience sample, leading to the impression that a vast majority of Hispanics watch Spanish-language TV.

The following lists are TV ratings based on Hispanic viewership. Nielsen's ratings include viewers who watched the program while it aired and others who viewed the shows via digital video recorder within 24 hours of their airing. The group says that the Hispanic TV audience represents more than 11.63 million television households in the United States. The rating is equivalent to the percentage of households or persons watching a TV program during the average minute.

Top 10 English-language shows (July 23-29)
1. Just for Laughs – 8:30 p.m. Tuesday (ABC), 4.5
2. Family Guy – 9 p.m. Sunday (Fox), 3.9
3. Hell's Kitchen (Fox), 3.8
3. American Dad (Fox), 3.8
3. Family Guy – 9:30 p.m. Sunday (Fox), 3.8
6. So You Think You Can Dance (Fox), 3.7
7. Dateline – Wednesday (NBC), 3.5
7. Just For Laughs – 8 p.m. Tuesday (ABC), 3.5
9. Primetime: Family Secrets (ABC), 3.3
9. Friday Night Smackdown (CW), 3.3

Top 10 Spanish-language shows (July 23-29)
1. Destilando Amor – five-night avg. (Univision), 20.7
2. Noticiero Univision Presenta (Univision), 18.9
3. Cristina (Univision), 18.4
4. Don Francisco Presenta (Univision), 17.9
5. Ver Para Cerer (Univision), 15.4
6. Nina Del Espectaculo (Univision), 14.4
7. Amar Sin Limites – five-night average (Univision), 12.2
8. Yo Amo Juan Querendon – five-night average (Univision), 11.2
9. Sabado Gigante (Univision), 10.7
10. Zorro (Telemundo), 9.4