HispanicBusiness

Like a pair of worn-out presidential candidates gasping for breath as they fight for their party's nomination, AMERICAN IDOL and DANCING WITH THE STARS continued to battle for the prize of most-watched program in America. For the week of May 5-11, Hispanic viewers' preferences mirrored those of the entire United States, with American Idol grabbing the highest ratings and Dancing with the Stars coming in second, according to figures released by the Nielsen Media Group.

During Idol's Tuesday and Wednesday shows, judges Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Randy "Dog" Jackson criticized Jason Castro for a lackluster performance. The American Idol results? Fans followed suit by eliminating Castro and voting in favor of singing diva Syesha Mercado, soulful rocker David Cook, and exuberant youngster David Archuleta. The Wednesday-night program attracted 1,057,000 Hispanic viewers and earned a rating of 5.9, while the Tuesday edition attracted an audience of 828,000 and earned a 4.5 rating.

Also rounding out the top-ten English-language programs were episodes of the two dramas DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES at number three with a 4.9 rating and 596,000 viewers and GREY'S ANATOMY tied for a "McDreamy" fourth with a 4.7 rating.

Among Spanish-language broadcasts, the Univision network again swept the top-rated programs. The number one show was telenovela FUEGO EN LA SANGRE (Fire in the Blood), which beat out AL DIABLO CON GUAPOS. Fuego en la Sangre, which appears Monday thought Friday and combines lusty romance with murder mystery, pulled in an average audience of 4.6 million viewers and a 21 rating.

NUESTRA BELLEZA, the Latina beauty pageant mixed with reality show, claimed spot number five, with more than 3 million U.S. Hispanic viewers. The pageant, which concludes today, features talented, poised Hispanic women from across the United States and Puerto Rico.

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

Top 10 English-language shows and ratings (May 5-11, 2008)
1. American Idol – Wednesday (Fox) 5.9
2. Dancing With Stars – Monday (ABC) 5.0
3. Desperate Housewives – Saturday (ABC) 4.1
4. Friday Night Smackdown – Friday (CW) 4.7
4. Grey's Anatomy-Thursday (ABC) 3.8
6. American Idol – Tuesday (Fox) 4.5
6. Family Guy – Saturday (Fox) 4.5
8. Dancing With Stars – Results – Tuesday (ABC) 4.3
9. American Dad – Sunday (Fox) 4.2
10. Brothers & Sisters – Saturday (ABC) 3.8
10. Two and a Half Men – Monday (CBS) 3.8

Top 10 Spanish-language shows and their ratings (May 5-11, 2008)
1. Fuego En La Sangre – Five-Night Avg. (Univision) 21.1
2. Al Diablo con Guapos – Five-Night Avg. (Univision) 20.6
3. Cristina – Monday (Univision) 18.3
4. Don Francisco Presenta – Wednesday (Univision) 17.2
5. Nuestra Belleza – Friday (Univision) 16.7
6. Aqui Y Ahora – Tuesday (Univision) 16.0
7. J. Gabriel Tryctria – Saturday (Univision) 13.6
8. Amas Casa Desesperads – Thursday (Univision) 12.9
9. Yo Amo Juan Querendon – Five-Night Avg. (Univision) 12.8
10. La India Maria: Amor Incondicional– Saturday (Univision) 11.9