Standings

The competition for primacy among the TV networks may not be as exciting as the Super Bowl or the Powder Puff Derby. But over the years it has drawn a substantial crowd of fans who follow the record books. The latest figures are now in:

> After years of trying, NBC has finally nosed ahead of CBS in the national Nielsen ratings. The October-December, or "first-season," standings: NBC, 20.0; CBS, 19.6; ABC, 15.6.*

> NBC also scored 1968's biggest gain in advertising revenues, climbing 9.8% to $549,501,900. CBS still held the overall lead in Broadcast Advertisers Reports billings, however, with $580,205,700 (down .2%).

> Of the five top Nielsen-rated shows of the current season, three were NBC's. The ranking: 1) Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In (NBC), 2) Mayberry, R.F.D. (CBS), 3) Corner Pyle--U.S.M.C. (CBS), 4) Bonanza (NBC), 5) Julia (NBC).

> In the ratings race among entertainment specials, NBC won four of the first five places: 1) Bob Hope's December show (NBC), 2) Elvis Presley (NBC), 3) Heidi (NBC), 4) Bob Hope's October show (NBC), 5) the Charlie Brown Halloween show (CBS).

The ascendancy of color over black-and-white TV has now been established. Last year, for the first time, Americans bought more color-TV sets (5,800,000) than black-and-white (5,500,000), bringing the total of color-owning households to 19 million, or one out of every three in the U.S. Those homes, according to Nielsen, tune in an extra 42 minutes a day. The national average in 1968: 5 hours and 46 minutes.

* Meaning that NBC was being watched by 20%, CBS by 19.6% and ABC by 15.6% of the television-owning households during prime time, 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

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