TV Top Ten - NBA More Stimulating Than Obama's Package

It was business as usual on network television last week with American Idol topping the charts with 25 million viewers both nights. CBS' newest up and comer The Mentalist jumped in viewership to come in a distant third place with nearly 20 million watchers. The regular CBS crime train followed suit along with smatterings of ABCs primetime soaps Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives.

Cable television, on the other hand, saw some exciting events with TNT's coverage of the NBA's All Star game. The event itself drew a rare 7.6 million cable viewers while the pre and post game shows took the second and third place spots. Even the tip off event scored a spot int he top ten, though just barely making ninth place.

President Obama had news to share with the world last Monday, but television viewers didn't sit up to take much attention. The president's speech coverage on FoxNews split three ways for tenth place with reruns of NCIS.

RANK PROGRAM NTWK RATING VIEWERS

NETWORK TELEVISION

1. AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY FOX 14 24.825

2. AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY FOX 13.9 24.941

3. MENTALIST, THE CBS 12 19.699

4. NCIS CBS 11.3 18.031

5. CSI CBS 10.8 17.938

6. GREY'S ANATOMY-THU 9PM ABC 9.7 15.159

7. TWO AND A HALF MEN CBS 9.2 14.995

8. PRIVATE PRACTICE ABC 8.9 14.097

8. WITHOUT A TRACE CBS 8.9 14.308

10. CSI: MIAMI CBS 8.7 13.813

10. DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES ABC 8.7 14.01

CABLE TELEVISION

1. 2009 NBA ALL STAR GAME(S)-02/15/2009 (EAST VS WEST) TNT 4.5 7.621

2. NBA ALLSTAR SAT NIGHT(S)-02/14/2009 TNT 3.9 6.554

3. 2009 NBA ALLSTAR PST GAME(S)-02/15/2009 TNT 3.6 5.707

3. CLOSER, THE TNT 3.6 5.437

5. BURN NOTICE USA 3.1 4.845

5. MONK USA 3.1 5.114

7. WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW) USA 3 5.378

8. WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW) USA 2.9 5.099

9. NBA ALLSTAR TIP OFF(S)-02/15/2009 TNT 2.8 4.589

10. NCIS USA 2.7 3.938

10. PRES OBAMA NEWS CONF(S)-02/09/2009 FOXNC 2.7 4.268

10. NCIS USA 2.7 4.12