Fast National ratings for Wednesday, April 30, 2008

FOX grabbed its customary ratings win Wednesday night, but the other networks really didn't put up much of a fight, particularly in the younger demographics.

FOX averaged an 8.7 rating/14 share in primetime, beating second-place CBS (6.8/11) by about 3.6 million viewers. NBC came in third with a 5.6/9. ABC, 4.3/7, took fourth, and The CW came in at 2.2/4.

Among adults 18-49, FOX's 5.2 rating was tops by a considerable margin. CBS finished second in the key ad demographic with a 2.7, followed by NBC at 2.3. ABC averaged 2.1 and The CW 1.5.

"Deal or No Deal" won a soft 8 p.m. hour for NBC with a 5.3/9. A "Price Is Right" prime-time special drew a 4.7/8 for CBS. "'Til Death," 3.6/6, and "Back to You," 4.5/7, put FOX in third, slightly ahead of "Wife Swap" on ABC. "America's Next Top Model" delivered a 2.8/5 for The CW.

FOX zoomed into the lead at 9 p.m. with the "American Idol" results show, 13.3/20. "Criminal Minds," 8.3/13, kept CBS in second. A second hour of "Deal or No Deal" was third for NBC, while "Supernanny" earned a 3.7/6 for ABC. The premiere of "Farmer Wants a Wife" on The CW drew a 1.7/3.

"CSI: NY" scored a 7.5/12 at 10 p.m. to give CBS the lead. NBC's "Law & Order," 6.5/11, beat ABC's "Boston Legal," 5.0/8, for second.

Ratings information is taken from fast national data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change.