"Nightline" tops Jay Leno and David Letterman

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - For the first time ever, ABC News' "Nightline" was No. 1 in total viewership during a fourth quarter, with an average of 3.93 million people tuning in, according to Nielsen data.

It was followed by NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (3.88 million) and CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman" (3.6 million). The rankings were the same in the key news demo of adults 25-54, where "Nightline" averaging 1.61 million viewers vs. 1.59 million for Leno and 1.57 million for Letterman.

The ABC news program's ratings were up 16% in total viewers, 15% in adults 25-54 and 14% in the adults 18-49 demo (1.27 million) compared to the previous quarter.

"Nightline" is No. 1 among total viewers and in adults 25-54 season-to-date in its time slot. This is significant as it is the first time at this point during the season that the program has remained on top since 1993-94 when Letterman started his late-night gig at CBS.