ABC News soars with Palin interviews

By Paul J. Gough

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Charlie Gibson's exclusive interview with Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin lifted ABC to victory at 10 p.m. Friday with the best ratings for a "20/20" in six months.

The "20/20" Palin interview averaged 7.9 million viewers and a 2.1 rating/6 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary estimates released over the weekend by Nielsen Media Research. That's up 133 percent in the demo from its lead-in and 24% higher in adults 18-49 than the second-place "Dateline." It was the top show of Friday night in viewership and adults 18-49.

The program included the third of three interviews with the GOP vice presidential candidate, along with reports from Alaska and a roundtable discussion. Friday night followed a winning two days for ABC News, which was riding high in the ratings thanks to those three exclusive interviews.

Both "World News With Charles Gibson" and "Nightline" won in their time periods in the top "metered" markets Thursday. And ABCNews.com, where the network first put clips from the interview, also boosted its traffic.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter