Cable Soaring in Summer

Posts Highest-Ever June Ratings, While Broadcast Networks' Share Has Continued to Shrink

By James Hibberd

Maine vampires, San Diego reality exhibitionists and Miami plastic surgeons are helping to create the best summer ever for advertiser-supported cable television.

"This isn't just dominant but super-dominant," said Steve Raddock of the Cable Advertising Bureau. "This is the highest-ever share in June for cable, the lowest-ever for broadcast, and the gap between them has never been greater. These are record-breaking numbers."

All told, June's cable prime-time share is up 7.4 percent, going from a 53.7 share in 2003 to 57.7 in 2004.

"It's a cable renaissance. You have all of these mainstream cable channels doing awfully well," said Julie Piepenkotter, ABC Family's senior VP of research.

In addition to the usual basic cable roster of wrestling, basketball and children's programming, ratings standouts include TNT's original miniseries "Salem's Lot," FX's "Nip/Tuck," Discovery's "American Chopper," USA's "Monk," and MTV's "Pimp My Ride" and "The Real World."