Hoops and reality TV shows allows CBS to win ratings week

NEW YORK (AP) — Competition programming reigned last week in prime time, from basketball to singing and dancing, plus other assorted reality fare.

The NCAA men's tournament rewarded CBS with bursts of March Madness in the form of robust Nielsen ratings. Those championship games, along with such shows as "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race," helped CBS win the week overall, the Nielsen Co. said today.

Also giving CBS a boost was its new reality hit, "Undercover Boss," which ranked fourth for the week with 16.7 million viewers.

Fox had the week's top-rated show, the Tuesday edition of "American Idol," which drew 24.21 million viewers, while the season premiere of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" was only slightly behind. Wednesday's "Idol" ranked third.