newsmakers

newsmakers

Super Bowl casts long shadow in TV ratings

NEW YORK

As proved again this year, nothing comes close to the Super Bowl as a television event.

The 114.4 million people who watched New England beat Seattle on Sunday set a record as the most-watched program in U.S. television history, an achievement that is becoming routine.

The Oscars often are the second-most popular TV event of the year. Even though the 43 million who tuned in to the Academy Awards last winter was the most for that show in a decade, it still was less than half of the audience for football’s biggest game, according to the Nielsen company.

For the week of Jan. 26-Feb. 1, the top 10 shows, their networks and viewerships: Super Bowl: New England vs. Seattle, NBC, 114.44 million; “Super Bowl Post Game Show,” NBC, 72.51 million; “The Blacklist,” NBC, 25.72 million; “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 17.25 million; “NCIS,” CBS, 12.89 million; “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 11.87 million; “Mom,” CBS, 11.78 million; “NCIS: New Orleans,” CBS, 11.72 million; “Empire,” Fox, 11.36 million; 10. “American Idol” (Wednesday), Fox, 11.28 million.

Suge Knight taken to hospital after court

COMPTON, Calif.

Former rap music mogul Suge Knight pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder and attempted-murder charges before complaining of chest pain and being rushed to a hospital.

No further information about his condition was immediately available, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Officer John Gardner said.

Knight wore orange jail attire at the morning court appearance where he entered not-guilty pleas to four felonies, including hit-and-run charges, filed after the Death Row Records founder struck two men with his pickup truck last week.

The 49-year-old Knight could face life in prison if convicted.

Associated Press