Talk shows make ratings noise in otherwise quiet week

Review based on a national syndicated rating report for the week ending January 20.

While most syndicated programs consolidated recent gains and were little changed in the session ending January 20, most of the top talk shows and a couple of key magazines were rating standouts.

Topping the talkers for the 124^th week in a row was Dr. Phil (2.9 live plus same day national Nielsen rating, holding steady with the frame before), which remained at a five-week high following a 26% improvement in the prior round.

Live with Kelly and Ryan (2.3, up 5%) snared second place, tying Ellen DeGeneres (2.3, up 5%).

Rounding out talk’s five highest-ranked strips were Maury (new season high 1.5, up 7%) and Steve Harvey’s Steve (1.3, up 8%), which continued to rise even though it was in reruns for part of the week.

The biggest percentage movers among magazines were Daily Mail TV (seven-week high 1.1, up 10% for the week and up 38% for the past three weeks), which skyrocketed 50% in the coveted W25-54 demo, and Page Six TV (0.7, up 17%), which tallied the best growth rate of any magazine while equaling its highest rating of the season and ballooning 33% among W25-54.

Presiding at the top of the overall chart Judge Judy (7.3, down 1%) was the No. 1 show in syndication for an historic 25^th week in a row.