The combined overall household rating for Friday night’s presidential debate, in 55 of the 56 local television markets where Nielsen maintains electronic TV meters, was 34.7.
One rating point equals 1% of the total TV audience in a given market.
Coverage of the first presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain aired on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS, CNN, Telemundo, TeleFutura, BBCA, Fox News, MSNBC, and C-Span.
Previously, Nielsen reported that the combined overall household rating for the top 55 local markets was 33.2. That rating excluded households that …

52.7 million viewers tuned in for President Bush’s speech on the U.S. economic crisis, which aired live Wednesday night from approximately 9:00pm to 9:15pm EST on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Telemundo, Univision, CNBC, CNN, FOX News Channel, and MSNBC.

 
Rating
Average Audience
Number

All Households
 33.2
 38,031,000

Persons 2+
 18.2
 52,653,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (September 24, 2008)

Note: Sum of audience estimates for ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Telemundo, Univision, CNBC, CNN, FOX News Channel, and MSNBC.

According to Nielsen, Russian consumers are among the most confident worldwide — despite the country’s high rate of inflation and an ongoing stock market crisis, The Guardian reported this week.
Consumer prices in Russia have risen by 10% so far this year, but Nielsen researchers found that most Russians are confident about the country’s job market and their personal finances. 
Of the 1,000 people in Russia surveyed by Nielsen, two-thirds said they were confident they could overcome any hardship in the second half of 2008.  Another 58% of respondents reported having good career opportunities, and …