ABC affiliate stations used to worry about the state of their viewership dragged down by the sloppy ratings of the network they depend on. Whatever their efforts to attract local viewers, if primetime shows are not appealing enough, the whole programming of a station can suffer from this.
But fortunately ABC TV schedule has been pumped up during the last 3 years with such hit shows like Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy and Lost. The succes of its 2006 show Ugly Betty has reinforced this trend bringing back happy days for stations located in markets with many latino viewers like ABC 7 los angeles.

But local stations have also taken part in this recent rise in the ratings. ABC local news especially in such cities as New York or Cincinnati have been praised for their great quality and their appeal to local viewers. Nationwide the daily newscast of ABC has also become a serious competitor for its main rival NBC. Meanwhile cbs news tonight kept on its decline even with the arrival of its new anchor the much talked about Katie Couric.
The only kind of program where ABC lies behind is sports.
How long will it last?