How Much Does an NBC Turnaround Even Matter Any More?

Imagine switching your TV set to NBC and finding nothing there but static. Would you be surprised? More important, would you care?

More evidence is accumulating to suggest America would not be completely bereft if a certain multi-colored Peacock ceased to hold forth on the TV screen. When NBC's new news magazine "Rock Center with Brian Williams" made its debut earlier this week, network hopes probably weren't too high. TV news shows cost significantly less than high-quality dramas but usually win smaller audiences too -- which is why most members of this TV club, like "Dateline" or "48 Hours Mystery," tend to air on less important Friday and Saturday nights. But "Rock Center" drew just 4.14 million viewers overall and 1.28 million viewers between the ages of 18 and 49, both measures somewhat less than "The Playboy Club" got in the same slot before it was canceled for weak ratings. The lower expenses make the equation more favorable to "Rock Center," but that still wasn't the performance executives wanted.

That's just the latest bit of lackluster news from NBC, which hasn't had much to crow about in the last several years. Its overall ratings have continued to slide. The situation has degenerated to such a degree that the cost of an ad in the most expensive program for advertisers on the CW -- Wednesday night's "America's Next Top Model," which costs an average of $61,315 for a 30-second spot -- has nearly caught up with one of NBC's cheapest programs, Wednesday's "Harry's Law," which commands an average of $64,017.