‘Country Music Awards’ rock ABC, while NBC hobbles along with low-rated cop dramas

Image Credit: Bob D'Amico/ABCABC came out on top Wednesday for doling out trophies on the 44th Annual Country Music Association Awards. The network finished the night with a 4.7 rating/13 share among adults 18-49 and averaged 16.4 million viewers, with the three-hour kudofest attracting its largest audience during the 9 p.m. hour (17.1 million). The show hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood was still down 11% in the demo from last season, however, and represents the show’s lowest-rated telecast ever, according to early returns.

Fox and CBS were tied for second place among 18-49 (2.7/7 versus 2.7/8). Hell’s Kitchen returned after a three-week hiatus because of baseball and earned a 2.7/7 and 5.6 million viewers. Survivor: Nicaragua earned a  3.2/9 and 11.2 million, followed by Criminal Minds (3.0/8, 12.4 million) and The Defenders (1.8/5, 8.3 million).

NBC was third for the night with a 1.6/5 (yikes). Undercovers earned a 1.2/4 (hate to hit a canceled show when it’s already down but that’s its lowest-rated telecast ever) and averaged 5.0 million, followed by Law & Order: SVU (2.0/5, 7.1 million), and Law & Order: LA (1.7/5, 6.7 million). The L&O franchise needs a decent lead-in, stat.

In the total viewer race, CBS came in second for the night behind ABC with 10.6 million, followed by NBC (6.3 million), Fox (5.7 million), Univision (3.9 million) and the CW (2. million).

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‘Jersey Shore’ exclusive: J-Woww considered for ‘Celebrity Apprentice’, while NBC may showcase ‘Shore’ cast on ‘Minute to Win It’

EW.com has learned that pneumatic Jersey Shore star Jenni ‘J-Woww’ Farley, who recently told Ryan Seacrest that she had turned down an offer from Playboy, was approached by NBC about appearing on the new season of Celebrity Apprentice, “along with a lot of others,” according to a network source. The 25-year-old Shore star did not ultimately wind up joining the cast of Apprentice, which includes LaToya Jackson and Star Jones and is currently shooting. Farley recently wrapped season 3 of Jersey Shore and told Seacrest she hopes to appear in season 4.

Farley’s rep did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

UPDATE: According to a network source, NBC is also in preliminary discussions for a special episode of the game show Minute to Win It featuring the Jersey Shore cast, though no deal has been set. Minute features contestants attempting to win money by completing comical tasks with household objects — picking up a tortilla using swim flippers and placing it on a plate, for example — in 60 seconds or less.

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