BUSINESS MEMO: BAD NEWS FOR NETWORKS FOR ELECTION NIGHT NUMBERS

NEW YORK -- The final Election Night numbers are in for television networks, and they're about as bad as they were for Bob Dole.

ABC, CBS and NBC had a combined 24 rating and 39 share for their election coverage from 7 to 11 p.m., according to Nielsen Media Research.

A rating point represents 970,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 97 million TV homes. The share is the percentage of TV sets in use and tuned to a show during a specified time period.

It was the lowest three-network Election Night rating since Nielsen began measuring it in 1968. The previous low was the 25.9 rating and 46 share in 1988.

In 1968, 86 percent of the nation's television sets were tuned into the three networks to watch whether Richard Nixon or Hubert Humphrey would be elected president. This year only 39 percent of the sets were tuned in to Clinton-Dole coverage.

ABC finished in first place on Nov. 5 with a 9.1 rating and 15 share. NBC was second with an 8.1 rating and 13 share, with CBS getting a 6.8 rating and 11 share.

CNN had a 1.8 rating and 3 share, Nielsen said.