Monday -- February 29, 2016 -- Leap Year -- It Only Happens Once Every Four Years -- Enjoy Your Extra Day -- Too Bad It's A Monday

Berkshire Hathaway 4Q15 profit jumps 32%.

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Ratings Fall

Updates

From Deadline late Monday afternoon -- Oscar Ratings: Chris Rock’s Return As Host Draws 34M Viewers In 8-Year Low.

The Oscars were all given out last night at the 88^th Academy Awards but despite one of the most anticipated opening monologues in years due to the diversity controversy, it turns out there is no gold, nor silver or bronze for ABC. 

With 34.3 million total viewers watching the Chris Rock hosted shindig from the Hollywood and Highland on Sunday, the Oscars took a tumble this year to hit an 8-year low and the third lowest viewership ever

Original Post

 
Numbers of viewers for the Oscars, 2015, was the lowest in six years. The trend continues. This year, down 6 percent. The Los Angeles Times is reporting:

Anticipation of Chris Rock's no-holds-barred commentary at the 88th Academy Awards ceremony did not boost to the overnight ratings for Sunday's telecast on ABC.

Based on Nielsen’s overnight data from 56 large U.S. TV markets, the telecast averaged a 23.4 rating and a 36% share of the homes using television from 8:30 p.m. to 11:51 p.m. EST, when the last commercial break aired.

That's down 6% when compared with the 24.9 rating from the overnight data for 2015.

Among the local markets measured, the show's highest rating was in New York, 33.2. That was higher than the rating in Los Angeles, where the telecast averaged a 29.5, down from 33.5 in 2015.

The total national audience is expected to be available later Monday. Last year, the ceremony hosted by Neil Patrick Harris averaged 37.3 million viewers, the smallest audience in six years.

I didn't watch it. I could hear a bit of it from the television in the other room, but that was it. I rushed into see three highlights:

• Leo DiCaprio accepting his Oscar: who was astonished how far he had to go to see snow (he could have visited Boston)
• Michael Keaton on stage when best movie announced (wow, he has a string of successes: Batman, Birdman, and Spotlight)
• Alejandro G. Iñárritu, director (well, well deserved; I won't see Revenant but I loved Birdman

Something tells me that "Hollywood" feels they dealt with the "race" issue and things will return to "normal" today.

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