ABC slump

Remember when ABC could do no wrong? The network was cleaning up with "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" - so much so that the financial fortunes at parent Walt Disney Co. quickly improved, and with it, the ascendancy of Robert Iger. But as we all know, what goes up in TV land eventually goes down. This summer, its viewership among the 18-49 crowd is down 18 percent - largely because several reality shows have bombed. One show, "The One," was the lowest-rated regularly scheduled original telecast since 1991. (Not sure this has anything to do with anything, but Disney's broadcasting income fell 28 percent in the third quarter.) Part of the problem, according to the WSJ's Brooks Barnes, is that the network's big hits are in reruns and those don't draw much of a crowd. Also, the reality fare it has offered is pretty much me-too stuff. Here's how the ratings stand, from May 29 - Aug. 6, for viewers 18-49. Source is Nielsen:

Fox +9%
ABC -18%
CBS -5%
NBC +5%
UPN -20%
WB -22%