Buoyed by "American Idol," Fox Broadcasting was on the mark to win its first September-to-May TV ratings among the critical young adults group.
More than 30 million were expected to tune in to see whether Alabama rocker Bo Bice or country crooner Carrie Underwood wins the award.
The network's triumph comes despite a miserable start to the season, plagued by bombs such as the sitcom "Quintuplets" and reality series like "The Next Great Champ" and "Rebel Billionaire: Branson's Quest for the Best."
Early projections showed Fox ahead of CBS in the crucial 18- to 49-year-old demographic by 0.1 of a demo rating point (4.1 versus 4), according to data from Nielsen Media Research. Each point represents about 1.3 million viewers.
Third-place ABC (3.7) was likely to finish just 0.2 of a point ahead of NBC (3.5).
