Despite controversy surrounding the Oscar nominations the final local ratings for the awards telecast on ABC appear to be a wash.
The final local rating for the show on WISN-TV (Channel 12) is expected to be 24.7.
That was slightly better than last year’s rating of 24.3, but 1.4 points lower than the 
originally reported preliminary overnight rating.
It is higher the national overnight rating of 23.1.
A local rating point is the equivalent of 8,822 television homes.
According to the national figure represents an 8-year low, down 6% from last year’s telecast which was the third worst since 2005 when Chris Rock last hosted the show.
We can only assume however that some viewers tuned in to see how the show’s African-American host Rock would handle the controversy.
And although he referred to the issue of #oscarssowhite throughout the broadcast – including doing a survey outside a theater in Compton where none of the customers had heard of any of the nominees – most of his barbs were in an opening monolog which he cruised through with a nervous energy.
“If they nominated hosts I wouldn’t even get the job,” he said.
Adding: “We were too busy getting raped and lynched” in the past “to care who won best cinematographer.”
And: “The In Memoriam package is just going to be black people shot by the cops.”
But during a softer moment he had a troop of Girl Scouts go through audience selling cookies, raising, supposedly $65,000.
Awards were also given out. Leonardo DiCaprio, as expected won best actor for “The Revenant.”
But “Spotlight” about crusading investigative newspaper reporters won best picture.
And former Milwaukee resident Mark Rylance in “Bridge of Spies” won a supporting actor victory over sentimental favorite Sylvester Stallone in “Bridge of Spies.” Rylance was the only nominee with a Wisconsin connection to win an Oscar, beating Kenosha native Mark Ruffalo in “Spotlight.”
Tags: Chris Rock, Oscars, Ratings Posted by