ABC Exec: "Lost" is Not Lost!

This letter to the editor in the Honolulu Advertiser from ABC's VP of Media Relations is a week old, but here it is in case you missed it...

ABC BELIEVES 'LOST' WILL KEEP DOMINANCE

Regarding your article, "Real 'Lost' Mystery: Can TV Show Survive?" the answer is yes.

"Lost" consistently has been one of the top 10 shows on television — including the weeks you referenced as evidence of its demise.

The show has aired in three different time slots since its 2004 debut and dominated each with the audience (adults 18-49) targeted by the network and coveted by advertisers.

"Lost" at 10 p.m. has increased ABC's audience for that hour by more than 5 million viewers and has beaten its closest competition by 33 percent in its target audience. "Lost" is ABC's highest-rated show in that time slot in 10 years and remains the No. 1 scripted show on Wednesday
night.

The audience for "Lost" is smaller at 10 p.m. because the TV audience is smaller at that hour, about 12 percent smaller compared to 9 p.m.

However, that does not mean viewers aren't following the show. "Lost" continues to be one of the most recorded shows on DVRs and one of the most popular shows on iTunes and on ABC.com's broadband player.

Meanwhile, fans in more than 200 countries and territories tune in regularly both on air and online.

The new time slot hasn't changed the appeal of "Lost," and neither will the dire predictions of industry watchers and reporters.

"Lost" remains one of the most successful shows on television, and we'll continue to rely on the expertise and support of the Hawai'i community throughout its production run.

Charissa Gilmore
Vice president, media relations, ABC Television Studio

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