But Nielsen figures for the first three months of 2008, when most top network series were off the air, show the damage: Four of the five top networks are down from last year, some sharply, while 20 of the top 25 cable networks were up, 10 by double-digit percentages.

"Cable always benefits when networks are out for the count," says analyst Shari Anne Brill at ad-buyer Carat USA, although usually the bounce is biggest in summer.

Overall TV viewership levels remained flat during the strike, suggesting viewers didn't abandon television to read books or surf the Web, as some polls suggested. Instead, the absence of fresh episodes "led viewers to search for alternatives, and the source of the alternatives invariably was cable," Brill says.

USA and Disney Channel beat broadcast's CW network, down 26%. ESPN rose 21%, and Nick at Nite's big-network reruns were up 32%. TBS, ABC Family and History Channel also posted solid gains. Several networks hit winter records.

And the Democratic primaries boosted CNN 68% and MSNBC 59% during the quarter. Each hosted top-rated debates, which led CNN to beat Fox News Channel among viewers ages 55 and under for the first time in prime time since 2001.

New series had a clearer path to success, from MTV's America's Best Dance Crew to History's Ax Men. Bravo's Project Runway and MTV's The Hills returned at or near record levels.

As more channels cater to narrower audiences, cable has been growing at broadcast networks' expense for many years; the strike accelerated the trend by shutting off networks' supply of most scripted series and substituting repeats and reality shows. Still, there's debate over how well the big networks will bounce back.

"The strike is going to have a long-term impact," says Turner research chief Jack Wakshlag, "because it's allowed people to look elsewhere."

Early signs at the networks are encouraging, however, as CBS' Monday lineup returned at or above pre-strike levels.

But the strike compounds a tough season with no new hits. Excluding the Super Bowl from 2007 figures, CBS is down 26% since January, compared with a 5% loss last fall, while ABC's decline swelled from 3% to 12%. NBC is down 5%, and Fox is up 1%, poised to win its first season among all viewers.

John Rash of ad buyer Campbell-Mithun says top series such as CSI and Grey's Anatomy won't lose their appeal. Viewers "can move back to network series as quickly as they left."

Enlarge MTV Heading for The Hills: MTV's reality show, with Audrina, left, Lauren and Whitney, is sitting pretty, thanks to the writers' strike.

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