Some very early numbers are in for Prime Time News, cbc tv’s network news package broadcast at 9 p.m. eastern standard time.

And, says Peter Kretz, cbc tv’s general manager of marketing and sales, the first two weeks’ figures are good and suggest there is more family viewing of Prime Time News than there was of the Journal.

cbc tv sold the news program on numbers from the 1991 Journal plus 5%, Kretz says.

He says based on that, some demographic categories’ figures are up way above projections.

According to Kretz, for women aged 18-34, the first two weeks’ numbers are up 49% over forecasts.

And he says for men 18-34, the figures are 17% better than forecast.

For teenagers 12-17, the numbers show a 121% leap over forecasts, and for children two to 11, the jump is 169%.

Kretz says adults 18+ show a 9% increase over projections, or a two-week average of 941,000 viewers.

He says in the adults 18-49 category – the one that takes in the all-important baby boomers – the numbers are 18% better than projected, or an average of 411,000 viewers.

In total, Kretz says Prime Time News has been measured in 17 key demographic categories.

Although he cautions it is too soon to reach firm conclusions about the news program, which began Nov. 2, Kretz says advertisers who bought time based on audience projections got themselves a dividend.

Kretz admits he is ‘dying’ to find out about viewing numbers for The National on cbc tv’s Newsworld cable service, but notes there will not be anything substantial for a while.

The hour-long The National – the name of cbc tv’s main network news program until the advent of Prime Time News – is broadcast live at 10 p.m., 11 p.m., 12 midnight, 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. eastern time.

Kretz says there is an extensive promotional plan afoot for The National and plenty of advertiser interest.

He will not divulge the names of the interested advertisers but concedes they are the kind of firm that usually buys news programming.