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The November ratings sweeps period is over, and, as expected, nearly every network is claiming their own share of victory: CBS in total viewership, ABC in the coveted™ 18-49 demographic, and NBC in maintaining Studio 60's level of 7.5 million or so incredibly affluent, upscale fans, a moral triumph much more satisfying than the hollow wins trumpeted by their better-rated rivals. Not exactly pleased with the results is Fox, which has resigned itself to waiting for Simon Cowell and Kiefer Sutherland to once again rescue them from the rest of their schedule. Reports the LAT:

Fox, stinging over its public humiliation caused by its canceled O.J. Simpson "If I Did It" interview, seemed relieved the month was over. Simpson notwithstanding, the network has — as it has for the last couple of years — had another rough quarter. It ranked well behind the big three networks in overall viewers and in the 18-to-49 demographic.

But a new year is coming for Fox, and so are its smash hits "American Idol" and "24."

"We're in the same competitive situation we've found ourselves in the past two years. We're not happy about it, we're trying not to be, but that seems to be our lot," said Preston Beckman, Fox's scheduling chief. "But in spite of all the doom-and-gloomers, we're now entering the time of year where our ratings go up and our competitors' go down. We expect to be very competitive."

The always-innovative reality TV braintrust at Fox is hard at work trying to devise a way to salvage something from their disastrous, but publicity-attracting, dalliance with O.J. Simpson that could help further boost their established hits; an idea still in the early stages of development involves inviting Simpson to be a guest judge on Idol, a ratings-grabbing stunt during which he would counterpoint Paula Abdul's rambling outpourings of love for talent-impaired contestants with theoretical ways in which he would murder them, if the network would authorize him to do so.