The Labor Party held a slim advantage in opinion polls until August when Mr. Howard's rating surged by 15 percentage points after he refused entry to the asylum seekers.

But over the last two and a half years, his ratings have surged.

Because of his contribution, ratings for the show surged to unexpected heights.

Marie McGlynn, the marketing director of KSDK-TV in St. Louis, said local ratings have surged as people have sought information on road conditions, building closings and ways to help neighbors.

Even though ratings for the program surged this week, NBC and, later, CBS responded to the controversy by canceling "Imus in the Morning."

The ratings on Oct. 16 surged to 3 million viewers, and the show had 3.19 million viewers for the Oct. 23 episode, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The ratings from both the van and the gun truck surged after him.

He was credited with ratings surges that pushed viewing figures to ten million households, as well as material that earned the series a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 1976.

While Ray's rating has climbed high enough to induce apnea, Christopher's rating is also surging.

The Ripa-Strahan chemistry proved to be successful, as ratings instantly surged in all key demos 87%, with Strahan being credited as bringing the show to "a whole new level".