Monday, Nov. 18, 2002

Numbers

By Melissa August, Harriet Barovick, Elizabeth L. Bland, Heather Won Tesoriero and Rebecca Winters

2.7 million Average number of election-night viewers of cable's Fox News Channel

2.5 million Average number of viewers of CNN on election night

940,000 Average number of viewers of MSNBC on election night

14.7 million Average number of viewers who watched a JAG special on cbs that night

1.25% New federal-funds target rate--the interest rate at which banks borrow from the Federal Reserve--after a half-point drop last week

1961 Most recent year that this rate was so low

1 of 3 Americans who will receive flu vaccinations this season

20,000 Average number of Americans killed by the flu each season

$500 million Projected sales this year of Yu-Gi-Oh merchandise, expected to be hot holiday toys

$15 billion Retail sales of Pokemon merchandise since its U.S. launch in 1998

Sources: Nielsen, New York Times, Opinion Research Corp., Clinical Infectious Diseases, Wall Street Journal