Telecast was no hit

Without "Titanic," the Oscar telecast sank in the ratings. Sunday's telecast drew a 32 rating and 49 share in Nielsen Media Research's overnight estimate of 44 top media markets. That's a 21 percent drop from the comparable ratings in 1998, when the blockbuster "Titanic" dominated the awards.

An estimated 70 million Americans watched some or all of the longest Academy Awards show ever, said Larry Hyams, vice president of audience analysis for ABC. Last year, the total was 87 million. The overnight ratings were off 4 percent from 1997, when "The English Patient" captured the most awards.