S*M*A*S*H

An alltime ratings record

As the chopper ferried Captain Hawkeye Pierce homeward from Korea, the 2 1/2-hr. final episode of M*A*S*H became the single most watched show in TV history. Based on Nielsen measurements, CBS claimed that an estimated 125 million people saw all or part of the final show, garnering 77% of last Monday night's audience. M*A*S*H surpassed the previous alltime leader, the 1980 "Who Shot J.R.?" episode of Dallas. With 30-second commercials selling for as much as $450,000, the highest price in history, the program earned CBS some $14 million. M*A*S*H won't fade away either; old shows will flicker on in syndicated reruns on 190 television stations. This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.