By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

TNA Impact Wrestling on Thursday, September 8 scored a 1.02 rating off a 0.99 first hour rating and 1.05 second hour rating.

Other than last year's Thanksgiving episode, it was the first time in over a year - August 19, 2010 - that an hour of Impact has scored below a 1.00 rating.

-- Impact peaked with a below-average 1.09 rating in Q5 at the start of the second hour for this week's TNA World Title match. The show then hung around a 1.03 rating for the remainder of the show. It marks the fourth straight week Impact peaked in Q5.

Looking at each quarter-hour, Impact was down 11-21 percent compared to its corresponding quarter-hour average in 2011. The entire show was down in the ratings, which means any increases or decreases during the show were essentially insignificant. Notable, though, was Impact opening 21 percent below its Q1 average on the year.

First Hour Break Down

Q1: Impact opened with a 0.94 rating for a video package on Jeff Hardy to start the show, then Mr. Anderson in the ring for a talking segment setting up the TNA World Title main event. This was followed by one commercial break. (down 21.0% vs. 2011 average)

Q2: Impact increased slightly to a 0.98 rating for British Invasion vs. Pope & Devon in a #1 contender tag match, one commercial, and a lengthy video package on the BFG Series finals. (down 15.8% vs. 2011 average)

Q3: Impact increased to a first-hour-high 1.04 rating for the second-half of the BFG Series video, one commercial, and the Eric Young vs. Robbie E. match. (down 11.2% vs. 2011 average)

Q4: Impact declined to a 1.00 flat rating for RVD and Jerry Lynn in a backstage confrontation, a Knockouts segment, and two full commercial breaks. (down 11.2% vs. 2011 average)

Second Hour Break Down

Q5: Impact peaked with a 1.09 rating for the Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson TNA Title match at the top of the second hour. This was below a 1.14 rating for Angle vs. Sting in Q8 of last week's show. (down 12.8% vs. 2011 average)

Q6: Impact dropped to a 1.03 rating for a backstage segment with Immortal, a Knockouts tag match, one commercial, and the first-half of Austin Aries and Brian Kendrick talking in the ring. Everything was down this week, including the featured Knockouts segment of the show. (down 12.8% vs. 2011 average)

Q7: Impact stayed at the same 1.03 rating for the second-half of Aries-Kendrick on the mic, one commercial, and a slew of video packages. (down 11.4% vs. 2011 average)

Q8: Impact closed with essentially the same rating of a 1.04 for the BFG Series four corners match, one commercial, and Jeff Hardy's entrance for his show-closing speech before they hit the top of the hour for the over-run. (down 13.6% vs. 2011 average of a 1.20 rating in Q8)

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