Stats of the weak

It has to be discouraging for network execs to read the daily ratings reports in these times of dwindling viewer ship. Wednesday night was no exception: NBC’s “Knight Rider” – inexplicably given a full-season order – averaged a lousy 5.1 million viewers and finished dead-last in adults 18-49; ABC’s “Private Prac tice,” also renewed for the season, lost over 1.5 million viewers its last half-hour (fin ishing second in adults 18-49). The news was no better for “Dirty Sexy Money” (6.2 million viewers at 10 p.m).

Even old warhorse “Law & Order,” returning for its 19th season, averaged only 7.8 mil lion viewers. Troubling.

“The View,” meanwhile, continues to ride a ratings spike, topping women 18-49 for its first time ever last week. But with the election over, and the co-hosts’ grat ing bickering (hopefully) over, who knows if the show can sustain its momentum?

Well, it’s better than b.o.: Judah Friedlander, asked on fancast.com, what his “30 Rock” co-star Tina Fey smells like. “Success, my friend,” he answered.

Speaking of “30 Rock,”co- star Katrina Bowden spent some time shopping at French Connection SoHo on Tuesday (during their elec tion-day sale).

Last, but not least:

* Chris Meloni, wife Sherman and Meredith Vieira co-chair tonight’s Big Apple Circus gala honoring Meloni’s boss, Dick Wolf (Lincoln Center).

* Tomorrow: 101.9’s Matt Pinfield visits Ch. 21 for “Pub lic Television Rocks!” (9 p.m.).

* Ch. 41 holds a public forum on the switchover to dig ital TV tomorrow (11 a.m.) in Union City, NJ (560 32nd St.).

* Ted Turner is live on “GMA” Monday (and Tues day, pre-taped) to discuss his new book, “Call Me Ted.”

* GSN’s Jen Minezaki in town.