Oscar boosts Stewart’s ‘Daily’ gig

NEW YORK — Comedy Central is reaping some modest rewards from Jon Stewart’s exposure as host of the Academy Awards.

Viewership for “The Daily Show” averaged 1.6 million for the six episodes after Stewart’s March 5 Oscar gig. The show had been averaging 1.5 million viewers each night before the awards, according to Nielsen Media Research.

“He’s sort of elevated,” said Doug Herzog, Comedy Central president, “and by association we are as well.”

Stewart received mixed reviews for his performance, although he faced a largely dour crowd. But the awards show TV audience of just under 39 million viewers provided huge exposure for a comedian who, despite his buzz, gets a relatively small audience for his nightly cable show.

“I knew the visibility would be high,” Herzog said. “The only thing that would have surprised me is if the ratings had gone down. We couldn’t have been more proud that he was there.”