The so-called Jay Leno Effect has dropped Channel 2 News into third place at 11 p. m., behind news leader Channel 4 and second place Channel 7.

But Channel 2 does have an early morning victory to celebrate.

Those are the big stories to emerge from the November sweeps, which ended last Wednesday with Channel 4 dominating everywhere but in the early morning.

According to preliminary sweeps ratings, Channel 4 won at 11 p. m. with a 9.8 rating (representing 9.8 percent of area households), down from a 10.6 a year ago. Channel 7, which has dropped the Nielsen ratings service, was second with the same 6.3 rating it had a year ago. Channel 2 was third with a 5.9 rating, losing about one-third of the audience it had a year ago when it averaged an 8.9.

Since Channel 4’s ratings at 11 p. m. are down from a year ago and Channel 7’s are stagnant, it indicates that the viewers who left Channel 2 aren’t going to its competitors.

According to Channel 4 researcher Bob Gallivan, this is the first time since February 2001 that Channel 7 has finished out of the basement in a major (non-summer) sweeps period.

The poor lead-in that Leno’s 10 p. m. program is giving Channel 2 is likely the biggest factor in the 11 p. m. decline. Leno’s program reportedly is killing many NBC affiliates across the country at 11 p. m. In Buffalo, the lead-in from Leno’s show was 36 percent lower from 10:45 p. m. to 11 p. m. than it was a year ago, when NBC primarily carried scripted shows in the hour.

But Channel 2 can celebrate its “Daybreak” victory at 6 a. m., where John Beard replaced Pete Gallivan as Jodi Johnston’s co-anchor in a controversial move. Channel 2 averaged a 6.0 rating, which is actually higher than it gets at 11 p. m. That’s up from a 5.3 a year ago, when Channel 4 won the time period with a 5.4.

This November, Channel 4 slipped to a 5.1, meaning it is almost a full point behind Channel 2. Channel 7, which added Mike Randall to the mornings, remains a poor third with a 2.9 average rating, down from a 3.2 a year ago.

Channel 2 General Manager Jim Toellner added that Channel 2 also won the 5 a. m. hour for the first time in its history.

“The November sweep household numbers were obviously a mixed bag for us,” said Toellner. “We are very excited about our most convincing morning win ever, for all hours, every day of the week; but of course the ‘Leno Show’ performance and, consequently, our late news afterwards, was very disappointing. We look forward to seeing the demographics in a couple weeks, which, of course, are the most important business-wise.”

You’ve probably seen the enticing ABC promos on Channel 7 for this Thursday’s episode of “Flashforward” and a supposedly momentous two-hour episode of “Private Practice” that will change everything.

But you’ll have to be creative to find the series on WKBW-TV, because they are being preempted on Thursday by Channel 7’s airing of The NFL Network coverage of the Buffalo Bills game against the New York Jets from Toronto.

Channel 7 plans to air the shows at times that lend themselves to either recording them on a DVR or an old-fashioned VCR. “Flashforward” is scheduled to be aired at 1 a. m. Saturday after “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” The confusing part is that 1 a. m. Saturday is really Friday night to most people.

“Private Practice,” meanwhile, is scheduled to air from midnight Saturday to 2 a. m. Sunday. However, the time isn’t exact, since a college football title game could run long and delay the start of “Practice.” So it would be wise to record until 3 a. m., or even beyond, on Sunday.

Of course, there are ways to see both shows on the Web.

Both shows are demanding of viewers. Since the plots are continuous, missing one episode can make succeeding episodes difficult to follow.

Channel 7 also is pre-empting the syndicated game shows, “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!,” on Thursday.

Fox has announced a new mid-season schedule that may have fans of the high school musical series “Glee” singing the blues. The series ends its fall run on Dec. 9 and doesn’t return until April 13.

However, there is much to be gleeful over at Fox, which typically is stronger in the second half of the season because of the return of “American Idol” and “24.”

“Idol” returns with episodes Jan. 12 and 13. The four-hour premiere of “24” airs Jan. 17 and 18.My favorite new Fox series, “Human Target,” starring Mark Valley (“Boston Legal”), has a Sunday premiere on Jan. 17 before moving to the “Glee” time slot on Wednesdays on Jan. 20.

In other moves, the latest series about reincarnation, “Past Life,” premieres Thursday, Feb. 11, and a weak comedy, “Sons of Tucson,” premieres Sunday, March 14.

Attention fans of The Boss: Bruce Springsteen, Bono and The Edge are among the artists showcased in the second season of Sundance Channel’s “Spectacle: Elvis Costello With ....” Its first episode airs at 10 p. m. Dec. 9.