Only one of the nine first-run syndicated strips that debuted this season managed any ratings increase for the week ending April 7, according to Nielsen Media Research data published Wednesday. Late-night dating strip "Elimidate" was up 6% with an average 1.7 rating, matching its highest rating to date. All other rookies were down or flat. The season's top-rated new show continued to be "Texas Justice" (2.1), down 5%. "Crossing Over With John Edward" and "Weakest Link" remained tied in second place for a second consecutive week with a 1.9 rating, unchanged week-to-week. "King of the Hill" was the only one of the top five sitcoms to increase ratings (3.6, up 3%). The highest-rated sitcom for the week was "Friends" (7.0), down a tad from the previous week's 7.1.