The five-year ratings picture gives only Fox4 consistent traction in attracting 25-to-54-year-olds for local newscasts

Not quite sure if he's still in the 25-to-54 news demographic.
By ED BARK
This site has been around long enough to make some five-year apples to apples comparisons tied to ratings "sweeps" periods.

And in good years or bad, local and network television news operations agree that the motherlode demographic for their programming is viewers in the 25-to-54 age range.

With the February 2012 sweeps results newly in the books, let's look at where D-FW's principal combatants were five years ago -- after the February 2007 competition.

WFAA8 won three of the four major races among 25-to-54-year-olds. And in news that may "shock or surprise you" -- as anchors used to say more then than they do now -- the only competition it lost was not at 6 a.m., but at 10 p.m.

What a difference half a decade makes. And what a challenge is facing new WFAA8 news director Carolyn Mungo, who was scheduled to assume that position in late February.

WFAA8 didn't win anything last month, likely marking the first time the station has been completely shut out since sometime before Tracy Rowlett and Iola Johnson became the market's pre-eminent anchor team in 1975.

The 25-to-54 picture is particularly fuzzy for WFAA8. In the past five years, the ABC affiliate's four principal newscasts have lost more viewers in that demographic than any of its rivals. Fox4 has managed to hold on tightest, showing small increases at 6 a.m. and 5 and 6 p.m. while suffering only a slight drop at 10 p.m.

CBS11 is the overall biggest winner in any time slot, with a significant five-year gain at 10 p.m. Both WFAA8 and NBC5 are down across the board, with the Peacock's overall losses amounting to less.

So how do stations keep today's 25-to-54-year-olds interested enough to keep tuning in? The not-so-secret word is Facebook -- or so they seem to think. WFAA8 also has been flirting with Pinterest lately, via anchor Shelly Slater's early evening riffs.

Here is where Fox4, NBC5, WFAA8 and CBS11 stood with 25-to-54-year-olds five years ago -- and where they stand now. Back in February 2007, each rating point equaled 29,445 viewers in the D-FW viewing area. Now each point is worth 30,093 viewers in this demographic, which provides a bit of an inflationary boost.

10 P.M.

NBC5 (2007) -- 146,370
NBC5 (2012) -- 78,844)

WFAA8 (2007) -- 132,020
WFAA8 (2012) -- 80,348

CBS11 (2007) -- 68,880
CBS11 (2012) -- 81,853

Fox4 (2007) -- 66,010
Fox4 (2012) -- 64,399

6 A.M.

WFAA8 (2007) -- 68,880
WFAA8 (2012) -- 50,857

Fox4 (2007) -- 66,010
Fox4 (2012) -- 68,612

NBC5 (2007) -- 60,270
NBC5 (2012) -- 51,760

CBS11 (2007) -- 22,960
CBS11 (2012) -- 16,551

6 P.M.

WFAA8 (2007) -- 77,490
WFAA8 (2012) -- 43,936

NBC5 (2007) -- 66,010
NBC5 (2012) -- 40,626

Fox4 (2007) -- 54,530
Fox4 (2012) -- 54,769

CBS11 (2007) -- 34,440
CBS11 (2012) -- 26,181

5 P.M.

WFAA8 (2007) -- 77,490
WFAA8 (2012) -- 42,732

NBC5 (2007) -- 51,660
NBC5 (2012) -- 46,042

Fox4 (2007) -- 37,310
Fox4 (2012) -- 43,936

CBS11 (2007) -- 20,090
CBS11 (2012) -- 22,570