February "sweeps": WFAA8 bounces back at 10 p.m.; Fox4 has most overall wins; CBS11 still most-watched at 6 p.m.
02/28/13 11:43 AM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom
Winless a year ago in the four-week February "sweeps," WFAA8 took back the 10 p.m. top spots this time around while Fox4 logged the most overall victories.
WFAA8 bested CBS11 by a bare handful of viewers overall while dominating the late night news among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming. CBS11 had won both competitions in February 2012. The final numbers again had to be broken down to three decimal points to determine a total viewers champ in the late news race. And in other races as well.
Fox4 swept the 6 a.m. competitions while adding 5 and 6 p.m. firsts in the 25-to-54 demographic. CBS11 kept its 6 p.m. crown in total viewers while WFAA8 had a second paper-thin win in the 5 p.m. total viewers race, this time over NBC5.
The latest sweeps, with results helping to determine advertising rates, ran from Jan. 31st until Feb. 27th. Here are the complete results in the four major four-way competitions, with year-to-year audience gains or losses in parentheses.
10 P.M.
Total Viewers
WFAA8 -- 207,627 (plus 18,630)
CBS11 -- 205,769 (minus 25,228)
Fox4 -- 108,288 (minus 13,646)
NBC5 -- 98,788 (minus 47,533)
25-to-54-Year-Olds
WFAA8 -- 85,945 (plus 5,597)
Fox4 -- 58,310 (minus 6,089)
CBS11 -- 51,930 (minus 29,923)
NBC5 -- 48,324 (minus 30,520)
Comments CBS11 again had a significant total viewers lead-in advantage from its network's 9 p.m. programming, but dismally failed to hold serve after routing WFAA8 last February. There's no way to sugar-coat that.
Still, one night basically made the difference in WFAA8's very slim win. On Monday, Feb. 25th, CBS punted with a Hawaii Five-0 repeat while ABC furnished WFAA8 with a new episode of Castle. Gifted with a major lead-in advantage, the ABC station pounded CBS11 at 10 p.m., drawing more than twice as many viewers (330,442 to 158,337). There's your difference-maker on a night when WFAA8 and CBS11 usually run neck-and-neck at 10 p.m.
WFAA8 had the sweeps lead-in advantage among 25-to-54-year-olds, and to its credit ran with it in piling up a big win. NBC in contrast got essentially nothing from NBC network programming. Its 10 p.m. numbers not surprisingly were dismal, with Fox4 pushing the Peacock into the basement in both ratings measurements.
6 A.M.
Total Viewers
Fox4 -- 112,488 (minus 639)
WFAA8 -- 83,505 (plus 6,280)
NBC5 -- 73,799 (minus 30,522)
CBS11 -- 57,896 (plus 18,606)
25-to-54-Year-Olds
Fox4 -- 71,546 (plus 2,934)
NBC5 -- 44,418 (minus 7,342)
WFAA8 -- 44,389 (minus 6,468)
CBS11 -- 25,190 (plus 8,639)
Comments: Fox4 defended both titles from a year ago and was never seriously threatened. The station's runaway win among 25-to-54-year-olds is particularly impressive.
Otherwise the moral victory goes to CBS11, which still has miles to go but at least made up some ground with the biggest gains in both ratings measurements. WFAA8's momentum slowed with a dip in the 25-to-54 demographic, but NBC5 hemorrhaged viewers in comparison.
6 P.M.
Total Viewers
CBS11 -- 166,253 (plus 28,739)
WFAA8 -- 157,510 (plus 24,738)
NBC5 -- 124,051(plus 8,891)
Fox4 -- 108,151(minus 7,009)
25-to-54-Year-Olds
Fox4 -- 57,654 (plus 2,885)
WFAA8 -- 52,915 (plus 8,979)
NBC5 -- 41,527 (plus 871)
CBS11 -- 28,976 (plus 2,795)
Comments: As it did last February, CBS11 again went from first in total viewers to worst among 25-to-54-year-olds. But it showed gains in both measurements, as did NBC5 and WFAA8. A year ago, only NBC5 enjoyed any improvement, with a slightly bigger helping of 25-to-54-year-olds. This time, 6 p.m. is the only sweeps slot with more than up than down arrows.
5 P.M.
Total Viewers
WFAA8 -- 126,394 (plus 13,267)
NBC5 -- 124,535 (plus 1,924)
Fox4 -- 114,415 (minus 5,487)
CBS11 -- 87,154 (plus 17,381)
25-to-54-Year-Olds
Fox4 -- 46,296 (plus 2,360)
WFAA8 -- 39,380 (minus 3,352)
NBC5 -- 35,535 (minus 10,507)
CBS11 -- 19,795 (minus 2,775)
Comments: NBC5 won both competitions a year ago, so this is another body blow for a station that came away this time with no wins anywhere. The demographic picture also is getting grimmer, with only Fox4 enjoying a relatively modest increase in the key 25-to-54 measurement.
WFAA8 slipped into first place in total viewers despite having the weakest 4 p.m. lead-in with the syndicated Katie. That's a gold star achievement for the station.
unclebarky@verizon.net
@unclebarkycom
Winless a year ago in the four-week February "sweeps," WFAA8 took back the 10 p.m. top spots this time around while Fox4 logged the most overall victories.
WFAA8 bested CBS11 by a bare handful of viewers overall while dominating the late night news among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming. CBS11 had won both competitions in February 2012. The final numbers again had to be broken down to three decimal points to determine a total viewers champ in the late news race. And in other races as well.
Fox4 swept the 6 a.m. competitions while adding 5 and 6 p.m. firsts in the 25-to-54 demographic. CBS11 kept its 6 p.m. crown in total viewers while WFAA8 had a second paper-thin win in the 5 p.m. total viewers race, this time over NBC5.
The latest sweeps, with results helping to determine advertising rates, ran from Jan. 31st until Feb. 27th. Here are the complete results in the four major four-way competitions, with year-to-year audience gains or losses in parentheses.
10 P.M.
Total Viewers
WFAA8 -- 207,627 (plus 18,630)
CBS11 -- 205,769 (minus 25,228)
Fox4 -- 108,288 (minus 13,646)
NBC5 -- 98,788 (minus 47,533)
25-to-54-Year-Olds
WFAA8 -- 85,945 (plus 5,597)
Fox4 -- 58,310 (minus 6,089)
CBS11 -- 51,930 (minus 29,923)
NBC5 -- 48,324 (minus 30,520)
Comments CBS11 again had a significant total viewers lead-in advantage from its network's 9 p.m. programming, but dismally failed to hold serve after routing WFAA8 last February. There's no way to sugar-coat that.
Still, one night basically made the difference in WFAA8's very slim win. On Monday, Feb. 25th, CBS punted with a Hawaii Five-0 repeat while ABC furnished WFAA8 with a new episode of Castle. Gifted with a major lead-in advantage, the ABC station pounded CBS11 at 10 p.m., drawing more than twice as many viewers (330,442 to 158,337). There's your difference-maker on a night when WFAA8 and CBS11 usually run neck-and-neck at 10 p.m.
WFAA8 had the sweeps lead-in advantage among 25-to-54-year-olds, and to its credit ran with it in piling up a big win. NBC in contrast got essentially nothing from NBC network programming. Its 10 p.m. numbers not surprisingly were dismal, with Fox4 pushing the Peacock into the basement in both ratings measurements.
6 A.M.
Total Viewers
Fox4 -- 112,488 (minus 639)
WFAA8 -- 83,505 (plus 6,280)
NBC5 -- 73,799 (minus 30,522)
CBS11 -- 57,896 (plus 18,606)
25-to-54-Year-Olds
Fox4 -- 71,546 (plus 2,934)
NBC5 -- 44,418 (minus 7,342)
WFAA8 -- 44,389 (minus 6,468)
CBS11 -- 25,190 (plus 8,639)
Comments: Fox4 defended both titles from a year ago and was never seriously threatened. The station's runaway win among 25-to-54-year-olds is particularly impressive.
Otherwise the moral victory goes to CBS11, which still has miles to go but at least made up some ground with the biggest gains in both ratings measurements. WFAA8's momentum slowed with a dip in the 25-to-54 demographic, but NBC5 hemorrhaged viewers in comparison.
6 P.M.
Total Viewers
CBS11 -- 166,253 (plus 28,739)
WFAA8 -- 157,510 (plus 24,738)
NBC5 -- 124,051(plus 8,891)
Fox4 -- 108,151(minus 7,009)
25-to-54-Year-Olds
Fox4 -- 57,654 (plus 2,885)
WFAA8 -- 52,915 (plus 8,979)
NBC5 -- 41,527 (plus 871)
CBS11 -- 28,976 (plus 2,795)
Comments: As it did last February, CBS11 again went from first in total viewers to worst among 25-to-54-year-olds. But it showed gains in both measurements, as did NBC5 and WFAA8. A year ago, only NBC5 enjoyed any improvement, with a slightly bigger helping of 25-to-54-year-olds. This time, 6 p.m. is the only sweeps slot with more than up than down arrows.
5 P.M.
Total Viewers
WFAA8 -- 126,394 (plus 13,267)
NBC5 -- 124,535 (plus 1,924)
Fox4 -- 114,415 (minus 5,487)
CBS11 -- 87,154 (plus 17,381)
25-to-54-Year-Olds
Fox4 -- 46,296 (plus 2,360)
WFAA8 -- 39,380 (minus 3,352)
NBC5 -- 35,535 (minus 10,507)
CBS11 -- 19,795 (minus 2,775)
Comments: NBC5 won both competitions a year ago, so this is another body blow for a station that came away this time with no wins anywhere. The demographic picture also is getting grimmer, with only Fox4 enjoying a relatively modest increase in the key 25-to-54 measurement.
WFAA8 slipped into first place in total viewers despite having the weakest 4 p.m. lead-in with the syndicated Katie. That's a gold star achievement for the station.
unclebarky@verizon.net