D-FW 10 p.m. newscast lead-ins still very much matter. Let us count the ways
12/09/15 02:44 PM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Same-night TV audiences are still difference-makers for local late night newscasts -- the sequel.
Not that the hierarchies of the Big Four broadcast networks can be convinced of this anymore. In mid-October, CBS Corporation president and CEO Leslie Moonves dismissed the so-called “overnight” Nielsen ratings as “virtually meaningless” because increasing numbers of viewers are watching programming in other ways and no longer at the appointed hour.
Then in November, Fox chairmen and CEOs Dana Walden and Gary Newman said the network had decided to stop reporting the overnights and instead publicize “Live +3” ratings that take into account On Demand, DVR, iPhone and website viewing of programming. “It’s time for us to ‘walk the walk’ and change the conversation,” they said in a joint memo to Fox staffers. This is in large part because same-day ratings “do not reflect how we monetize our content.”
Unclebarky.com addressed this topic earlier in the fall with a piece on how very important same-night, appointed hour viewing is to network affiliate stations across the land. This is especially true with late night local newscasts, which air at 10 p.m. in D-FW on Fox4, NBC5, CBS11 and ABC affiliate TEGNA8.
Now we have more concrete details on how “lead-ins” can still make or break these newscasts. Or at the very least give them important advantages, particularly during ratings “sweeps” periods.
The November “sweeps,” which ran from Oct. 29th through Thanksgiving Day eve, included 19 weeknights of head-to-head competition. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving as usual didn’t count after three of the four combatants (excepting CBS11) took holiday dispensations.
The 10 p.m. newscasts often are significantly helped or hindered by the 9:45 to 10 p.m. audiences furnished by their respective networks. A bad lead-in can derail the 10 p.m. ratings and a bounteous one can help fuel them. It’s true that no one has to laboriously rise from the couch to “change the channel” anymore. But even in push-button times, many viewers remain inclined to stay with the station they’ve been watching. Perhaps they’re hooked on one of those ramped-up “sweeps” teases during commercial breaks. Or maybe they stick around out of sheer inertia.
Over the years, TEGNA8 generally has been best able to weather the storm of a lousy lead-in and still remain competitive in the 10 p.m. ratings. But every station wants a helping hand from their network -- and TEGNA8 is no exception.
During the November “sweeps,” the station received a lead-in advantage from the ABC network on six of the 19 weeknights. It ran first on all six of those nights in the total viewer ratings.
TEGNA8 also was the only station that rebounded from worst to first -- but on just one night. ABC’s Tuesday, Nov. 3rd episode of Wicked City, which since has been canceled, put TEGNA8 behind a fourth place eight-ball in the last 15 minutes of prime-time (9:45 to 10 p.m.). But TEGNA8’s 10 p.m. news spring-boarded into first place, barely beating NBC5 after it got the night’s biggest lead-in from NBC’s Chicago Fire.
CBS11, on the other hand, is very unlikely to win or be in contention at 10 p.m. unless its network supplies the biggest lead-in of the night -- or very close to it. CBS programming was No. 1 from 9:45 to 10 p.m. on six nights in the November sweeps. CBS11’s newscast ran first on two of those nights and second on the four others.
Fox4 had a lead-in advantage on just two nights in total viewers. Both came on Wednesdays, when its 9 p.m. local newscasts have been jet-fueled by the Fox mega-hit Empire. Fox4’s only first place finish at 10 p.m. came on one of those Empire nights. It finished third on the other night. How about on nights when Fox4’s 10 p.m. news got the worst lead-in of the four stations from the 9 p.m. news? Fox4’s 10 p.m. news ran last on all four of those nights.
NBC5 received the largest lead-in audiences from its network on five nights. It won at 10 p.m. on two of those nights, ran second on two others and also logged a third-place finish.
The late night newscasts on NBC5 also were plagued by NBC’s The Player, which furnished the worst lead-in on all four Thursdays it aired. The station’s 10 p.m. newscasts couldn’t dig out of those holes, running last once, third twice and second once. On Friday nights, Dateline NBC likewise crushed NBC5’s spirits. It also provided D-FW’s worst audience lead-in on four occasions. NBC5 logged two last-place finishes and two third-places on those nights.
All told, stations getting the biggest 9:45 to 10 p.m. lead-ins from their networks won 11 of the 19 late night news competitions. Stations inheriting the worst lead-ins ran last on 9 of those 19 nights. In the end, TEGNA8 finished first in total viewers for the entire November sweeps ratings period, followed by NBC5, CBS11 and Fox4. (Among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming, Fox4 took the top prize, trailed by TEGNA8, NBC5 and CBS11. Fox4’s 9 p.m. newscast provided the largest or second-largest 25-to-54-year-old lead-in on 12 of those 19 nights.)
At the network level, though, viewers increasingly are being encouraged to watch their shows at any old time in any new way. ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC can still make money via these expanding “platforms.” But in reality, how many D-FW viewers watch the local 10 p.m. newscasts beyond their appointed hours or via a cell phone app. Precious few, that’s how many. Which makes those supposedly antiquated same-night lead-in ratings a continued lifeline if not the lifeblood for the local news operations at Fox4, NBC5, TEGNA8 and CBS11.
We’ll close with a night-by-night breakdown of how it went down with total viewers in the November sweeps.
THURSDAY, Oct. 29
Biggest 9:45 to 10 p.m. lead-in: TEGNA8 with Scandal. Worst: NBC5 with The Player (CBS11’s 10 p.m. news delayed by Thursday Night Football run over).
10 p.m. order of finish: TEGNA8, NBC5, Fox4
FRIDAY, Oct. 30
Biggest lead-in: TEGNA8 with 20/20. Worst: NBC5 with Dateline NBC (Fox4’s 10 p.m. news delayed by World Series run over).
Order of finish: TEGNA8, CBS11, NBC5
MONDAY, Nov. 2
Biggest lead-in: CBS11 with NCIS: Los Angeles. Worst: Fox4 9 p.m. local news
Order of finish: TEGNA8, CBS11, NBC5, Fox4
TUESDAY, Nov. 3
Biggest lead-in: NBC5 with Chicago Fire. Worst: TEGNA8 with Wicked City
Order of finish: TEGNA8, NBC5, CBS11, Fox4
WEDNESDAY, Nov.4
Biggest lead-in: TEGNA8 with CMA Awards. Worst: NBC5 with Chicago PD
Order of finish: TEGNA8, NBC5, Fox4, CBS11
THURSDAY, Nov. 5
Biggest lead-in: TEGNA8 with How to Get Away with Murder. Worst: NBC5 with The Player
Order of finish: TEGNA8, NBC5, Fox4, CBS11
FRIDAY, Nov. 6
Biggest lead-in: CBS11 with Blue Bloods. Worst: NBC5 with Dateline NBC
Order of finish: CBS11, TEGNA8, Fox4, NBC5
MONDAY, Nov.9
Biggest lead-in: CBS11 with NCIS: Los Angeles. Worst: Fox4’s 9 p.m. news
Order of finish: CBS11, TEGNA8, NBC5, Fox4
TUESDAY, Nov. 10
Biggest lead-in: NBC5 with Chicago Fire. Worst: TEGNA8 with Wicked City
Order of finish: CBS11, NBC5, Fox4, TEGNA8
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 11
Biggest lead-in: Fox4 with Fox4’s 9 p.m. news on Empire night. Worst: TEGNA8 with Nashville
Order of finish: Fox4, NBC5, TEGNA8, CBS11
THURSDAY, Nov. 12
Biggest lead-in: CBS11 with Elementary. Worst: NBC5 with The Player
Order of finish: TEGNA8, CBS11, Fox4, NBC5
FRIDAY, Nov. 13
Biggest lead-in: CBS11 with Blue Bloods. Worst: NBC5 with Dateline NBC
Order of finish: TEGNA8, CBS11, NBC5, Fox4
MONDAY, Nov. 16
Biggest lead-in: NBC5 with Blindspot. Worst: TEGNA8 with Castle
Order of finish: NBC5, TEGNA8, Fox4, CBS11
TUESDAY, Nov. 17
Biggest lead-in: NBC5 with Chicago Fire. Worst Fox4 with 9 p.m. local newscast
Order of finish: NBC5, TEGNA8, CBS11, Fox4
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18
Biggest lead-in: Fox4 with 9 p.m. local news on Empire night. Worst: CBS11 with Code Black
Order of finish: NBC5, TEGNA8, Fox4, CBS11
THURSDAY, Nov. 19
Biggest lead-in: TEGNA8 with How to Get Away with Murder. Worst: NBC5 with The Player
Order of finish: TEGNA8, Fox4, NBC5, CBS11
FRIDAY, Nov. 20
Biggest lead-in: CBS11 with Blue Bloods. Worst: NBC5 with Dateline NBC
Order of finish: TEGNA8, CBS11, NBC5, Fox4
MONDAY, Nov. 23
Biggest lead-in: NBC5 with Blindspot. Worst: TEGNA8 with Castle
Order of finish: CBS11, TEGNA8, NBC5, Fox4
TUESDAY, Nov. 24:
Biggest lead-in: TEGNA8 with Dancing with the Stars. Worst: Fox4 with 9 p.m. local newscast
Order of finish: TEGNA8, CBS11, NBC5, Fox4
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