Local Nielsen ratings snapshot -- May sweeps finale edition
05/24/07 09:42 AM
By ED BARK (copyright unclebarky.com)
It's official. Belo8's 10 p.m. newscasts now wear both ratings crowns for the first time since 2001.
The ABC station's big stretch run among advertiser-craved 25-to-54-year-olds pushed NBC5 into an unaccustomed second place and marked a stark reversal from a year ago. Belo8 also won comfortably in the total homes Nielsens, extending its streak to two sweeps periods.
Powerful lead-ins this week from three potent ABC season finales gave Belo8 the push it needed to overtake the Peacock. Sequentially, Belo8's late night newscasts were gifted with lead-ins from The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentlemen, Dancing with the Stars and Lost.
The NBC network, in the throes of its worst ratings season ever, couldn't come close to matching that kind of firepower. But in previous sweeps periods, NBC5 has benefited immensely from its network's lead-ins, particularly when ER was an unstoppable force. This time around, Belo8 won the 25-to-54 battles on seven of the sweeps' last eight nights.
Fox4 got good news, too. Its Good Day returned to the winner's circle in both the total homes ratings and among 25-to-54-year-olds. NBC5 and Belo8 respectively had won those competitions in the February sweeps. In May, the Peacock virtually fell off the map, finishing third in both measurements.
Also of note: the 7 to 9 a.m. portion of Good Day beat the three network morning shows among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming.
Belo8 ran the table at 5 and 6 p.m., reversing a 6 p.m. loss to Fox4 last May in the 25-to-54-year-old demographic. The ABC station showed significant audience increases in all four major newscast time slots in registering its best ratings book this century.
Despite winning at 6 a.m., Fox4 experienced audience declines across the board. Save for the 6 p.m. 25-to-54 ratings, so did NBC5.
CBS11 had the most dismal ratings performance of all, though, in its first sweeps under new news director Regent Ducas. The station's vastly retooled 10 p.m. newscast dropped more than two ratings points from last May while also falling below its performance in the February sweeps. At 10 p.m., CBS11 finished a distant third in total homes and fifth with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Univision23's Noticias 23 Spanish language newscast finished an eye-opening second among 25-to-54-year-olds at 5 p.m. and placed third at 10 p.m. in that demographic.
Here are the total home and 25-to-54 ratings for the four major local newscast competitions. The Noticias 23 newscast is included at 5 and 10 p.m., where it competes directly against Belo8, Fox4, NBC5 and CBS11. May 2006 performances also are included, with ups or downs in parentheses.
10 P.M.
TOTAL HOMES
Belo8 -- 8.8 rating -- 209,440 homes (plus 30,940)
NBC5 -- 7.1 rating -- 168,980 homes (minus 40,460)
CBS11 -- 5.1 rating -- 121,380 homes (minus 57,120)
Fox4 -- 4.2 rating -- 99,960 homes (minus 30,940)
Univision23 -- 3.7 rating -- 88,060 homes (minus 2,380)
25-to-54-YEAR-OLDS
Belo8 -- 4.7 rating -- 134,890 persons (plus 22,960)
NBC5 -- 4.5 rating -- 129,150 persons (minus 40,180)
Univision 23 -- 2.8 rating -- 80,360 persons (minus 8,610)
Fox4 -- 2.1 rating -- 60,270 persons (minus 34,440)
CBS11 -- 1.9 rating -- 54,530 persons (minus 43,050)
6 A.M
Fox4 -- 3.9 rating -- 92,820 homes (minus 16,660)
Belo8 -- 3.4 rating -- 80,920 homes (plus 9,520)
NBC5 -- 3.3 rating -- 78,540 homes (minus 33,320)
CBS11 -- 1.3 rating -- 30,940 homes (minus 4,760)
25-to-54-YEAR-OLDS
Fox4 -- 2.4 rating -- 68,880 persons (minus 8,610)
Belo8 -- 2.3 rating -- 66,010 persons (plus 20,090)
NBC5 -- 1.6 rating -- 45,920 persons (minus 20,090)
CBS11 -- .7 rating -- 20,090 persons (same as last May)
6 P.M.
TOTAL HOMES
Belo8 -- 7.4 rating -- 176,120 homes (plus 52,360)
NBC5 -- 4.7 rating -- 111,860 homes (minus 9,520)
Fox4 -- 3.7 rating -- 88,060 homes (minus 7,140)
CBS11 -- 3.5 rating -- 83,300 homes (minus 19,040)
25-to-54-YEAR-OLDS
Belo8 -- 3.2 rating -- 91,840 persons (plus 28,700)
NBC5 -- 2.0 rating -- 57,400 persons (plus 5,740)
Fox4 -- 1.8 rating -- 51,660 persons (minus 14,350)
CBS11 -- 1.0 rating -- 28,700 persons (minus 8,610)
5 P.M.
TOTAL HOMES
Belo8 -- 6.6 rating -- 157,080 homes (plus 28,560)
NBC5 -- 4.0 rating -- 95,200 homes (minus 21,420)
Univision23 -- 3.1 rating -- 73,780 homes (same as last May)
Fox4 -- 3.0 rating -- 71,400 homes (minus 23,800)
CBS11 -- 2.3 rating -- 54,740 homes (minus 16,660)
25-to-54-YEAR-OLDS
Belo8 -- 2.8 rating -- 80,360 persons (plus 8,610)
Univision23 -- 2.1 rating -- 60,270 persons (minus 2,870)
NBC5 -- 1.6 rating -- 45,920 persons (minus 8,610)
Fox4 -- 1.2 rating -- 34,440 persons (minus 14,350)
CBS11 -- .7 rating -- 20,090 persons (minus 2,870)
It's official. Belo8's 10 p.m. newscasts now wear both ratings crowns for the first time since 2001.
The ABC station's big stretch run among advertiser-craved 25-to-54-year-olds pushed NBC5 into an unaccustomed second place and marked a stark reversal from a year ago. Belo8 also won comfortably in the total homes Nielsens, extending its streak to two sweeps periods.
Powerful lead-ins this week from three potent ABC season finales gave Belo8 the push it needed to overtake the Peacock. Sequentially, Belo8's late night newscasts were gifted with lead-ins from The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentlemen, Dancing with the Stars and Lost.
The NBC network, in the throes of its worst ratings season ever, couldn't come close to matching that kind of firepower. But in previous sweeps periods, NBC5 has benefited immensely from its network's lead-ins, particularly when ER was an unstoppable force. This time around, Belo8 won the 25-to-54 battles on seven of the sweeps' last eight nights.
Fox4 got good news, too. Its Good Day returned to the winner's circle in both the total homes ratings and among 25-to-54-year-olds. NBC5 and Belo8 respectively had won those competitions in the February sweeps. In May, the Peacock virtually fell off the map, finishing third in both measurements.
Also of note: the 7 to 9 a.m. portion of Good Day beat the three network morning shows among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming.
Belo8 ran the table at 5 and 6 p.m., reversing a 6 p.m. loss to Fox4 last May in the 25-to-54-year-old demographic. The ABC station showed significant audience increases in all four major newscast time slots in registering its best ratings book this century.
Despite winning at 6 a.m., Fox4 experienced audience declines across the board. Save for the 6 p.m. 25-to-54 ratings, so did NBC5.
CBS11 had the most dismal ratings performance of all, though, in its first sweeps under new news director Regent Ducas. The station's vastly retooled 10 p.m. newscast dropped more than two ratings points from last May while also falling below its performance in the February sweeps. At 10 p.m., CBS11 finished a distant third in total homes and fifth with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Univision23's Noticias 23 Spanish language newscast finished an eye-opening second among 25-to-54-year-olds at 5 p.m. and placed third at 10 p.m. in that demographic.
Here are the total home and 25-to-54 ratings for the four major local newscast competitions. The Noticias 23 newscast is included at 5 and 10 p.m., where it competes directly against Belo8, Fox4, NBC5 and CBS11. May 2006 performances also are included, with ups or downs in parentheses.
10 P.M.
TOTAL HOMES
Belo8 -- 8.8 rating -- 209,440 homes (plus 30,940)
NBC5 -- 7.1 rating -- 168,980 homes (minus 40,460)
CBS11 -- 5.1 rating -- 121,380 homes (minus 57,120)
Fox4 -- 4.2 rating -- 99,960 homes (minus 30,940)
Univision23 -- 3.7 rating -- 88,060 homes (minus 2,380)
25-to-54-YEAR-OLDS
Belo8 -- 4.7 rating -- 134,890 persons (plus 22,960)
NBC5 -- 4.5 rating -- 129,150 persons (minus 40,180)
Univision 23 -- 2.8 rating -- 80,360 persons (minus 8,610)
Fox4 -- 2.1 rating -- 60,270 persons (minus 34,440)
CBS11 -- 1.9 rating -- 54,530 persons (minus 43,050)
6 A.M
Fox4 -- 3.9 rating -- 92,820 homes (minus 16,660)
Belo8 -- 3.4 rating -- 80,920 homes (plus 9,520)
NBC5 -- 3.3 rating -- 78,540 homes (minus 33,320)
CBS11 -- 1.3 rating -- 30,940 homes (minus 4,760)
25-to-54-YEAR-OLDS
Fox4 -- 2.4 rating -- 68,880 persons (minus 8,610)
Belo8 -- 2.3 rating -- 66,010 persons (plus 20,090)
NBC5 -- 1.6 rating -- 45,920 persons (minus 20,090)
CBS11 -- .7 rating -- 20,090 persons (same as last May)
6 P.M.
TOTAL HOMES
Belo8 -- 7.4 rating -- 176,120 homes (plus 52,360)
NBC5 -- 4.7 rating -- 111,860 homes (minus 9,520)
Fox4 -- 3.7 rating -- 88,060 homes (minus 7,140)
CBS11 -- 3.5 rating -- 83,300 homes (minus 19,040)
25-to-54-YEAR-OLDS
Belo8 -- 3.2 rating -- 91,840 persons (plus 28,700)
NBC5 -- 2.0 rating -- 57,400 persons (plus 5,740)
Fox4 -- 1.8 rating -- 51,660 persons (minus 14,350)
CBS11 -- 1.0 rating -- 28,700 persons (minus 8,610)
5 P.M.
TOTAL HOMES
Belo8 -- 6.6 rating -- 157,080 homes (plus 28,560)
NBC5 -- 4.0 rating -- 95,200 homes (minus 21,420)
Univision23 -- 3.1 rating -- 73,780 homes (same as last May)
Fox4 -- 3.0 rating -- 71,400 homes (minus 23,800)
CBS11 -- 2.3 rating -- 54,740 homes (minus 16,660)
25-to-54-YEAR-OLDS
Belo8 -- 2.8 rating -- 80,360 persons (plus 8,610)
Univision23 -- 2.1 rating -- 60,270 persons (minus 2,870)
NBC5 -- 1.6 rating -- 45,920 persons (minus 8,610)
Fox4 -- 1.2 rating -- 34,440 persons (minus 14,350)
CBS11 -- .7 rating -- 20,090 persons (minus 2,870)