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Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Wed., Nov. 19 plus 15-day Nov. sweeps newscast standings)

By ED BARK
Barring any super-charged rallies in the last five days, WFAA8 and Fox4 have the local newscast golds locked up as the November "sweeps" ratings competition hits the homestretch.

But moral victories are still very much in play, with all four combatants hoping to save face in one or more of the four major battle zones. Here's how they stand at the 15-day mark in total viewers and with 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming.

10 P.M.

TOTAL VIEWERS
WFAA8 -- 285,649
CBS11 -- 232,505
NBC5 -- 159,432
Fox4 -- 146,146

25-to-54-YEAR-OLDS
WFAA8 -- 136,589
CBS11 -- 100,165
Fox4 -- 91,059
NBC5 -- 72,847

Note: CBS11 benefits on most weeknights from strong lead-in programming provided by its network. It's doing an increasingly better job of retaining it. Fox4 now looks like a sure bet to push NBC5 into last place among 25-to-54-year-olds for the first time since Fox became its owner in July 1995. It also still has a fighting chance to overtake NBC5 in total viewers.

6 A.M.

TOTAL VIEWERS
Fox4 -- 146,146
NBC5 -- 106,288
WFAA8 -- 86,359
CBS11 -- 53,144

25-to-54-YEAR-OLDS
Fox4 -- 81,953
NBC5 -- 69,820
WFAA8 -- 63,741
CBS11 -- 33,388

Note: Fox4 has led this race all the way while a severe ratings slump during the past three weekdays leaves WFAA8 in serious jeopardy of running third in both ratings measurements. It already has very little chance of catching runnerup NBC5 in total viewers and will need a strong finishing kick to dig out of third among 25-to-54-year-olds. In the total viewers measurement, WFAA8 now is much closer to fourth place CBS11 than to first-place Fox4. That didn't seem possible at the start of the sweeps.

6 P.M.

TOTAL VIEWERS
WFAA8 -- 225,862
NBC5 -- 119,574
CBS11 -- 112,931
Fox4 -- 106,288

25-to-54-YEAR-OLDS
WFAA8 -- 97,130
Fox4 and NBC5 -- 48,565 apiece
CBS11 -- 33,388

Note: WFAA8 remains a dominant force at this hour, nearly doubling the audiences for its nearest challenger in both ratings barometers. That said, there's still a helluva race for second place.

5 P.M.

TOTAL VIEWERS
WFAA8 -- 139,503
Fox4 and NBC5 -- 112,931 apiece
CBS11 -- 73,073

25-to-54-YEAR-OLDS
WFAA8 -- 69,820
Fox4 -- 54,635
NBC5 -- 45,530
CBS11 -- 18,212

Note: WFAA8 looked vulnerable going into the sweeps, but will continue its nearly two-decade winning streak at this hour. Fox4 is in strong position to take the silver in both ratings measurements. CBS11 is dead in the water in what's become its weakest competitive position in the four major combat zones.

WEDNESDAY'S D-FW NIELSENS

Fox's Bones won the 7 p.m. hour in total viewers before CBS' crime drama combo of Criminal Minds and CSI:NY flexed with runaway first place finishes from 8 to 10 p.m.

It was CBS all the way, though, among 18-to-49-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for entertainment programming. In that measurement, Bones slid to fourth place from 7 to 8 p.m. behind the CBS sitcoms Old Christine and Gary Unmarried, The CW's America's Top Model and NBC's Knight Rider.

In the local news derby, WFAA8 and CBS11 tied for first at 10 p.m., with WFAA8 taking the 25-to-54 gold.

At 6 a.m., Fox4 and NBC5 shared first place, but the Peacock won among 25-to-54-year-olds.

WFAA8 swept the 5 and 6 p.m. newscast competitions.
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