Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Fri.-Mon., March 23-26)
03/27/07 12:52 PM
By ED BARK
TXA21 News' live "special report" coverage of Friday night's police officer shooting/standoff gave the station a big ratings boost, nearly quadrupling its usual Nielsen numbers.
The 7 to 8 p.m. portion of the nightly "First in Prime" newscast attracted 116,620 homes, making it D-FW's most-watched program on a typically light viewing night. The coverage outpointed NCAA tournament basketball on CBS; the Mavericks-Celtics game on Fox Sports Southwest; a new episode of the NBC game show Identity; The CW's Smackdown!; and repeats of ABC's Grey's Anatomy and Fox's House.
In the four-week February "sweeps" ratings period, the opening hour of TXA21's "First in Prime" newscast averaged 30,940 homes.
(Note: I was driving my daughter to Chicago when Dallas Police officer Mark Timothy Nix was shot and killed early Friday evening following a car chase of a fleeing suspect, 27-year-old Wesley Ruiz. Police officers then opened fire on Ruiz, who was wounded but is expected to recover, according to reports.)
The heavy D-FW television and print coverage prompted a rebuke Saturday from DPD spokesman Vernon Hale, who urged reporters to cease efforts to interview the deceased officer's family members. Here is his email to the media, obtained by unclebarky.com:
I will try to remain professional about this matter.
As I stated previously, some of the immediate family just arrived from a long journey. This family has lost a son, brother, grandson and fiance. They have not had an opportunity to rest or gather even as much as YOU the media (have). We have answered your questions, held several briefings, given you all the pictures, and I still have media calling and threatening to appear at the family residence.
The family has requested some peace and has promised to make a statement at a later date. I will notify you, as promised, of the date and time when they are ready. A few of you are about to ruin it for the masses. This is not the time for an exclusive. This is a human being who has had his life taken in the line of duty.
Other ratings of note:
***Belo8 and NBC5 split Friday's 10 p.m. newscast spoils, with the ABC station winning in homes and the Peacock among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming.
***NBC5 won at 6 a.m. in homes, but Fox4 prevailed with 25-to-54-year-olds. Belo8 finished first in both ratings measurements at 5 and 6 p.m.
***Sunday afternoon's NASCAR Nextel Cup coverage on Fox beat competing NCAA basketball on CBS from 1 to 4:30 p.m. College hoops then outdrew the closing holes of another Tiger Woods PGA tournament win on NBC. The early afternoon Mavericks-Atlanta Hawks game on FSS was D-FW's top draw from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m., peaking at 138,040 homes between 2:15 and 2:30 p.m.
***Monday night's two-hour edition of ABC's Dancing with the Stars stomped all competing programming, luring 354,620 homes in D-FW. The runnerup from 7 to 9 p.m., CBS' Two and a Half Men at 8 p.m., drew 171,360 homes.
***In Monday's local news derby, Belo8 had comfortable wins at 5, 6 and 10 p.m. in homes and with 25-to-54-year-olds. Fox4 cruised at 6 a.m. in both ratings measurements while also again beating the the network morning shows from 7 to 9 a.m.
TXA21 News' live "special report" coverage of Friday night's police officer shooting/standoff gave the station a big ratings boost, nearly quadrupling its usual Nielsen numbers.
The 7 to 8 p.m. portion of the nightly "First in Prime" newscast attracted 116,620 homes, making it D-FW's most-watched program on a typically light viewing night. The coverage outpointed NCAA tournament basketball on CBS; the Mavericks-Celtics game on Fox Sports Southwest; a new episode of the NBC game show Identity; The CW's Smackdown!; and repeats of ABC's Grey's Anatomy and Fox's House.
In the four-week February "sweeps" ratings period, the opening hour of TXA21's "First in Prime" newscast averaged 30,940 homes.
(Note: I was driving my daughter to Chicago when Dallas Police officer Mark Timothy Nix was shot and killed early Friday evening following a car chase of a fleeing suspect, 27-year-old Wesley Ruiz. Police officers then opened fire on Ruiz, who was wounded but is expected to recover, according to reports.)
The heavy D-FW television and print coverage prompted a rebuke Saturday from DPD spokesman Vernon Hale, who urged reporters to cease efforts to interview the deceased officer's family members. Here is his email to the media, obtained by unclebarky.com:
I will try to remain professional about this matter.
As I stated previously, some of the immediate family just arrived from a long journey. This family has lost a son, brother, grandson and fiance. They have not had an opportunity to rest or gather even as much as YOU the media (have). We have answered your questions, held several briefings, given you all the pictures, and I still have media calling and threatening to appear at the family residence.
The family has requested some peace and has promised to make a statement at a later date. I will notify you, as promised, of the date and time when they are ready. A few of you are about to ruin it for the masses. This is not the time for an exclusive. This is a human being who has had his life taken in the line of duty.
Other ratings of note:
***Belo8 and NBC5 split Friday's 10 p.m. newscast spoils, with the ABC station winning in homes and the Peacock among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming.
***NBC5 won at 6 a.m. in homes, but Fox4 prevailed with 25-to-54-year-olds. Belo8 finished first in both ratings measurements at 5 and 6 p.m.
***Sunday afternoon's NASCAR Nextel Cup coverage on Fox beat competing NCAA basketball on CBS from 1 to 4:30 p.m. College hoops then outdrew the closing holes of another Tiger Woods PGA tournament win on NBC. The early afternoon Mavericks-Atlanta Hawks game on FSS was D-FW's top draw from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m., peaking at 138,040 homes between 2:15 and 2:30 p.m.
***Monday night's two-hour edition of ABC's Dancing with the Stars stomped all competing programming, luring 354,620 homes in D-FW. The runnerup from 7 to 9 p.m., CBS' Two and a Half Men at 8 p.m., drew 171,360 homes.
***In Monday's local news derby, Belo8 had comfortable wins at 5, 6 and 10 p.m. in homes and with 25-to-54-year-olds. Fox4 cruised at 6 a.m. in both ratings measurements while also again beating the the network morning shows from 7 to 9 a.m.
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