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Former WFAA8 traffic reporter Demetria Obilor issues a death threat tied to her missing weight belt

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Former WFAA8 morning traffic anchor Demetria Obilor, who left the Dallas-based station in October to pursue other opportunities, may not have enhanced her prospects -- in the news business at least -- by posting a blunt, threatening video on her public Instagram account. It since has migrated to YouTube as well.

Clearly upset by the loss of her weight belt, Obilor vows to track down whomever might have stolen it.

“I have a very special set of skills,” she says. And I will find you. And I will kill you.”

Obilor, who has massive followings on both Instagram and Twitter, made a reputation at WFAA8 as a megawatt personality who had no hesitancy in showcasing both her body and her opinions. Soon after she arrived in October 2017 from a Las Vegas TV station, WFAA8 aggressively promoted and supported Obilor’s very public claims that she had been “body-shamed” in a Facebook comment.

Station manager Carolyn Mungo, who hired Obilor, gave her a fond farewell in a memo to staffers. “As we all know, Demetria took this town by storm almost immediately after her arrival,” Mungo said. “Her authenticity during a video response to viewer body shaming went viral. It solidified the fact that Demetria is her own person! And people watched.”

Mungo, who does not talk to this reporter, added that Obilor is “thankful to WFAA and the community for allowing her to be her true self, and to develop and prepare for what could be next. We all know traffic is rarely a life-long career! She says it’s time to explore. We wish her the best and will be cheering her on.”

Friction between Obilor and some Daybreak personalities also apparently became an issue, judging from a social media post that later was taken down but remains accessible in the unclebarky.com story on her departure. Obilor for now has returned to Las Vegas.

Here is the brief video, which ends with “And I will kill you.”



Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net

Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Fri.-Sun., Nov. 22-24) -- Cowboys put up wet while largest audience of season tries to dry out from loss

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
The weather outside was frightful, as was the Dallas Cowboys offense and the officiating during Sunday’s rain-drenched 13-9 road loss to the New England Patriots.

Safely nestled in their dry homes, though, D-FW viewers made it the season’s most-watched game, with an average of 1,645,987 total viewers for the mid-afternoon/early evening telecast on Fox. That edged the Cowboys’ home loss to the Minnesota Vikings on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, which drew 1,625,582 viewers.

Among advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-olds, though, Cowboys-Vikings remains at the top of the charts with 653,129 viewers. The loss to the Patriots came up significantly short of that number with 587,243 viewers in this key demographic.

In prime-time Sunday, NBC’s San Francisco 49ers-Green Bay Packers matchup easily outdrew ABC’s competing American Music Awards shebang despite being a mismatch. The game pulled in 510,120 total viewers while the AMAs lagged with 217,651.

It also was a rout among 18-to-49ers. Packers-49ers averaged 194,793 and the AMAs had 94,532.

Saturday’s biggest college football draw, Fox’s prime-time presentation of Oklahoma vs TCU, drew 292,469 total viewers. Fox also had a strong showing with the early-starting Ohio State-Penn State game, which was the runner-up with 244,858 viewers.

In Friday’s Nielsens, CBS’ 7 p.m. episode of Hawaii Five-0 led all TV attractions with 258,461 total viewers. The usual top draw, CBS’ Blue Bloods, settled for second with 231,254 viewers in the 9 p.m. hour.

Fox’s Friday Night Smackdown and Hawaii Five-0 tied as the most-watched among 18-to-49-year-olds with 45,834 apiece.

Here are Friday’s local news derby results, with only three weekdays now remaining in the November “sweeps.”

CBS11 ran first in total viewers at 10 p.m. while NBC5 drew the most 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).

Fox4 cemented its now firm grip on the 6 a.m. competitions with another sweep, and also ran the table at 5 p.m.

NBC5 had the most total viewers at 6 p.m. and shared the 25-to-54-year-old lead with Fox4.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net

Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Wed.-Thurs., Nov. 20-21) -- NFL rolls up another big score

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Fox’s latest edition of Thursday Night Football romped to another start-to-stop ratings win with its offering of the Houston Texans-Indianapolis Colts matchup.

The Texans’ narrow win averaged 374,088 D-FW viewers and 157,553 in the advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-old demographic. And this doesn’t even include the extra viewers tacked on by the NFL Net’s simulcast.

Thursday night’s distant overall runner-up attraction, CBS’ 7 p.m. episode of Young Sheldon, drew 244,858 total viewers. ABC’s competing hour of Grey’s Anatomy ran second in the 18-to-49 realm with 57,292 viewers.

In Wednesday’s prime-time festivities, Fox’s The Masked Singer narrowly took the total viewers crown with 248,258, nipping NBC’s competing Chicago Med (244,177). The two shows squared off in the 7 p.m. slot before ratings drooped for the rest of the night. Masked Singer had the top spot among 18-to-49ers to itself, luring 80,209.

The prime-time, 10-way Democratic presidential candidate debate on MSNBC averaged 95,222 total viewers.

Here are the local news derby results for Wednesday and Thursday, with the November “sweeps” now having just four weekdays left before ending on Thanksgiving eve.

Wednesday -- WFAA8 won in total viewers at 10 p.m. while Fox4 was tops with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).

Fox4 again swept the 6 a.m. competitions and added 5 and 6 p.m. wins with 25-to-54-year-olds. Both of the early evening total viewers golds went to WFAA8.

Thursday -- In a downsized 10 p.m. race, WFAA8 ran first in total viewers and NBC5 won among 25-to-54-year-olds.

At 6 a.m., Fox4 rolled to two more twin wins and now seems assured of retaining its long held crown after what initially looked to be a tight three-way race. WFAA8 had high hopes going into the sweeps, but a continuing slump now looks more likely to land the station in third place in both ratings measurements behind runner-up NBC5.

The 6 p.m. wins went to WFAA8 in total viewers and Fox4 with 25-to-54-year-olds. NBC5 took the total viewers crown at 5 p.m., with Fox4 again running first among 25-to-54-year-olds.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net

Local NIelsen ratings snapshot (Tues., Nov. 19) -- CBS crime shows again arrest viewers

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
CBS typically won the prime-time total viewers war Tuesday with its three crime time staples while younger viewers again went elsewhere.

The network’s lead-off NCIS as usual headed the parade with 333,278 D-FW viewers before FBI (231,254) and NCIS: New Orleans (204,048) won the 8 to 10 p.m. slots in this measurement.

Among advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-olds, the 7 to 10 p.m. winners were Fox’s The Resident (42,969 viewers), NBC’s This Is Us (also 42,969) and Fox4’s local newscast, the night’s top draw in this key demographic with 51,563 viewers.

Here are the four-way local news derby results as the November “sweeps” ratings period enters its closing week.

The 10 p.m. competitions were split, with WFAA8 winning in total viewers and Fox4 running first with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).

Fox4 logged another pair of wins at 6 a.m. At 6 p.m., WFAA8 was tops in total viewers while sharing the 25-to-54 spoils with Fox4.

The 5 p.m. golds went to NBC5 in total viewers and Fox4 in the 25-to-54 realm.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net

Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Thurs.-Monday, Nov. 14-18) -- Dak in the Lions den as Cowboys survive

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Led by another standout game from quarterback Dak Prescott, the Dallas Cowboys improved to a 6-4 record while also brightening their ratings picture for a “nooner.”

The 35-27 road win vs. the Detroit Lions averaged 1,360,320 D-FW viewers, the most this season for an early-starter. In the advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-old demographic, the game drew 458,336 viewers.

CBS then scored big with a New England Patriots-Philadelphia Eagles matchup that drew 686,962 total viewers before NBC’s Sunday Night Football attraction -- Los Angeles Rams vs. Chicago Bears -- kept the NFL’s runaway ratings freight train going with 476,112 total viewers.

Pro football also paced Monday’s prime-time ratings, with ESPN’s Kansas City Chiefs-Los Angeles Chargers face-off averaging 306,072 total viewers and 123,178 in the 18-to-49 realm. Opposite Chiefs-Chargers, the Dallas Mavericks’ home win over the San Antonio Spurts on Fox Sports Southwest averaged 68,016 total viewers and 28,646 in the 18-to-49 demographic. Mavs phenom Luka Doncic had his best game yet as a pro with a triple double of 42 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds.

Saturday’s prime-time college football game, in which Baylor blew a big lead over Oklahoma on ABC, had major ratings returns with 442,104 total viewers and 151,824 in the 18-to-49 age range.

Non-sports programming came up for air on Friday night, with CBS’ Blue Bloods assuming its usual perch as the day’s top draw with 244,858 total viewers. The 18-to-49-year-old crown again went to Fox’s two-hour Friday Night Smackdown (37,240 viewers).

The NFL as usual flexed on Thursday night, with Fox’s badly tarnished Cleveland Browns-Pittsburgh Steelers game leading all TV attractions with 367,286 total viewers and 151,824 in the 18-to-49 motherlode. It’s the game where Browns defender Myles Garrett drew an indefinite suspension for clobbering Steelers QB Mason Rudolph over the head with his own Steelers helmet.

OK, let’s detail the local news derby results for Thurs., Fri. and Mon., with the November ratings “sweeps” at full steam.

Thursday -- WFAA8 swept a downsized three-way 10 p.m. race in both total viewers and with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).

Fox4 edged NBC5 in both ratings measurements at 6 a.m. while also drawing the most 25-to-54-year-olds at 5 and 6 p.m. The total viewers golds at those hours went to WFAA8 at 5 p.m. and NBC5 at 6 p.m.

Friday -- CBS11 won in total viewers at 10 p.m. and NBC5 led among 25-to-54-year-olds.

Fox4 again swept the 6 a.m. competitions and replicated its 5 and 6 p.m. firsts with 25-to-54-year-olds. NBC5 drew the most total viewers at both 5 and 6 p.m.

Monday -- WFAA8 won at 10 p.m. in total viewers and shared the 25-to-54-year-old lead with Fox4.

After a slow start, longtime frontrunner Fox4 has reasserted itself at 6 a.m., logging another sweep. In contrast, WFAA8 has rather suddenly fallen by the wayside with a string of third-place finishes behind NBC5.

The Peacock remained solid in the early evening hours, this time running the table at both 5 and 6 p.m.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net

Alanna Quillen joins NBC5 as new early morn reporter

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By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Alanna Quillen has hit the streets as NBC5’s newest early morning reporter.

She last worked at NBC affiliate WPTV-TV in West Palm Beach, where she spent three years. The University of Texas at Arlington graduate (with a degree in broadcast journalism and French) earlier anchored and reported for KTBS-TV in Shreveport, Louisiana. During her time at UTA, she had internships at both NBC5 and CBS11.

Quillen’s WPTV bio openly stated her intention to “eventually make her way back home to Dallas-Fort Worth.” She also plays the ukelele.

Other NBC5 briefs -- Station spokesman Brian Hocker confirms that former CBS11 reporter Yona Gavino is now “freelancing for us a few days a week as needed.”

Unclebarky.com also has learned that NBC5 is taking a page from WFAA8’s long-running Good Morning Texas and gearing up for a new locally produced infotainment show tentatively scheduled to launch in March of 2020. Feelers have been sent out to potential advertisers.

Hocker replies that “there is nothing to report regarding a morning show for NBC5.” The NBC Universal-owned station is obligated to carry NBC’s Today from 7 to 11 a.m. weekdays. But the 11 a.m. to noon hour is open to alterations, with NBC5 currently airing a conventional local newscast in that slot.

Good Morning Texas, which airs from 9 to 10 a.m., has been raking in revenues via pay-for-play mini-infomercials that run at 5 minutes a pop several times per program.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net

Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Tues.-Wed., Nov. 12-13) -- the ABCs of the CMAs

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
ABC’s annual telecast of the Country Music Association awards topped Wednesday’s prime-time charts in total viewers while also winning two of its three hours among advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-olds.

The CMAs weighed in at 278,866 D-FW viewers, with its opening hour nipping Fox’s The Masked Singer (258,461 to 251,659) before the numbers grew from 8 to 10 p.m.

But Masked Singer was the overall pacesetter with 18-to-49-year-olds (103,126) while the CMAs averaged 65,886. Country music’s “biggest night” also was outdrawn in its first hour by NBC’s Chicago Med, which had 60,157 viewers in this key demographic compared to the CMAs’ 51,563.

On Tuesday night, CBS’ 7 p.m. episode of NCIS swamped all TV attractions in total viewers with 367,286, its best showing of the season. CBS also won the 8 p.m. slot in total viewers with FBI (244,858) before the network’s NCIS: New Orleans and NBC’s New Amsterdam tied for first in the 9 p.m. hour (183,643 viewers each).

The 18-to-49 lead was shared by Fox’s 8 p.m. episode of Empire and NBC’s competing This Is Us (57,292 apiece).

Here are the local news derby results for Tuesday and Wednesday during the heart of the November “sweeps” ratings period.

Tuesday -- WFAA8 swept the 10 p.m. competitions in both total viewers and with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).

Fox4 notched twin wins at 6 a.m. and NBC5 did likewise at 5 p.m. The 6 p.m. golds went to WFAA8 in total viewers and Fox4 among 25-to-54-year-olds.

Wednesday -- WFAA8 again ran the table at 10 p.m. while longtime 6 a.m. kingpin Fox4 continued to rally with another sweep after being threatened in the early going by WFAA8.

NBC5 enjoyed twin wins at 6 p.m. and also ran first at 5 p.m. in total viewers. Fox4 drew the most 25-to-54-year-olds at 5 p.m.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net

Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Fri.-Mon., Nov. 8-11) -- Cowboys set season high while also hitting another low point

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Highly puzzling play calls down the stretch and another disinterested start added up to a consequential Dallas Cowboys loss on NBC’s national stage.

Still, the Sunday Night Football ratings were giant-sized, with 1,625,582 D-FW viewers watching Dallas lose 28-24 at Jerry’s Palace to the Minnesota Vikings. That audience included 653,129 viewers in the advertiser-prized 18-to-48 age range. Both are season highs, outpointing the Cowboys’ Game 5 home loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Sunday’s earlier Packers-Carolina Panthers game on Fox also paid big dividends with 768,581 total viewers and 303,648 in the 18-to-49 realm.

The NFL had another big-ticket game on Monday night, with the previously unbeaten San Francisco 49ers falling to the always potent Seattle Seahawks in overtime. ESPN’s Monday Night Football presentation averaged 401,294 total viewers in beating all other prime-time fare. Fox’s 7 p.m. episode of 9-1-1 put up a good fight, though, drawing 326,477 viewers. Among 18-to-49ers, Seahawks-49ers pulled in 154,688 while runner-up 9-1-1 had 103,126.

As expected, Saturday’s college football parade was paced by the big showdown between LSU and Alabama on CBS. The Tigers’ high-scoring win averaged 469,310 total viewers. Fox’s prime-time Oklahoma-Iowa State game came in second with 210,850 viewers.

As usual/always, Friday’s overall top prime-time attraction was CBS’ Blue Bloods with 244,858 total viewers. Fox’s two-hour WWE Smackdown again took the 18-to-49-year-old crown with 57,292 of ‘em while Blue Bloods plunged to 22,917 viewers in this key demographic.

Here are the local news derby results for Friday and Monday, as the November ratings “sweeps” period continues.

Friday -- CBS11 won in total viewers at 10 p.m., with Fox4 running first with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).

Fox4 also swept the 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. competitions while adding a 6 p.m. win among 25-to-54-year-olds. NBC5 had the most total viewers at 6 p.m.

Monday -- WFAA8 swept the 10 p.m. competitions, Fox4 did likewise at 6 a.m. and NBC5 enjoyed a doubleheader win at 6 p.m. The 5 p.m. wreaths went to Fox4 in total viewers and NBC5 with 25-to-54-year-olds.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net

Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Tues.-Thurs., Nov. 5-7) -- any NFL game will do, thank you

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Fox has prospered in prime-time this fall with a seven-game World Series, 9-1-1, The Masked Singer and, oh yeah, the biggest gift that keeps on giving.

That would be Thursday Night Football, in which the Oakland Raiders’ narrow win over the Los Angeles Chargers dominated everything else in sight with 374,088 D-FW viewers and 154,688 within the advertiser-prized 18-to-48-year-old age range. The runner-ups were CBS’ 7 p.m. Young Sheldon in total viewers (251,659) and ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy with 18-to-49ers (77,344).

On Wednesday in prime-time, Fox’s two-hour dose of The Masked Singer led in both ratings measurements with 306,072 total viewers and 103,126 in the 18-to-49 realm. The lead-in boost helped Fox4’s local newscast cruise to a 9 p.m. win with 231,254 total viewers and 77,344 of the 18-to-49 persuasion.

Tuesday’s nighttime numbers were paced by CBS’ NCIS in total viewers (340,080) and a dominant showing among 18-to-49-year-olds by ABC’s two-hour live production of The Little Mermaid (137,501). Mermaid also scored in total viewers, running a solid second to NCIS with 299,270.

All of this failed to produce a hoped-for big boost for ABC’s 9 p.m. episode of Emergence, which ran last at 9 p.m. in total viewers (102,024) among the Big Four broadcast networks while perking up a bit to a third-place finish among 18-to-49ers (34,375).

OK, here are the Tuesday-Thursday local news derby results during the ongoing November “sweeps” ratings period.

Tuesday -- CBS11 notched a 10 p.m. win in total viewers while Fox4 ran first with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).

WFAA8 swept the 6 a.m. competitions and also won in total viewers at 5 and 6 p.m. Fox4 drew the most 25-to-54--year-olds in both early evening races.

Wednesday -- NBC5 drew the most total viewers at 10 p.m., but Fox4 again prevailed with 25-to-54-year-olds.

WFAA8 continued to make some big noise in the early mornings with another 6 a.m. sweep while also again winning in total viewers at 5 and 6 p.m. Fox4 repeated its 5 and 6 p.m. firsts with 25-to-54-year-olds.

Thursday -- WFAA8 won a downsized three-way 10 p.m. competition in both measurements.

At 6 a.m., Fox4 edged back into the top spot in total viewers but was tied by WFAA8 among 25-to-54-year-olds.

NBC5 had twin wins at 5 p.m. and also ran first at 6 p.m. in total viewers. Fox4 drew the most 25-to-54-year-olds at 6 p.m.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net

Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Thurs.-Mon., Oct. 31-Nov. 4) -- Cowboys divide and conquer

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
The Dallas Cowboys’ annual appearance on Monday Night Football again gave the D-FW populace two channel choices.

They chose the “home team” for viewing the visitors’ sloppy 37-18 win over the New York Giants in a “Black Cat” game that ended at 10:29 p.m.

WFAA8’s simulcast of ESPN’s coverage drew 891,010 viewers while ESPN added 496,517 for a grand total of 1,387,527 viewers.

Among advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-olds, WFAA8 pulled in 326,564 viewers and ESPN had 214,845. You’ll notice that the “kids” tend to watch cable in higher percentages than the population at large. Anyway, the total haul of 18-to-49ers was 541,409.

Monday night’s very distant runner-up attraction opposite the Cowboys, Fox’s 7 p.m. episode of 9-1-1, drew 183,643 total viewers and 45,834 in the 18-to-49 realm. WFAA8’s pre-game show, anchored by Dale Hansen, won its time slot with 313,675 total viewers opposite CBS11’s potent Wheel of Fortune (251,659). It was far less of a contest among 18-to-49-year-olds, with the pre-game show luring 100,261 viewers compared to Wheel’s’s 37,240.

Sunday’s D-FW ratings also were dominated by the NFL, with NBC’s Sunday Night Football clash between the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots emerging as the day’s top draw with 666,557 total viewers and 280,731 in the 18-to-49 motherlode.

Saturday’s college pigskin parade was lead by ABC’s prime-time telecast of SMU’s high-scoring first loss of the season to Memphis. The game averaged 217,651 total viewers, with 68,750 of them in the 18-to-49 demographic.

Friday gave non-sports programming a shot, and CBS’ 9 p.m. episode of Blue Bloods as usual took advantage with the biggest crowd of total viewers (244,858) while Fox’s WWE Friday Night Smackdown entranced the most 18-to-49ers (51,563).

On Halloween night, pro football again took charge. Fox’s Thursday night matchup of the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals ruled prime-time with 408,096 total viewers and 169,011 of the 18-to-49 persuasion. And that’s not even counting the extra little helpings from the NFL Network’s simulcast.

OK, here are the local news derby results for Thursday, Friday and Monday, which also were the first three weekdays of the November “sweeps” ratings period.

Thursday -- WFAA8 won a downsized three-way race in total viewers at 10 p.m. while NBC5 prevailed among 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).

Longtime defending champ Fox4 got off to a strong start with a 6 a.m. sweep in what is likely to be a competitive three-way early morning race with NBC5 and
WFAA8.

Fox4 also won among 25-to-54-year-olds at 5 and 6 p.m., but WFAA8 had the most total viewers at those hours.

Friday -- CBS11 chimed in with a 10 p.m. win in total viewers, with NBC5 and WFAA8 tying for the most 25-to-54-year-olds.

Fox4 made it two sweeps in a row at 6 a.m. and likewise again ran first with 25-to-54-year-olds at 5 and 6 p.m.

NBC5 was tops in total viewers at 5 p.m. and shared the 6 p.m. lead in that measurement with WFAA8.

Monday -- Three statiions fought for scraps opposite the closing half-hour of the Cowboys game, with CBS11 winning in total viewers and Fox4 drawing the most 25-to-54-year-olds.

WFAA8 ran the table at 6 a.m. and also swept the 6 p.m. races. NBC5 notched twin wins at 5 p.m.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net