Oct 2019
Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Mon.-Wed., Oct. 28-30) -- a big splurge for Game 7 of World Series
10/31/19 02:42 PM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
The Washington Nationals’ first World Series championship, at the expense of the favored Houston Astros, required another come-from-behind win in Wednesday’s Game 7 on Fox.
The 6-2 outcome, which ended at 10:50 p.m., dominated from start to finish, drawing an average of 707,366 D-FW viewers, with 263,543 in the advertiser-craved 18-to-49-year-old age range. Wednesday’s runner-up attraction, NBC’s 7 p.m. episode of Chicago Med, had 258,461 total viewers while NBC’s Chicago Fire shared the 18-to-49 silver medal with ABC’s Modern Family (60,157 viewers each).
Tuesday night’s Game 6 of the Series, also won by the Nationals, likewise was a heavy hitter with 544,128 total viewers and 180,470 in the 18-to-49 realm. In the nothing-else-came-close division, NBC’s The Voice and CBS’ NCIS repeat tied for second in total viewers with 197,246 apiece while the Peacock’s This Is Us was the runner-up with 18-to-49ers (48,698).
But pro sports failed to set the pace with ESPN’s Monday Night Football, which had a fairly dreary matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins. Fox’s 7 p.m. hour of 9-1-1 led all programming in total viewers with 326,477 compared to an average of 285,667 for MNF. Football won among 18-to-49-year-olds, though, outscoring 9-1-1 by a score of 131,772 to 94,532.
Here are the Monday-Wednesday local news derby results.
Monday -- WFAA8 swept both the 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. competitions in both total viewers and with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
The 6 p.m. wins went to WFAA8 in total viewers and NBC5 among 25-to-54-year-olds. At 5 p.m., Fox4 and the Peacock shared the lead in total viewers while Fox4 had the 25-to-54 first to itself.
Tuesday -- NBC5 won a downsized three-way 10 p.m. competition in both ratings measurements while WFAA8 twice nipped Fox4 on the road to twin wins at 6 a.m.
Fox4 swept the 5 p.m. competitions and added a 6 p.m. win with 25-to-54-year-olds. WFAA8 drew the most total viewers at 6 p.m.
Wednesday -- On the eve of the four-week November “sweeps” and in another downsized three-way race, NBC5 ran first in total viewers at 10 p.m. and shared the 25-to-54-year-old lead with WFAA8.
Fox4 returned to the top spots at 6 a.m. with a decisive sweep and also ran the table at 5 p.m. The 6 p.m. golds went to NBC5 in total viewers and Fox4 in the 25-to-54 demographic.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
The Washington Nationals’ first World Series championship, at the expense of the favored Houston Astros, required another come-from-behind win in Wednesday’s Game 7 on Fox.
The 6-2 outcome, which ended at 10:50 p.m., dominated from start to finish, drawing an average of 707,366 D-FW viewers, with 263,543 in the advertiser-craved 18-to-49-year-old age range. Wednesday’s runner-up attraction, NBC’s 7 p.m. episode of Chicago Med, had 258,461 total viewers while NBC’s Chicago Fire shared the 18-to-49 silver medal with ABC’s Modern Family (60,157 viewers each).
Tuesday night’s Game 6 of the Series, also won by the Nationals, likewise was a heavy hitter with 544,128 total viewers and 180,470 in the 18-to-49 realm. In the nothing-else-came-close division, NBC’s The Voice and CBS’ NCIS repeat tied for second in total viewers with 197,246 apiece while the Peacock’s This Is Us was the runner-up with 18-to-49ers (48,698).
But pro sports failed to set the pace with ESPN’s Monday Night Football, which had a fairly dreary matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins. Fox’s 7 p.m. hour of 9-1-1 led all programming in total viewers with 326,477 compared to an average of 285,667 for MNF. Football won among 18-to-49-year-olds, though, outscoring 9-1-1 by a score of 131,772 to 94,532.
Here are the Monday-Wednesday local news derby results.
Monday -- WFAA8 swept both the 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. competitions in both total viewers and with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
The 6 p.m. wins went to WFAA8 in total viewers and NBC5 among 25-to-54-year-olds. At 5 p.m., Fox4 and the Peacock shared the lead in total viewers while Fox4 had the 25-to-54 first to itself.
Tuesday -- NBC5 won a downsized three-way 10 p.m. competition in both ratings measurements while WFAA8 twice nipped Fox4 on the road to twin wins at 6 a.m.
Fox4 swept the 5 p.m. competitions and added a 6 p.m. win with 25-to-54-year-olds. WFAA8 drew the most total viewers at 6 p.m.
Wednesday -- On the eve of the four-week November “sweeps” and in another downsized three-way race, NBC5 ran first in total viewers at 10 p.m. and shared the 25-to-54-year-old lead with WFAA8.
Fox4 returned to the top spots at 6 a.m. with a decisive sweep and also ran the table at 5 p.m. The 6 p.m. golds went to NBC5 in total viewers and Fox4 in the 25-to-54 demographic.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Incoming at Fox4: reporter David Sentendrey
10/31/19 10:09 AM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
It’s been a very busy year of comings and goings in D-FW TV newsrooms, and here’s the latest.
Fox4 has added reporter David Sentendrey, who will be assigned to the 9 and 10 p.m. weeknight newscasts, starting on Nov. 11th.
Vice President and News Director Robin Whitmeyer said in a statement Thursday that Sentendrey’s “relentless investigations have held authorities accountable and resulted in significant changes. I know he’ll bring that same passion to the work he does in North Texas.”
Sentendrey will arrive from Fox affiliate WJZY-TV in Charlotte, NC, where he’s been a self-described “digital journalist” since January 2014. The Appalachian State University graduate previously covered the Charlotte Hornets (who were the Bobcats back then) for the Charlotte Examiner before joining the Enquirer-Journal in Monroe, NC.
“This is an opportunity to further grow and learn from a whole new team of respected journalists,” Sentendrey says.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Kalee Dionne joining WFAA8's weather team
10/30/19 08:47 AM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Dallas-based WFAA8 has hired a replacement for meteorologist Colleen Coyle, who left the station in July to chart some new courses.
She’s Kalee Dionne, who has been a weekend weathercaster for Chicago’s NBC-owned WMAQ-TV, where she spent three years. She’ll be a weekday forecaster at WFAA8 while also dropping down a couple of sizes in TV markets from No. 3 Chicago to No. 5 D-FW.
Dionne’s departure was first reported by veteran Chicago media watchdog Robert Feder. On her Twitter feed, she says she’ll be joining WFAA8 in December. Her Twitter description bills her as “Small human, Weird” and “Fitness Lover.” Dionne earlier worked at TV stations in Kansas City and Birmingham, Alabama. She has a Broadcast Meteorology degree from Mississippi State University.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Fri.-Sun., Oct. 25-27) -- World Series is very good for Fox, although not good enough to outdraw Sunday Night Football
10/29/19 09:43 AM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Fox’s exclusive telecasts of the World Series have given the network appreciably bigger ratings than it would have had otherwise.
But D-FW is a football town, as was shown again when Game 5 of the Series went head-to-head with NBC’s Sunday Night Football matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs.
Both attractions ended shortly before 10:30 p.m., with the Packers’ win over the Chiefs pulling in an average of 591,739 viewers (the biggest non-Cowboys SNF audience so far) while the Houston Astros defeated the Washington Nationals to the tune of 326,477.
Among advertiser-coveted 18-t-49-year-olds, Packers-Chiefs rolled with 232,033 viewers, with Astros-Nats drawing less than half that crowd (105,990 viewers). CBS’ mid-afternoon/early evening NFL game between the Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders also handily outdrew the Series in both ratings measurements.
Saturday night’s Game 4 of the Series, which ended at 10:57 p.m., had a smaller crowd than Sunday’s Game 5, but easily dominated the prime-time ratings with 312,874 total viewers and 97,336 in the 18-to-49 realm. Still, Fox’s preceding Texas-TCU game drew a larger overall crowd with 367,286 total viewers while matching the Series among 18-to-49ers.
Friday’s Game 3 of the Series, which loped all the way to 11:10 p.m., averaged 346,882 total viewers, with CBS’ 9 p.m. episode of Blue Bloods placing second in prime-time with 251,659. The Series crushed all competing programming in the 18-to-49-year-old demographic, with 120,313 viewers. NBC’s two-hour Dateline was the prime-time runner-up in this key measurement (34,375 viewers).
Here are Friday’s local news derby results.
WFAA8 won a downsized three-way 10 p.m. race in total viewers while NBC5 ran first with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
Fox4 and WFAA8 tied for the 6 a.m. lead in total viewers, with Fox4 narrowly alone on top with 25-to-54-year-olds.
The Peacock swept the 6 p.m. competitions and added a 5 p.m. win in total viewers. Fox4 won among 25-to-54-year-olds at 5 p.m.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Fox’s exclusive telecasts of the World Series have given the network appreciably bigger ratings than it would have had otherwise.
But D-FW is a football town, as was shown again when Game 5 of the Series went head-to-head with NBC’s Sunday Night Football matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs.
Both attractions ended shortly before 10:30 p.m., with the Packers’ win over the Chiefs pulling in an average of 591,739 viewers (the biggest non-Cowboys SNF audience so far) while the Houston Astros defeated the Washington Nationals to the tune of 326,477.
Among advertiser-coveted 18-t-49-year-olds, Packers-Chiefs rolled with 232,033 viewers, with Astros-Nats drawing less than half that crowd (105,990 viewers). CBS’ mid-afternoon/early evening NFL game between the Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders also handily outdrew the Series in both ratings measurements.
Saturday night’s Game 4 of the Series, which ended at 10:57 p.m., had a smaller crowd than Sunday’s Game 5, but easily dominated the prime-time ratings with 312,874 total viewers and 97,336 in the 18-to-49 realm. Still, Fox’s preceding Texas-TCU game drew a larger overall crowd with 367,286 total viewers while matching the Series among 18-to-49ers.
Friday’s Game 3 of the Series, which loped all the way to 11:10 p.m., averaged 346,882 total viewers, with CBS’ 9 p.m. episode of Blue Bloods placing second in prime-time with 251,659. The Series crushed all competing programming in the 18-to-49-year-old demographic, with 120,313 viewers. NBC’s two-hour Dateline was the prime-time runner-up in this key measurement (34,375 viewers).
Here are Friday’s local news derby results.
WFAA8 won a downsized three-way 10 p.m. race in total viewers while NBC5 ran first with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
Fox4 and WFAA8 tied for the 6 a.m. lead in total viewers, with Fox4 narrowly alone on top with 25-to-54-year-olds.
The Peacock swept the 6 p.m. competitions and added a 5 p.m. win in total viewers. Fox4 won among 25-to-54-year-olds at 5 p.m.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Belated update: Reporter Courtney Gimore is no longer with NBC5
10/28/19 11:17 AM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
D-FW news stations generally don’t publicly announce departures, unless they’re giving a longtime contributor a big sendoff.
So this one fell through the cracks until a follower on Twitter asked what happened to NBC5 reporter Courtney Gilmore.
It turns out she left the station in June after a three-year stay, NBC5 spokesman Brian Hocker confirms. “She was planning to leave North Texas, but I don’t know where/if she’s working now.”
Gilmore’s social media pages don’t provide any further clues. She joined NBC5 after spending nine years at Houston’s NBC affiliate, KPRC-TV. Gilmore is a University of Minnesota graduate who also has a master’s degree from Dallas Theological Seminary.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Mon.-Thurs., Oct. 21-24) -- Fox scores big with sports while NFL football outscores World Series
10/25/19 11:40 AM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Fox punched up its prime-time ratings with three straight nights of big-time sports. Not surprisingly in these parts, though, the NFL’s weekly Thursday Night Football outscored the first two games of the World Series.
A not exactly electrifying matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Redskins averaged 394,493 D-FW viewers and 151,824 in the advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-old demographic. And that’s not even including the NFL Network simulcast, which tacked on another 40,000 or so total viewers.
Wednesday night’s Game 2 of the World Series between the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros went deep into the night before ending at 11:10 p.m. with a 12-3 Nats rout. It beat all competing Wednesday programming in both key ratings measurements, averaging 306,072 total viewers and 106,575 in the 18-to-49 realm.
Tuesday’s Game 1, a 5-4 Nats win that ended at 10:53 p.m., likewise fell short of football but outdrew all competing programming in total viewers save for CBS’ NCIS (306,072) during the first hour of the game. Overall, Nats-Astros averaged 319,575 total viewers, with the audience increasing post-NCIS.
Among 18-to-49ers, Game 1 won throughout the night, with an average of 108,855.
In Monday’s prime-time Nielsens, pro football again called the tune, with the Patriots demolition of the pathetic Jets on ESPN’s Monday Night Football pulling in 285,667 total viewers and 123,178 within the 18-to-49 motherlode.
Here are the Monday-Thursday local news derby results.
Monday -- WFAA8 won in total viewers at 10 p.m. while Fox4 led with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
NBC5 rolled to twin wins at 6 a.m. and shared the total viewers lead with WFAA8 at both 5 and 6 p.m. Fox4 drew the most 25-to-54-year-olds in both early evening competitions.
Tuesday -- WFAA8 had a big day, sweeping the 10 p.m. and 6 p.m. races while sharing the 6 a.m. top spot in total viewers with Fox4. Baseball blotted out Fox4’s 10 p.m. edition.
Fox4 otherwise claimed the rest of the spoils with a pair of 5 p.m. wins and first place at 6 a.m. among 25-to-54-year-olds.
Wednesday -- WFAA8 ran the table at both 10 p.m. and 6 p.m., with baseball again knocking Fox4’s late nighter out of the race.
NBC5 crowed with a 6 a.m. sweep while the 5 p.m. golds went to the Peacock in total viewers and Fox4 with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Thursday -- WFAA8 again swept a downsized 10 p.m. race while Fox4 returned to both top spots at 6 a.m.
NBC5 won at 5 and 6 p.m. in total viewers and shared the 5 p.m. 25-to-54-year-old lead with Fox4. Fox4 was alone on top at 6 p.m. in the 25-to-54 demographic.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Fox punched up its prime-time ratings with three straight nights of big-time sports. Not surprisingly in these parts, though, the NFL’s weekly Thursday Night Football outscored the first two games of the World Series.
A not exactly electrifying matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Redskins averaged 394,493 D-FW viewers and 151,824 in the advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-old demographic. And that’s not even including the NFL Network simulcast, which tacked on another 40,000 or so total viewers.
Wednesday night’s Game 2 of the World Series between the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros went deep into the night before ending at 11:10 p.m. with a 12-3 Nats rout. It beat all competing Wednesday programming in both key ratings measurements, averaging 306,072 total viewers and 106,575 in the 18-to-49 realm.
Tuesday’s Game 1, a 5-4 Nats win that ended at 10:53 p.m., likewise fell short of football but outdrew all competing programming in total viewers save for CBS’ NCIS (306,072) during the first hour of the game. Overall, Nats-Astros averaged 319,575 total viewers, with the audience increasing post-NCIS.
Among 18-to-49ers, Game 1 won throughout the night, with an average of 108,855.
In Monday’s prime-time Nielsens, pro football again called the tune, with the Patriots demolition of the pathetic Jets on ESPN’s Monday Night Football pulling in 285,667 total viewers and 123,178 within the 18-to-49 motherlode.
Here are the Monday-Thursday local news derby results.
Monday -- WFAA8 won in total viewers at 10 p.m. while Fox4 led with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
NBC5 rolled to twin wins at 6 a.m. and shared the total viewers lead with WFAA8 at both 5 and 6 p.m. Fox4 drew the most 25-to-54-year-olds in both early evening competitions.
Tuesday -- WFAA8 had a big day, sweeping the 10 p.m. and 6 p.m. races while sharing the 6 a.m. top spot in total viewers with Fox4. Baseball blotted out Fox4’s 10 p.m. edition.
Fox4 otherwise claimed the rest of the spoils with a pair of 5 p.m. wins and first place at 6 a.m. among 25-to-54-year-olds.
Wednesday -- WFAA8 ran the table at both 10 p.m. and 6 p.m., with baseball again knocking Fox4’s late nighter out of the race.
NBC5 crowed with a 6 a.m. sweep while the 5 p.m. golds went to the Peacock in total viewers and Fox4 with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Thursday -- WFAA8 again swept a downsized 10 p.m. race while Fox4 returned to both top spots at 6 a.m.
NBC5 won at 5 and 6 p.m. in total viewers and shared the 5 p.m. 25-to-54-year-old lead with Fox4. Fox4 was alone on top at 6 p.m. in the 25-to-54 demographic.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Thurs.-Sun., Oct. 17-20) -- Cowboys vs a tornado touchdown
10/22/19 09:54 AM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
A highly eventful Sunday night came and went with the Dallas Cowboys routing the visiting Philadelphia Eagles while a tornado tore up parts of Dallas and surrounding areas.
Before getting to the Nielsen numbers, let’s talk about what NBC5 did and didn’t do during NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
While Fox4, WFAA8 and CBS11 broke in with continuous weather coverage, NBC5 initially kept the game going without any warnings to viewers at all. The station then publicly apologized -- an extreme rarity in this market -- for its failure to alert those who were transfixed by the Cowboys game.
“We made a mistake by not immediately interrupting the football game with a Tornado warning,” NBC5 said in an early Monday evening post on its website. “Although our meteorologists were tracking thunderstorms across the area when the National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for Dallas County, we delayed breaking into programming for six minutes . . . When it comes to dealing with severe weather, we know that seconds matter. We should have broken into football programming sooner. We apologize and want you to know that we’re doing everything in our power to make sure this does not happen again.”
NBC5 eventually offered limited live updates and put a “Tornado Warning” bug on-screen. But in large part, commercials aired as scheduled, with advertisers paying premium prices for exposure during a game that averaged nearly 1.5 million D-FW viewers. My twitter feed, @unclebarkycom, became a hotbed of debate after I began commenting on the plusses and minuses of Sunday night’s weather coverage -- or lack thereof. For the record, CBS11 had the upper hand in the early going with continuous and alarming live video from one of its storm chasers. WFAA8 later weighed in with live ground level video of some of the serious damage while Fox4 stayed with in-studio weather graphics while the game played on.
After the game, NBC5 of course joined its rivals in offering live pictures of what the tornado had wrought. That’s the easy part. Based on nearly four decades of covering how D-FW’s four major TV news providers handled major breaking news, I can tell you that that the real litmus test is how a station performs in the heat of battle, so to speak.
In that context, NBC5 clearly could have done better, but didn’t. Had this been anything other than a Cowboys game, the station almost certainly would have joined its rivals in offering commercial-free, uninterrupted coverage. Fox4, WFAA8 and CBS11 didn’t face such a choice Sunday night. How they would have handled it will never be known. But for NBC5, which has a proud legacy of weather coverage and brands itself in that manner, Sunday night was a step backward.
“We look forward to regaining the trust of anyone we may have disappointed,” the station said in the final sentence of its apology. Viewers tend to forget in a hurry, so long- or even short-term damage to NBC5’s ratings is unlikely.
Ok, the Cowboys’ 37-10 blowout of the Eagles, which ran until 10:23 p.m., averaged 1,455,542 viewers locally, with 547,139 of them within the advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-old age range. That fell short of the Game 5 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Fox, which remains this season’s high with 1,564,368 total viewers and 578,649 in the 18-to-49 realm.
Opposite the Cowboys, Fox4’s weather coverage led from 9 to 10 p.m. with 224,453 total viewers before WFAA8 won from 10 to 10:30 p.m. with 238,056.
Earlier Sunday, Fox got bountiful returns with its mid-afternoon/early evening New Orleans Saints-Chicago Bears game, which averaged 700,565 viewers.
On Saturday, Baylor’s daytime win over Oklahoma State on Fox led all college football attractions with 176,842 total viewers.
Friday’s prime-time TV attractions as usual were paced by CBS’ Blue Bloods in total viewers (244,858) while Fox’s two-hour dose of wrestling again drew the most 18-to-49ers (54,427).
Fox’s Thursday Night Football matchup, in which the Kansas City Chiefs dominated the Denver Broncos while star QB Patrick Mahomes got hurt, dominated with 353,683 total viewers and 160,418 within the 18-to-49 motherlode.
Here are the Thursday and Friday local news derby results.
Thursday -- WFAA8 won 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). Fox again trumped Fox4’s late nighter with a football overrun.
At 6 a.m., Fox4 and NBC5 tied for the lead in total viewers, with Fox4 nipping the Peacock among 25-to-54-year-olds.
NBC5 swept the 5 p.m. competitions. The 6 p.m. golds went to WFAA8 in total viewers and Fox4 with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Friday -- NBC5 ran first in total viewers at 10 p.m. and Fox4 took the 25-to-54 crown.
Fox4 won in total viewers at 6 a.m., but it was WFAA8’s turn to rise up and win with 25-to-54-year-olds.
WFAA8 drew the most total viewers at 6 p.m. and shared the 25-to-54-year-old lead with Fox4. At 5 p.m., the winners were NBC5 in total viewers and Fox4 in the 25-to-54 demographic.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
A highly eventful Sunday night came and went with the Dallas Cowboys routing the visiting Philadelphia Eagles while a tornado tore up parts of Dallas and surrounding areas.
Before getting to the Nielsen numbers, let’s talk about what NBC5 did and didn’t do during NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
While Fox4, WFAA8 and CBS11 broke in with continuous weather coverage, NBC5 initially kept the game going without any warnings to viewers at all. The station then publicly apologized -- an extreme rarity in this market -- for its failure to alert those who were transfixed by the Cowboys game.
“We made a mistake by not immediately interrupting the football game with a Tornado warning,” NBC5 said in an early Monday evening post on its website. “Although our meteorologists were tracking thunderstorms across the area when the National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for Dallas County, we delayed breaking into programming for six minutes . . . When it comes to dealing with severe weather, we know that seconds matter. We should have broken into football programming sooner. We apologize and want you to know that we’re doing everything in our power to make sure this does not happen again.”
NBC5 eventually offered limited live updates and put a “Tornado Warning” bug on-screen. But in large part, commercials aired as scheduled, with advertisers paying premium prices for exposure during a game that averaged nearly 1.5 million D-FW viewers. My twitter feed, @unclebarkycom, became a hotbed of debate after I began commenting on the plusses and minuses of Sunday night’s weather coverage -- or lack thereof. For the record, CBS11 had the upper hand in the early going with continuous and alarming live video from one of its storm chasers. WFAA8 later weighed in with live ground level video of some of the serious damage while Fox4 stayed with in-studio weather graphics while the game played on.
After the game, NBC5 of course joined its rivals in offering live pictures of what the tornado had wrought. That’s the easy part. Based on nearly four decades of covering how D-FW’s four major TV news providers handled major breaking news, I can tell you that that the real litmus test is how a station performs in the heat of battle, so to speak.
In that context, NBC5 clearly could have done better, but didn’t. Had this been anything other than a Cowboys game, the station almost certainly would have joined its rivals in offering commercial-free, uninterrupted coverage. Fox4, WFAA8 and CBS11 didn’t face such a choice Sunday night. How they would have handled it will never be known. But for NBC5, which has a proud legacy of weather coverage and brands itself in that manner, Sunday night was a step backward.
“We look forward to regaining the trust of anyone we may have disappointed,” the station said in the final sentence of its apology. Viewers tend to forget in a hurry, so long- or even short-term damage to NBC5’s ratings is unlikely.
Ok, the Cowboys’ 37-10 blowout of the Eagles, which ran until 10:23 p.m., averaged 1,455,542 viewers locally, with 547,139 of them within the advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-old age range. That fell short of the Game 5 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Fox, which remains this season’s high with 1,564,368 total viewers and 578,649 in the 18-to-49 realm.
Opposite the Cowboys, Fox4’s weather coverage led from 9 to 10 p.m. with 224,453 total viewers before WFAA8 won from 10 to 10:30 p.m. with 238,056.
Earlier Sunday, Fox got bountiful returns with its mid-afternoon/early evening New Orleans Saints-Chicago Bears game, which averaged 700,565 viewers.
On Saturday, Baylor’s daytime win over Oklahoma State on Fox led all college football attractions with 176,842 total viewers.
Friday’s prime-time TV attractions as usual were paced by CBS’ Blue Bloods in total viewers (244,858) while Fox’s two-hour dose of wrestling again drew the most 18-to-49ers (54,427).
Fox’s Thursday Night Football matchup, in which the Kansas City Chiefs dominated the Denver Broncos while star QB Patrick Mahomes got hurt, dominated with 353,683 total viewers and 160,418 within the 18-to-49 motherlode.
Here are the Thursday and Friday local news derby results.
Thursday -- WFAA8 won 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). Fox again trumped Fox4’s late nighter with a football overrun.
At 6 a.m., Fox4 and NBC5 tied for the lead in total viewers, with Fox4 nipping the Peacock among 25-to-54-year-olds.
NBC5 swept the 5 p.m. competitions. The 6 p.m. golds went to WFAA8 in total viewers and Fox4 with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Friday -- NBC5 ran first in total viewers at 10 p.m. and Fox4 took the 25-to-54 crown.
Fox4 won in total viewers at 6 a.m., but it was WFAA8’s turn to rise up and win with 25-to-54-year-olds.
WFAA8 drew the most total viewers at 6 p.m. and shared the 25-to-54-year-old lead with Fox4. At 5 p.m., the winners were NBC5 in total viewers and Fox4 in the 25-to-54 demographic.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
WFAA8 tabs Tashara Parker as Daybreak traffic anchor
10/19/19 09:10 AM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Dallas-based WFAA8 has quickly named a successor to Demetria Obilor, who left the station’s Daybreak earlier this month in pursuit of new opportunities after some clashes with co-workers.
The newcomer is Tashara Parker from nearby KYTX-TV of Tyler. She’ll join WFAA8 before the onset of the November “sweeps” ratings period, which this year begins on Halloween.
“Thrilled to announce I’ve accepted a position at @wfaa as Morning Ensemble Anchor and Traffic Reporter!” Parker said on her Twitter page. LEGGOOOO!”
She accompanied the announcement with a #TasharaTakesTexas hashtag and video of her dancing on the set of KYTX, a CBS affiliate which, like WFAA8, is owned by Virginia-based TEGNA, Inc.
Parker, a Texas A&M grad who also has a masters degree in journalism from DePaul University, has been anchoring the weeknight 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts on KYTX. Her station bio, which also bills Parker as a “solo storyteller,” says she has a “vivacious spirit” and is “someone who truly cares about people and this community. She lights up the room with her awesome personality.”
Parker currently is a small-timer on “social media” compared to her predecessor, with 2,296 followers on Twitter and 10.5 K on Instagram. Obilor, who specializes in being showy, has 157.1K followers on Twitter and 652,000 on Instagram.
“I just do me. On air, off air,” Obilor said in an August 15th tweet that is still pinned to the top of her account.
WFAA8 currently is locked in a tight three-way battle in the key 6 to 7 a.m. slot with NBC5 and longtime champ Fox4. Under TEGNA ownership, the station has become appreciably more social media-centric than its competitors, with its “Morning Ensemble” in almost constant high gear on Twitter and other platforms.
The station recently released a 4-minute “I’m Makin” a Move” YouTube dance video (embedding disabled) starring the entire Daybreak crew, save for Parker. Even longtime meteorologist Greg Fields, who used to be strictly nuts and bolts, joins in as best he can while others look more like naturals. Fields and news anchors Kara Sewell and Marc Istook dress up as a painting crew while reporters Sean Giggy and Chris Sadeghi initially are shown as a milkman and a delivery man. Video lives forever.
The production values are first-rate, though. So much so that the cost of making this short film likely could pay several annual reporter salaries. The message also is clear. WFAA8’s morning show is intent on breaking boundaries wherever and whenever it sees fit. A younger, more “desirable” audience is the end game. To that end, Daybreak is not your grandfather’s, father’s or even older sister’s “newscast.” Whether you’ll buy in is still up in the air.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Wed., Oct. 16) -- Masked Singer again dominates while two new dramas fall, can't get up
10/17/19 01:35 PM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Fox’s The Masked Singer cruised to another big night Wednesday, with Paul Shaffer uncovered as “The Skeleton.”
Your friendly content provider, in a rare display of Twitter prescience, predicted it would be Shaffer after seeing The Skeleton perform on the show’s second season premiere last month. So hey, gives me props, even if I haven’t watched since.
Anyway, Masked Singer easily led all prime-time attractions with 319,675 D-FW viewers and 137,501 in the advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-old demographic. The audience then plummeted for Fox’s followup act, Almost Family. The first-year series had 81,619 total viewers and 42,969 in the 18-to-49 realm.
ABC’s 9 p.m. entry, the new Stumptown, likewise continued to struggle with 95,222 total viewers and 20,052 in the 18-to-49 age range. That put it last in its time period among the Big Four broadcast networks. NBC’s Chicago Med and Chicago P.D. won from 8 to 10 p.m. in both ratings measurements.
Here are Wednesday’s local news derby results.
WFAA8 ran first in total viewers at 10 p.m. while tying NBC5 for the top spot with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
In the ever-changing 6 a.m. competitions, Fox4 won in total viewers but fell to third among 25-to-54-year-olds behind frontrunner WFAA8 and runner-up NBC5.
The Peacock drew the most total viewers at 5 and 6 p.m. while Fox4 took the 25-to-54 golds at both hours.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Fox’s The Masked Singer cruised to another big night Wednesday, with Paul Shaffer uncovered as “The Skeleton.”
Your friendly content provider, in a rare display of Twitter prescience, predicted it would be Shaffer after seeing The Skeleton perform on the show’s second season premiere last month. So hey, gives me props, even if I haven’t watched since.
Anyway, Masked Singer easily led all prime-time attractions with 319,675 D-FW viewers and 137,501 in the advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-old demographic. The audience then plummeted for Fox’s followup act, Almost Family. The first-year series had 81,619 total viewers and 42,969 in the 18-to-49 realm.
ABC’s 9 p.m. entry, the new Stumptown, likewise continued to struggle with 95,222 total viewers and 20,052 in the 18-to-49 age range. That put it last in its time period among the Big Four broadcast networks. NBC’s Chicago Med and Chicago P.D. won from 8 to 10 p.m. in both ratings measurements.
Here are Wednesday’s local news derby results.
WFAA8 ran first in total viewers at 10 p.m. while tying NBC5 for the top spot with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
In the ever-changing 6 a.m. competitions, Fox4 won in total viewers but fell to third among 25-to-54-year-olds behind frontrunner WFAA8 and runner-up NBC5.
The Peacock drew the most total viewers at 5 and 6 p.m. while Fox4 took the 25-to-54 golds at both hours.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Tues.-Tues., Oct. 8-15) -- how 'bout them Dems, Cowboys?
10/16/19 01:43 PM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Newly back from Minnesota after seeing the sibs. So let’s catch up.
Tuesday night’s clash among a dozen Democratic presidential candidates consumed CNN’s prime-time hours and averaged a decent-sized 142,834 D-FW viewers. But the night’s league leader, CBS’ NCIS, as usual had nothing to fear. It averaged 326,477 viewers to lead all TV attractions, with NBC’s competing hour of The Voice taking the runner-up slot with 251,659.
CBS also won the 8 to 10 p.m. slot with FBI (244,858 viewers) and NCIS: New Orleans (204,048).
Among advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-olds, The Voice ranked as Tuesday’s top draw with 85,938. The debate drew 40,104.
In Monday’s prime-time Nielsens, Fox’s 7 p.m. episode of 9-1-1 continued to rock with 306,072 total viewers and 83,073 in the 18-to-49 realm. Both of those numbers ruled in the Big Four broadcast network universe. But as usual, ESPN’s Monday Night Football (Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions) led all programming with 319,675 total viewers and 143,230 in the 18-to-49 age range.
Sunday’s big draw of course was the Dallas Cowboys game, even though they were beaten on the road by the previously winless New York Jets. Shown on CBS, the game averaged 1,448,741 total viewers and 535,680 within the 18-to-49 motherlode.
On Saturday, Fox’s 11 a.m.-starting Texas-Oklahoma game, won by the Sooners, scored big with an average of 741,374 total viewers and 211,980 in the 18-to-49 sweet spot.
CBS’ Friday, 9 p.m. episode of Blue Bloods as usual topped the prime-time field in total viewers with 251,659. Also as usual, Blue Bloods dive-bombed with 18-to-49ers, drawing 37,240 of ‘em compared to Fox’s Friday Night Smackdown, the top dog with 68,750.
Fox’s Thursday Night Football (New England Patriots vs. New York Giants) easily set the pace in both ratings measurements, drawing 374,088 total viewers and 163,282 in the 18-to-49 demographic.
Wednesday’s top attraction, Fox’s The Masked Singer, lured 258,461 total viewers and drew 108,855 in the 18-to-49 realm.
Finally, on Tuesday night, Oct. 8th, NCIS again led in total viewers (292,469) while NBC’s This Is Us was the top prime-time draw among 18-to-49ers (63,021).
OK, here are the local news derby results for the six weekday competitions.
Tuesday, Oct. 8) -- WFAA8 ran first in total viewers at 10 p.m., but Fox4 drew the most 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
Otherwise NBC5 rolled with twin wins at 6 a.m. and at 5 and 6 p.m. It was the Peacock’s biggest day in recent memory.
Wednesday -- WFAA8 repeated its 10 p.m. win in total viewers while Fox4 again ruled with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Fox4 won at 6 a.m. in total viewers and shared the top spot with NBC5 in the 25-to-54-year-old demographic. Fox4 also had the most 25-to-54-year-olds at 5 and 6 p.m.
NBC5 and WFAA8 shared the 6 p.m. lead in total viewers, with WFAA8 alone on top in this measurement at 5 p.m.
Thursday -- WFAA8 swept a downsized competition at 10 p.m., with Fox4’s latenighter pushed back by the NFL football overrun.
Fox4 ran the table at 6 a.m., with NBC5 doing likewise at 5 p.m. The 6 p.m. golds went to NBC5 in total viewers and Fox4 with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Friday -- WFAA8 and CBS11 tied for first place in total viewers at 10 p.m. while Fox4 drew the most 25-to-54-year-olds.
Fox4 fended off NBC5 to score twin wins at 6 a.m. The Peacock pulled in the most total viewers at 5 and 6 p.m., with Fox4 tops among 25-to-54-year-olds at those hours.
Monday -- WFAA8 scored another 10 p.m. win in total viewers but was again beaten by Fox4 in the 25-to-54-year-old realm.
Fox4 held serve at 6 a.m. with twin wins and NBC5 swept the 6 p.m. races. The 5 p.m. golds went to NBC5 in total viewers and Fox4 with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Tuesday -- WFAA8 stayed strong in total viewers at 10 p.m. with another win while Fox4 as usual notched the 25-to-54 gold.
Fox4 again swept the 6 a.m. competitions, but it remains a three-way race with both NBC5 and WFAA8 close behind while CBS11 is out of the picture.
Fox4 also ran the table at 5 p.m. and shared the 6 p.m. lead with NBC5 among 25-to-54-year-olds. The Peacock drew the most total viewers at 6 p.m.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Newly back from Minnesota after seeing the sibs. So let’s catch up.
Tuesday night’s clash among a dozen Democratic presidential candidates consumed CNN’s prime-time hours and averaged a decent-sized 142,834 D-FW viewers. But the night’s league leader, CBS’ NCIS, as usual had nothing to fear. It averaged 326,477 viewers to lead all TV attractions, with NBC’s competing hour of The Voice taking the runner-up slot with 251,659.
CBS also won the 8 to 10 p.m. slot with FBI (244,858 viewers) and NCIS: New Orleans (204,048).
Among advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-olds, The Voice ranked as Tuesday’s top draw with 85,938. The debate drew 40,104.
In Monday’s prime-time Nielsens, Fox’s 7 p.m. episode of 9-1-1 continued to rock with 306,072 total viewers and 83,073 in the 18-to-49 realm. Both of those numbers ruled in the Big Four broadcast network universe. But as usual, ESPN’s Monday Night Football (Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions) led all programming with 319,675 total viewers and 143,230 in the 18-to-49 age range.
Sunday’s big draw of course was the Dallas Cowboys game, even though they were beaten on the road by the previously winless New York Jets. Shown on CBS, the game averaged 1,448,741 total viewers and 535,680 within the 18-to-49 motherlode.
On Saturday, Fox’s 11 a.m.-starting Texas-Oklahoma game, won by the Sooners, scored big with an average of 741,374 total viewers and 211,980 in the 18-to-49 sweet spot.
CBS’ Friday, 9 p.m. episode of Blue Bloods as usual topped the prime-time field in total viewers with 251,659. Also as usual, Blue Bloods dive-bombed with 18-to-49ers, drawing 37,240 of ‘em compared to Fox’s Friday Night Smackdown, the top dog with 68,750.
Fox’s Thursday Night Football (New England Patriots vs. New York Giants) easily set the pace in both ratings measurements, drawing 374,088 total viewers and 163,282 in the 18-to-49 demographic.
Wednesday’s top attraction, Fox’s The Masked Singer, lured 258,461 total viewers and drew 108,855 in the 18-to-49 realm.
Finally, on Tuesday night, Oct. 8th, NCIS again led in total viewers (292,469) while NBC’s This Is Us was the top prime-time draw among 18-to-49ers (63,021).
OK, here are the local news derby results for the six weekday competitions.
Tuesday, Oct. 8) -- WFAA8 ran first in total viewers at 10 p.m., but Fox4 drew the most 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
Otherwise NBC5 rolled with twin wins at 6 a.m. and at 5 and 6 p.m. It was the Peacock’s biggest day in recent memory.
Wednesday -- WFAA8 repeated its 10 p.m. win in total viewers while Fox4 again ruled with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Fox4 won at 6 a.m. in total viewers and shared the top spot with NBC5 in the 25-to-54-year-old demographic. Fox4 also had the most 25-to-54-year-olds at 5 and 6 p.m.
NBC5 and WFAA8 shared the 6 p.m. lead in total viewers, with WFAA8 alone on top in this measurement at 5 p.m.
Thursday -- WFAA8 swept a downsized competition at 10 p.m., with Fox4’s latenighter pushed back by the NFL football overrun.
Fox4 ran the table at 6 a.m., with NBC5 doing likewise at 5 p.m. The 6 p.m. golds went to NBC5 in total viewers and Fox4 with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Friday -- WFAA8 and CBS11 tied for first place in total viewers at 10 p.m. while Fox4 drew the most 25-to-54-year-olds.
Fox4 fended off NBC5 to score twin wins at 6 a.m. The Peacock pulled in the most total viewers at 5 and 6 p.m., with Fox4 tops among 25-to-54-year-olds at those hours.
Monday -- WFAA8 scored another 10 p.m. win in total viewers but was again beaten by Fox4 in the 25-to-54-year-old realm.
Fox4 held serve at 6 a.m. with twin wins and NBC5 swept the 6 p.m. races. The 5 p.m. golds went to NBC5 in total viewers and Fox4 with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Tuesday -- WFAA8 stayed strong in total viewers at 10 p.m. with another win while Fox4 as usual notched the 25-to-54 gold.
Fox4 again swept the 6 a.m. competitions, but it remains a three-way race with both NBC5 and WFAA8 close behind while CBS11 is out of the picture.
Fox4 also ran the table at 5 p.m. and shared the 6 p.m. lead with NBC5 among 25-to-54-year-olds. The Peacock drew the most total viewers at 6 p.m.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Anchor-reporter Gilma Avalos departs CBS11, quickly lands in NYC
10/16/19 10:51 AM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
As previously tweeted from afar (Minnesota), anchor-reporter Gilma Avalos has resigned from D-FW’s CBS11 after a five-year stay.
It now can be reported that she’s quickly landed elsewhere. New York City’s WNBC-TV has announced that Avalos will be co-anchoring the station’s weekend P.M. newscasts while also reporting on weekdays. Her first day is Nov. 4th.
Hired by CBS11 in October 2014 as a weekend morning anchor and weekday reporter, Avalaos lately had been co-anchoring weekday early evening newscasts with longtime incumbent Doug Dunbar. But she was left off the 10 p.m. editions, where Dunbar soloed while CBS11 won the total viewers ratings wars at that hour in the November, February and May “sweeps.” CBS hasn’t had a full-time desk mate for Dunbar at 10 p.m. since Kaley O’Kelley left back in May 2018. She’s now anchoring mornings in Phoenix.
Another shoe soon could drop at a rival D-FW TV newsroom. Avalos is married to WFAA8 reporter Bradley Blackburn, who joined the station in January 2016 after previously serving as an associate producer for the ABC network and for fusion.com. Blackburn and Avalos were married in September 2017.
Avalos is a Columbia University graduate who arrived at CBS11 from Miami’s NBC station, WTVJ-TV. As a 12-year-old, she broke into the TV biz as the host of Paleokids, a Spanish language children’s program for Discovery Channel. The El Salvador native also has previous experience in New York as an anchor-reporter for News 12 The Bronx.
LOCAL TV NEWS NOTE: Fox4 reporter Blake Hanson, who joined the Dallas-based station in July 2017, has been promoted to a weekend anchor spot. He’ll solo on the Saturday 6 and 9 p.m. newscasts and join incumbent Natalie Solis on the Sunday 5 and 9 p.m. editions while also continuing to reporter on weekdays.
Hanson is succeeding Richard Ray, who retired in May of this year after 36 years at Fox4.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Mon., Oct. 7) -- rivals can't be rescued from Fox's 9-1-1 dominance
10/08/19 03:51 PM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Fox’s 9-1-1 again answered the ratings call Monday, easily rolling up prime-time’s biggest D-FW audiences among the Big Four broadcast networks.
The new 7 p.m. episode drew 346,882 viewers in drowning out NBC’s competing first hour of The Voice (210,850 viewers). 9-1-1 also rolled with advertiser-craved 18-to-49-year-olds, topping all Big Four attractions with 105,990.
The total viewers haul was even good enough to beat ESPN’s Monday Night Football game between the San Francisco 49ers and again woeful Cleveland Browns. The 31-3 rout averaged 340,080 viewers in placing a smidgen behind 9-1-1. But MNF ruled with 18-to-49ers, drawing 157,553.
Fox’s new Prodigal Son, which follows 9-1-1, again dug a Death Valley of sorts with 136,032 total viewers, which put it last in the Big Four universe during the 8 p.m. hour. But Prodigal, to which Fox has given a full-season order, rallied to run first with 18-to-49-year-olds (45,834) against the second hours of The Voice and ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, plus CBS’ new All Rise.
Here are Monday’s local news derby results.
WFAA8 won at 10 p.m. in both toto viewers and with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
Fox4 returned to the top spot in both measurements at 6 a.m., barely twice beating runner-up NBC5. WFAA8, which had swept the 6 a.m. competitions on Thursday and Friday, dipped to third place in this ongoing cuh-razy early morning environment.
WFAA8 drew the most total viewers at both 5 and 6 p.m. Fox4 won the 25-to-54 gold at 5 p.m. and shared the top spot with WFAA8 at 6 p.m.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Fox’s 9-1-1 again answered the ratings call Monday, easily rolling up prime-time’s biggest D-FW audiences among the Big Four broadcast networks.
The new 7 p.m. episode drew 346,882 viewers in drowning out NBC’s competing first hour of The Voice (210,850 viewers). 9-1-1 also rolled with advertiser-craved 18-to-49-year-olds, topping all Big Four attractions with 105,990.
The total viewers haul was even good enough to beat ESPN’s Monday Night Football game between the San Francisco 49ers and again woeful Cleveland Browns. The 31-3 rout averaged 340,080 viewers in placing a smidgen behind 9-1-1. But MNF ruled with 18-to-49ers, drawing 157,553.
Fox’s new Prodigal Son, which follows 9-1-1, again dug a Death Valley of sorts with 136,032 total viewers, which put it last in the Big Four universe during the 8 p.m. hour. But Prodigal, to which Fox has given a full-season order, rallied to run first with 18-to-49-year-olds (45,834) against the second hours of The Voice and ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, plus CBS’ new All Rise.
Here are Monday’s local news derby results.
WFAA8 won at 10 p.m. in both toto viewers and with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
Fox4 returned to the top spot in both measurements at 6 a.m., barely twice beating runner-up NBC5. WFAA8, which had swept the 6 a.m. competitions on Thursday and Friday, dipped to third place in this ongoing cuh-razy early morning environment.
WFAA8 drew the most total viewers at both 5 and 6 p.m. Fox4 won the 25-to-54 gold at 5 p.m. and shared the top spot with WFAA8 at 6 p.m.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Reporter Tim Ciesco leaving NBC5 as 2019 TV newsroom exodus continues
10/08/19 10:44 AM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Multi-media pavement pounder Tim Ciesco, who has been shooting, editing and reporting his stories for NBC5 since January 2014, has decided to leave the building and try something else.
After his last day at the Fort Worth station, on Oct. 20th, Ciesco will be joining the “media team” at the Arlington Police Department, he announced via social media.
“I would never leave NBC5 for any old job,” Ciesco said. “This opportunity with APD checked off all the boxes I’m looking for in life and was too good to pass up . . . I’ve fallen in love with DFW these past five-and-a-half years. So I’m sticking around.”
Ciesco, who primarily has worked the morning shift for NBC5, previously reported for WSLS-TV in Roanoke, VA and KKCO-TV in Grand Junction, Colorado. He segued into TV news after graduating with an English degree from the University of Virginia.
“So few people in this world get to live out their dream. And I ABSOLUTELY got to live our mine!” Ciesco said. “To that end -- to my @NBCDFW family and everyone I’ve worked with along the way -- THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for making this the most incredible ride ever!”
Ciesco also is one of the more affable and good-humored people you’ll ever meet, even though I’ve only “met” him on Twitter. He’s also a heavy-duty sports fan whose tweets leapt off his social media feed when his alma mater won the men’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament earlier this year.
His departure from D-FW television news is the latest among many this year. As usual, we’ll round them all up in our annual year-end compendium.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Thurs.-Sun., Oct. 3-6) -- Cowboys hit 1.5 mil+ while losing to Pack
10/08/19 09:25 AM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
The Dallas Cowboys drew their largest D-FW crowd of the season while also surpassing the 1.5 million viewers mark for the first time. They also have now lost two in a row after beating up on three patsies.
The Game 5 loss to the Packers (34-24), which was Fox’s mid-afternoon/early evening national attraction, averaged 1,564,368 viewers during a running time that extended to 6:56 p.m. Among advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-olds, Cowboys-Packers drew 578,649 viewers, falling just short of the 598,701 viewers for the preceding week’s prime-time loss to the New Orleans Saints on NBC.
The Peacock’s Sunday Night Football matchup, with the Indianapolis Colts upsetting the heavily favored Kansas City Chiefs, then pulled in 537,326 total viewers, with 232,033 of them in the 18-to-49 sweet spot.
Saturday’s college football parade was easily paced by Texas’ high-scoring win over West Virginny on ABC’s mid-afternoon/early evening stage. The game averaged 360,484 total viewers before the network’s Ohio State-Michigan State matchup dominated prime-time with 231,254 viewers. Numbers were unavailable for ESPNU’s telecast of SMU’s big comeback win Saturday night over Tulsa. But given the relatively obscure venue, it’s very unlikely that it came close to the Ohio State-Michigan State face-off, except perhaps in the overtime period as word spread.
In Friday’s prime-time festivities, CBS again swept prime-time in total viewers with its regular lineup of Hawaii Five-0 (204,405), Magnum, P.I. (163,238) and Blue Bloods (210,850). Fox’s debut of WWE Friday Night Smackdown ran second from 7 to 9 p.m. with 102,024 total viewers but ranked as prime-time’s No. 1 draw among 18-to-49ers with 42,069.
Thursday night’s numbers game again put Fox’s Thursday Night Football in complete charge. The down-to-the-last-seconds Seattle Seahawks-Los Angeles Rams game averaged 489,715 total viewers and 206,251 in the 18-to-49-year-old realm.
Thursday night’s five new competing series continue to be largely overlooked in comparison, especially NBC’s freshman comedy duo of Perfect Harmony (40,810 total viewers) and Sunnyside (34,008 viewers). CBS’ new trio was led by The Unicorn, which drew 163,238 viewers in the 7:30 p.m. slot. Unicorn fell off sharply among 18-to-49-year-olds, drawing just 25,781 of ‘em to lag well behind football and ABC’s competing Grey’s Anatomy (54,427 for its second half-hour).
Here are the Thursday-Friday local news derby results.
Thursday -- WFAA8 won in total viewers at 10 p.m. while NBC5 ran first with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming). Fox4’s 10 p.m. edition again was pushed out of this competition by the football overrun.
WFAA8 swept the 6 a.m. competitions and Fox4 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.
Friday -- WFAA8 again took the 10 p.m. crown in total viewers, with Fox4 winning among 25-to-54-year-olds.
WFAA8 again swept the 6 a.m. competitions while NBC5 notched twin wins at both 5 and 6 p.m.
The still turbulent early morning ratings landed longtime kingpin Fox4 in third place with total viewers on both Thursday and Friday, with NBC5 taking second place behind WFAA8. The ups and downs in the 6 a.m. hour make it anyone’s guess who might prevail in the November “sweeps” ratings period, which begins on Halloween this year.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
The Dallas Cowboys drew their largest D-FW crowd of the season while also surpassing the 1.5 million viewers mark for the first time. They also have now lost two in a row after beating up on three patsies.
The Game 5 loss to the Packers (34-24), which was Fox’s mid-afternoon/early evening national attraction, averaged 1,564,368 viewers during a running time that extended to 6:56 p.m. Among advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-olds, Cowboys-Packers drew 578,649 viewers, falling just short of the 598,701 viewers for the preceding week’s prime-time loss to the New Orleans Saints on NBC.
The Peacock’s Sunday Night Football matchup, with the Indianapolis Colts upsetting the heavily favored Kansas City Chiefs, then pulled in 537,326 total viewers, with 232,033 of them in the 18-to-49 sweet spot.
Saturday’s college football parade was easily paced by Texas’ high-scoring win over West Virginny on ABC’s mid-afternoon/early evening stage. The game averaged 360,484 total viewers before the network’s Ohio State-Michigan State matchup dominated prime-time with 231,254 viewers. Numbers were unavailable for ESPNU’s telecast of SMU’s big comeback win Saturday night over Tulsa. But given the relatively obscure venue, it’s very unlikely that it came close to the Ohio State-Michigan State face-off, except perhaps in the overtime period as word spread.
In Friday’s prime-time festivities, CBS again swept prime-time in total viewers with its regular lineup of Hawaii Five-0 (204,405), Magnum, P.I. (163,238) and Blue Bloods (210,850). Fox’s debut of WWE Friday Night Smackdown ran second from 7 to 9 p.m. with 102,024 total viewers but ranked as prime-time’s No. 1 draw among 18-to-49ers with 42,069.
Thursday night’s numbers game again put Fox’s Thursday Night Football in complete charge. The down-to-the-last-seconds Seattle Seahawks-Los Angeles Rams game averaged 489,715 total viewers and 206,251 in the 18-to-49-year-old realm.
Thursday night’s five new competing series continue to be largely overlooked in comparison, especially NBC’s freshman comedy duo of Perfect Harmony (40,810 total viewers) and Sunnyside (34,008 viewers). CBS’ new trio was led by The Unicorn, which drew 163,238 viewers in the 7:30 p.m. slot. Unicorn fell off sharply among 18-to-49-year-olds, drawing just 25,781 of ‘em to lag well behind football and ABC’s competing Grey’s Anatomy (54,427 for its second half-hour).
Here are the Thursday-Friday local news derby results.
Thursday -- WFAA8 won in total viewers at 10 p.m. while NBC5 ran first with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming). Fox4’s 10 p.m. edition again was pushed out of this competition by the football overrun.
WFAA8 swept the 6 a.m. competitions and Fox4 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.
Friday -- WFAA8 again took the 10 p.m. crown in total viewers, with Fox4 winning among 25-to-54-year-olds.
WFAA8 again swept the 6 a.m. competitions while NBC5 notched twin wins at both 5 and 6 p.m.
The still turbulent early morning ratings landed longtime kingpin Fox4 in third place with total viewers on both Thursday and Friday, with NBC5 taking second place behind WFAA8. The ups and downs in the 6 a.m. hour make it anyone’s guess who might prevail in the November “sweeps” ratings period, which begins on Halloween this year.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
NBC5 anchor Meredith Land will be stepping away from 10 p.m. weeknight newscasts in pursuit of better family ties (updated)
10/04/19 09:41 AM
NBC5 anchor Meredith Land posted this photo Friday on social media.
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Veteran NBC5 anchor Meredith Land, in pursuit of a better “work-life balance,” will be stepping away from the D-FW’s station’s 10 p.m. weeknight newscasts, but remain behind the desk at 5 and 6 p.m.
It will be a while yet, though. The station announced Friday that her “final” 10 p.m. newscast, after nine years in the saddle, will be on Nov. 27th after that month’s ratings “sweeps” period ends.
“It was not an easy decision for me to leave the 10 o’clock newscast,” Land said in a statement. “Reporting and sharing the news is something I’m very passionate about. I’m also passionate about family, and at this point in my life, I look forward to spending evenings in real time with my young children -- not just via FaceTime.”
Land, who has co-anchored 10 p.m. newscasts with Brian Curtis, also thanked NBC5 for “their support in my desire to strike a balance between my two loves. The station has been absolutely wonderful and so encouraging in their commitment to make this work.”
NBC5 president and general manager Tom Ehlmann, said he’s “pleased” that Land will remain at the station while also striving to “get the balance she needs to spend more time with her family.”
Land noted that besides anchoring the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts, she’ll remain in the station’s “digital news space, where I report the news as it happens. “I’m super excited about amplifying my online presence as I know many of our viewers rely on their social media channels for news and information.”
NBC5’s news release did not address who will be succeeding Land on the 10 p.m. editions. Station spokesman Brian Hocker, responding to an inquiry, said, “We are working on determining a replacement for Meredith at 10 p.m.”
A possible prime candidate is NBC5 anchor/reporter Kristi Nelson, who previously had been part of a three-anchor team at 10 p.m. but has been on a long leave of absence. Replying to unclebarky.com on Aug. 14th, Nelson said there’s “absolutely nothing to worry about! I’m still with NBC5 and taking some time off to spend with family. I will return! It’s good to know that people are concerned about me. I appreciate it.”
Nelson has been with the station for two decades, and in August 2011 donated a kidney to her mother and went public in a multi-part NBC5 series titled “Kristi’s Gift.”
Regarding Nelson’s future with NBC5, Hocker said, “There is no change in Kristi’s status from what you’ve cited.”
Land joined NBC5 in 2003 and replaced Jane McGarry in February 2010 as the station’s 10 p.m. co-anchor. McGarry, who was reassigned to the 5 and 6 p.m. weekday newscasts, resigned from NBC5 in July 2012 after pleading no contest to a driving while intoxicated charge and apologizing for “my irresponsible behavior.”
McGarry, who spent 30 years at NBC5, has been co-hosting WFAA8’s Good Morning Texas show since March 2015 after earlier contributing reports titled “Starting Over.”
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Wed., Oct. 2) -- half-and-half debut for Fox's Almost Family
10/03/19 09:47 AM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Wednesday night’s only new series launch both flunked and more or less passed its first ratings test.
Fox’s 8 p.m. episode of Almost Family ran an overall fourth during that hour in total D-FW viewers after losing more than half the audience from The Masked Singer. But with advertiser-craved 18-to-49-year-olds, Almost Family outdrew all competing programming except ABC’s Modern Family, which narrowly won the 8 to 8:30 p.m. slot.
Masked Singer hit Wednesday’s prime-time highs in both total viewers (251,659) and with 18-to-49ers (100,261). Almost Family then fell to 102,024 total viewers and 48,698 in the 18-to-49 realm. The 8 p.m. winner in total viewers, NBC’s Chicago Fire, had 170,040.
Fox4’s 9 p.m. local newscast trampolined back up to 163,238 total viewers and 77,344 in the 18-to-49 realm, winning its timeslot in both measurements. ABC’s competing second episode of the new Stumptown nabbed a second-place finish in the 18-to-49 demographic (28,646 viewers), but ran fourth in total viewers with 102,024.
Here are Wednesday’s local news derby results.
Two stations claimed all the spoils.
WFAA8 won at 10 p.m. in total viewers while Fox4 finished first with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
Fox4 swept the 6 a.m. competitions and also won at 5 and 6 p.m. among 25-to-54-year-olds. WFAA8 drew the most total viewers at 5 and 6 p.m.
Also of note: the 6 a.m. ratings are pogo-sticking again, with NBC5 moving ahead of WFAA8 for the past two days. On Monday, the reverse was true, with WFAA8 taking the runner-up spot and the Peacock running third in both total viewers and with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Wednesday night’s only new series launch both flunked and more or less passed its first ratings test.
Fox’s 8 p.m. episode of Almost Family ran an overall fourth during that hour in total D-FW viewers after losing more than half the audience from The Masked Singer. But with advertiser-craved 18-to-49-year-olds, Almost Family outdrew all competing programming except ABC’s Modern Family, which narrowly won the 8 to 8:30 p.m. slot.
Masked Singer hit Wednesday’s prime-time highs in both total viewers (251,659) and with 18-to-49ers (100,261). Almost Family then fell to 102,024 total viewers and 48,698 in the 18-to-49 realm. The 8 p.m. winner in total viewers, NBC’s Chicago Fire, had 170,040.
Fox4’s 9 p.m. local newscast trampolined back up to 163,238 total viewers and 77,344 in the 18-to-49 realm, winning its timeslot in both measurements. ABC’s competing second episode of the new Stumptown nabbed a second-place finish in the 18-to-49 demographic (28,646 viewers), but ran fourth in total viewers with 102,024.
Here are Wednesday’s local news derby results.
Two stations claimed all the spoils.
WFAA8 won at 10 p.m. in total viewers while Fox4 finished first with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
Fox4 swept the 6 a.m. competitions and also won at 5 and 6 p.m. among 25-to-54-year-olds. WFAA8 drew the most total viewers at 5 and 6 p.m.
Also of note: the 6 a.m. ratings are pogo-sticking again, with NBC5 moving ahead of WFAA8 for the past two days. On Monday, the reverse was true, with WFAA8 taking the runner-up spot and the Peacock running third in both total viewers and with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Mon.-Tues., Sept. 30-Oct. 1) -- NCIS remains unstoppable
10/02/19 01:30 PM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
CBS’ NCIS, showing no signs of viewer fatigue, again flexed in Tuesday’s prime-time Nielsens, leading all TV attractions by a wide margin in total viewers.
The network’s FBI and NCIS: New Orleans also won their timeslots.
NCIS rolled up 346,882 D-FW viewers before FBI drew 224,453 and NCIS: New Orleans capped the night with 183,643 viewers.
Advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-olds as usual looked the other way, though. The leaders in that key demographic were ABC’s The Conners (65,886), the second half-hour of Fox’s The Resident (47,266), Fox’s Empire (71,615) and Fox4’s 9 p.m. local newscast (60,157).
In Monday’s prime-time festivities, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ dismantling of the Cincinnati Bungles on ESPN’s Monday Night Football led all programs in total viewers (244,858) and among 18-to-49ers (117,449).
The Big Four broadcast network universe was paced by Fox’s 7 p.m. episode of 9-1-1, which pulled in 217,651 total viewers and 80,209 within the 18-to-49 realm.
Here are the local news derby results for Monday and Tuesday.
Monday -- WFAA8 won at 10 p.m. in both total viewers and with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
Fox4 swept the 6 a.m. competitions and added 5 and 6 p.m. firsts among 25-to-54-year-olds. The total viewer golds at 5 and 6 p.m. respectively went to NBC5 and WFAA8.
Tuesday -- WFAA8 was tops in total viewers at 10 p.m. while NBC5 won among 25-to-54-year-olds.
The Peacock and Fox4 shared the 6 a.m. lead in total viewers, but Fox4 won outright with 25-to-54-year-olds.
WFAA8 ran first at 5 and 6 p.m. in total viewers while Fox4 did likewise at those hours in the 25-to-54 demographic.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
CBS’ NCIS, showing no signs of viewer fatigue, again flexed in Tuesday’s prime-time Nielsens, leading all TV attractions by a wide margin in total viewers.
The network’s FBI and NCIS: New Orleans also won their timeslots.
NCIS rolled up 346,882 D-FW viewers before FBI drew 224,453 and NCIS: New Orleans capped the night with 183,643 viewers.
Advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-olds as usual looked the other way, though. The leaders in that key demographic were ABC’s The Conners (65,886), the second half-hour of Fox’s The Resident (47,266), Fox’s Empire (71,615) and Fox4’s 9 p.m. local newscast (60,157).
In Monday’s prime-time festivities, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ dismantling of the Cincinnati Bungles on ESPN’s Monday Night Football led all programs in total viewers (244,858) and among 18-to-49ers (117,449).
The Big Four broadcast network universe was paced by Fox’s 7 p.m. episode of 9-1-1, which pulled in 217,651 total viewers and 80,209 within the 18-to-49 realm.
Here are the local news derby results for Monday and Tuesday.
Monday -- WFAA8 won at 10 p.m. in both total viewers and with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
Fox4 swept the 6 a.m. competitions and added 5 and 6 p.m. firsts among 25-to-54-year-olds. The total viewer golds at 5 and 6 p.m. respectively went to NBC5 and WFAA8.
Tuesday -- WFAA8 was tops in total viewers at 10 p.m. while NBC5 won among 25-to-54-year-olds.
The Peacock and Fox4 shared the 6 a.m. lead in total viewers, but Fox4 won outright with 25-to-54-year-olds.
WFAA8 ran first at 5 and 6 p.m. in total viewers while Fox4 did likewise at those hours in the 25-to-54 demographic.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net