Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Wed., May 15) -- audience numbers for five hours of head-to-head storm coverage/competition
05/16/13 10:20 AM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom
Network entertainment lineups were largely obliterated -- and rightly so -- by continuous coverage of the lethal tornadoes and storms that caused heavy damage and left at least half a dozen dead in North Texas Wednesday night.
Fox4, NBC5, WFAA8 and CBS11 all provided continuous coverage from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. before Fox4 and WFAA8 went to entertainment programming. We’re going to give you an hour-by-hour breakdown of the viewing totals for that period.
But first let’s note that local television news can be a very valuable asset in times like these. This is difficult, demanding coverage, with storms hitting and missing over a wide viewing area while weathercasters, anchors and reporters keep up as best they can.
On Wednesday, I thought NBC5 had the best and most vivid overall coverage, with the market’s newest chief meteorologist, Rick Mitchell, making his first major imprint as a steady and knowledgeable hand who looks to be a very able successor to D-FW weather dean David Finfrock.
WFAA8 and CBS11 were at worst just a step behind NBC5 while Fox4 lagged in terms of both pictures and visible reporters on the ground. Much of Fox4’s coverage during the key breaking moments was via telephone, with the same grainy storm footage recycled over and over throughout the night. TV isn’t radio, but Fox4 too often seemed more audio than visual -- at least in comparison with its three rivals. Still, all four stations put their heads down and went to work. That’s commendable and it’s also the main takeaway from all of this.
Yes, some viewers will carp about missing their favorite entertainment shows. On Wednesday, they included new episodes of ABC’s Modern Family and Nashville, NBC’s Law & Order: SVU and Chicago Fire, Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance and CBS’ Criminal Minds and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (which were re-routed in whole or part to sister station TXA21). But Fox4, NBC5, WFAA8 and CBS11 were right to turn their full attention to a very significant weather emergency. Imagine the outcry -- let alone the blow to a newsroom’s morale -- if one of them had stuck with regular programming while tornadoes were tearing up Hood County.
Now here are the D-FW ratings in total viewers for each of the five hours of head-to-head coverage:
8 to 9 P.M.
Fox 4 -- 357,978
CBS11 -- 337,326
WFAA8 -- 309,789
NBC5 -- 234,063
9 to 10 P.M.
WFAA8 -- 364,863
Fox4 -- 330,442
CBS11 -- 296,021
NBC5 -- 254,715
10 to 11 P.M.
WFAA8 -- 309,789
Fox4 -- 247,831
CBS11 -- 240,947
NBC5 -- 206,526
11 P.M. to Midnight
WFAA8 -- 172,105
Fox4 -- 110,147
NBC5 -- 103,263
CBS11 -- 96,379
Midnight to 1 A.M.
WFAA8 -- 117,031
Fox4/NBC5 -- 75,726 each
CBS11 -- 68,842
Email comment or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Tues., May 14) -- NCIS again leads way
05/15/13 12:34 PM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom
It was business as usual for CBS’ NCIS.
The network’s 10th season finale of its most popular crime drama amassed 426,820 D-FW viewers in the 7 p.m. hour Tuesday, wiping out the combined opposition from ABC’s Wipeout (82,610), Fox’s Season 10 kickoff of So You Think You Can Dance (110,147) and NBC’s repeat of The Voice (137,684).
NCIS: Los Angeles then tied a new 8 p.m. hour of The Voice, with each show luring 302,905 viewers opposite ABC’s Dancing with the Stars results show (234,063). The last episode of CBS’ canceled Golden Boy won at 9 p.m. with 185,873 viewers.
Among advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-olds, the golds went to NCIS, The Voice and Fox4’s 9 p.m. local newscast.
On Fox Sports Southwest, the Texas Rangers’ late-starting, extra inning comeback win at Oakland averaged 178,989 total viewers.
Everyone came up a winner in Tuesday’s four-way local news derby results.
On the 14th weekday of the May “sweeps,” CBS11 won in total viewers at 10 p.m. while WFAA8 ran first among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming.
Fox4 notched another doubleheader win at 6 a.m. and also had the most total viewers at 5 p.m., where the 25-to-54 gold went to NBC5.
WFAA8 had the most overall viewers at 6 p.m.; Fox4 and NBC5 tie for the lead with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
@unclebarkycom
It was business as usual for CBS’ NCIS.
The network’s 10th season finale of its most popular crime drama amassed 426,820 D-FW viewers in the 7 p.m. hour Tuesday, wiping out the combined opposition from ABC’s Wipeout (82,610), Fox’s Season 10 kickoff of So You Think You Can Dance (110,147) and NBC’s repeat of The Voice (137,684).
NCIS: Los Angeles then tied a new 8 p.m. hour of The Voice, with each show luring 302,905 viewers opposite ABC’s Dancing with the Stars results show (234,063). The last episode of CBS’ canceled Golden Boy won at 9 p.m. with 185,873 viewers.
Among advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-olds, the golds went to NCIS, The Voice and Fox4’s 9 p.m. local newscast.
On Fox Sports Southwest, the Texas Rangers’ late-starting, extra inning comeback win at Oakland averaged 178,989 total viewers.
Everyone came up a winner in Tuesday’s four-way local news derby results.
On the 14th weekday of the May “sweeps,” CBS11 won in total viewers at 10 p.m. while WFAA8 ran first among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming.
Fox4 notched another doubleheader win at 6 a.m. and also had the most total viewers at 5 p.m., where the 25-to-54 gold went to NBC5.
WFAA8 had the most overall viewers at 6 p.m.; Fox4 and NBC5 tie for the lead with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Mon., May 13) -- HIMYM scores with season-ending reveal
05/14/13 09:42 AM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom
CBS’ Season 8 finale of How I Met Your Mother outdrew NBC’s competing The Voice Monday night by at last revealing -- the mother.
No need to spoil it yet, save to say the designated actress likely won’t ring a bell with at least 99 out of 100 viewers. But whatever the case, HIMYM lured 275,368 D-FW viewers from 7 to 7:30 p.m. in outpointing the first half hours of both The Voice (254,715) and ABC’s Dancing with the Stars (240,947). CBS won that slot by a much wider margin among advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-olds.
The Voice then ran first from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in both ratings measurements. And at 9 p.m., ABC’s season finale of Castle easily clasped both golds. On Fox Sports Southwest, the Texas Rangers’ late-starting road loss at Oakland averaged 137,684 total viewers.
In Monday’s local news derby results, the 13th weekday of the May “sweeps” turned out to be a big one for WFAA8. The station swept the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. Nielsens in both total viewers and 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming.
Fox4 as usual claimed the other two firsts at 6 a.m.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
@unclebarkycom
CBS’ Season 8 finale of How I Met Your Mother outdrew NBC’s competing The Voice Monday night by at last revealing -- the mother.
No need to spoil it yet, save to say the designated actress likely won’t ring a bell with at least 99 out of 100 viewers. But whatever the case, HIMYM lured 275,368 D-FW viewers from 7 to 7:30 p.m. in outpointing the first half hours of both The Voice (254,715) and ABC’s Dancing with the Stars (240,947). CBS won that slot by a much wider margin among advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-olds.
The Voice then ran first from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in both ratings measurements. And at 9 p.m., ABC’s season finale of Castle easily clasped both golds. On Fox Sports Southwest, the Texas Rangers’ late-starting road loss at Oakland averaged 137,684 total viewers.
In Monday’s local news derby results, the 13th weekday of the May “sweeps” turned out to be a big one for WFAA8. The station swept the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. Nielsens in both total viewers and 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming.
Fox4 as usual claimed the other two firsts at 6 a.m.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Fri.-Sun., May 10-12) -- strong finishing kick for Survivor
05/13/13 02:41 PM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom
The pathfinder of “reality-competition” series can still pack a punch at crunch time.
Long before American Idol, The Voice and Dancing with the Stars, CBS set sail with Survivor back in May 2000. Its 26th edition, Survivor: Caramoan -- Fans vs. Favorites, dominated Sunday’s prime-time Nielsens with its two-hour finale and followup reunion hour.
The finale drew 268,484 D-FW viewers before the reunion held pretty steady with 206,526. The next most-watched attraction, ABC’s two-hour, season finale of Revenge, had 144,568 viewers from 8 to 10 p.m.
Both Survivors also won their time slots among advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-olds.
Earlier Sunday, the Texas Rangers’ daytime spanking of the Astros on Fox Sports Southwest drew 172,105 total viewers. That matched the audience for ABC’s overtime NBA playoff game between the victorious Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. The PGA’s Players Championship on NBC , with Tiger Woods winning and Sergio Garcia tanking, averaged a solid 123,916 viewers.
Saturday night’s Rangers win, with ratings magnet Yu Darvish pitching, inflated to 213,410 viewers on FSS.
Friday night’s Rangers victory on TXA21 matched that total and won its time slot in the 8 to 10:15 p.m. portion, even beating CBS’ Blue Bloods by a comfortable margin in the 9 p.m. hour. That somewhat cannibalized the lead-in for CBS11’s 10 p.m. newscast in another of its tight total viewers fights with WFAA8. But CBS11 won anyway while NBC5 took a rare gold among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming.
In Friday’s other local news derby results -- on the 12th weekday of the May “sweeps” -- CBS11 also had the most total viewers at 6 p.m. But the day otherwise belonged to Fox4. The station ran the table at both 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. , and added a 6 p.m. win in the 25-to-54 demographic.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
@unclebarkycom
The pathfinder of “reality-competition” series can still pack a punch at crunch time.
Long before American Idol, The Voice and Dancing with the Stars, CBS set sail with Survivor back in May 2000. Its 26th edition, Survivor: Caramoan -- Fans vs. Favorites, dominated Sunday’s prime-time Nielsens with its two-hour finale and followup reunion hour.
The finale drew 268,484 D-FW viewers before the reunion held pretty steady with 206,526. The next most-watched attraction, ABC’s two-hour, season finale of Revenge, had 144,568 viewers from 8 to 10 p.m.
Both Survivors also won their time slots among advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-olds.
Earlier Sunday, the Texas Rangers’ daytime spanking of the Astros on Fox Sports Southwest drew 172,105 total viewers. That matched the audience for ABC’s overtime NBA playoff game between the victorious Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. The PGA’s Players Championship on NBC , with Tiger Woods winning and Sergio Garcia tanking, averaged a solid 123,916 viewers.
Saturday night’s Rangers win, with ratings magnet Yu Darvish pitching, inflated to 213,410 viewers on FSS.
Friday night’s Rangers victory on TXA21 matched that total and won its time slot in the 8 to 10:15 p.m. portion, even beating CBS’ Blue Bloods by a comfortable margin in the 9 p.m. hour. That somewhat cannibalized the lead-in for CBS11’s 10 p.m. newscast in another of its tight total viewers fights with WFAA8. But CBS11 won anyway while NBC5 took a rare gold among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming.
In Friday’s other local news derby results -- on the 12th weekday of the May “sweeps” -- CBS11 also had the most total viewers at 6 p.m. But the day otherwise belonged to Fox4. The station ran the table at both 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. , and added a 6 p.m. win in the 25-to-54 demographic.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
D-FW news notes: starring Gary Cogill, Shon Gables
05/10/13 04:25 PM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom
Gary Cogill popped in to co-host KTXD-TV’s (Ch. 47) D: The Broadcast Friday morning, and in the process took a shot at his old employer.
The former longtime WFAA8 movie critic and sometime host of the station’s Good Morning Texas is now a movie producer via Dallas-based Lascaux Films. The company recently wrapped production in Vancouver on its first feature film, Words and Pictures. Directed by Fred Schepisi (Roxanne, Six Degrees of Separation), the romantic comedy has two estimable stars in Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche.
Cogill, seated between regular co-hosts Courtney Kerr and Lisa Pineiro, noted that he had brought some behind-the-scenes still from the film.
“You know there’s another station I could have gone to -- and I did not,” he added.
The reference clearly was to WFAA8 and GMT, which airs directly opposite the first hour of D: The Broadcast at 9 a.m. weekdays. The latter program slowly has gotten better, with oft-pointed conversation and a better mix of guests that on Friday included Temple Grandin. But it remains deep in hiding, according to the D-FW Nielsen ratings. Thursday’s program as usual registered “hashmarks” (no measurable audience) while that day’s GMT had 41,305 total viewers.
Former WFAA8 news personalities are very much the rule rather than the exception at KTXD, whose other homegrown program, The Texas Daily, is teeming with them. Cogill also appears on Texas Daily, along with rotating ex-WFAA-ers such as Tracy Rowlett, Troy Dungan, Iola Johnson, Debbie Denmon, John Criswell, Midge Hill, Phyllis Watson, Jolene DeVito, Robert Riggs and John Sparks. Former WFAA8 anchor Jeff Brady is the everyday host of the program.
Still very much entangled in legal matters with her second ex-husband, WFAA8 weekend Daybreak anchor Shon Gables has put together some short “Confessions of a News Anchor” videos. They portray her as terminally exhausted, but in an intended comedic way. And they’re pretty entertaining.
Here are a couple of them, with the second one intentionally accentuating the audio in an otherwise pitch black setting.