powered by FreeFind

Apple iTunes

Archives

Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Wed., May 9) -- Idol calls the tune (updated with local news sweeps standings at the halfway mark)

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom
Absent any competition from the rained-out Texas Rangers, Fox's American Idol dominated Wednesday's prime-time Nielsens before two crime shows split the proceeds at 9 p.m.

The latest two-hour performance show, with McKinney's ever-endangered Hollie Cavanagh among the four finalists, averaged 392,898 D-FW viewers from 7 to 9 p.m.. ABC's Modern Family made the next best showing with 264,190 viewers at 8 p.m.

Idol likewise swept those hours among advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-olds. At 9 p.m., CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation led the way in total viewers (223,545) but NBC's Law & Order: SVU had the most 18-to-49-year-olds.

Here are Wednesday's local news derby results. CBS11 cruised at 10 p.m. in total viewers while sharing first place with Fox4 among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming.

In the air tight, three-way 6 a.m. race, WFAA8 broke through to nip NBC5 in total viewers while winning by a bit more comfy margin in the 25-to-54 demographic.

Fox4 took the 5 and 6 p.m. golds among 25-to-54-year-olds. The total viewer firsts went to WFAA8 at 6 p.m. and NBC5 at 5 p.m.

AT THE HALFWAY MARK

With 10 weekdays in the books for the 20-day May "sweeps" ratings period, here's how it's looking. (Each rating point equals 67,741 total viewers and 30,093 viewers in the key news demographic, 25-to-54-year-olds.)

10 p.m. -- It's CBS11's lone bright spot so far, with the station holding a three-tenths of a point lead over WFAA8 in total viewers. Among 25-to-54-year-olds, WFAA8 is ahead by four-tenths of a point over both Fox4 and NBC5, with CBS11 a half-point behind the leader.

6 a.m. -- This is the most interesting battleground of the sweeps. So far NBC5 has a two-tenths of a point lead in total viewers over defending February sweeps champ Fox4 and onrushing WFAA8. It's even closer in the 25-to-54 demographic, where Fox4 is on top by one-tenth of a point over both NBC5 and WFAA8.

6 p.m. -- In total viewers, WFAA8 has a fairly comfortable half-a-ratings point lead over all three of its competitors. Fox4 is tops among 25-to-54-year-olds, but with WFAA8 just one-tenth of a point behind. NBC5 and CBS11 already are too far behind to catch up.

5 p.m. -- NBC5 and WFAA8 are tied for the lead in total viewers while Fox4 is three-tenths of a point behind both of them. Fox4 leads WFAA8 by one-tenth of a point in the 25-to-54-age range, with NBC5 four-tenths of a point behind the leader.