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Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Wed., Jan. 15) -- Idol's still hammering

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Its Superman cape may have gotten a little frayed. But no rival network had any kryptonite opposite Fox’s two-hour Season 13 premiere of American Idol Wednesday night.

Equipped with a new judging team of Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick, Jr. and holdover Keith Urban, Idol averaged 468,868 D-FW viewers from 7 to 9 p.m. That easily beat all competing programming, with CBS’ 8 p.m. episode of Criminal Minds faring the best (326,660 viewers).

Idol likewise dominated among advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-olds, with 211,686 in this age range. ABC’s Modern Family was the runner-up in the 7 to 9 p.m. slot, drawing 120,498 viewers in this key demographic.

The Idol tailwind helped propel Fox4’s 9 p.m. local newscast to a time slot win with 18-to-49-year-olds. But CBS’ CSI: Crime Scene Investigation had the most total viewers at that hour with 298,255 while Fox4’s news ran a solid second (241,444).

The return of ABC’s Nashville edged NBC’s new Chicago P.D. for third place at 9 p.m. in total viewers. Chicago P.D. vaulted to second place among 18-to-49-year-olds, though, trailing only Fox4.

(D-FW Nielsens were not immediately available for A&E’s Wednesday night return of Duck Dynasty after last month’s heavy-duty feather-ruffling.) But Idol handily whipped DD nationally by a score of 15.2 million to 8.5 million total viewers, and 6.0 to 4.2 million in the 18-to-49 demographic.)

In Wednesday’s local news derby results, CBS11 had the most total viewers at 10 p.m. while NBC5 ran first among 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).

The Peacock also rose up to claim twin wins at 6 a.m. over the usual front-running Fox4. NBC5’s big day continued with a sweep of the 5 p.m. numbers. The station also had the most total viewers at 6 p.m. and tied Fox4 for first at that hour with 25-to-54-year-olds.

LOCAL TV NEWS NOTE
WFAA8 has hired Dallas Morning News police reporter Tanya Eiserer, the newspaper says in a memo to staffers. “She’s taking on a new, multi-faceted gig,” according to the DMN. “Some on-air reporting, behind-the-scenes work, contributor to its Sunday morning political show, blogger.”

The memo notes that Eiserer is “not going far. Across the street to WFAA-TV.” But it might as well be from West Germany to East Germany -- or vice-versa -- during the Cold War era. The DMN has severed all content-sharing ties with WFAA8, its former longtime synergistic pal, and now is in the same relationship with rival NBC5. Which pretty much makes the driveway guard shack between the two buildings a veritable Checkpoint Charlie.

The memo on Eiserer’s departure, plus some accompanying snark, was first posted on D magazine’s FrontBurner blog.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net