Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Thurs., Jan. 24)
01/25/08 10:52 AM
By ED BARK
Fox4 enjoyed another big night in prime-time Thursday, but its sudden early morning woes got even worse.
It opened the night with a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders-infused first hour of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, which easily topped the 7 p.m. competition in total homes (238,689) and also won handily with 18-to-49-year-olds. Um, the Cheerleaders weren't mental giants, but it didn't take an Einstein to foresee that. Besides, they're not paid for having voluptuous gray matter.
A second hour of Smarter held strong to finish just a bit behind a CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation repeat in total homes while whipping all comers in the 18-to-49 demo.
Fox4's local 9 p.m. newscast then won by comfortable margins in both ratings measurements, and drew the most total homes (263,045) of any Thursday program day or night.
At 10 p.m., though, Fox4 fell back to fourth place in total homes and to third with 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming. Belo8 and CBS11 shared the total homes lead at that hour, with the latter station for once managing to improve on its lead-in (from CBS' Without A Trace).
NBC5 hit the late night winner's circle among 25-to-54-year-olds, though.
At 6 a.m., Belo8's Daybreak continued this week's string of first-place finishes. Fox4's slumping Good Day ran a distant second in total homes, just ahead of third-place NBC5. In the key 25-to-54 demo, Belo8 again topped the field while Fox4 fell to third, just a smidgen behind the Peacock and just a smidgen ahead of long-time last-placer CBS11.
That's not a particularly good sign for Fox4 heading into the February sweeps, but there's precedent for a winter slump. The station ran second at 6 a.m. in the February 2006 ratings period, but behind NBC5 instead of Belo8. Fox4 then rebounded to win both the May and November sweeps last year.
It otherwise was business as usual in the 5 and 6 p.m. Thursday Nielsens, with Belo8 running the table at both hours.
Fox4 enjoyed another big night in prime-time Thursday, but its sudden early morning woes got even worse.
It opened the night with a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders-infused first hour of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, which easily topped the 7 p.m. competition in total homes (238,689) and also won handily with 18-to-49-year-olds. Um, the Cheerleaders weren't mental giants, but it didn't take an Einstein to foresee that. Besides, they're not paid for having voluptuous gray matter.
A second hour of Smarter held strong to finish just a bit behind a CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation repeat in total homes while whipping all comers in the 18-to-49 demo.
Fox4's local 9 p.m. newscast then won by comfortable margins in both ratings measurements, and drew the most total homes (263,045) of any Thursday program day or night.
At 10 p.m., though, Fox4 fell back to fourth place in total homes and to third with 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming. Belo8 and CBS11 shared the total homes lead at that hour, with the latter station for once managing to improve on its lead-in (from CBS' Without A Trace).
NBC5 hit the late night winner's circle among 25-to-54-year-olds, though.
At 6 a.m., Belo8's Daybreak continued this week's string of first-place finishes. Fox4's slumping Good Day ran a distant second in total homes, just ahead of third-place NBC5. In the key 25-to-54 demo, Belo8 again topped the field while Fox4 fell to third, just a smidgen behind the Peacock and just a smidgen ahead of long-time last-placer CBS11.
That's not a particularly good sign for Fox4 heading into the February sweeps, but there's precedent for a winter slump. The station ran second at 6 a.m. in the February 2006 ratings period, but behind NBC5 instead of Belo8. Fox4 then rebounded to win both the May and November sweeps last year.
It otherwise was business as usual in the 5 and 6 p.m. Thursday Nielsens, with Belo8 running the table at both hours.
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