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Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Fri.-Tues., April 26-30) -- weathering heights for Fox4

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
D-FW’s four major TV news providers went wall-wall with severe weather coverage Tuesday evening, preempting the 5:30 p.m. network evening newscasts and the 6:30 p.m. syndicated programming, including Wheel of Fortune on CBS11.

The coverage also bled into the 7 p.m. start of network entertainment programming, with CBS11 briefly shifting a new episode of NCIS to sister station Texas21 for a portion of the 7 to 7:30 p.m. slot.

In the head-to-head 5 to 7 p.m. competition, Fox4 drew the most eyeballs overall, losing only the 5 to 5:30 p.m. slot. But among 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming), the station ranked No. 1 for the full two-hour period.

Let’s look at the highs and lows, first in total viewers.

NBC5 narrowly led from 5 to 5:30 p.m., drawing 189,791 viewers to nip WFAA8 (182,762) and also outdraw Fox4 (161,674) and CBS11 (84,352), which ran last throughout these two hours.

Fox4 then took over, winning from 5:30 to 7 p.m. with a peak audience of 267,113 viewers between 5:30 and 6 p.m. NBC5 and WFAA8 tied for second place in the 5:30 to 6 p.m. slot before the Peacock took sole command of the runner-up position from 6 to 7 p.m.

Fox4’s 9 p.m. local newscast also outdrew all competing network entertainment programming, with 217,908 viewers. CBS’ NCIS: New Orleans ran second (196,820 viewers).

Among 25-to-54-year-olds, Fox4 stole the thunder throughout, winning comfortably from 5 to 7 p.m. and in the 9 p.m. hour. The station hit its peak in this key news demographic with 111,677 viewers from 6 to 7 p.m. NBC5 and WFAA8 tied for second place among 25-to-54-year-olds from 5 to 5:30 p.m. before the Peacock ran second by itself for the remaining 90 minutes until 7 p.m. CBS11 again held down last place throughout.

In Monday’s Nielsen ratings, NBC’s first hour of The Voice won from 7 to 8 p.m. in total viewers. Fox and Fox4 then reigned with 9-1-1 and the 9 p.m. local news.

In the advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-old age range, Fox and Fox4 had a clean sweep in the Big Four broadcast network universe with The Resident, 9-1-1 and the local news. But over on cable’s NBC Sports Net, the Dallas Stars’ 4-3 loss to the visiting St. Louis Blues in Game 3 of their Stanley Cup playoff series took the 9 to 10 p.m. hour with 57,365 viewers compared to 51,326 for Fox4’s newscast.

On Sunday night, CBS fared fairly well in total viewers with the two-premiere of The Red Line, an eight-hour limited series running weekly from 7 to 9 p.m. The first Sunday night installment averaged 126,527 viewers to run second in the broadcast network universe to ABC’s competing American Idol (210,879 viewers).

Among 18-to-49ers, Red Line fell to third place, outdrawing only NBC’s competing two hours of World of Dance. Sorry, but the D-FW ratings for HBO’s Game of Thrones, which almost assuredly ranked No. 1 Sunday night, are not immediately available.

On Saturday afternoon, Game 2 of the Stars-Blues series, airing on the more visible NBC broadcast network, pulled in 126,527 total viewers, with 45,288 in the 18-to-49 realm. Those were both bigger crowds than anything airing in prime-time.

Friday’s overall prime-time pacesetter, CBS’ 9 p.m. episode of Blue Bloods, drew 224,938 total viewers. But it was beaten in the 9 p.m. hour among 18-to-49ers by the waning stages of ABC’s NFL draft presentation, which had 33,211 viewers.

OK, here we go with the local news derby results for Friday, Monday and Tuesday, the second, third and fourth weekdays of the still embryonic May “sweeps” ratings period.

Friday -- WFAA8 again had its 10 p.m. newscast obliterated by ABC’s ongoing NFL draft coverage, which also rubbed out the station’s 6 p.m. news.

The downsized three-way 10 p.m. battle was won by CBS11 in total viewers, with NBC5 taking the top spot with 25-to-54-year-olds.

Fox4 again swept the 6 a.m. competitions, but barely held off WFAA8 in the 25-to-54 measurement.

Fox4 also won at 5 and 6 p.m. with 25-to-54-year-olds. The total viewers golds went to WFAA8 at 5 p.m. and CBS11 at 6 p.m.

Monday -- NBC5 took the 10 p.m. gold in total viewers while Fox4 prevailed with 25-to-54-year-olds.

Fox4 ran the table at 6 a.m., this time by a more comfortable margin over WFAA8 in the 25-to-54 realm.

The Peacock drew the most total viewers at 6 p.m., with Fox4 tops among 25-to-54-year-olds. At 5 p.m., WFAA8 had the most total viewers while Fox4 again won among 25-to-54-year-olds.

Tuesday -- CBS11 won at 10 p.m. in total viewers, and Fox4 again reigned among 25-to-54-year-olds.

Fox4 had twin wins at both 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. The 5 p.m. firsts went to NBC5 in total viewers and Fox4 in the 25-to-54 realm.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net