powered by FreeFind

Apple iTunes

Archives

Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Fri.-Sun., Dec. 6-8) -- your official Sleetnado report

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
All four of D-FW’s major TV news providers went all in early Friday morning during the pivotal formative hours of Sleetnado.

So let’s look at the ice-spiked ratings from 4 to 10 a.m., when Fox4, NBC5, WFAA8 and CBS11 banged heads. Here are the hour by hour ratings in both total viewers and 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).

4 to 5 A.M.

Total Viewers
Fox4 -- 81,665
NBC5 -- 49,709
WFAA8 -- 39,057
CBS11 -- 19,529

25-to-54
Fox4 -- 43,418
NBC5/WFAA8 -- 19,805 each
CBS11 -- 7,617

5 to 6 A.M.

Total Viewers
Fox4 -- 142,026
NBC5 -- 81,665
WFAA8 -- 79,890
CBS11 -- 71,013

25-to-54
Fox4 -- 79,219
NBC5 -- 51,036
WFAA8 -- 47,989
CBS11 -- 33,516

6 to 7 A.M.

Total Viewers
Fox4 -- 191,735
NBC5 -- 156,229
WFAA8 -- 134,925
CBS11 -- 113,621

25-to-54
Fox4 -- 100,548
NBC5 -- 91,407
WFAA8 -- 76,173
CBS11 -- 39,610

7 to 8 A.M.
Fox4 -- 241.444
NBC5 -- 216,590
WFAA8 -- 175,757
CBS11 -- 117,171

25-to-54
Fox4 -- 152,345
NBC5 -- 102,071
WFAA8 -- 83,790
CBS11 -- 43,418

8 to 9 A.M.

Total Viewers
Fox4 -- 259,197
WFAA8 -- 250,321
NBC5 -- 243,220
CBS11 -- 150,903

25-to-54
Fox4 -- 165,294
WFAA8 -- 109,688
NBC5 -- 107,403
CBS11 -- 60,176

9 to 10 A.M.

Total Viewers
Fox4 -- 234,343
WFAA8 -- 213,039
NBC5 -- 177,533
CBS11 -- 172,207

25-to-54
Fox4 -- 127,970
NBC5 -- 112,735
WFAA8 -- 88,360
CBS11 -- 54,844

Comments: -- Fox4, which won the early morning November “sweeps” comfortably in both ratings measurements, impressively cruised to first place finishes in every time frame. The station won with relative ease despite having just two reporters out in the frigid elements (the departing Fiona Gorostiza within the confines of DFW Airport doesn’t count) compared to five apiece for NBC5, WFAA8 and CBS11. Fox4 station management should spring for at least a snow cone feast at some point on Monday.

WFAA8, which has a history of being the go-to station for big breaking news, for the most part ran second to NBC5. The Peacock’s brand new state-of-the-art studios and “Weather Experts” desk may have helped in this case. NBC5 also had the best visual backdrop for its anchors -- a constant full-screen look at the foreboding elements. WFAA8 did overtake NBC5 from 8 to 10 a.m. in total viewers, though. But that’s no cause for celebration when you run third in that measurement from 4 to 8 a.m. while NBC5 also ranks as the No. 2 overall station among 25-to-54-year-olds.

CBS11 remained in fourth place from start to finish. But it’s no longer getting completely obliterated and came close to WFAA8 in total viewers from 5 to 7 a.m. The station’s 25-to-54 demographics remain inclement, though.

Ratings likewise were inflated for Friday, 5, 6 and 10 p.m. local newscasts. In those realms. WFAA8 had the most total viewers at 10 p.m. but Fox4 reigned with 25-to-54-year-olds after its 9 p.m. newscast beat all competing network programming in both ratings barometers.

NBC5 swept the 5 p.m. Nielsens by comfortable margins. At 6 p.m., Fox4 nipped the Peacock in total viewers while rolling up a bigger win with 25-to-54-year-olds.

OK, on to Sunday’s NFL Nielsens, where Fox’s noon telecast of the picturesque Philadelphia Eagles-Detroit Lions Snow Bowl led the way with 624,914 total viewers. Fox’s combination of Chargers-Giants and 49ers-Seahawks then averaged 546,800 viewers, with the ratings perking up notably when the network finally went to San Fran after 5 p.m. 49ers-Seahawks peaked at 681,725 viewers from 6:15 to 6:30 p.m.

Ratings for NBC’s marquee Sunday Night Football matchup -- Saints vs. Panthers -- no doubt suffered from New Orleans’ dominant win. The game still averaged a very nice-sized 553,901 viewers. Sunday’s biggest loser, CBS’ early telecast of the Chiefs blowout of the Redskins, drew 198,836 viewers.

Saturday’s college football parade was paced by ABC’s Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game and Fox’s Baylor-Texas games. Each averaged roughly 440,281 viewers in preliminary ratings.

Fox’s prime-time Michigan State-Ohio State face-off came in third with 390,572 viewers while CBS’ afternoon Auburn-Missouri game had 347,964.

The nation also was treated to the SMU-University of Central Florida game on ESPN, which fired up at 11 a.m. in cold Ford Field. With virtually no one in attendance -- despite the lure of free seats -- the game drew 63,912 viewers for a 17-13 UCF win.

Let’s be blunt here. SMU would have been bowl eligible with a victory while UCF came in ranked No. 16 and now will play Baylor in the BCS Fiesta Bowl. But the SMU student body and alumni basically couldn’t be bothered. The Mustangs remain the least-supported major college sports program in the nation, which ESPN’s occasional views of a near-empty stadium again proved Saturday.

Meanwhile, SMU students were drawing up a petition to get Monday off from classes.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net