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NBC5 rules the P.M. roost while Fox 4 retains morning championship in November newscast ratings "sweeps"

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
A new ratings rajah has emerged from D-FW’s November newscast ratings “sweeps.”

It’s NBC5. The Peacock won six of the eight major four-way races after barely winning just one in November 2015. All of the P.M. newscast firsts went to NBC5 in the total viewers and 25-to-54-year-old measurements (main advertiser target audience for news programming). NBC5 also ran a solid second at 6 a.m. behind Fox4.

In contrast, TEGNA8 fell firmly into the have-nots category by going winless for the first time in recent memory. As anticipated, CBS11 likewise was shut out. TEGNA8 had a solid win in total viewers at 10 p.m. last November while CBS11 was tops at 6 p.m. in that measurement. Fox4, which a year ago swept the 25-to-54-year-old races at 6 a.m. and 5, 6 and 10 p.m., could not get past NBC5 this time out in the early evening and late night contests.

This year’s 20-weekday sweeps ran from Oct. 27th to the day before Thanksgiving. Here are the results in the four main battlegrounds, with year-to-year plusses or minuses in parentheses.

10 P.M.

Total Viewers
NBC5 -- 159,964 (plus 2,310)
TEGNA8 -- 152,693 (minus 43,914)
CBS11 -- 138,151 (minus 18,441)
Fox4 -- 123,609 (minus 13,294)

25-to-54-Year-Olds
NBC5 -- 57,727 (minus 4,180)
Fox4 -- 54,121 (minus 19,989)
TEGNA8 -- 45,101 (minus 23,800)
CBS11 -- 27,060 (minus 14,578)

Comments: TEGNA8 suffered the largest audience losses in both ratings barometers, but also got little help from the ABC network in terms of 9:45 to 10 p.m. lead-in audiences. NBC5 overall benefited from the best network lead-ins and for the most part held on to those audiences. All four stations lost viewers in the key 25-to-54-year-old measurement, with the Peacock’s drop-off insignificant compared to its competitors. The respective leaders last November were TEGNA8 in total viewers and Fox4 with 25-to-54-year-olds.

6 A.M.

Total Viewers
Fox4 -- 109,067 (minus 16,858)
NBC5 -- 72,711 (minus 2,858)
TEGNA8 -- 58,169 (minus 13,717)
CBS11 -- 43,627 (minus 4,108)

25-to-54-Year-Olds
Fox4 -- 57,127 (minus 4,691)
NBC5 -- 45,101 (plus 11,409)
TEGNA8 -- 21,047 (minus 5,650)
CBS11 -- 18,040 (plus 2,772)

Comments NBC5 significantly closed the gap among 25-to-54-year-olds and also got closer to Fox 4 in total viewers. Although logging two last-place finishes, CBS11 made a small gain among 25-to-54-year-olds to pull close behind TEGNA8 in the battle for a distant third place. Fox4 was without regular co-anchor Lauren Przybyl, who’s on maternity leave.

6 P.M.

Total Viewers
NBC5 -- 138,151 (minus 5,693)
TEGNA8 -- 130,880 (minus 6,589)
Fox4 -- 109,067 (minus 31,094)
CBS11 -- 101,795 (minus 45,023)

25-to-54-Year-Olds
NBC5 -- 57,127 (plus 2,125)
TEGNA8 -- 39,087 (minus 5,141)
Fox4 -- 36,080 (minus 24,041)
CBS11 -- 24,054 (minus 2,762)

Comments CBS11 went from first to worst in total viewers, dropping more of them year-to-year than its three rivals combined. Fox4 wasn’t much better among 25-to-54-year-olds, falling from first to third and also losing more viewers than its three rivals combined. Despite dropping in both measurements from November 2015, TEGNA8 went from last to second in total viewers and also moved up a notch with 25-to-54-year-olds.

5 P.M.

Total Viewers
NBC5 -- 130,880 (minus 6,731)
Fox4 -- 109,067 (minus 26,419)
TEGNA8 -- 87,253 (minus 25,853)
CBS11 -- 72,711 (minus 23,185)

25-to-54-Year-Olds
NBC5 -- 45,102 (plus 6,886)
Fox4 -- 33,074 (minus 15,231)
TEGNA8 -- 24,054 (minus 9,578)
CBS11 -- 15,034 (minus 7,199)

Comments: Fox4 took the biggest year-to-year nose dives in both measurements, particularly with 25-to-54-year-olds. But the picture isn’t overly pretty for anyone, with NBC5 the only station to show any gains. TEGNA8 and CBS11 both logged the same dismal finishes they did last year. And CBS11 is getting dangerously close to having no measurable audience in the key 25-to-54 demographic.

In other ratings results . . .

*** Fox4’s 9 p.m. local newscast wasn’t quite as potent this time out, beating only ABC network programming in that hour among total viewers. But it trailed only NBC from 9 to 10 p.m. among 25-to-54-year-olds and 18-to-49-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for entertainment programming).

*** Fox4’s 7 to 9 a.m. portion of Good Day ran first in total viewers against the three competing network morning shows and tied NBC’s Today for the top spot in the 25-to-54 and 18-to-49 audience measurements.

*** TEGNA8’s long-running, homegrown Good Morning Texas, which airs at 9 a.m. weekdays, ran fourth in both total viewers and 25-to-54-year-olds behind competing syndicated and network programming on Fox4, NBC5 and CBS11. It tied CBS’ double dose of Let’s Make A Deal for third with 18-to-49-year-olds. But GMT’s mini pay-for-play infomercials continue to pay the freight and make a profit.

***The TEGNA corporation’s first syndicated programming effort, T.D. Jakes, was no touchdown at 3 p.m. It ran a distant fourth in all ratings measurements while also deflating the ratings for TEGNA8’s 4 p.m. local news, which drew less than half the audience of NBC5’s dominant competing newscast but tied CBS11’s local edition in total viewers and 25-to-54-year-olds.

***CBS11’s syndicated Wheel of Fortune keeps chugging along at 6:30 p.m., easily winning its time period in total viewers and running second to NBC5’s syndicated Extra with 25-to-54-year-olds and 18-to-49-year-olds.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net