Channel 4 News back on top after May sweeps
Alan Pergament
Updated: 05/28/08 6:51 AM
Leftovers after the long holiday weekend:
• It looks like first-place Channel 4 News has slowed second-place Channel 2’s momentum.
Anchored by Don Postles and Jacquie Walker, Channel 4 is back atop the 11 p. m. news ratings during the May sweeps, after losing that competition to Channel 2’s Scott Levin and Maryalice Demler in February. The February loss at 11 p. m. was Channel 4’s first defeat in almost seven years.
According to preliminary reports, Channel 4 averaged an 11.6 rating (representing 11.6 percent of area households) at 11 p. m. in May, compared to Channel 2’s 10.7 rating. Channel 2 had won, 11.2-9.8, in February.
Channel 4 was No. 1 in every newscast except for 6 a. m., when Channel 2’s “Daybreak” defeated Channel 4’s “Wake Up,” 6.6-6.1.
Channel 7 is a distant third at 11 p. m. and all newscasts except at noon. And it might not be second at noon for long. Channel 2’s new 30-minute newscast cut Channel 7’s three-point lead for second place in February to .4.
Channel 4 wins at noon with an 8.0, beating the combined audience of Channel 7 (3.9) and Channel 2 (3.5).
Channel 2’s 10 p. m. newscast on WNYO also made significant strides, almost doubling its audience from a year ago and hitting a 2.9 rating. Still, that is about half the audience for Channel 4’s 10 p. m. newscast on WNLO, which averaged a 5.6 rating.
In prime time, Channel 4, the local CBS affiliate, was first with a 9.7 average household rating. CBS also was No. 1 nationally, though the “American Idol” network — Fox — was a big winner in the important 18 through 49 demographic over ABC. Channel 7, the ABC affiliate, was second locally with an 8.3 and Fox affiliate Channel 29 was third with a 7.8. Channel 2, the NBC affiliate, was fourth with a 5.8 rating. WNLO, the CW affiliate, was fifth with a 1.6, and MyNetwork TV affiliate WNYO was sixth with a 1.2. Only the Fox and MyNetwork TV affiliates saw gains from a year earlier. However, the post-writers’ strike prime-time ratings collectively only fell 1.9 rating points locally from a year ago.
Notably, the syndicated “Judge Judy” (5.9) on Channel 29 moved ahead of Channel 2’s “Insider” (5.0) and Channel 4’s “Inside Edition” at 7 p. m. for second place in the time period. Channel 7’s “Wheel of Fortune,” remains No. 1 there with a 9.1.
• NBC, which has become the reality show network, did so poorly in May that it isn’t surprising that it is looking forward and is the first network to announce its fall premiere dates. “Heroes” returns with a two-hour opener Sept. 22 that is preceded by an hour compilation show of the previous two seasons. “America’s Toughest Jobs,” the competition reality series from Batavia’s Thom Beers (“Deadliest Catch”) has been moved up from the summer of 2009 to Friday, Sept. 12, when it has a two-hour premiere.
• The latest round of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” bombed so badly locally and nationally last Thursday that it faces the possibility of being yanked or moved to cable. The 90-minute premiere had a 3.3 rating on Channel 2, about one-third of the audience of its lead-in, “Deal or No Deal.” Of course, competing opposite the season finale of “Grey’s Anatomy” was no joking matter.
• ABC has cleverly announced the “season finale” of “Men in Trees” will air June 11. Actually, it is the series finale. The Anne Heche series has been canceled.
• Three Western New York natives will be featured June 11 when PBS carries “Cleveland Orchestra in Performance: Bruckner Symphony No. 5.” The three are: Jonathan Sherwin (bassoon) of Amherst High, Thomas Sperl (bass) of Williamsville South and Kevin Swiatalski (bass) of Cleveland Hill High School of Cheektowaga.
• Four off-camera members of Channel 7’s newsroom — including two producers — were given two-week notices last week. Sources said that leaves the news department with four producers, about half the number at Channel 4.
