Colorado Media Newsroom
February 27th, 2013, 03:54 PM
From The Denver Post:
With one night left in the February 2013 sweeps, when local ratings are measured to set future advertising rates, Denver is a reshaped TV market compared to what it’s been historically. For decades, the town was dominated by a single monolithic TV entity, KUSA. Now, at 10 p.m. the difference between the first- and third-ranked station is barely more than a rating point.
The 10 p.m. newscasts, viewers age 25-54, Monday through Sunday, for Feb. 2013:
KUSA 3.6 rating, 13 share
KCNC 2.5 rating, 9 share
KMGH 2.5 rating, 9 share
Of course NBC nationally is hitting new lows (hello “Do No Harm,” “Smash,” “Deception,” “1600 Penn.”), while CBS won February for the first time since 1998 (thanks to “The Big Bang Theory,” “NCIS,” the Super Bowl and the Grammys). NBC ranked last behind CBS, ABC and Univision.
Arguably CBS4 should be doing better at 10 p.m., although it does claim sign-on to sign-off dominance. And while it’s apples-and-oranges, Fox31 scores a very solid 2.5 rating, 7 share for its 9 p.m. newscast.
Here’s what Denver prime time looked like:
(M-Sat. 7-10pm, Sun 6-10pm):
KCNC: 218,000 viewers
KMGH: 113,000
KDVR: 69,000
KUSA: 62,000
In the morning race, Channel 7 continues its consistent growth, but it’s very close: At 5-5:30 a.m., 7News has a 0.8 rating, 13 share; 9News has slipped to a 0.6 rating, 9 share; Channel 31 has a 0.4 rating, 7 share; Channel 2 has a 0.4 rating, 6 share, and CBS4 has a 0.3 rating, 6 share. How close is it? The margin of error could change the standings.
Similarly, at 5 p.m., 9News has less than a rating point advantage (2.0 rating, 11 share), while CBS4 grew to a 1.3 rating, 7 share, Fox 31 KDVR has a 1.2 rating, 6 share and 7News has a 1.1 rating, 6 share.
Overall, the number of people seeking TV news on the tube has declined consistently over the last decade, but the number of people seeking news content from TV stations on various devices has increased. (http://www.denverpost.com/portal/ostrow/ci_15470596?_loopback=1) TV news is meeting the audience where they are, ie. iPads, smartphones. For some perspective on what this market used to look like, consider the Feb. 1996 sweeps, when Channel 9′s late newscast drew as many 25-54-year-old women (the target audience) as Channel 4 and Channel 7 combined. In those days, 9News regularly scored a 28 share or better for its late news. That year, business was so good, 9News reduced the number of commercials per newscast and dropped the infomercials that accounted for nearly $2 million a year, choosing to make up that money in advertising elsewhere. No chance anyone’s cutting back on paid programming now. We’re living in a different age.
More... (http://blogs.denverpost.com/ostrow/2013/02/27/feb-sweeps/13097/)
With one night left in the February 2013 sweeps, when local ratings are measured to set future advertising rates, Denver is a reshaped TV market compared to what it’s been historically. For decades, the town was dominated by a single monolithic TV entity, KUSA. Now, at 10 p.m. the difference between the first- and third-ranked station is barely more than a rating point.
The 10 p.m. newscasts, viewers age 25-54, Monday through Sunday, for Feb. 2013:
KUSA 3.6 rating, 13 share
KCNC 2.5 rating, 9 share
KMGH 2.5 rating, 9 share
Of course NBC nationally is hitting new lows (hello “Do No Harm,” “Smash,” “Deception,” “1600 Penn.”), while CBS won February for the first time since 1998 (thanks to “The Big Bang Theory,” “NCIS,” the Super Bowl and the Grammys). NBC ranked last behind CBS, ABC and Univision.
Arguably CBS4 should be doing better at 10 p.m., although it does claim sign-on to sign-off dominance. And while it’s apples-and-oranges, Fox31 scores a very solid 2.5 rating, 7 share for its 9 p.m. newscast.
Here’s what Denver prime time looked like:
(M-Sat. 7-10pm, Sun 6-10pm):
KCNC: 218,000 viewers
KMGH: 113,000
KDVR: 69,000
KUSA: 62,000
In the morning race, Channel 7 continues its consistent growth, but it’s very close: At 5-5:30 a.m., 7News has a 0.8 rating, 13 share; 9News has slipped to a 0.6 rating, 9 share; Channel 31 has a 0.4 rating, 7 share; Channel 2 has a 0.4 rating, 6 share, and CBS4 has a 0.3 rating, 6 share. How close is it? The margin of error could change the standings.
Similarly, at 5 p.m., 9News has less than a rating point advantage (2.0 rating, 11 share), while CBS4 grew to a 1.3 rating, 7 share, Fox 31 KDVR has a 1.2 rating, 6 share and 7News has a 1.1 rating, 6 share.
Overall, the number of people seeking TV news on the tube has declined consistently over the last decade, but the number of people seeking news content from TV stations on various devices has increased. (http://www.denverpost.com/portal/ostrow/ci_15470596?_loopback=1) TV news is meeting the audience where they are, ie. iPads, smartphones. For some perspective on what this market used to look like, consider the Feb. 1996 sweeps, when Channel 9′s late newscast drew as many 25-54-year-old women (the target audience) as Channel 4 and Channel 7 combined. In those days, 9News regularly scored a 28 share or better for its late news. That year, business was so good, 9News reduced the number of commercials per newscast and dropped the infomercials that accounted for nearly $2 million a year, choosing to make up that money in advertising elsewhere. No chance anyone’s cutting back on paid programming now. We’re living in a different age.
More... (http://blogs.denverpost.com/ostrow/2013/02/27/feb-sweeps/13097/)