Nov. sweeps: 7News breaks 9

[Colorado Media Newsroom]

From the Denver Post:




Denver’s 9News, known for its round the clock TV ratings dominance, showed new vulnerability in the just completed November sweeps, as 7News won the early morning ratings battle.
NBC affiliate KUSA lost its claim to across-the-board kingpin status as ABC affiliate KMGH enjoyed a surge.
7News is No. 1 from 4:30 a.m.-5:30 a.m., is tied with 9News at 5:30 a.m and is closing the gap from 6-7 a.m.
KUSA’s Mark Cornetta countered that the morning race is “neck and neck,” and noted that “overall viewing levels have dropped precipitously” at 4:30 a.m.
For many years, KUSA drew more viewers in the morning than all the competing stations combined. As recently as November 2010, 9News scored a 2.8 rating and 25.7 share while KMGH was No. 2 with a 0.7 rating, 6 share. This month, KMGH came out on top.
7News revamped its morning format at the end of summer under new owner E.W. Scripps.
“It’s all about what’s happening right now,” said KMGH News Director Jeff Harris.
At 5 a.m., “7News Now” scored a 0.9 rating and 16 share; “9News Daybreak” followed with a 0.7 rating, 12 share; “CBS4 Morning News” trailed with a 0.4 rating, 6 share.
Channel 7′s win might reflect the national disenchantment with NBC’s “Today.” The effect of “lead-in” programming “can creep backwards for sure,” Harris said, “but if anything, Denver is the “Today” show’s last stand. They’re still doing fairly well here compared to the rest of the country.”
From 7-9 a.m., “Good Morning America” on Channel 7 and “Today” on Channel 9 were tied with a 1.6 rating and 14 share; “CBS This Morning” on Channel 4 lagged with an average 0.8 rating, 7 share.
In the late news battle, 9News wins, with help from NBC which had its first November win in nine years. On weeknights at 10 p.m., among adults 25-54, KUSA wins with a 4.3 rating, 14.2 share (or percent of the viewing audience), KMGH is No. 2 with a 2.5 rating and 8.2 share, KCNC trails with a 2.1 rating and 7 share. KDVR’s 9 p.m. newscast has a 2.1 rating and 5.8 share. 9News sister station KTVD has a 1.3 rating at 9 p.m.


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