“GMA” vs. “Today”: tenths of a rating point in Denver

[Colorado Media Newsroom]

From the Denver Post:



Peter Kramer/NBC
Matt Lauer, with Robert DeNiro.

After 16 years at the top, the former kingpin of morning television, NBC’s “Today” has been on a highly publicized ratings decline and management reshuffle, as ABC’s “Good Morning America” has taken the lead. Denver is the rare market where “Today” clings to a tiny advantage.
Moving to shore up “Today,” the network this week put Alexandra Wallace in charge. Wallace is a senior VP at NBC, a TV news veteran and the first woman to oversee the show (whose audience is primarily women). Wallace bumped executive producer Jim Bell to a post overseeing production of the Olympics and gave the “Today” exec producer title to Don Nash, a longtime “Today” producer. It was Bell’s decision to boot Ann Curry, a move that only contributed to the implosion of the wake-up show.
The latest unattributed quote out of the NBC ranks has a former executive saying “Today” won’t reclaim its lead until Matt Lauer (pictured, with Robert DeNiro) takes his leave. Ouch.

Most bets are on “Good Morning America” to continue its ascendance nationally. In Denver, well-placed TV insiders say privately they expect to see “GMA” on KMGH-Channel 7 overtake “Today” on KUSA-Channel 9 by February.
For November so far, among Denver viewers age 25-54, “GMA” is within tenths of a point of “Today.” “Today” on KUSA has a 1.7 rating, 14.9 share (or percent of the viewing audience). “GMA” on KMGH has a 1.5 rating, 13.6 share. “CBS This Morning” on KCNC has a 0.8 rating, 7.0 share.


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