May Sweeps Ratings

[AA55 39]

Anyone have inside scoop on how the channels are faring at 5,6 and 11?

 

Is ABC 7 still number one?

IS NBC 4 still bleeding viewers?

IS CBS 2 still rising?

 

Discuss.

[Guest]

Way too early.

[AA55 39]

know we get a full report at the end of the month but was wondering if anyone had access to daily tracking numbers.

[NYNews 54]

Is ABC 7 still number one? Overall, still number 1, but loses to WCBS at 4pm and 5pm.

IS NBC 4 still bleeding viewers? Most likely.

IS CBS 2 still rising? Number 1 at 5pm.

 

Maybe WPIX should scrap their whole news organization, or what's left of it. WNYW trounces them big time, even in the mornings (WPIX used to beat them in the A.M.). Otherwise, get rid of Bill Carey. I know they want to try something new, but it's not working. He should take responsibility and resign.

 

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/may-sweeps-results-wabc-overall-winner-wcbs-claims-5-p-m-wnyw-wins-at-10-p-m_b60710

[AA55 39]

thanks so much for this.

[PIXfan 34]

I'm not surprised by the WPIX "news" numbers, in the morning or at night. Fishbowl also says Channel 11 is getting its butt kicked hard year-to-year. The crap they put out now does not work, has not worked, and probably never will work. They made a gigantic mistake splitting up Kaity and Jim, and letting some of its best reporters go (some, I believe, had anchor potential). However bad the ratings were then, they are getting worse by the day now. Bill Carey has to be the worst news executive, past or present, in the New York metropolitan area. He should be fired; I certainly wouldn't give him the chance to quit. Eric Meyrowitz, the general manager at WPIX, is no better, letting all of this happen on his watch, and doing nothing to stop it -- But then again, he was general manager at the Trib's WDCW, which carries no news broadcasts at all. They should have brought someone from either WGN or KTLA to run Channel 11; instead, the kooks that run Tribune Broadcasting went with someone with no experience running a news-intensive outlet. So they, too, are to blame for PIX's ratings woes.

 

Get rid of Carey and Meyrowitz, and bring in people who are committed to growing the news operation (rather than destroy it, as these two clowns have done), and maybe, just maybe, people will start taking PIX seriously as a news institution.

 

P.S. Amazingly, WPIX won six 2012 New York area Emmy awards for the garbage they try to sell as "news." Channel 11, more often than not, used to win Emmys by the DOZEN--Am I right or wrong?

 

Also, does anyone have the news sweeps ratings for WWOR-TV (My9)? At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if even they beat WPIX at 10 p.m.

[tvknowledge 5]

No, I'm not Bill or Eric but to be fair, let it be known the Fishbowl writer allegedly has a personal vendetta against PIX from long time relationships with some of those who were fired as well as his current relationship with some anchors and management at Fox. While the article is mostly objective, the subjective writing and use of adjectives should raise a red flag. Interesting how particular numbers, demos and time slots were picked for the comparison to justify the PIX haters. While I'm sure the Tribune money turmoil does not help in how much presence the station can achieve, there were bright spots.

 

The 10pm has shown growth in all demos and total households. Why the "crushing" defeat by Fox? let's even the playing field and compare lead ins, topped by A.I. with total hh #'s of 5's, 6's and 7's (higher than ever) to CW programming that often is 1 or lower. No doubt, Fox retains many of those viewers and therefore the growth or as the writer puts it "crushing" defeat.

PIX's 10pm news always jumps above the lead in, sometimes doubling the numbers and that's what a station looks for. The improvement is not as substantial at 5pm but the numbers no longer drop off after Anderson. As a testament to the lack of interest in Fox 5 at 6, old Family Guy reruns often wins that time slot. The mornings have gained in all demos and totals but so has GDNY leading to the article's one comparative number at at 7am. The so called "bulge" is much less during all other morning hours.

 

An even brighter spot has been the weekends, now frequently winning it's 6 & 10 pm timeslot in several of the quarter hours against Fox in households and almost as regularly in the key demos.

In answer to the above question, the Fishbowl article also failed to point out that PIX clobbers (as long as we're using strong adjectives) My9 news every single weeknight in all categories, sometimes doubled or tripled. Even the old TV10 & 55 had better numbers than My9 on a regular basis! Now that 1/2 hour joke of a newscast is worthy of it's own thread with all due respect to the talented Brenda Blackmon.

 

Basically, there is no doubt there is huge room for changes and improvement but be careful of the writer's slant and bias without looking directly at all the numbers. It's similar to the congratulatory pat-on-the-back station memos put out by 2 and 7 both claiming victories by messaging and finagling with the numbers.

[Geoffrey 779]

I don't believe that the FishBowlNY writer has a personal vendetta against WPIX. I wouldn't doubt that he knows past and present employees -- every good media writer needs sources -- but it doesn't take a personal relationship with an employee who was let go to realize that the product WPIX puts out is junk. After the first 15 minutes or so of the 10 p.m. news, there's hardly any news. Just a bunch of talking heads and show boaters. (And I say this as a big fan of Jodi Applegate, just not the format.) Also, I'm pretty sure that most of the writer's information came from station press releases and if WPIX didn't write one (usually when there's no way to put out a good spin), then that station's perspective isn't represented.

 

WPIX used to have a classy evening newscast and their morning newscast was fresh. They're both unwatchable now.

[PIXfan 34]

I am not a PIX hater, actually WPIX is my favorite TV station in NYC (next to WABC); I just don't like what Carey and Meyrowitz have done with the news operation. The 10 p.m. newscast was appointment viewing for me, since, as Geoffrey pointed out, they once had a classy newscast, and the newscasts on 5 and 9 are garbage. Stooping to their level (or lower) has not worked for Channel 11, and they need to return to being a traditional broadcast, at least a respectable alternative to the Fox outlets.

 

As for the morning news...NYNews is correct in saying that PIX used to beat Fox 5 in the mornings. But the problems that hurt PIX at night made its way to the morning, firing John Muller, reducing Linda Church's hours (she is probably on her way out), letting Jill Nicolini jump to Channel 5. And if they even touch Sukanya...it's over.

 

If the management is unable or unwilling to admit they screwed up, then they need to go. It has been over a year and a half since the shakeup, and WPIX really doesn't have anything to show for it. Except for a bunch of viewers that switched channels. I, for one, wait until 11 p.m. for a "real" newscast on WABC (WNBC and WCBS as well). And the only reason I still watch PIX in the morning is because GDNY is the worst.

 

I believe once the money problems are resolved at at Tribune, we will see a renewed commitment to all of their properties. And hopefully they will show Carey and Meyrowitz the door. Once and for all.