MEDIA

WTVG-TV, Ch. 13, dominates Nielsen’s May sweeps book

WTVG-TV, Channel 13, co-anchors Lee Conklin and Diane Larson address their viewers during a broadcast at their studio.

Nielsen Media Research Co. released its May sweeps book Thursday, and in Toledo-area ratings, WTVG-TV, Channel 13, was dominant.

The ABC affiliate swept the 5 to 7 morning newscasts as well as the 5 to 6 and 6 to 6:30 evening news in total viewers ages 2 and older and in the key advertising demographic of ages 25 to 54. The station split the 11 p.m. ratings with WTOL-TV, Channel 11, winning the advertising-coveted demo, while the CBS affiliate won in total viewership.

WTOL handily won the noon newscast in both total viewers and in the demo.

WNWO-TV, Channel 24, showed year-to-year improvement in the 2-plus category for the 6 and 11 p.m. local news. In the same category, ratings also were up for Fox affiliate WUPW-TV, Channel 36, which partners with WTOL for a shared newsroom, for three of its four newscasts: 7 to 8 and 8 to 9 a.m., and 10 to 11 p.m.

As for the raw numbers, WTVG was watched by an average of 18,500 total viewers last month from 5 to 6 a.m., and 43,000 from 6 to 7 a.m., compared to 9,000 and 22,500 for WTOL during those same time slots. In the 25-to-54 age demographic, Channel 13 drew 10,500 viewers from 5 to 6 a.m. and 20,000 from 6 to 7 a.m., while WTOL’s morning newscasts were watched by 5,500 and 13,500 viewers.

At noon, an average of 39,000 total viewers — 14,000 of whom were in the 25-to-54 demo — tuned in to Channel 11’s half-hour news, compared to 28,000 total and 8,000 demo for WTVG and its one-hour newscast.

The May evening Nielsens marked the first ratings period without longtime WTOL anchor Chrys Peterson, who quit the station at the end of February to spend more time with her family. Whether a coincidence or not, all three of WTOL’s p.m. newscasts were down in total viewership and the 5 and 6 evening news lost viewers in the 25-to-54 demographic compared to May, 2013, ratings; the 11 p.m. newscast was watched by the same number of viewers 25 to 54 in year-to-year comparisons.

WTOL was down in all three p.m. broadcasts in total viewership and the 5 and 6 newscasts in the age demographic, while the 11 p.m. newscast was watched by the same number of viewers aged 25 to 54 compared to May, 2013.

WTVG, conversely, was mostly up from May, 2013, in both ratings categories. For the 5 to 6 p.m. newscast, 35,500 total viewers watched WTOL and 39,500 watched WTVG. For the 6 p.m. newscast — the area’s most watched — 52,000 viewers 2 and older tuned in to Channel 11 compared to 60,000 for Channel 13. In the 25-to-54 age demographic, an average of 9,000 viewers watched WTOL from 5 to 6 p.m. and 12,000 from 6 to 6:30 p.m., with 13,000 and 19,000, respectively, watching WTVG.

WTOL’s 11 p.m. newscast was the preference among total area viewers, 46,000 compared to WTVG’s 44,000, while the target demo preferred Channel 13 over Channel 11, 18,000 to 16,000.

WTOL’s 9 to 10 a.m. newscast, which does not compete head-to-head with any local news, was watched by 9,000 total viewers, 2,000 of whom were in the 25-to-54 group. Both ratings numbers were down from the previous May.

For WNWO, an average of 2,000 viewers 2 and older watched the NBC affiliate’s 5 to 6 and 6 to 7 a.m. newscasts. Half of those viewers were in the key demo. The station’s total viewership improved considerably for its 6 to 6:30 and 11 to 11:30 evening newscasts, with an average of 7,000 viewers watching each broadcast. In the 25-to-54 age group, 2,000 and 3,000 viewers, respectively, tuned in to Channel 24.

An average of 3,000 viewers 2 and older — 1,000 of whom were 25 to 54 — watched WUPW’s two newscasts from 6 to 8 a.m. The ratings improved to 4,000 total and 2,000 in the key demographic for the station’s 6:30 p.m. half-hour news, and 28,000 total and 13,000 25 to 54 for its hourlong 10 p.m. newscast. None of WUPW's newscasts competes with local news programming.

Contact Kirk Baird at kbaird@theblade.com or 419-724-6734.