November delivered an early Christmas gift for WTVG-TV, Channel 13: a complete sweep of the Nielsen ratings in total number of viewers and viewers in the 25-to-54 age demographic that advertisers target.
WTVG beat its ratings rival WTOL-TV, Channel 11, in all the head-to-head numbers, save for the number of men ages 25 to 54 watching the noon and 5 to 6 p.m. newscasts, and tied among men in the same demo at 6 p.m.
In a word, the local ABC affiliate was dominant.
In total viewership — ages 2 plus — in the morning, WTVG was watched by an average audience of 20,000 between 5 and 6, and 44,000 between 6 and 7, compared to 7,000 and 17,500, respectively, for WTOL.
In its first November sweeps after a management and personnel shake-up earlier this year, WNWO-TV, Channel 24, was watched by 1,000 total viewers between 5 and 6 a.m. and again between 6 and 7 a.m., remaining flat from November, 2013.
While WTVG has owned the morning ratings for years, the viewer trend has suddenly shifted the station's way at noon. In November, 2013, WTOL won the noon newscast in total viewers, 44,000 to WTVG's 29,000. This year, however, WTVG's total viewership jumped by 10,000 to a total of 39,000 in November, with WTOL losing 11,000 of its 2-plus viewers and dropping to an average total audience of 33,000.
The CBS affiliate also lost the ratings race in the 25-to-54 age demographic, 8,000 to 10,000.
The numbers don't get any better for Channel 11, either, which trailed Channel 13 at 5 to 6 p.m. in total viewers — 41,500 to 51,000 — and in the 25-to-54 demo — 13,500 to 16,500. In fact, last year's November sweeps was far more competitive, with WTVG edging WTOL in total viewership, 46,500 to 45,000.
WNWO, which resurrected its hourlong 5 p.m. newscast following the August return of longtime local anchor Laura Emerson to join Jim Blue as the station's coanchor team, was watched by 7,000 total viewers.
The 6 p.m. half-hour newscasts are Toledo's most-watched overall, yet the numbers were down for Toledo's big-two stations from last November. WTOL was watched by 58,000 total viewers and WTVG 69,000 in 2014, compared to 62,000 and 73,000, respectively, in 2013.
WNWO would appear to be responsible for the shift in numbers. The NBC affiliate enjoyed a November-to-November increase of 7,000 total viewers, from 3,000 in 2013 to 10,000 this year. The 6 p.m. broadcast was also the station's most-watched news.
In the 25-to-54 demographic, 23,000 viewers watched WTVG at 6 p.m., compared to 17,000 for WTOL and 2,000 for WNWO.
At 11 p.m., WTVG drew 42,000 viewers 2 and older, with WTOL trailing at 39,000, and WNWO at 5,000. In the advertiser-coveted demographic, 16,000 25- to 54-year-olds tuned in to WTVG, with 9,000 watching WTOL, and 2,000 watching WNWO.
For its hour-long 9 a.m. newscast, which does not compete with another local news broadcast, WTOL drew 10,000 total viewers, 4,000 of whom were aged 25 to 54.
WUPW, which also doesn't compete head to head with its newscasts, was watched by 4,000 total viewers between 7 and 8 a.m., and again between 8 and 9 a.m. That's the same number of 2-plus viewers from November, 2013, for the first newscast, but a decrease of 1,000 viewers for the second hour-long block of news.
WUPW, which shares WTOL's news team, saw an increase in total viewership to its two evening newscasts. For the 6:30 p.m. half-hour news, 7,000 2-plus viewers watched the Fox affiliate compared to 6,000 in November, 2013, and for the station's hour-long 10 p.m. newscast, 20,000 watched in November compared to 16,000 during the same ratings period last year.
The next Nielsen ratings period is February.
Contact Kirk Baird atkbaird@theblade.com or 419-724-6734.
First Published December 19, 2014, 5:00 a.m.
