This is the month to support your favorite television station: Nielsen is again taking the viewing public's pulse.
Nielsen surveys viewers every February, May, July and November. And TV stations nationwide dash to see the results because the higher the ratings, the more a station can charge for its advertising.
The November 2006 Nielsen results were released in January, and here's how things stack up in Tucson for local news programming:
KVOA, Tucson's NBC affiliate, holds the edge among adults ages 25 to 54, but CBS' KOLD isn't far behind.
KVOA had a 4.8 rating among 445,000 possible households in the Tucson area during the 10 p.m. news. Its share of viewing households — those with TV sets turned on — was 17.9 percent.
Meanwhile, KOLD posted a 4.5 rating and a 16.8 percent share for the same time period and demographic. KGUN, the ABC affiliate, pulled in a 3.1 rating and a 11.5 percent share.
People are also reading…
However, viewership for all three stations dropped from a year ago in the 10 p.m. time slot for adult viewers ages 25 to 54.
The 25 to 54 age group is important because it is perceived to be the group with the most money to spend, while the 10-10:30 p.m. time slot attracts the biggest advertising dollars, particularly among automobile dealers, said Andrew Stewart, KGUN-TV vice president and general manager.
Stewart was disappointed in his station's showing in the 10 p.m. period during the last sweeps.
A year ago, KGUN, while still in third place among the three main networks in Tucson, held a 5.1 rating and 18.2 share, close behind second-place KVOA (5.1/18.4). In 2005, KOLD was on top with a 6.6 rating and a 23 share.
In the other local news time slots, KVOA earned the top spot for the 5-7 a.m. and 6-6:30 p.m. news programs, but KOLD remained in first place for the noon and 5-5:30 p.m. news.
KGUN does not have a noon news program, and while it's an apples-to-oranges comparison, it is ironic to note that KGUN's noon offering — the soap "All My Children" — out-polled KOLD and KVOA with a 14.7 percent share of viewers.
KOLD General Manager Jim Arnold is pleased with his station's recent ratings.
"We went through a number of unprecedented personnel changes," including losing anchor Kris Pickel to a larger market and Erin Christiansen to the chief meteorologist spot at KGUN, he said. Additionally, the station fired anchor Randy Garsee in October. "Despite that, to do as well as we have, I am very pleased.
"I believe it is a reflection of our content, more so than the personality of the station."
Stewart believes KGUN's numbers will improve over the coming year. The station also has had major changes in its on-air personalities, and it has redesigned its sets. Jennifer Waddell, co-anchor at 10 p.m. with Guy Atchley, has been in Tucson a little more than a year, and Christiansen, although known in the Old Pueblo, only recently moved over to KGUN.
Once viewers feel more comfortable with the changes, they will be back, Stewart said.
He and Arnold shared concern over Nielsen's performance. (The agency was to have surveyed more than 600; it delivered results from 586.) Statistically, that means one viewer speaks for 750 households, Arnold said.
"How it impacts the ratings, I don't know."
Yvette Perez, KVOA director of marketing and communication, noted that News 4 has led viewer surveys in Southern Arizona for more than 20 years.
"That tradition continues," she said. "News 4 is No. 1 in total viewers and most key demographics in all weekday newscasts."
Breaking Down the numbers
Ratings/share percentages of adults ages 25 to 54 for local news programs:
5-7 a.m.
Share Station Rating percentage
KVOA 2.0 26.4
KOLD 1.3 17.5
KGUN 0.9 12.3
Noon-12:30 p.m.
Share Station Rating percentage
KOLD 1.0 11.3
KVOA 0.4 04.7
KGUN no news program
5-5:30 p.m.
Share Station Rating percentage
KOLD 3.3 16.8
KVOA 2.8 14.3
KGUN 1.9 9.7
6-6:30 p.m.
Share Station Rating percentage
KVOA 2.9 13.0
KOLD 2.7 11.9
KGUN 0.9 03.9
10-10:30 p.m.
Share Station Rating percentage
KVOA 4.8 17.9
KOLD 4.5 16.8
KGUN 3.1 11.5
