With three days to go in the May sweeps, all eyes are on Chicago’s late-news ratings race, where there could be an upset in the works.
NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 appears poised to overtake the market’s perennial front-runner, ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7, among viewers between 25 and 54 at 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. That’s a key demographic driving local stations' advertising revenue.
As of last Friday, NBC 5’s 10 p.m. newscast, anchored by Allison Rosati and Rob Stafford, was averaging a 3.6 percent share of the 25-to-54 audience — up from 3.1 in April and 2.9 last May. ABC 7’s 10 p.m. newscast, anchored by Kathy Brock and Ron Magers, had a 3.4 share in the demo — up from 3.3 in April and 3.2 last May.
Running a distant third is the 10 p.m. newscast on CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2, anchored by Kate Sullivan and Rob Johnson, with a 0.9 share — flat from April and down from 1.1 last May. Despite viewer interest in the final weeks of David Letterman’s “Late Show,” CBS 2 is believed to be among the worst performers among the network’s major market stations.
Among 9 p.m. newscasts, Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32 continues its free fall with news anchors Dawn Hasbrouck and Jeff Herndon averaging a 0.9 share — down from 1.1 in April and 1.3 last May. Tribune Media WGN-Channel 9, anchored by Micah Materre and Mark Suppelsa, remains steady with a 1.6 share — flat from April and up from 1.5 last May.
As measured by Nielsen Co., the May sweeps began April 23 and run through Wednesday.