ABC 7 sweeps to the top again

Mark Giangreco, Cheryl Burton, Ron Magers, Kathy Brock and Jerry Taft

Mark Giangreco, Cheryl Burton, Ron Magers, Kathy Brock and Jerry Taft

Back to you, Ron and Kathy.

Chicago news viewers remained faithful to WLS-Channel 7 in the just-finished May sweeps, giving the ABC-owned station a decisive Nielsen victory in all local news time periods from morning to night.

Whatever momentum WMAQ-Channel 5 may have gained in February from the Winter Olympics and Jimmy Fallon’s “Tonight Show” debut appears to have dissipated. Despite the strength of NBC’s prime-time performance in May, the station’s local newscasts finished no better than second and, in some cases, third.

In the marquee ratings race at 10 p.m. weekdays, ABC 7 led the market with a 9.1 rating (321,594 households), followed by NBC 5 with a 5.9 rating (208,506 households) and CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2 with a 3.6 rating (127,224 households.) At 9 p.m. weekdays, Tribune Broadcasting WGN-Channel 9 had 4.1 rating (144,894 households), and Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32 had a 2.2 rating (77,748 households).

“It’s very gratifying to do well in such a highly competitive news market like Chicago,” Jennifer Graves, vice president and news director of ABC 7, said in a statement Thursday. “Our team is always pushing to provide the best possible news coverage day in and day out. I’m also grateful to the incredibly loyal ABC 7 viewers.”

Among adults between 25 and 54 — the demographic most coveted by advertisers — ABC 7 "Eyewitness News" also finished first at 4, 5, 6 and 10 p.m.

But the must-watch “WGN Morning News” continued to show impressive growth too, tying ABC 7 for first place among 25-to-54 viewers from 4 to 6 a.m., and leading everyone in the adult demo for the full six-hour time period from 4 to 10 a.m.

WGN Morning News

WGN Morning News