It’s only one day of TV ratings, but the folks at WDAF-Fox4 are likely celebrating today after delivering huge ratings thanks to the Major League Baseball All-Star game broadcast Tuesday night in Kansas City.
With KMBC off Time Warner Cable over a fee dispute, Fox4, which used to dominate the morning ratings, moved back into first place by edging KMBC. KSHB won the 5 p.m. news hour against Fox4′s All-Star early pre-game, but then Fox dominated at 6 p.m. and then crushed everyone with a 15.3 rating and 28 share of audience at 10 p.m. despite a boring 8-0 game won by the National League. KMBC was a distant second at 5.8/11.
Overall, the Washington Post noted the All-Star game set a new low record for ratings. The blowout over the American League on Tuesday night, which had the third-highest victory margin in All-Star history, received a 6.8 rating and 12 share on Fox and was seen by an average audience of 10.9 million, the network said Wednesday. ”
“St. Louis had the highest rating (20.5/33) for the sixth straight season, up 15 percent from last year. Kansas City was next at 18.7 and 31, up 188 percent and nearly double the 10.6/19 for host Phoenix last year,” noted the Post..
This is an interesting time in Kansas City television. KMBC, the area’s ABC affiliate, has dominated the ratings scene for so long that rivals have often settled for second, third and fourth places.
As reported by Bottom Line last week, after five days of the 20 days of the July TV Sweeps period, KMBC was leading in all but one key time period. And in that one it was behind by a scant 1/10th of a ratings point.
However, now that KMBC has been off Time Warner Cable since Monday night, it is becoming obvious the Hearst-owned station is going to suffer in the ratings if the dispute continues. Loyal viewers who have been KMBC watchers for years are now forced to change channels for programming.
It is becoming very obvious the longer the KMBC battle with TWC goes on the better it bodes for competitors.
4:30am
KMBC 2.2/13
WDAF 1.7/7
KSHB 1.0/6
KCTV 0.6/3
6am
WDAF 3.6/14
KMBC 3.1/12
KSHB 3.0/12
KCTV 0.6/3
5pm
KSHB 5.9/13
WDAF 5.2/12 (All Star game pregame)
KMBC 5.0/9
KCTV 3.1/7
6pm
WDAF 9.3/17 (All Star Game pregame)
KSHB 6.1/11
KMBC 5.0/9
KCTV 3.5/6
10pm
WDAF 15.3/28 (All Star Game)
KMBC 5.8/11
KCTV 4.5/8
KSHB 3.5/6
Wow. KSHB was practically tied for SECOND at 6am with KMBC! Now when was the last time you saw that? If ever?
(Oh yes, by the way; you have KCTV up there twice for 4:30am. I’m going to assume that KSHB was the one with the .6 at that time period. They’re often last there yet rise once 6am comes around)
But either way, KCTV with an abysmal .6 at 6am? That’s absolutely terrible. I highly doubt their new morning show team coming in August will do anything fast.
I also believe that it has become somewhat obvious (with the exception of 10pm of course) that KSHB either is or slowly becoming Kansas City’s second choice for news. They are vastly improving over the last May sweeps. Their primetime is really the only thing that needs work, but with such a bad lineup and lead-in for them at 10pm from NBC, don’t look for that to happen anytime soon.
Where’s 4pm because I think FOX4KC came in First but only for one day if they would put a Newscast their permantly then might number all the time st 4pm.
Aside from the 1960 All-Star Game, the midsummer classic has been a dud when it’s been played here – 7-1 National League in 1973 and 8-0 National League last night. Elsewhere in the blogosphere, the coverage of this year’s contest by Fox Sports is not receiving the highest marks possible. Same old tired faces and voices in the broadcast booth. Same old East Coast effort. I’d rather watch the grass grow than put up with even a minute of that stuff, but we’ll need some rain in order for me to do that any time soon.
It’s about time the cable outlets realize that they hold the leverage over local stations. How long do you think KMBC would survive without being on TWC? If I ran Time Warner, I’d hold out until KMBC surrendered.
Note: KC didn’t have the highest local Nielsen share. St. Louis did.