Let’s face it, if KMBC wins the July TV sweeps period, which ends one week from today on July 25, it will be a remarkable accomplishment.
A ratings victory with the ABC affiliate having been booted off one of its main cable outlets—Time Warner Cable—for much of that time would be unprecedented. TWC has been estimated at holding 35-40% of its entire audience.
Tuesday’s Nielsen Ratings below show KMBC notched the highest ratings in the mornings and at 10 p.m. On the other hand, KMBC had disastrous ratings/share of the audience at the 5 and 6 p.m. periods where rival KSHB was the leader. KSHB is also second to KMBC at the important 6 a.m. hour.
4:30am
KMBC 1.7/10
KCTV 1.4/8
WDAF 0.9/5
KSHB 0.0/0
6am
KMBC 3.3/15
KSHB 2.8/12
WDAF 1.8/6
KCTV 1.6/7
5pm
KSHB 5.8/12
KCTV 5.3/11
WDAF 5.0/11
KMBC 3.3/7
6pm
KSHB 6.7/13
WDAF 6.7/13
KCTV 4.7/9
KMBC 4.0/8
10pm
KMBC 5.9/11
KCTV 5.7/10
KSHB 4.9/9
WDAF 4.0/7
This result does run up against scientific common sense….
While it really WOULD BE amazing if KMBC miraculously came out on top somehow, the fact still reminds that it’s incredibly obvious that their 5 and 6pm newscasts are the weakest, and that now KSHB is their primary competitor (aside from 10pm with KCTV).
I also find it incredibly interesting that apparently NOBODY watched KSHB at 4:30am, yet they still managed to come in second at 6am.
What we should really be asking though is how much business will TWC stand and tolerate to lose to their competitors before they just have to bend over and give in to Hearst? There’s already been now, more than ever, a slew of people saying that they’ve just switched to a new service provider JUST so they can watch channel nine, while others just deal with getting them OTA.
Also, how long can KMBC last without their TWC viewers? By all technical definitions, last night at 10pm was fairly close considering that KSHB, while third, was only a full point behind KMBC, and KCTV was only .2
I can tell you how this will end right now:
A) KMBC wins at 6am (somehow) but with a slim lead over KSHB and WDAF who will probably end up tying in some way for second
B) KSHB takes 5 and 6pm handily. Not even a question by this point. They’ve been #1 at those time periods now almost every day since KMBC left Time Warner Cable
C) KMBC will just barely take the 10pm spot and brag and brag and brag, gloat and gloat and gloat about how they still won “despite all odds.”
D) KMBC won’t edit their opens at 5 and 6pm that say “Your #1 Choice For News” even KSHB totally stomped them and they practically finished last in each one.