Study: Newscasts
lose $22M with 'Leno'
Other shorts: NFL scores best viewership in two decades
By Louisa Ada Seltzer
Jan 14, 2010
Study: Local newscasts lose $22M in 'Leno' experiment
No wonder the NBC affiliates have bellyached so much over the low ratings for "The Jay Leno Show." As a weak lead-in, the program may have cost them $22 million in advertising during fourth quarter. That's according to an analysis of Nielsen data and advertising prices released by Harmelin Media yesterday, which finds that NBC affiliates' 11 p.m. newscast ratings fell 25 percent in November among viewers 25-54 compared to 2008 across all 210 TV markets. Put advertising dollars to those numbers, and it's a loss of a potential $22 million. "I don’t think anyone expected this kind of devastating declines to be so universal and so steep,” says Bernie Shimkus, vice president of research at Harmelin, tells Media Life. “I guess [NBC] didn’t factor [affiliates' newscasts] into the equation when they said Leno could be profitable with lower numbers.” Affiliates in the top 20 markets averaged an estimated loss of $39,000 per week in late news revenue, and among them New York’s NBC affiliate had the steepest ratings decline. In November the station's newscast was down 47.6 percent year-to-year among 25-54s. Just two of those markets, Detroit (up 2.3 percent) and Denver (up 7.7 percent), actually saw late local news ratings increase. After weeks of affiliate griping, NBC said Sunday it will move "The Jay Leno Show" out of the 10 p.m. slot and replace it with a mix of original scripted dramas, "Dateline" and repurposed cable programming. "Leno" will move to 11:35 p.m. if the network can reach an agreement with Leno and current "Tonight Show" host Conan O'Brien, whose show would be bumped back half an hour.
NFL scores best viewership in two decades
There are still eight teams remaining in the NFL playoffs, but already the league is celebrating its best season of TV viewership in nearly two decades. NFL games this season averaged 16.6 million total viewers, according to Nielsen, up 2 million per game from last year and the most since it averaged 16.7 million during the 1990 season. That even predates aging Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, albeit barely (Favre joined the league in 1991); Favre's return from retirement is credited for some of those huge ratings. Fox, NBC, ESPN and NFL Network all enjoyed their most-watched NFL regular seasons ever, and CBS had its best season since 1993. On broadcast, NFL games accounted for 14 of the 15 most-watched programs of the year, with the 2010 Rose Bowl between Ohio State and Oregon (No. 12) the only exception. Similarly, ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” accounted for the year’s top 14 programs on cable. The Nov. 11 game between the Vikings and Favre’s old team, the Green Bay Packers, was the most-watched program on broadcast during the fall, averaging 29.8 million viewers, while the Oct. 5 “MNF” game between the Vikings and Packers was tops on cable with a record 21.8 million viewers.
Wink, wink: Palin's FNC debut draws 3.95 million
Perhaps ABC should consider giving former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin her own sitcom. Imagine a wacky politician who lives in an Alaska town full of quirky but good-hearted locals and one very bull-headed moose. Don't snicker -- it might do better than what the network is currently airing on Tuesdays, if Palin's debut as a contributor on Fox News Channel Tuesday is any indication. The former Alaska governor's appearance on “The O’Reilly Factor” averaged 3.95 million total viewers in the 8 p.m. hour, which was more than any ABC program (“Scrubs,” “Better Off Ted” or “The Forgotten”) averaged that night, according to Nielsen overnight ratings. An 11 p.m. repeat of “O’Reilly” averaged another 1.99 million viewers, giving the show a combined 5.94 million for the night. That was up 22 percent from the 4.87 million combined viewers “O’Reilly” averaged on Monday night. Palin’s appearance helped FNC average 766,000 primetime viewers 25-54, more than double No. 2 CNN, which averaged 344,000 for the night.
Harris: 77 percent won't pay for e-newspapers
In a world where only two in five people read a newspaper every day, walling off papers' content online may not be the answer, despite the current interest in the idea. A new Harris Poll finds that just 43 percent of U.S. adults read a newspaper every day, whether in print or online. It's not surprising, then, that 77 percent of those polled say they would not pay to read papers' content online. Among those who are willing to pay, it's clear they won't shell out very much. The study finds that a mere 19 percent would pay $1 to $10 per month, and just 5 percent would fork over more than $10 per month. Those numbers, however, reflect a slight regional imbalance. Eighty-one percent of Northeasterners say they would not pay, while 24 percent of Westerners would pay $1 to $10 per month. Those who still read newspapers, whether online or off, are an older bunch. Sixty-four percent of people 55 and over still read the paper every day, while just 23 percent of 18-34s do.
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