Channel Surfing
by Laura Nachman
Bucks County Courier Times

December 7, 2004

 

KYW squeaked by WCAU to take second place in the 11 p.m. news ratings for the first time in ten years.  Though in the books, both stations’ numbers will be rounded to a 10, KYW had a slightly higher ratings figure (10.34 to 9.86) and share of the audience (17 to 16). WPVI led with a 12 rating, and was the only station to improve from its network lead-in (though ABC is doing better this year thanks to “Desperate Housewives.”)

 

KYW and WCAU used former WCAU anchor Sharon Reed’s story to grab ratings.   Other sweeps “stories” included on-air face lifts, bloopers, month-long weather forecasts, visits to the set of “Desperate Housewives,” and playing “The Dr. Phil” card, who “counseled” weather anchor KYW’s Kathy Orr.

 

At 11 p.m., KYW is up 25%, WCAU is down 9%, and WPVI is down 5% from last year.

 

Each local ratings point equals almost 30,000 households.

 

CBS is the network leader, followed by NBC, ABC, and Fox.

 

Here are some observations about sweeps nationwide:

 

Best Couple – Terrell Owens and Nicolette Sheridan

Worst Couple – Star Jones and Al Reynolds (www.starandal.com) or Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey

Reunited and it Doesn’t Feel So Good – “Return to Southfork: The Dallas Reunion” and “The Seinfeld Story” didn’t do as well as expected.

Freshmen Flops – “The Jane Pauley Show,” “Pat Croce,” “Larry Elder”

Reality Bites – “The $25 Million Dollar Hoax,” “Renovate My Life,” “The Rebel Billionaire,” “The Bachelor,” “The Swan,” and “My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss,” and “The Biggest Loser” failed to generate big ratings.

Still Good, But Slipping – “The Apprentice.”

You Gotta Have Friends – “Joey” hasn’t been able to keep most of its audience from “Friends.”

Please watch  – “Veronica Mars” on UPN Tuesdays at 9 p.m.

Please move – ABC’s teen drama “Life as We Know” from its killer Thursday 9 p.m. timeslot.

 

Tony Danza

Tony Danza devoted an entire episode of his talk show to Philadelphia last week, which included the requisite cheese steak segment and a “Philly or Silly” quiz.

 

“The Tony Danza Show” leads “The Guiding Light,” “10,” and “The Maury Povich Show” here in the ratings at 10 a.m. 

 

Danza, 54, debuted on TV on “Taxi” in 1978 with Judd Hirsch, Marilu Henner, Danny DeVito, the late Andy Kaufman, and Jeff Conaway.  Though many considered him “the weakest link” of that classic cast, Danza has managed to stay steadily employed in show business since.

 

Danza also gets exposure each weeknight at 1 a.m. on “Who’s The Boss” reruns on Nick at Nite.