For More Information, Contact:
Nancy Christopher-Wilkes, 414/425-0091, or nwilkes@wi.rr.com
MILWAUKEE, (July 28, 2011) – According to the latest household ratings data from Nielsen Media Research, WISN-TV is southeastern Wisconsin’s most-watched television station sign-on to sign-off in July. This is the sixth consecutive July ratings period win for the station. Channel 12 leads the market with a 3.0 rating, followed by WTMJ (2.6), WITI (2.3) and WDJT (1.6). This achievement follows the station’s six consecutive May sweep and full season wins, and is a testament to Channel 12’s consistent strength throughout the broadcast day and year.
In local morning news, WISN finished the ratings period in a tie for first place in the 4:30 to 7 a.m. weekday news block. The station continues to see year-to-year growth for the 4:30 a.m. half hour newscast which debuted in September 2010. On the weekends, WISN leads every hour of the 5 to 9 a.m. news block.
WISN 12 News continues to lead the early evening news race, with the top two local news audiences from 5 to 6:30 p.m. WISN 12 News at 6:00 led all early evening newscasts with a 6.6 rating, followed by WISN 12 News at 5:00 with a 5.9 rating. Rounding out the early evening news rankings are WTMJ’s 5 p.m. (5.8) and 6 p.m. (5.4) along with WITI’s 5 p.m. (3.4), 5:30 p.m. (3.2) and 6:00 p.m. (3.0) and WDJT’s 5:00 p.m. (1.6).
In other local programming, UpFront with Mike Gousha continues to break ground in political coverage and viewers are responding. This past Sunday at 9 a.m., 34,000 households tuned in to Mike Gousha’s interview with Wisconsin State Senator Alberta Darling. Sunday at 11 p.m., another 35,800 homes tuned into the encore airing of UpFront.
WISN 12’s strong ratings performance extends beyond its local programming with top audiences in daytime and early fringe. In primetime, WISN leads overall, Monday through Sunday, with top-ranked programs like The Bachelorette, Wipeout and ABC’s latest primetime success – Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition.
“Improvements to our technology are benefiting viewers by enhancing the high quality of our journalism,” says Jan Wade, president and general manager of WISN 12. “For example, our new Weather Watch 12 center allows us to deliver three dimensional weather mapping, keeping people out of harms way during severe weather. Our new “Beat The Backup” traffic system is another popular addition to our high definition newscasts. As our 4:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. newscasts continue to grow year-to-year, viewers can clearly see the impact of our commitment to high quality broadcast journalism,” explains Wade. “As we lead the way with important local coverage, we’re honored that our viewers are rewarding us with their trust and loyalty.”
WISN 12, the ABC station in Milwaukee, is owned by Hearst Television Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hearst Corporation. Hearst owns 29 television stations and two radio stations in geographically diverse U.S. markets. The Company’s television stations reach approximately 18 percent of U.S. TV households, making it one of America’s largest television station groups. It also owns more than three dozen websites and multicasts more than two dozen digital channels providing news, weather and entertainment programming. The Company’s Web address is http://www.hearsttelevision.com. WISN 12’s Web address is http://www.wisn.com.
Source: Nielsen Media Research, Live +SD household ratings
