Orlando Sentinel
Weather Channel storms into top spot in local TV ratings
TELEVISION
Weather Channel storms into top spot in local TV ratings
Central Florida News 13, WOFL also benefit as many viewers tune out politics.
By Hal Boedeker | Sentinel Television Critic
Posted September 3, 2004
Email this story to a friend
Printer friendly version
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY
INFORMATION: Find shelters, sandbags, government closings, evacuations and more for YOUR COUNTY
FRANCES MAPS
Click to enlarge
3-day projection map
Interactive tracking map
Atlantic satellite
Gulf of Mexico satellite
OrlandoWeather.com
MESSAGE BOARDS
Need some tips preparing for the storm? Just need to chat before the storm hits? Go to our discussion forum and talk over all things Frances.
PREPARATION INFORMATION
Sentinel preparation guide
Central Florida shelters
Before the storm
During the storm
After the storm
Prep guides: Home | Yard | Pets | Car | Boat
Emergency phone numbers
Media phone numbers
Where to get sandbags
STORY GALLERY
More Hurricane Frances coverage
More Hurricane Frances coverage
PHOTO GALLERY
Preparing for Hurricane Frances
Preparing for Hurricane Frances
E-MAIL UPDATES
Stay alert. Sign up to get hurricane and other weather updates delivered by e-mail.
Hurricane Frances is rearranging viewing habits in Central Florida and overshadowing the Republican National Convention by bringing huge ratings to The Weather Channel and local newscasts.
For the 9 p.m. hour Wednesday, The Weather Channel was the market’s top draw, averaging 133,600 households, according to Nielsen Media Research. Central Florida News 13, the 24-hour cable news outlet, made a strong showing with 87,700 households. (In the same time slot for July, the channels each averaged 7,000 homes.)
The Republicans commanded the most viewers locally at that hour on Fox News Channel, with 46,300 households. MSNBC drew 19,700.
“There’s an insatiable appetite for news about Frances,” said Bill Hoffman, general manager at WFTV-Channel 9. “You’ve got these other media outlets there [at the convention] wall to wall if you’re a big political fan. But the superior story is fearing for safety.”
For the 10 p.m. hour Wednesday, WOFL-Channel 35 attracted the biggest audience with its news: 155,200 households. The Weather Channel placed second, with 108,300 homes. Frances drew big audiences to Central Florida News 13 (68,100 households) and WRDQ-Channel 27 (62,900), whose news is produced by WFTV.
The Republicans, with Vice President Dick Cheney speaking, did their best at 10 p.m. on NBC affiliate WESH-Channel 2, the choice of 82,300 households. ABC affiliate WFTV was the favorite in 63,500 homes. Fox News Channel pulled in 44,400 households.
The fascination with Frances didn’t surprise local television executives.
“We went into the conventions knowing the candidates,” said Robin Smythe, general manager of Central Florida News 13. “There’s nothing more compelling in New York than what is going on here today.”
Bill Bauman, general manager at WESH, said he wouldn’t be surprised if Frances drew more viewers Thursday night than President Bush did in addressing the Republicans.
“It is a big story, and people gravitate to a big story when it’s going to affect them,” he said.
Local newscasts showed dramatic increases Wednesday from the week before. In early-evening newscasts, WFTV was drawing an audience bigger than or equal to viewers of WESH and WKMG-Channel 6 combined.
At 11 p.m., WFTV was the favorite in 221,700 households. WESH was seen in 124,300, and WKMG attracted 88,400. WFTV’s impressive showing was a throwback to the years when it was the market’s undisputed powerhouse.
Hal Boedeker can be reached at hboedeker@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5756.
