KTLA Garners Most Viewers for Coverage of Rose Parade

While the usual mob of early-rising revelers lined the streets of Pasadena, the 101st Tournament of Roses Parade was also being watched on television in more than 2 million Southern California homes.

Between 8 and 10:30 a.m., 83% of all the TV sets that were in use in the Los Angeles market were tuned to one of the five stations that aired this year’s assortment of floats, flowers, celebrities and marching bands.

As in the past, KTLA Channel 5, with its team of Bob Eubanks and Stephanie Edwards and its promise of never leaving the parade for commercials, grabbed the bulk of the viewing audience. KTLA had 1.1 million households--more than the other four stations combined.

KTTV Channel 11 was a distant second with about 419,000 homes. The three network-owned stations, which broadcast the parade with repeated commercial breaks to the entire nation, were far behind in the local race. KCBS Channel 2 attracted about 192,000 homes, while KNBC Channel 4 and KABC Channel 7 drew about 143,000 apiece.

On the football front, with USC shooting for its first bowl win in five years, the Rose Bowl on KABC was far and away the most watched game of the day in Los Angeles. The Trojans’ 17-10 victory over the University of Michigan garnered a 23.1 local rating, meaning it was seen in more than 1.1 million homes.

Other New Year’s Day local Bowl ratings (with each point representing 49,315 homes):

* Orange Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Colorado, KNBC: 18.3.

* Sugar Bowl: Miami vs. Alabama, KABC: 8.9.

* Hall of Fame: Auburn vs. Ohio St., KNBC: 8.

* Cotton Bowl: Tennessee vs. Arkansas, KCBS: 6.

* Fiesta Bowl: Florida St. vs. Nebraska, KNBC: 4.5.

* Citrus Bowl: Illinois vs. Virginia, KABC: 4.3.