KNBC-TV newscast loses ground

The race for king of the 11 p.m. newscast in Los Angeles just got more interesting.

For the first time in 11 years, KABC-TV Channel 7 came close to tying KNBC-TV Channel 4 for first place in local ratings for that time slot, an achievement that station managers attribute, in part, to the ratings surge the ABC network has experienced with the season’s top new dramas, “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost.”

But KABC shouldn’t pop the cork on any Champagne just yet. KCBS Channel 2, beleaguered with staff changes and low ratings for years, delivered its highest November sweep ratings since 1997. It tied KABC in the 11 p.m. time slot Monday through Friday and ranked a close third Monday through Sunday.

KABC also retained its top position in morning and early evening newscasts among 25- to 54-year-old viewers, the demographic most coveted by advertisers for news programs.

But Nancy Bauer Gonzales, KCBS’ vice president and news director, was elated Thursday that KCBS, which was purchased by Viacom in 2002, “is back in the news game,” with a 16% increase in viewership at 11 p.m. from last November and 38% from May.

Gonzales credited some of the success to news anchors Laura Diaz and Paul Magers, who were hired in January.

“For years KCBS has faltered, but when Viacom bought us they made it clear that they wanted us to be a player in the market,” Gonzales said. “This is the book that shows that we are a player in this market again. We feel we are finding our feet and hitting our stride. We have excellent competitors and have our work cut out for us, but it’s definitely getting better.”

The November sweeps, which concluded Wednesday, marked the first time Nielsen Media provided local stations with demographic data about viewers so quickly. Information on age, gender and race/ethnicity had previously been available to stations only four weeks after the sweeps period was over.

Through the use of technology installed in 794 homes in the Los Angeles region, Nielson was able to identify what programs were being watched -- and by whom. In the past, handwritten diaries were collected from viewers several times a year to glean that information.

“It’s good to have the data faster,” said KABC President and General Manager Arnie Kleiner.

KNBC won the 11 p.m. time slot Monday through Sunday, among 25- to 54-year-olds with 227,000 viewers, while KABC and KCBS garnered 167,000 and 146,000, respectively. Women in that age category watched the 11 p.m. newscasts more than men, with KNBC leading with 137,000 female viewers, followed by KCBS and KABC with 91,000 and 90,000 females, respectively.

Although KABC credits some of its success to ABC’s increasingly strong performance as a network, its competitors were not affected in the same way. The ratings problems that have plagued NBC this season did not alter KNBC’s performance, and KCBS has not yet capitalized on the strength of the CBS network, which ended the sweeps period in top place among 18- to 49-year-old viewers.

KNBC has been the leader in the 11 p.m. newscast for more than a decade.

Although the ranking among the three network affiliates hasn’t shifted, KABC and KCBS have emerged as formidable competitors.

“The network provides a certain amount of programming to all of us, and it’s up to the local stations to develop a connection to the community,” said Paula Madison, president and general manager of KNBC. “If you haven’t done that effectively, the strong performance of your network won’t help you necessarily.... Even if the network doesn’t perform as well in prime time, your local community still selects you as a favorite station. That’s not a phenomenon that’s exclusive to L.A.”