Who’s the Winner of TV News Sweeps? It All Depends on Which Service Rates

SAN DIEGO —  Depending on which ratings service is believed, either Channel 8 or Channel 10 is the winner of the most recent ratings period in the all-important 5 p.m. local news battle.

Though the Arbitron ratings show KGTV (Channel 10) solidly out in front at 5 p.m. with a 15 rating and 35 share, contrasted with Channel 8’s 12 rating and 28 share, the Nielsen book released Monday for the same November period has KFMB-TV (Channel 8) leading with a 15 rating and 31 share. The Nielsen book lists Channel 10 in second place with a 13 rating and 29 share. Both books show KNSD-TV (Channel 39) trailing at 5 p.m.

A rating point represents the percentage of total San Diego households tuned to the program. The share is the percentage of those television sets turned on at the time that are tuned to the program.

Channel 39 had been making its big news ratings push at 11 p.m., where it aired a monthlong series on child care, “Project Parenting,” during the ratings period. The Arbitron book shows Channel 39 virtually tied with Channel 8 for second place at 11 p.m. Both have 5 ratings, with Channel 8 showing a 21 share and Channel 39 a 20 share. Arbitron has Channel 10 leading with a 9 rating and 35 share.

However, the Nielsen book shows Channel 10 with an 8 rating and 32 share, just slightly ahead of Channel 8, with a 7 rating and 27 share, and Channel 39 trailing with a 4 rating and 14 share.

Such diversity in results is not unusual. It is the source of constant disagreement within the television industry. Some advertisers use Arbitron numbers, others use Nielsen.

“The books do vary,” Channel 8 program director Jules Moreland said. “It’s Nielsen one time and Arbitron the next; they bounce back and forth, and we don’t know why. If we knew why it happened, maybe we could do something about it.”

Both services agree that Channel 10’s “Oprah Winfrey Show” is dominating the key 4 p.m. time slot, the lead-in for the news shows. Arbitron gives Oprah an 11 rating and 35 share; Nielsen gives her an 11 rating and 31 share. Channel 39 challenged Oprah with “Geraldo,” which earned a 4 rating and 12 share and 5 rating and 15 share in the Arbitron and Nielsen books, respectively.

Channel 10’s new morning chat show, “InSide San Diego,” is struggling to carve out an audience at 11 a.m. Arbitron gives the show a 3 rating and 14 share, while Nielsen lists it with a 3 rating and 13 share. Both show Channel 8’s soap opera “The Young and the Restless” dominating the time period.

“We’re pretty much on target (with ‘InSide San Diego,’) “ Channel 10 program director Don Lundy said. “It’s a little lower than we would like to see, but it’s a tough time period. We’ll leave it there and give it a chance to grow.”

One of the most notable flops in the ratings is the nationally syndicated “USA Today,” which Channel 39 is airing at 6:30 p.m. It posted a dismal 3 rating and 6 share in the Nielsen book, trailing “Night Court” reruns on KUSI-TV (Channel 51) and “Family Ties” reruns on XETV (Channel 6), in addition to news shows on Channels 8 and 10. Both rating services show the Channel 8 news ahead of Channel 10 at 6:30 p.m.

KUSI-TV (Channel 51) reportedly paid a local record, more than $3 million, for a 42-month package of “Cosby Show” reruns. But both services show it lagging far behind Channel 8’s “P.M. Magazine,” Channel 10’s “People’s Court,” “Wheel of Fortune” on Channel 39 and even “Cheers” reruns on Channel 6.