UPDATED: In the November ratings, WFTV-Channel 9 had the most reasons to give thanks.
The ABC affiliate’s weekday newscasts usually drew the most viewers in the 25-to-54 age group prized by news advertisers. One exception was 6 a.m., when WESH-Channel 2 edged WFTV.
The tightest race was at noon. WESH said it beat WFTV by 85 viewers. How’s that for close? The ratings period concluded Wednesday.
December will be a month of farewells at WFTV: Noon anchor Martie Salt will retire Dec. 13, and 4 p.m. anchor Jorge Estevez will depart Dec. 20 for a job in Atlanta at WFTV’s sister station WSB.
From 4 to 6:30 p.m. with 25-to-54 viewers, WFTV was the clear favorite. It was followed, in order, by WESH, WKMG-Channel 6 and WOFL-Channel 35. (The Sentinel has a content-sharing agreement with WOFL.)
At 6 p.m., WFTV averaged 25,588 viewers in the age group to WESH’s 14,644, WKMG’s 10,780 and WOFL’s 4,147.
With all 18-and-older viewers at 6 p.m., WFTV was way out in front with 113,679 to WESH’s 74,045, WKMG’s 52,968 and WOFL’s 16,129.
At 11 p.m. Monday-Sunday, with all 18-and-older viewers, CBS affiliate WKMG was in front with 60,904. It was followed by WFTV with 55,882, WESH with 41,108 and WOFL with 13,149.
WKMG got a lift from the CBS prime-time lineup, which ranked first locally with all viewers 2 and older. The NBC lineup on WESH was a close second. The ABC schedule on WFTV placed third, ahead of the Fox lineup on WOFL
But with the 25-to-54 set at 11 p.m., WFTV was in front, drawing 16,897 to WESH’s 12,447, WKMG’s 7,866 and WOFL’s 5,584. The ratings can be read many ways, depending on the yardstick.
Among 10 p.m. newscasts, WOFL ranked first with the age group. The WESH news on sister station WKCF-Channel 18 was second. The WFTV news on sister station WRDQ-Channel 27 was third.
With all 18-and-older viewers, WFTV usually ranked first with its weekday newscasts. But WKMG placed first at noon and 11 p.m.; WFTV came in second in those time slots.
