Chicago Evening, Late News Viewing -21%

Chicago TV broadcasters saw their evening and late news audience decline 21% in the May sweeps compared with the same month a year ago, with only one newscast — Tribune WGN at 5 — posting a gain (+18%).

The No. 3 DMA was one of six top 10 markets that were down, according to a TVNewsCheck analysis of news ratings in the top 10 markets based on Nielsen’s May-over-May count of weekday viewers aged 25 to 54 of news at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. (The analysis examined news at 5, 6, 9 and 10 in the Central time zone.)

WGN’s growth on a relatively small base at 5 did little to offset all the negative numbers. The market was off double digits in every time period examined — at both English- and Spanish-language stations.

The English-language ratings race finished this year just about as it did last year. ABC’s WLS was first and NBC’s WMAQ was second at 5, 6 and 10. CBS’s WBBM was third at 6 and 11, but sank to fourth place behind WGN at 5.

In English language news at 9, Tribune’s WGN was first; Fox’s WFLD was second just as it was last year. But the race was a little closer as WGN lost 23% of its viewers, while WFLD lost just 12%.

On the Spanish-language side of the market, Univision’s WGBO was once again first and Telemundo’s WSNS second in the two-station races at 5 and 10.

Despite its 20% decline in viewers, WGBO can now claim to be the third-ranked newscast in any language in the market at 10. With WBBM’s 10 o’clock audience plummeting a market-high 45%, WGBO was able to sneak past it.