For the second year in a row, the Debmar-Mercury talker will remains in production in June and July, following its best May sweeps performance in the metered markets.
‘Wendy’ To Continue Production In Summer
Debmar-Mercury said today announced that it would keep The Wendy Williams Show in production through June and July for a second consecutive year.
The on-going summer production schedule, the syndicator said, comes as the nationally syndicated talker achieved its best metered market May sweeps performance ever in share, up 50% since its first May book in 2010 and posting steady growth every year.
With a 1.4 metered market household rating/5 share in the most recent sweeps, Wendy has grown from a 1.0/3 share in May 2010, when it concluded its first full season in national syndication following a six-week summer test in 2008. Its May sweeps share has consistently climbed from a 3.2 in its first year to a 3.5, 4.0, 4.6 and this year’s 5.0, improving 9% year-over-year as its lead-in slipped 3%.
Wendy continued to dominate its time period in New York with a first-place 2.1 household rating, while improving from second to first place in Washington (1.9 rating), Phoenix (1.7) and Miami (2.3).
Additionally, the show has increased its household share with double- and triple-digit gains versus May 2013 in 32 metered markets, including KTTV Los Angeles (up 19% to 3.9), WFLD Chicago (up 24% to 3.8), WFXT Boston (up 103% to 2.5), WOMY Pittsburgh (up 221% to 2.9), WCTX HartfordConn. (up 198% to 4.8), KMCH Kansas City (up 141% to 1.5) and KVCW Las Vegas (up 250% to 2.0)
Meanwhile, in the separate Nielsen national syndication rankings, season-to-date the talk show posted a 19% gain in both households (1.18 to 1.4) and women 25-54 (0.89 to a fifth-place 1.06) through May 18 — the most recent figures available — and achieved the largest percentage gain in the demo of any of the 11 returning talkers.
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“We believe the ratings strength we’ve seen over the past season and during the May sweeps, despite having weaker lead-ins, is due in part to remaining in year-round production since last summer,” Debmar-Mercury Co-Presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein said. “By keeping the lights on throughout June and July, in a quiet period traditionally reserved for first-run shows to take their summer hiatuses, we intend to once again follow a strategy that has worked very well for us this past year.”
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