February Nielsens Show Small Changes in NWA

Some blog readers have requested I post TV news about NorthWest Arkansas. So here we go:

Source: Arkansas Business.com In the February Nielsen ratings, KFSM, Channel 5, led once again in the 11-county dominant market area while KHBS/KHOG, Channels 40/29, won in Northwest Arkansas (Benton and Washington counties combined) in the households rating category.

Traditionally, KFSM, the CBS affiliate, has been stronger in the Fort Smith market and the entire DMA while KHOG, the ABC affiliate, has prevailed in Northwest Arkansas.

KNWA, the NBC affiliate, posted slightly lower numbers than it had in the November ratings period, which was the first Nielsen ratings since KNWA switched its name from NBC 24/51 and changed its focus to Northwest Arkansas.

For the entire DMA, KNWA dropped from a 2 rating to 1 during the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts and from a 4 rating to 3 during the 10 p.m. news. KNWA also dropped by one rating point (from 3 to 2) in Washington and Benton counties during the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. time slots while maintaining its 5 rating at 10 p.m.

“Rating” is percentage of television households in the area. KNWA has struggled to increase its ratings since relaunching its newscast in 2000 after eight years off the air.

KNWA had stopped subscribing to the Nielsen trade area reports, but the station’s numbers are still supplied to the other television stations and to area advertising stations.

KFSM and KHBS/KHOG both dipped during the all-important 10 p.m. news slot. For the entire DMA, KFSM dropped from a 13 rating to 11 since November, and KHBS/KHOG dropped from 11 to 9. In Washington and Benton counties combined, KFSM dropped from a 9 rating to 6 at 10 p.m., and KHBS/KHOG slipped from a 12 rating to 10.