WRGT-TV takes over as No. 2 nightly news

By Yvonne Teems

Fox newscast gets help from ‘American Idol’

WRGT-TV Fox 45 is starting to step up the pace in Dayton’s media market.

The station’s 10 o’clock newscast was watched by 66 percent more adults this May than last May, and the number of women watching the programs has doubled.

That’s good for the local Fox station because they can charge more for advertising, said Linda Kahn, senior vice president of media at local advertising firm Penny Ohlmann Neiman Inc.

Ratings come out four times per year, and May is the most important period because advertisers base fall purchases on those numbers. WRGT-TV captured 5 percent of adult watchers ages 25-54 in May, compared with 3 percent in May 2005. Six percent of women in the same age bracket watching in May, compared with 3 percent in May of last year, according to Neilsen Media Research.

The May ratings mark Fox’s bump to the No. 2 nightly news station in the market, up from its longtime ride at No. 3. That drops WDTN-TV Channel 2 news down to No. 3; both stations following WHIO-TV Channel 7 at No. 1.

Fox station officials chalk up the ratings hike to an improved newscast, but media analysts offer other reasons.

Rob Riggsbee, president of Cincinnati-based media buyer Inside Media, attributes much of Fox’s growth to the blockbuster success of “American Idol,” the network’s show that pits aspiring singers against each other and lets the audience decide the winner.

A closer look at the statistics shows that “American Idol” had a direct effect on Fox’s news ratings, said Jarrett Hicks, Inside Media’s research director. Just as viewership of Fox’s newscast grew over the year, so did that of the lead-in time slots, which include American Idol. The adult category for Fox’s lead-in grew from 6 percent in May 2005 to 9 percent this May, and the female category grew from 7 percent last May to 10 percent this May.

And Fox’s news ratings were highest on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the day the station airs “American Idol.”

That compares with Channel 2’s newscast lead-in time slots, which saw sluggish movement year-over-year. Adult ratings declined from 5 percent last May to 4 percent this May for the lead-in time slot, and female ratings stayed the same at 6 percent over the year.

Even if ratings are rising, movement in ratings can make advertisers uneasy, Hicks said. If ratings double during a period, then they’re harder to predict for the next period.

But if ratings stay the same — such as Channel 7’s, which stayed at 9 percent for adults and 10 percent for women from May 2005 to this year — it’s easier to predict what they’ll be this fall.

But Pat Kacey, news director for WRGT-TV Fox 45 and its sister station WKEF-TV ABC 22, said his station’s success had more to do with improved news coverage than lead-in shows.

He said the station is doing a better job of hanging onto “American Idol” viewers. To do that, the station has been more selective of what type of news it covers and how it covers it.

“I’m not interested in another average meth lab bust, and I’m not interested in some people who may be addicted to drugs shooting each other in the leg,” Kacey said. “We’re looking for stories of broad appeal that really affect people’s lives.”

Dean Dittmer, general manager of WRGT and WKEF, said he’s also trying to promote top news stories during prime time broadcasts.

And to continue the trend of attracting more viewers, the stations started a new branding project in June, which corresponded with the launch of their morning newscasts. Instead of touting themselves as the area’s local news source, it’s calling itself “Dayton’s news source.”

Kacey notices the improvements of his newscast when he sees people turning to his stations at 9:45 p.m.

“Clearly, a lot of people are making us part of their daily routine.”