24994J 5269 Posted October 15, 2015 Author Share Posted October 15, 2015 I think I've figured out ABC 7's problem. They haven't lost viewers to NBC 5 as much as viewers have lost loyalties to any specific channel. I think the 9 o'clock lead-ins are also more important now than ever before...sort of, anyway. If you look at CBS 2, they had almost 40,000 more (about 1.1 points) viewers than normal, with a strong 9 o'clock rating (though they still lost a bunch). NBC 5 logged a 8.5 at 9, and dropped only 0.2 at 10. ABC 7, with a crappy repeat lead-in only notching a 3.3, added a whopping 4.3 when the news rolled around. WGN, on the other hand, has been very steady at 10, rarely deviating from a rating in the high 2's, all with the same lead-in every night. I don't know that any large segment of viewers are avoiding any station in particular, but instead not reaching for the remote as much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns8401 846 Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I think I've figured out ABC 7's problem. They haven't lost viewers to NBC 5 as much as viewers have lost loyalties to any specific channel. I think the 9 o'clock lead-ins are also more important now than ever before...sort of, anyway. If you look at CBS 2, they had almost 40,000 more (about 1.1 points) viewers than normal, with a strong 9 o'clock rating (though they still lost a bunch). NBC 5 logged a 8.5 at 9, and dropped only 0.2 at 10. ABC 7, with a crappy repeat lead-in only notching a 3.3, added a whopping 4.3 when the news rolled around. WGN, on the other hand, has been very steady at 10, rarely deviating from a rating in the high 2's, all with the same lead-in every night. I don't know that any large segment of viewers are avoiding any station in particular, but instead not reaching for the remote as much. Maybe it's similar to something that happened while I was at WDIV... Our news normally beats WXYZ by 1-2 points on the average. Sometimes they do better and get closer to us due to big ratings lead ins (being the highest rated ABC affiliate in primetime is extremely helpful.) Usually they win primetime easily and everybody tunes out and switches to us for the 11pm. It was always rather puzzling to me. When the Ferguson verdict came down we got a 7 something rating which should have been good enough to win. However opposite DWTS they got nearly a 12 rating for their newscast at 11. That DWTS lead in helped them where their lead in viewers normally switch to us. They got lots of occasional viewers sticking around. NBC 5 had Chicago Fire last night... My guess is that it's really popular in Chicago and they just rode that lead in. It doesn't sound like ABC7 picked up much from Chicago Fire viewers switching for news so maybe what NBC 5 had was either lazy viewers who didn't feel like switching or folks that don't normally watch news but stuck around plus their normal allotment. Lead ins can matter a lot depending on what it is and the market. Would I be correct in assuming 7 has a high tune-in rate at somebody else's expense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24994J 5269 Posted October 15, 2015 Author Share Posted October 15, 2015 Would I be correct in assuming 7 has a high tune-in rate at somebody else's expense? WGN's 1.8 drop from 9 to 10 likely helped 7, but (without numbers in front of me) I'd estimate WBBM lost at least 2-3 points at 10. Combine those losses and that pretty much accounts for 7's increase. But all that is just simple logic, ignoring a lot of other factors. By the way, The Tonight Show almost assuredly plays a role in WMAQ's success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns8401 846 Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 WGN's 1.8 drop from 9 to 10 likely helped 7, but (without numbers in front of me) I'd estimate WBBM lost at least 2-3 points at 10. Combine those losses and that pretty much accounts for 7's increase. But all that is just simple logic, ignoring a lot of other factors. By the way, The Tonight Show almost assuredly plays a role in WMAQ's success. Apparently Colbert isn't doing the same for WBBM although their news product is in the toilet relatively speaking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24994J 5269 Posted October 15, 2015 Author Share Posted October 15, 2015 I thought I'd mention that the station rolled out two other versions of the new 10pm campaign, these led by Kathy Brock and Cheryl Burton. While Ron's emphasized experience, Kathy's focuses on chemistry, and Cheryl's talks about community. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24994J 5269 Posted October 15, 2015 Author Share Posted October 15, 2015 "I need to shave my back and glue it on my chin." -Mark Giangreco, Professional Wordsmith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns8401 846 Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Mark Giangreco is a strange strange guy... That "Your Team At 10" banner looks like it's straight out of the old graphics package... Decent promos to be sure though they come on a little stronger than they should... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase 818 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Decent promos to be sure though they come on a little stronger than they should... Yeah...Kathy's promo gives off a somewhat defiant vibe. The hand slap and finger snap didn't help matters. With Cheryl's..it's the choice of words. It's never a good thing to assume you know the 'needs' of the viewer. That and a few other things could have been phrased better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24994J 5269 Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 I just noticed there's another Kathy commercial, and it seems really cobbled together, almost as if it wasn't supposed to make it to air. It's of a different subject matter than her other one, but it's not as visually-pleasing as the first. The Ron promo is definitely best in the set. It'll be interesting to see if Mark and Jerry get their own spots. They have before, so it wouldn't be unprecedented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns8401 846 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I just noticed there's another Kathy commercial, and it seems really cobbled together, almost as if it wasn't supposed to make it to air. It's of a different subject matter than her other one, but it's not as visually-pleasing as the first. The Ron promo is definitely best in the set. It'll be interesting to see if Mark and Jerry get their own spots. They have before, so it wouldn't be unprecedented. The only thing I cringe at with Rons is when he talks about "really comes to the fore"... That's also a little intense and it really doesn't invite me in... I agree it's definitely the best one though.. I do like the idea a lot it's just some of the execution which is a usual thing I have with them... I'm used to a more free wheeling style I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns8401 846 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 It looks like CRM slammed Feder without mentioning him by name for his post about the ratings following the cubs win. There were some really good points made that Feder whiffed on completely: http://chicagoradioandmedia.com/news/7717-abc-7-wins-cubs-post-game-coverage-ratings 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
former newsboy 50 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Ew, I saw Kathy's the other day and thought she came across as super arrogant. "The reason we're so good at it." Ew! Maybe that's why there's another Kathy one, maybe someone else didn't like it either, so they replaced it. Maybe they even had to re-shoot it? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbchotchocolate 0 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 The staff at the worst news station in town abc 7 has nothing but arrogant, hostile, and snotty people and all of the people at abc 7 in Chicago are very paranoid and think everybody is out to get them more reasons for me and everybody to stop watching abc and watch nbc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BehindNYNews 143 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 The staff at the worst news station in town abc 7 has nothing but arrogant, hostile, and snotty people and all of the people at abc 7 in Chicago are very paranoid and think everybody is out to get them more reasons for me and everybody to stop watching abc and watch nbc. Not a good first impression on this website. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns8401 846 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 The staff at the worst news station in town abc 7 has nothing but arrogant, hostile, and snotty people and all of the people at abc 7 in Chicago are very paranoid and think everybody is out to get them more reasons for me and everybody to stop watching abc and watch nbc. Jealous much? In other news 7 had some kind of technical difficulties that caused them to use their live stream at 1130am this morning. I got a push alert but no details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24994J 5269 Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 There's a faction on the internet (though it might be just one person) that spams blog posts, Facebook updates, YouTube videos, and other forms of social media with the message that ABC 7 sucks donkey butt (which would be more creative than their normal attacks) and NBC 5 is the second coming. Frankly, I'm surprised it took til now for them to reach here. Ironically, the WMAQ they love and praise so much has not built itself as alternative to WLS, but as a near copy. I will admit, there are many things being done at NBC that are superior to ABC, but this so-called arrogance by 7 is at least warranted, as being #1 for 30 years gives them some right. NBC 5 has been on its way up for like 2 years, has yet to become the established top dog, and yet they're beginning to show the same "arrogant, hostile, and snotty" attitude as the supposed hell-spawns at 190 North. Oh, and these rabble rousers think that Allison Rosati is second to God, which automatically kills any credibility they have. (So glad I found that emoji online) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24994J 5269 Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 There's a new Ron promo today that is only like 15 seconds. Much better than the Kathy and Cheryl spots. It's much more concise and well-written. To paraphrase, he says that Eyewitness News has been #1 for a long time, but they never forget that they have to earn the viewers' trust. Nice and simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase 818 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 It looks like CRM slammed Feder without mentioning him by name for his post about the ratings following the cubs win. There were some really good points made that Feder whiffed on completely: http://chicagoradioandmedia.com/news/7717-abc-7-wins-cubs-post-game-coverage-ratings Ever since Feder left the Sun-Times, he has become more bias than objective in his reporting. That said, you have to take what he says (or didn't say in this case) with a grain of salt. CRM is somewhat better at providing a balance look at things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase 818 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I will admit, there are many things being done at NBC that are superior to ABC, but this so-called arrogance by 7 is at least warranted, as being #1 for 30 years gives them some right. NBC 5 has been on its way up for like 2 years, has yet to become the established top dog, and yet they're beginning to show the same "arrogant, hostile, and snotty" attitude as the supposed hell-spawns at 190 North. Being arrogant, on any level, isn't a positve. WLS has made a few key missteps as of late and WMAQ has been on an uptick thanks in part to building a solid young core of anchors/reporters and hiring market vets/leaders behind the scenes. Nothing more or less. Not sure where you get the impression that either station comes off as 'arrogant, hostile, etc....' or that WMAQ has copied WLS (or vice versa) from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns8401 846 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Being arrogant, on any level, isn't a positve. WLS has made a few key missteps as of late and WMAQ has been on an uptick thanks in part to building a solid young core of anchors/reporters and hiring market vets/leaders behind the scenes. Nothing more or less. Not sure where you get the impression that either station comes off as 'arrogant, hostile, etc....' or that WMAQ has copied WLS (or vice versa) from. In my very limited experience (I find WMAQ way too bland to be worth my time) they are not that similar at all... WLS's product is looking a little fatigued of late.. As for Feder and CRM I was surprised CRM called him out without naming him. That's not his style usually... Something must have irked him somehow... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns8401 846 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 There's a new Ron promo today that is only like 15 seconds. Much better than the Kathy and Cheryl spots. It's much more concise and well-written. To paraphrase, he says that Eyewitness News has been #1 for a long time, but they never forget that they have to earn the viewers' trust. Nice and simple. Sounds like what we were saying yesterday... Glad they simplified it. I wonder if WLS's overly formal presentation is becoming a turn off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24994J 5269 Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 Being arrogant, on any level, isn't a positve. WLS has made a few key missteps as of late and WMAQ has been on an uptick thanks in part to building a solid young core of anchors/reporters and hiring market vets/leaders behind the scenes. Nothing more or less. Not sure where you get the impression that either station comes off as 'arrogant, hostile, etc....' or that WMAQ has copied WLS (or vice versa) from. Okay, I'll gladly clarify my statement. Arrogance is rarely good, I'm just saying that when you promote yourself as #1, a certain level of arrogance is unavoidable. It's the same as getting too comfortable in the position, which WLS did. To my eyes, the NBC 5 of today is comparable to ABC 7 in its prime (let's say like 2005-09), in terms of delivery and tone. That format is working for them, and it's a method that ABC 7 hasn't entirely abandoned. Hiring former WLS leadership is also going to strengthen the notion that NBC is finding success with the ABC formula. I'm also not saying doing so is straight-up copying, and I certainly don't think it's a bad way to go. That said, with this bit of success, the tone of WMAQ's recent promos and advetisements have reminded me of the work that WLS has used in previous years. Everything our new friend hates about ABC is slowly creeping into NBC's product (so is the nature of the business), so his/her comments border on being a bit hypocritical. But that's just my opinion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns8401 846 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Okay, I'll gladly clarify my statement. Arrogance is rarely good, I'm just saying that when you promote yourself as #1, a certain level of arrogance is unavoidable. It's the same as getting too comfortable in the position, which WLS did. To my eyes, the NBC 5 of today is comparable to ABC 7 in its prime (let's say like 2005-09), in terms of delivery and tone. That format is working for them, and it's a method that ABC 7 hasn't entirely abandoned. Hiring former WLS leadership is also going to strengthen the notion that NBC is finding success with the ABC formula. I'm also not saying doing so is straight-up copying, and I certainly don't think it's a bad way to go. That said, with this bit of success, the tone of WMAQ's recent promos and advetisements have reminded me of the work that WLS has used in previous years. Everything our new friend hates about ABC is slowly creeping into NBC's product (so is the nature of the business), so his/her comments border on being a bit hypocritical. But that's just my opinion. All 5 original O&O ABC stations have dabbled in "we're number 1!!! Look at us!!!" At one point or another. The difference in how any station projects itself has a lot riding on the talent. WLS in particular is so stiff that it's as if the product is built to project that image. The copy is certainly written that way during newscasts, their promos are written that way. Their talent can be lifeless at times. It comes off cold quite often. That can be a liability at times and it's especially bad when you start taking your #1 for granted like 7 seems to be doing... The other 4 7's were always warmer and more inviting than WLS. Now being warm and inviting goes farther than it used to (some of the number one stations in other markets are almost freewheeling entirely). 7 isn't adapting at all to the changes in demographics and attitudes vs. just 10-15 years ago and it's hurting them. Sure they slapped a new coat of paint on it and they are redecorating but the product needs to be freshened as well... Otherwise this nagging that 5 is doing will become much more annoying for them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24994J 5269 Posted October 17, 2015 Author Share Posted October 17, 2015 Apparently ABC 7 is airing two Chicago Wolves (AHL) games on 7.2 this season, the first of which was tonight. WCIU carries 3 games as a part of a separate deal, but the vast majority air on 26.2, The U Too. http://www.chicagowolves.com/2015/10/14/wolves-and-abc-7-chicago-announce-broadcast-agreement/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns8401 846 Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 Apparently ABC 7 is airing two Chicago Wolves (AHL) games on 7.2 this season, the first of which was tonight. WCIU carries 3 games as a part of a separate deal, but the vast majority air on 26.2, The U Too. http://www.chicagowolves.com/2015/10/14/wolves-and-abc-7-chicago-announce-broadcast-agreement/ Even if it is just the Wolves it's good to see 7 expand its sports coverage further. Even if it's only on 7.2. On a sports note while I'm thinking of it does 7 or anybody in Chicago make a big deal out of high school football on their late news (like extended highlights or something)? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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