Newscast performance summary

KRCG, Channel 13, had the biggest increase in newscast market share in the latest Nielson ratings, according to an analysis of the three local news broadcasts that  True Media produced for the CBT.

TrueMedia, a media strategy and communications firm, compared the ratings of KRCG, KMIZ and KOMU in May 2008 with their ratings in May 2007. The early news, evening news and late news broadcasts in the Columbia market were measured. The ratings were calculated from the share of the market and the number of people viewing TV.

Colleen O’Kane, True Media’s chief media officer, said the overall decline in viewership in Columbia and similar markets has caused sharper fluctuations in market share than in the past when the overall samples were larger. But, she said, one large increase in KRCG’s share of the market surprised her.

“The most remarkable thing was KRCG’s increase in the Monday through Friday early morning news,” O’Kane said. “The shift is too big to not be significant.”

KRCG increased 16 percentage points in its share of the early newscast viewers this May from last May.

In early news (6 a.m. to 7 a.m.) and late news (10 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.), KRCG had the highest rating and the dominant share percentage followed by KOMU and KMIZ. In the evening news category (6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.), KRCG tied with KOMU in ratings and shares, followed by KMIZ.