The shift in Vancouver television news viewers’ preferences is continuing … despite recent moves by Global to stem its decline.
Overall Global TV still leads Vancouver local news television ratings … drawing on average about twice the viewers of CTV: it used t0 be ahead by six times more viewers … but more and more often, CTV is now celebrating victories over the Newshour.
Just this past Thursday, Oct. 1, I’m told CTV News at 5 beat Global’s News at 5 quite handily … scoring a 2.3 ratings share, compared to 1.6 at Global.
And CTV News at 6 also edged Global … with a 3.4 ratings share, compared to 3.3 for The Newshour.
Apparently, NEVER has Global been beaten by CTV on BOTH evening shows on the same day.
And the once-indomitable Newshour is now being “bested” by its major competitor, CTV at 6, repeatedly.
On Monday, Sept. 21 , CTV News at 6 apparently scored a 2.6 ratings share, compared to Newshour’s 2.4; and on Friday, Sept. 25, CTV racked up 2.3 ratings share, Global a 2.1; and, on Tuesday, Sept. 22 Global barely stayed ahead, capturing a 3.7 ratings share, compared to CTV’s 3.6.
(From Wikipedia “Share is the percentage of television sets in use that are tuned to the program. For example, Nielsen may report a show as receiving a 9.2/15 during its broadcast; this would mean that out of all television-equipped households, 9.2% were tuned in to that program, and out of all television-equipped households with a television currently in use 15% were tuned in to that program.“
Global Morning News is also starting to get passed by CTV Morning News … once unheard of in Vancouver!
That was a horrible week for my old stomping ground, where I have to admit, we used to laugh as we regularly trounced CTV with six or even seven times their ratings.
Not any more!
Year over year viewership stats are also reportedly showing BIG shifts: the monthly year over year report for July for 6pm showed CTV up 65%, Global is down 9%, CBC is down 35% and CHEK is down 60%!
Yikes!
Stations don’t give out their numbers easily … except to advertisers … but if any of them have different figures they want to share with you, I welcome them to do so here.
Clearly the public are more frequently clicking their remotes AWAY from what used to be a province-wide habit at 6 p.m. …. watching The Newshour.
I have written many times about what I feel has been the reasons for TV news’ decline in general and Global’s in particular: many of those commenting on here agreed and even suggested I wasn’t harsh enough; others accused me of sour grapes (never understood that … I had a most marvelous career there, had won many awards, was paid well, genuinely liked almost all my colleagues there … and retired only when I decided I was able to and wanted to.)
It’s obvious: the ratings show something IS wrong there … and it’s not MY blog postings!
And even the shifting of personnel and anchors and/or dual anchors doesn’t seem to helping … nor does what seems to be more and more perky banter.
Perhaps they should SEARCH their own news shows/network on my blog and carefully read what I and ESPECIALLY YOU wrote about what’s wrong.
What about CBC Vancouver local news?
Again, some from within and outside the media criticized me sharply some months ago when I decried their new look and the lack of gravitas of their very young new anchor: chastising me for being too negative, too out of touch … living in the past etc. etc.
Well, the local news CBC ratings last week were at O.O … goose eggs … from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. …the entire suppertime block. ZERO! (I can hardly wait for apologies all those who pooh-poohed my criticisms: I was clearly keeping it real … they were not!)
None of that, however, brings me pleasure: we ALL lose when quality deteriorates and viewers leave; and, when I write about it all, I’m not gloating … just trying to inform blog readers what IS really going on … because, the media here curiously do a terrible job of covering … the media!
However, I do still have feelings for my old station, where several friends still toil and try to do the best they can with what/who they are given to work with … each day, each week … under some very pressing conditions.
Truth is, it used to make me sad to see the way Global’s succession of new owners and new management brass slowly but surely killed off the once proud BCTV quality, the almost-revered BCTV name, the BCTV dogwood, the BCTV sign outside their Burnaby station, the BCTV logos on their trucks and their cameras and their microphones and their coats etc. … replacing them ALL with “Global” and “Shaw”.
Now, watching the shows and the ratings, I’m kind of glad they did that … and don’t even pretend it is still BCTV.
Harv Oberfeld
(PS: If anyone wants to comment on the new TPP trade deal, please wait until I publish a full blog on it Wednesday: will NOT post them to this media topic.)