KFSM Leads DMA At 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.

KFSM, Channel 5, led the 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts in the July Nielsen ratings, while KHBS/KHOG, Channels 40/29, held onto the 6 p.m. lead.

For the 11-county dominant market area (which includes Fort Smith and two counties in Oklahoma), KFSM had a 13.6 rating at 5 p.m., compared to 9.9 for KHBS+. At 10 p.m., KFSM was ahead 11.1 to 9.

At 6 p.m., however, KHBS+ eked out a slim victory by one-tenth of a percent, 10.8 to 10.7.

“Rating” is percentage of television households in the area.

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

KNWA, formerly known as NBC 24/51, KPOM/KFAA, resurrected its local newscast in 2000 after eight years off the air and has yet to take over the lead during any of the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. or 10 p.m. newscast ratings periods.

KFSM, the CBS affiliate, is owned by the New York Times Co. KHOG, the ABC affiliate, is owned by Hearst-Argyle Television Inc. JDG Television Inc. of Muskogee, Okla., is in the process of selling KNWA to Nexstar Broadcasting Group of Irving, Texas. All three stations have offices in both Fayetteville and Fort Smith, although KNWA no longer has a Fort Smith newsroom.

Nielsen Media Research rates the stations four times annually: in February, May, July and November. The ratings can vary depending on the number of television “diaries” returned by viewers