KFSM Stays on Top in Ratings

KFSM-TV, Channel 5, continues to lead three time slots for local news, according to the latest ratings by Nielsen Media Research for May.

Just as it did in May 2011, the CBS affiliate led the Designated Market Area in the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts.

The 11-county DMA includes nine counties in Arkansas and two in Oklahoma.

“We appreciate viewers once again choosing 5NEWS as the overall most-watched local news team and KFSM as the most-watched TV station,” said Van Comer, president and general manager of the station.

While keeping its lead, KFSM had a decrease in ratings in all three time slots. The station’s 6 p.m. newscast saw a ratings drop of 3.2 points.

ABC affiliate KHBS/KHOG-TV, Channels 40/29, ranked second in all three slots (the KHOG portion of the station is Northwest Arkansas and KHBS is Fort Smith).

The station did win the 5 a.m. news slot, and tied with KFSM for the lead in the 6 a.m. slot. KHBS/KHOG was second to KFSM in both time slots in May 2011.

“Our team has worked very hard to deliver a morning newscast that reflects the needs of our viewers,” said Brian Sather, president and general manager of KHBS/KHOG. “It’s clear from the May ratings, viewers appreciate what we’re doing.”

KNWA-TV, the NBC affiliate, came in third in all three slots, but did show an increase of 0.8 rating points in the 5 p.m. newscast.

Fox affiliate KFTA-TV has a 9 p.m. newscast that drew a 1.6 rating.

Ratings are conducted four times each year — May, July, November and February.

A rating is a percentage point of all television households. For example, a 3.0 rating means a station is reaching 3 percent of all households.

Share is a percentage of the homes actually watching television. For example, a television station with a 30 share indicates that 30 percent of the homes watching television are watching that particular station.

There are 313,500 television households in the Northwest Arkansas/Fort Smith DMA, which ranks No. 101 in the country, according to Nielsen.