WBAL was first in all except one of the nighttime newscasts, but WJZ was the most watched station in Baltimore sign-on to sign-off.
That's the main story of the May sweeps ratings survey that ended Wednesday, and it is a familiar one - WBAL (Channel 11) and WJZ (Channel 13) each declaring itself victor and interpreting the results to make its case.
The most intense battle between the two longtime rivals was at 11 p.m. during their most lucrative newscasts. WJZ won the contest Monday through Friday, when the stations typically feature their first-string anchor teams, but WBAL finished first when judged across the entire week, Monday through Sunday.
Of the two stations, WBAL's 11 p.m. effort is the more impressive given that late local news on Channel 11 was preceded by NBC's weaker network programming, while Channel 13's newscast had the benefit of a strong lead-in from prime-time shows on CBS. The lead-in provided to local news by network programming at 11 can make a difference in news ratings, and CBS was first in overall viewership during prime time during May.
On the other hand, Channel 11's early news at 5 p.m. enjoys a huge advantage over its competitors thanks to the lead-in provided by the syndicated hit Oprah, with Oprah Winfrey. Channel 11 has a bigger audience at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. than WJZ and WMAR (Channel 2) combined.
"I have never been prouder of the entire news organization. Clearly, the viewers of Baltimore have found that we are meeting their need for news," Channel 11's general manager Bill Fine said yesterday.
"Overall, when you look at WJZ's entire portfolio of assets - local news, programming and sports - we are very, very pleased with the results of the May sweeps," said Jay Newman, Channel 13's general manager.
