For the first 12 nights, WJZ had a 6.3 rating and 12 share, while WBAL had a 6.2 rating and a 12 share. WMAR had a 2.5 rating and 5 share.
Compared with the same period last July, WJZ was down 8 percent, while WBAL was down 29 percent in share of audience. WMAR, meanwhile, was up 25 percent.
Furthermore, WJZ was leading at 11 p.m. in the important adults 25-54 demographic on which it sells its news. And People Meters are all about measuring demographics rather than just how many households are watching. Again, it is neck-and-neck, but WJZ has a slight edge as opposed to trailing slightly last year at the same time.
That said, however, in an effort to be fair to all parties, let me provide some context.
First, WBAL's drop might not be all related to People Meters. NBC has had weak numbers before 11 p.m., and that can contribute to smaller audiences.
Furthermore, since stations at the low end of the ratings have such small audiences, their percentages of gain can seem inflated.
Still, none of that invalidates Hooper's optimism and the bounce folks are feeling at Channel 2 these days.
Jay Newman, the general manager of WJZ, says he's also feeling "cautiously optimistic" about the way his CBS-owned station has fared under the new People Meters.
"The demographics have held up pretty well, at least for us in most time periods," Newman said. "In our case, we feel our competitive situation is at least as strong, maybe a little stronger, overall when you take everything in account."
WBAL's Jordan Wertlieb cautions about making too much of summer numbers when viewing levels are traditionally lower.
"We have seen adjustments, as we expected," Wertlieb said. "But the most important point: The relative position and strengths of the station have not changed."
Nielsen executives also caution against making too much of such preliminary data from the middle of summer.
"The takeaway from us is let's wait until we get to September or October to see what the trends are in Baltimore," said Don Lowry, a Nielsen vice president.
