NY 6 PM News Race Upset.

A Spanish-language UHF-TV station has scored a major upset in New York in the just concluded May 2005 sweep. According to Nielsen Station Index (NSI) local people meter (LPM) ratings Univision 41 (WXTV) has beaten WCBS-TV Channel 2, the premier station of the CBS Television Network, in New York’s signature 6 pm weekday news race in all key audience measures, including household rating. What is remarkable about the Univision 41 performance is this: Hispanics make up only 16.4 percent of New York TV households according to Nielsen.

Univision 41 also beat many major English-language TV stations in key audience measures in the 5 pm and 6:30 pm weekday news races.

Sweeps are the four, contiguous four-week periods each year in which the audiences of TV stations nationwide are measured in order to set advertising rates. The May 2005 sweep ran from April 28 to May 25 2005.

Here are the highlights:

5 pm news race: Although fourth in households, Univision 41’s “Premier Impacto” (First Impression) a news magazine is second among the key audience measures, persons 18-34, 18-49, and 25-54 years old. Among those aged 18 to 34, “Premier Impacto” scores a second place 0.7/5 NSI rating share ahead of WNJU/47 (0.7/4), WNYW (Fox) 5 (0.6/3), WNBC/4 0.5/3, and WCBS/2 (0.4/6). WABC leads with 1.3/8. Among those aged 18 to 49 “Premier Impacto” ties for second place with WNBC/4 at 1.0/6, ahead of WNJU/47 (0.7/4) and WNYW/5 and WCBS/2 at 0.5/3. In the 25 to 54 age group “Premier Impacto” scores 1.3/7 ahead of WNBC/4 (1.27), WNJU/47 (0.8/4), WCBS/2 (0.6/4, and WNYW/5 (0.5/3). WABC/7 leads with 2.7/15.

6 pm news race: Univision 41’s “Noticias Univision 41” (Univision 41 News) with anchors Rafael Pineda and Denisse Oller moves up to third place in households ahead of programs on WCBS/2, WNYW/5 and WNJU/47. “Noticias Univision 41” also beats some stiff competition in the key demographic measures. Among those aged 18 to 34 “Noticias Univision 41” is number two with 0.8/5, ahead of WNJU/47 (0.7/4), WNBC/4 (0.5/3), WNYW/5 (0.4/2), and WCBS/2 at 0.3/2. WABC/7 leads with 0.9/5. Among the 18 to 49 age group “Noticias Univision 41” scores 1.1/6 to beat WNJU/47 (0.7/3) and WCBS/2 and WNYW/5 tied at 0.5/3. WABC/7 scores 1.8/9, and WNBC/4 scores 1.3/7. “Noticias Univision 41” scores equally well among viewers aged 25 to 54 with 1.5/7, beating WCBS/2 (0.7/4) and WNYW/5 and WNJU/47 tied at 0.6/3. WABC/7 leads with 2.3/12 followed by WNBC/4, which is barely ahead of Univision 41 at 1.5/8.

6:30 pm news race: Again, Univision 41 upsets in households and in the demographic categories, particularly among those aged 25 to 54, which has long been claimed as the key news demographic for the major English-language network news programs. In household rating, “Noticiero Univision” with Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas scores 3.0/6, ahead of “The CBS Evening News” on WCBS/2 (2.3/5) and “Noticiero Telemundo” on WNJU/47 at 1.5/3. “World News Tonight” on WABC/7 leads with 6.3/13 followed by “NBC Nightly News” at 4.2/9. “Noticiero Univision” is second among network newscasts with viewers aged 18 to 34 at 0.8/4, ahead of “NBC Nightly News” (0.7/4), “Noticiero Telemundo” (0.7/3), and “The CBS Evening News” at 0.3/2. “ABC World News” leads with 1.0/6. Among those aged 18 to 49 “Noticiero Univision” scores 1.2/5 to beat Telemundo (0.7/3) and CBS at 0.6/3. ABC leads with 1.7/8 followed by NBC, barely ahead of Univision at 1.2/6. “Noticiero Univision” is second among those aged 25 to 54 with 1.5/7, beating NBC (1.4/6), CBS at 0.8/4, and Telemundo at 0.6/3. ABC leads with 2.3/10.