Spanish Language TV Up 127% In NYC.

Viewership of Spanish-language broadcast TV has grown 127 percent in New York in the past three years according to Nielsen Station Index (NSI) figures just released. During the just completed November 2002 sweep (Oct. 31 – Nov. 27, 2002) New York’s three Spanish-language broadcast TV stations averaged a combined 3.4 Nielsen Station Index rating in the broadest measure of TV viewing, “sign-on to sign-off,” or Monday – Sunday, 6 am to 2 am. That’s a 127% increase over the 1.5 NSI combined average that two Spanish-language broadcast TV stations averaged in the corresponding period in 1999. A third broadcast TV station WFUT, joined New York’s Spanish-language ranks in January 2002.

Ratings for the traditional market leader, Univision 41 (WXTV) are exemplary of the growth in Spanish-language TV viewing. In the November 1999 sweep, Univision 41 averaged total day viewership of 1.2 NSI. That grew to 1.8 NSI in the November 2002 sweep, a gain of 50%. In total day viewing, Univision 41 surpassed the ratings of WWOR/9, one of New York’s six, traditional, English-language VHF commercial TV stations. WWOR/9 scored 1.7 NSI during the November 2002 sweep.

Sweeps ratings are crucial to the economic health of TV stations. Sweeps are the four annual, four-week periods in which audiences of TV stations nationwide are measured in order to set advertising rates.

Each New York Nielsen Station Index rating point represents 72,823.6 TV households.