Univision WXTV-TV Up In Sweeps.

The champagne corks will be popping at Univision’s Gotham duopoly, Univision 41 (WXTV) and Telefutura 68 (WFUT+) as the group emerges from the November 2003 sweep with the largest overall year-to-year ratings gains in the market. With six percent year-to-year growth in sign-on to sign-off (Mon. – Sun., 6 am to 2 am) audience according to Nielsen Station Index (NSI) household ratings, Univision 41 ties the first place growth rate of Viacom-owned WCBS-TV Channel 2.

Sweeps are the four, four week periods each year in which audiences of local TV stations nationwide are measured. The November 2003 sweep runs from October 31, 2003 to November 26, 2003.

The November 2003 sweep marks the third consecutive sweep that Univision 41 has beaten a major English-language TV station (WWOR/9) in New York in sign-on to sign-off ratings, continuing a streak that began in May 2003.

Univision 41 points to solid growth in its local news ratings. The 5 am weekday “Noticias Univision 41 Al Despertar” scores 0.4/2, NSI rating/share, doubling the 0.2/1 it scored in November 2002. The 6 am “Noticias Univision 41 Al Despertar” scores 0.8/3 NSI, up 14% from 0.7/3 a year ago. At 5 pm, Univision’s news magazine, “Primer Impacto” (First Impact), scores 3.2/6 NSI, up 45% from last year to beat WNYW Fox/5’s 5 pm news by almost three to one. The latter scores 1.3/3 NSI. At 6 pm, local newscast “Noticias Univision 41” with anchors Rafael Pineda and Denisse Oller scores 3.5/6 NSI, up 13% from last year and also trouncing the competing local news program on WNYW/Fox 5 by almost three to one. Fox’s 6 pm news program scores 1.3/2 NSI.

Univision 41’s Saturday 6 pm news is also shaking up New York’s TV establishment. With a 3.6/7 NSI rating for the sweep, the Saturday edition of “Noticias Univision 41” with anchor Olga Alvarez soundly beats the “Fox 5 News at 6 pm” on WNYW/5 and finishes close behind time-period WNBC/4 for second place in the market.

Each New York Nielsen Station Index rating point represents 73,763.3 TV households.