Univision’s KMEX-TV & KFTR-TV Top The Sweeps.

According to the final May 2004 NHSI Sweeps ratings released this week by Nielsen Media Research, Univision flagship station KMEX-TV, Channel 34 and TeleFutura’s flagship KFTR-TV, Channel 46 posted ratings growth from May 2003, and in a market of six full-power Spanish-language broadcasters, continue to rank as the two highest rated stations in average ratings among all key demographic segments. Ratings highlights from the May NHSI survey (April 29 to May 26, 2004) include the following:

On an average audience basis (Monday to Sunday, 6 am to 2 am), KMEX-TV posted ratings growth from May 2003 among Adults 18-34 (+14%), Adults 18-49 (+10%), and Adults 25-54 (+9%), ranking first in average ratings. KFTR-TV posted increases of +11%, +13%, and +13%, respectively, and ranked as the second highest rated Spanish-language station in L.A. for each demographic segment.

In primetime (Monday to Sunday: 7 pm to 11 pm), KMEX-TV continues to lead with an average 9.4 rating among the primary demographic of Adults 18-49, followed by a 2.7 for KFTR-TV and KVEA-TV, a 2.3 for KWHY-TV, a 1.1 for KAZA-TV, and a 0.8 for KRCA-TV.

KMEX-TV’s primetime novela line-up (M-F: 7 to 10 pm) averaged a 10.4 rating among Adults 18-49 – four times the 2.7 rating for KVEA-TV’s novela block (7 to 11 pm). The average ratings for KMEX-TV’s prime novelas grew 9% on a “year-to-year” basis, and +21% “book-to-book” (from February 2004). KVEA-TV’s primetime novelas increased 4% from May 2003, but dropped 37% from February.

Note: In Nielsen’s NSI ratings service for Los Angeles, KMEX-TV’s primetime novela line-up, for the first time ever, averaged more households than all English-language broadcasters in the time period (with +22% ratings growth from May 2003). Univision’s hit novela at 7 pm, “Amar Otra Vez,” posted higher household ratings on KMEX-TV than all English-language prime access programs, including “Jeopardy,” “The Simpsons,” “Wheel of Fortune,” “Access Hollywood,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and “Friends;” among others. The station expects another stellar ratings book when the NSI demographic ratings for the May Sweeps are released in several weeks.

KMEX-TV’s local newscasts continued their position as the leading source of news and information for L.A.’s Hispanic population. KMEX-TV’s early morning newscast, “Primera Edición” (M-F: 6 am to 7 am), averaged a 2.6 rating among Adults 18-49 (+30% from May 2003), compared to only a 0.5 rating for KVEA-TV’s competing early morning newscast (-55%). In fact, the ratings for “Primera Edición” were comparable to KVEA-TV’s 6 pm newscast and surpassed their 11 pm edition.

The weekday editions of “Noticias 34” at 6 pm averaged a 4.7 rating among Adults 18-49, compared to a 2.9 for KVEA-TV’s competing local newscast, “Noticiero 52.” KMEX-TV’s late newscast at 11 pm averaged a 5.9 rating among Adults 18-49 – three and a half times the 1.7 for “Noticiero 52.”

All weekend editions of “Noticias 34” posted ratings growth from May 2003 among Adults 18-49, with average ratings three times those of KVEA-TV’s competing weekend newscasts, which declined in average ratings.

KFTR-TV’s daytime line-up (M-F: 9 am to 3 pm), led by the success of “La Oreja,” “Escandalo TV” and “Monica,” posted ratings growth among Women 18-49 of +71% from May 2003.

KFTR-TV’s new novela at 4 pm, “Te Sigo Amando,” posted a 3.4 rating among Women 18-49 (+183% from its May 2003 time period average) – comparable to the average 3.5 rating for KVEA-TV’s primetime novela line-up.

KFTR-TV’s primetime movie series, “Cine de las Estrellas,” posted rating increases of 31% from May 2003 among Adults 18-49 and was again the highest-rated primetime movie series on Spanish-language television.

The ratings on KFTR-TV for TeleFutura’s nightly sports newscast, “Contacto Deportivo” (M-Sun: 11 pm to 11:30 pm) grew +29% from May 2003 among Men 18-49, and the program now surpasses KVEA-TV’s late newscast among all key Adult and Male demographics.