Atlanta local TV news ratings jumped after pandemic began

Some non-news shows that saw notable ratings jumps locally year over year: ABC’s “The View” (up 57%), CBS’s “The Price is Right” (up 32%), ABC’s “General Hospital” (up 42%), the CW’s “Family Feud” and both 11Alive’s “Wheel of Fortune” (up 44%) and “Jeopardy” (up 47%).

For news programming, the biggest growth in ratings came at noon, when more people are now home watching live television. Channel 2 Action News nearly doubled its ratings year over year during that time. The network also saw huge ratings gains during the 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts. The other broadcast network news programs also saw gains during those time periods.

All four networks also saw comparable growth for their key 11 p.m. newscasts, ranging from 29% to 45%.

The highest rated show across the board was ABC’s “World News Tonight” on WSB-TV with a 13.4 rating and a 25 share in Atlanta. It was the only program to reach double digits in ratings.

Overall, Channel 2 Action News/WSB-TV continues to dominate among local newscasts in overall ratings, with Fox 5 a strong  second. This has been the case for many years.

In the key 25-54 demographic for advertisers, the two stations are neck and neck in the mornings and the 11 p.m. newscasts with WSB-TV winning the evening ratings race. “Good Day Atlanta” in that demo soundly beats WSB’s “Live With Ryan and Kelly” and “The Kelly Clarkson Show” mid mornings. And the 11:30 p.m. portion of “Fox 5 NewsEdge” beat WSB’s mix of “Nightline” and “Kimmel.”

11Alive and CBS46 lag far behind in most dayparts against the other two stations.

Here is an hour-by-hour ratings breakdown from 4:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. covering March 11 through April 30, 2020, based on Nielsen ratings.  The ratings numbers in parentheticals are from the same period a year earlier for comparison in cases where they are the same or comparable program.

4:30 a.m.

WSB Channel 2 Action News 2.4 (2.3) -4%

Fox 5  Good Day Atlanta 1.7 (1.7)

CBS46 Morning News 0.4 (0.5) -20%

5 a.m.

WSB Channel 2 Action News 3.0 (3.3) -9%

Fox 5 Good Day Atlanta 2.3 (2.3)

11Alive Morning Rush 0.6 (0.7) -14%

CBS46 Morning News 0.4 (0.6) -33%

6 a.m. 

WSB Channel 2 Action News 4.4 (4.8) -8%

Fox 5 Good Day Atlanta 3.3 (3.4)  -3%

11Alive Morning Rush 1.0 (1.3) -23%

CBS46 Morning News 0.5 (1.0) -50%

7 a.m.-9 a.m.

WSB Good Morning America 6.4 (5.2) +23%

Fox 5 Good Day Atlanta 4.8 (4.2) +14%

11Alive Today 2.1 (1.6) +31%

CBS46 This Morning 1.1 (0.9) +22%

9 a.m.

Fox 5 Good Day Atlanta 5.0 (3.6) +39%

WSB Live With Kelly and Ryan 4.2 (3.3) +27%

11Alive Today 1.4 (1.5) -7%

CBS46 700 Club 0.6 (0.4) +50%

10 a.m.

Fox 5 Good Day Atlanta 4 (3.2) +25%

WSB Kelly Clarkson Show 3.1 (Right This Minute 1.7) +82%

CBS46 Let’s Make a Deal 2.0 (1.8) +11%

11Alive Today 1.4 (1.1) +27%

CW69 America’s Court 0.6 (0.7) -14%

11 a.m.

WSB The View 4.7 (3.0) +57%

CBS46 The Price is Right 3.8 (2.6) +32%

Fox 5 Wendy Williams Show 2.6 (The Real 1.8)

CW69 People’s Court 1.1(1.4) -21%

11Alive The List/America Says, then Dateline 0.8 (Atlanta & Co. 0.5)

Noon

WSB Channel 2 Action News 7.1 (3.7) +92%

Fox 5 News 3.1 (2.0) +55%

CBS46 News 2.8 (1.9 +47%)/ Young and the Restless 2.9 (3.0)

CW69 Judge Mathis 1.1 (1.2) -8%

11Alive News 0.7 (0.5) +40%

1 p.m.

WSB Pandemic: What You Need To Know 4.6 (2.0)  +130%

CBS46 Young and the Restless 2.9 (3.0)/The Bold and the Beautiful 2.4 (2.1)

Fox 5 The Real 1.9 (TMZ Live 1.9)

11Alive Days of Our Lives 1.5 (1.7) -12%

CW 69 Paternity Court 1.1 (0.9) +22%

2 p.m.

WSB General Hospital 3.7 (2.6) +42%

Fox 5 TMZ Live 2.3 (Page 6/Access 1.5)

CBS46 The Talk 1.5 (1.4)  +7%

CW69 Couples Court 0.9

WATL Steve Wilkos 0.6 (0.7) -14%

Peachtree TV Hatchett 0.6 (Mablean/Hatchett 0.7)

11 Alive The Daily Blast 0.5 (0.6) -16%

3 p.m.

Fox 5 Divorce Court 2.3/ Judge Judy 3.4 (Steve 2.4)

WSB Tamron Hall 2.0 (Dr. Oz 1.8)

CBS46 Dr. Oz. 1.6 (Dateline 1.1)

11Alive Dr. Phil 0.9 (1.4) -36%

4 p.m.

WSB Channel 2 Action News 5.2 (3) +73%

Fox 5 Judge Judy 4.3/ Fox 5 News 3.8 (Judge Judy 4.1)

CBS46 News 1.7 (1.3) +31%

11Alive Ellen 1.2 (1.7) -29%

CW69 Personal Injury Court 0.5 (Mathis 0.5)

5 p.m.

WSB Channel 2 Action News 7.4 (4.3) +72%

Fox 5 News 4.5 (3.7) +22%

11Alive News 1.7 (1.4) +21%

CBS46 News 1.6 (1.4) +14%

CW 69 Paternity Court 0.9 (0.9)

WATL Maury Povich 0.5 (0.7) -29%

6 p.m.

WSB Channel 2 Action News 8.9 (5.6) +59%

Fox 5 News 4.3 (3.6) +19%

11Alive News 3.1 (2.5) +24%

CBS46 News 1.8 (1.8)

6:30 p.m.

WSB Channel 2 Action News 8.9 (5.8) +54%

11Alive NBC Nightly News 5.6 (4.2) +33%

Fox 5 News 4.3 (3.3) +30%

CBS46 CBS Evening News 2.2 (2.2)

CW69 Family Feud 1.4  (0.9) +56%

Peachtree TV Modern Family 0.5 (1.0) -50%

7 p.m.

WSB ABC World News Tonight 13.4 (10.0) +34%

11Alive Wheel of Fortune 4.6 (3.2) +44%

Fox 5 Dish Nation 2.6 (2.4) +8%

CW69 Family Feud 1.7 (1.2) +42%

CBS46 Big Bang Theory 1.4 (1.8) -22%

Peachtree TV Last Man Standing 0.5 (Goldbergs 0.8)

7:30 p.m.

WSB Entertainment Tonight 7.7 (6.3) +22%

11Alive Jeopardy 6.6(4.5) +47%

Fox 5 TMZ 2.7 (2.9) -7%

CW69 Family Feud 2.2 (1.7) +29%

CBS46 The Big Bang Theory 1.7 (2.0) -15%

8-11 p.m prime-time various shows

WSB 4.7 (4.1) +13%

Fox 5 (til 10 p.m.) 3.9 (3.0) +30%

CBS46 3.1 (3.1)

11Alive 2.8 (2.5) +12%

Peachtree TV 0.8 (0.7) +14%

10 p.m.

Fox 5 News 4.9 (4.3) +14%

WATL 11AliveNews 0.5 (0.6) -17%

11 p.m.

WSB Nightbeat/Tonight 6.2 (4.8) +29%

Fox 5 News Edge 3.8 (3.1) +23%

CBS46 News 2.5 (1.9) +32%

11Alive UpLate 1.6 (1.1) +45%

11:30 p.m.

WSB Nightline/Kimmel 3.5 (Kimmel 3.3)

Fox 5 News Edge 3.1 (2.5) +24%

CBS46 Colbert 1.8 (2.3) -22%

11Alive Fallon 1.2 (1.2)

CW69 Two and a Half Men 0.5 (2 Broke Girls 0.5)

Midnight

WSB Kimmel/Nightline 3 (2.8)

Fox 5 TMZ 2.2 (1.9) +16%

CBS46 Colbert 1.1 (1.6) -31%

11Alive Fallon 1.0 (0.8) +20%

CW69 Two Broke Girls 0.6 (Mike & Molly 0.5)

12:30 a.m.

WSB Kimmel 2 (Nightline 0.2)

Fox 5 Access Hollywood 1.7 (Page Six 1.6)

11Alive Seth Myers 0.8 (0.8)

CBS46 James Corden 0.6 (1.0)

CW69 Two Broke Girls 0.5