THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 15, 1995 TAG: 9512150079
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: LARRY BONKO
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
GARY STOKES, the news director at NBC affiliate WAVY, shuffles off to Buffalo this week to become general manager of the CBS station in that winter wasteland where they need anti-freeze in lawnmowers.
He will be a tough act to follow.
In the November ratings sweeps, WAVY's local newscasts at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. finished first. Channel 10's breakfast bunch was No. 1 at 6 a.m.
Sweep!
Broadcasters here can't remember when that happened last. Maybe never before.
Once upon a time, WAVY's 6 p.m. newscast was fourth in its time period. It was losing to ``Wonder Woman'' reruns on WGNT. Now its ratings are the highest in seven years.
Just as stunning as WAVY's No. 1 finish across the board in November 1995 is WVEC's tumble to No. 3 at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. Channel 13's local news also finished third in a field of three in the early morning and at noon.
That makes WVEC 0-for-5.
They'll be popping champagne corks at the WAVY studios in Portsmouth this holiday season. As for the WVEC staffers, don't be surprised if there's a lump of coal in their stockings this Christmas.
At the WTKR studios in Norfolk, they are also entitled to do a little celebrating. Channel 3's local newscast at 6 p.m. advanced from No. 3 in the May ratings book to No. 2 after the November sweeps, following a change in the station's ownership.
Don't let anybody tell you that you can't buy decent ratings in this market, the 40th largest in the United States. WTKR's good numbers (12 rating, 23 share) at 6 showed up after the CBS affiliate started the November sweeps with a ``watch and win'' promotion.
If your lucky number popped up on the screen, you were eligible to win as much as $10,000. It wasn't the classiest way for the prestigious New York Times Co. to bring in viewers, but it worked.
WTKR finished in a tie for first (8 rating, 18 share) with WAVY at 5 p.m., came in second at 6, second at 11 and won big at noon as usual. Its early morning local news finished second in a time period when WAVY has such a big lead (3 ratings points, 15 share points) that it is almost obscene.
A good ratings book for WTKR.
Reflecting on WAVY's smashing November sweeps, promotion and marketing manager Michael A. Mastrullo gives credit to Stokes for whipping the Channel 10 newsroom into a team that works well together. ``And our `Ten on Your Side' concept continues to click with viewers,'' said Mastrullo.
It's the you-have-a-friend-in-us approach to local TV news. Reporter Lisa Parker exposes a scam at an employment agency. Tom Corbin discovers how easy it is for your kids to get their hands on pornographic computer software.
The hidden-camera trick will get you ratings every time.
WAVY at 11 p.m. rode the crest of NBC's monster wave in primetime ratings. For the 39th time in the last 43 ratings periods, Channel 10 came in No. 1 at 11 (11 rating, 27 share) followed by WTKR (9-23) and WVEC (6-12). On Thursday nights, after ``ER'' and ``Seinfeld,'' WAVY is averaging a 15 rating and 36 share for its news at 11.
Awesome.
At 5 and 6 p.m., when 341,000 of greater Hampton Roads' 619,000 TV households are tuned in, the race to be first is almost a three-way tie. This time around, WAVY (13 rating, 23 share) is first but not by much. Close behind is WTKR (12-23) and WVEC (12-22).
So, make that a small lump of coal for WVEC staffers.
At 5, both WAVY and WTKR have an 8 rating and 18 share, with WVEC just a tick behind at 7-17. ``It's a horse race,'' said one local broadcaster.
And for the moment, a horse saddled up by Gary Stokes - soon to be general manager Gary Stokes of WIVB in Buffalo - is the big winner. Memo to the man or woman hired by LIN Broadcasting to succeed Stokes in the WAVY newsroom: What are you going to do for an encore? by CNB