When WMYD-TV began its outsourced news program at 10 p.m. in Detroit, I promised an update.
So, about 10 weeks in, here’s where things stand:
The newscast is attracting an average audience of 15,720 households, according to our sources. Even in the age of shrinking audiences, that is still a small number for local TV news in the nation’s 11 largest market. By comparison, Fox-owned WJBK-TV is attracting an average audience of 23, 270 for its new newscast at 4:30 a.m.
At 10 p.m., there is no ratings war. WJBK-TV has a 10 to 1 advantage, now attracting an average audience of 159,667.
WMYD-TV is finally promoting its product. I have heard radio commercials and they bought a promotional sticker on the front page of Sunday’s Detroit Free Press. They are positioning the newscast as “News Without The Noise” – an apparent counter to Fox’s format-driven presentation.
The newscast is starting as just a niche product is a crowded marketplace. But, to their credit, they are covering community-oriented stories, even with just two reporters actually inside the market (everyone else works in a centralized studio in Iowa).