MEMPHIS, Tenn. — WREG-TV News Channel 3 beats all competitors in local news ratings for the fourth year in a row, once again topping all other stations.
Nielsen Media Research measured viewing in the Memphis TV market for the 28 days from April 23 – May 20, a period also known as “May Sweeps.” WREG comes out on top in total ratings each day, and in head-to-head ratings races for nearly every local newscast.
About the team’s continued success, news director Bruce Moore said, “Four years in a row is an accomplishment, but we will continue to fight hard for the interests of our viewers in and around Memphis. We’ll sharpen our focus on important breaking stories, and further commit to weather coverage that keeps everyone safe and helps you plan your day.”
WREG president and general manager Ron Walter added, “We listen to our viewers. Not only are they important to us, they are also our life line. We want to be theirs too. For them to choose us makes me proud of everyone’s hard work in front of and behind the camera.”
In the Memphis television market, one rating point equals approximately 6,600 households, or approximately 17,233 people. Here are the numbers by time period:
- For the all-important Monday-Friday 10 p.m. news, WREG, anchored by Claudia Barr and Richard Ransom, averaged a 10.6 rating to WMC’s 8.2, WHBQ’s 2.8, and WATN’s 1.8. WHBQ’s 9 p.m. newscast beats WLMT’s with a 4.0 average to a 1.9.
- WREG News Channel 3 Sunday at 10 p.m. with Stephanie Scurlock is the highest rated Memphis newscast of the week, averaging a 10.6 rating.
- WREG also won the entire morning news period from 4:30 to 7 a.m. weekdays. The show, anchored by Markova Reed and Adam Hammond, beat WMC, Fox 13 and WATN. At 6 a.m., WREG achieved a 7.7 rating to WMC’s 5.5, WHBQ’s 4.8 and WATN’s 1.7.
- WREG’s News Channel 3 Live at 9:00 with Marybeth Conley and Alex Coleman achieved a 4.6 rating, beating WHBQ’s 4.5 for the same time period, and WATN’s 0.9.
- At noon, WREG achieved a 6.8 to WMC’s 3.5. WHBQ averaged a 3.3 at 11 a.m. to WATN’s 1.0.
- Anchors April Thompson and Alex Coleman came out on top too. WREG’s Monday-Friday news at 4:00 and 4:30 p.m., achieved a 5.0 average for the hour. WMC averaged a 3.2 for the same time period.
- WMC’s only win was at 6 p.m., comfortably nestled between two popular national programs, NBC Nightly News and Wheel of Fortune; WMC managed an 8.6 to WREG’s 7.6, and WATN’s 2.1.
- WREG wins weekends too. On Saturday morning, WREG’s average 6.5 rating tops WMC’s 4.2. WREG wins Saturday at 5 and 6 p.m. —3.8 for WREG, 2.6 for WHBQ at 5:00, and at 6:00, a 4.4 for WREG to WMC’s 3.6 and WATN’s 0.9. WREG wins Saturday night at 10 p.m. with a 7.8 to WMC’s 5.5, WATN’s 3.2 and WHBQ’s 2.6 at 9 p.m. topping WLMT’s 1.5.
- WREG’s ratings strength continues on Sunday. The Elise Preston-anchored morning show grows to a 7.4 average in the final morning hour—more than twice the rating for any quarter hour on any other station Sunday morning. The 10 p.m. show anchored by Stephanie Scurlock averages a 10.6 to WMC’s 7.2 and WATN’s 1.5. WHBQ at 9 p.m. Sunday averages a 4.7, beating WLMT’s 2.1 for their half hour newscast.
- WREG also has the highest rated local sports program in the viewing area on any medium. Friday Sports Overtime with Glenn Carver and Mike Ceide averaged an 8.5 rating to WMC Friday Sports Extra’s 6.5.
WREG-TV News Channel 3 is owned by Tribune Media Company (NYSE: TRCO), home to a diverse portfolio of television and digital properties driven by quality news, entertainment and sports programming. Tribune Media is comprised of Tribune Broadcasting’s 42 owned or operated local television stations reaching more than 50 million households, national entertainment network WGN America, available in approximately 73 million households, Tribune Studios, and Gracenote, one of the world’s leading sources of TV and music metadata, powering electronic program guides in televisions, automobiles and mobile devices. Tribune Media also includes Chicago’s WGN-AM, and the national multicast networks Antenna TV and THIS TV. Additionally, the Company owns and manages a significant number of real estate properties across the U.S. and holds other strategic investments in media. For more information please visit www.tribunemedia.com.
