Wendy Williams Hits In New York; Tests Continue Into Aug.
By BroadCasting & Cable Staff -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/3/2008 6:00:00 PM MT
After two weeks on television, radio deejay Wendy Williams has proved herself to be the Queen of All Media—at least in New York.
On Fox-owned WNYW New York at 10 a.m., Debmar-Mercury's The Wendy Williams Show is averaging a 1.5 rating/6 share in households after 11 days on the air (July 14 through 28), according to Nielsen Media Research.
“If something is a hit in New York, it will work around the country,” said Mort Marcus, co-president of Debmar-Mercury.
That improves the time period by 150% over last July, when the station was airing repeats of Warner Bros.' Dr. Keith Ablow in the time period. Prior to Williams' debut on July 14, WNYW was airing repeats of CBS' Montel Williams, which averaged a 0.5/2 in May.
In addition, Wendy Williams' New York ratings jumped to a 1.8 live-plus-seven rating, which includes viewing via DVRs. Day-and-date syndicated shows don't usually get a DVR bump like popular primetime shows do.
Williams' demographic performance also is impressive in New York, where the show wins the hour among females, and is WNYW's highest-rated show among women from morning until primetime kicks in at 8 p.m. ET.
Debmar-Mercury and Fox are running a six-week test of the show on Fox-owned stations in four markets: New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Detroit. Executives at Debmar-Mercury and Fox are pleased with the show's performance thus far, with the test running through August. The current plan is to introduce the show into national syndication in fall 2009.
On KTTV Los Angeles at 1 p.m., Wendy Williams is averaging a 0.7/2, down 13% from what repeats of CBS' Montel were doing in the time slot last July. The show is up, however, by 150% versus its lead-in among women 18-34, is winning the time period in that demo and tied with Oprah as the No. 1 daytime syndicated among young women. Wendy Williams also is up 67% compared to repeats of Montel that KTTV aired in May.
A second run of the show, which Fox is not promoting, airs at 4 p.m. on Fox-owned KCOP Los Angeles. There, the show averages a 0.4/1, down 33% from last July, when the station aired CBS' off-net sitcom One on One in the time slot.
In Dallas, Wendy Williams is averaging a 0.9/3 on KDFW at 11 a.m., down 10% from Ablow repeats, although Williams is more than doubling the time period's performance among women in all demos in Dallas.
On WJVK Detroit at noon, the show is averaging a 1.7/6, its highest overall rating. Among households, that's even with Montel repeats from last year but up 22% among women 18-34.
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