‘Peak’ Performances in Colorado Springs
Multiple stations vie for top spot in market
By Michael Malone -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/19/2010 12:01:00 AM
Talk About The Weather
Colorado Springs-Pueblo is no
stranger to extreme weather,
including blizzards that cause
skiers to flock to Pikes Peak and
the flash storms that force them
inside this time of year. The
DMA features several “microclimates”—
much different conditions
in various corners of the
market. “It can be a very volatile
place,” says KOAA President/
General Manager David Whitaker.
Summer means tornado watches and violent thunderstorms. “There’s definitely a recipe for afternoon storms this time of year,” says KKTV General Manager Tim Merritt. “You can set your watch by when the thunderstorms roll through around 2 or 3 [p.m.].”
Stations are fighting to own weather. Among the big two, KRDO added weather updates to its Telemundo outlet, while KOAA has the meteorological Mikes—former KKTV veteran Mike Madson along with Mike Daniels—providing updates on the weather-themed channel 5.2.
Winning weather is key in most markets, but crucial in Colorado Springs. “In this market, if you lead in weather,” Whitaker says, “you lead in news.”
—Michael Malone
Summer means tornado watches and violent thunderstorms. “There’s definitely a recipe for afternoon storms this time of year,” says KKTV General Manager Tim Merritt. “You can set your watch by when the thunderstorms roll through around 2 or 3 [p.m.].”
Stations are fighting to own weather. Among the big two, KRDO added weather updates to its Telemundo outlet, while KOAA has the meteorological Mikes—former KKTV veteran Mike Madson along with Mike Daniels—providing updates on the weather-themed channel 5.2.
Winning weather is key in most markets, but crucial in Colorado Springs. “In this market, if you lead in weather,” Whitaker says, “you lead in news.”
—Michael Malone
“There’s no question the competition has gotten a lot stronger, and we seem to be in their crosshairs,” says KOAA President/General Manager David Whitaker. “That’s good for the market— it sharpens everyone’s competitive skills.”
News-Press & Gazette (NPG) acquired KRDO in 2006; General Manager Tim Larson came on a year later. Larson has built a major-league news operation in Colorado Springs, and he says May was KRDO’s crowning achievement. “It was the best book in the station’s history,” he says. “We’re calling it our breakthrough book.”
But DMA No. 92, home to the Air Force Academy and aerospace outfit NORAD, is more than a two-station race. Gray’s CBS outlet KKTV is strong, too; all three air local news in HD—rare for a market this size. KKTV was in a virtual tie with KRDO and KOAA for total day household ratings in May, KRDO winning by a hair in share.
KKTV won primetime, while KRDO won early evening news. KRDO and KOAA were virtually tied in the morning news race, and late news was just as close—KOAA posted a 6.0 rating/17 share, KRDO a 6.0 rating/15 share.
KKTV was no slouch at 10 p.m. either, while Barrington’s Fox affiliate KXRM put up a 4.0 rating/9 share at 9 p.m. “It’s surprising how competitive it is for Market No. 92,” says KKTV General Manager Tim Merritt, “especially in terms of 10 p.m.”
KOAA was the 2009 revenue leader, its $10.63 million ahead of KKTV’s $9.4 million, per BIA/ Kelsey. Whitaker credits a wellestablished anchor crew and sound reporting. “We’re built upon good journalistic principles and an extremely strong weather position,” he says.
KKTV airs MyNetworkTV on its .2 channel and KRDO does the same with Telemundo. Barrington owns CW affiliate KXTU. Entravision has Univision outlet KGHB.
Colorado Springs represents around twothirds of the DMA’s population. Pueblo has around one-fifth, while outlying areas comprise the rest. Colorado Springs is home to dozens of sports governing organizations, such as USA Rugby and the United States Olympic Committee. The military presence is massive as well— around 35% of the market’s economy is tied to the armed forces, according to local GMs.
Between all the jocks and soldiers, it’s an earlyto- bed market. “There are a lot of early risers,” says KXRM-KXTU President/CEO Steve Dant. KXRM’s 9 p.m. news, he says, “gives people the opportunity to get their news earlier.”
KOAA adds weekend morning news in late August. KXRM debuted a 6:30 p.m. show last year. KXTU may even add news down the road. “It’s possible that we could roll it out on the CW side, but we haven’t decided yet,” Dant says.
KRDO, which is becoming the master control hub for all 12 of NPG’s ABC and Telemundo affiliates, is considering a 4 p.m. news. It added four one-minute news inserts per day to its Telemundo outlet late last year.
The local Telemundo might even get a newscast someday; clearly, the news formula is working for KRDO. “We have more news than anyone in the market,” Larson says. “I’m a news director at heart—it’s what I did all those years.”
E-mail comments to mmalone@nbmedia.com and follow him on Twitter: @StationBiz
Talkback
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You may want check the 'history' of strong ratings at. KRDO. I do believe the early 70's with Bill Yeager, Verl Dotson and Mike Hegedus were the best ratings years.
Pete George - 7/21/2010 2:55:26 PM EDT -
Many years ago before DTV came along and the FCC's technical rules were rigidly enforced KOAA (formerly KCSJ), channel 5, was pretty much 'the Pueblo station' and garnered the majority of the audience in the southern copuntiems of the DMA. KKTV and Harry Hoth's KRDO largely split the Springs' (El Paso County) audience for local news. A somewhat newer tall tower for Channel 5 helped, along with an early (in time) translator on Channel 30 atop Cheyenne Maountain, combined with much lower cable/satellite penetration all helped KOAA become competitive, plus strong, even handed, progressive management from Dave Whitaker all propelled KOAA to the top. Perhaps KKTV maintained its position, but as the Hoth's came towards the point of selling the KRDO family, the inevitable need to preserve cash flow reared its head and the same to News Press happened.
Bottom line is that KRDO is NO upstart! Perhaps News Press' presence in the DMA makes it an upstart in some fashion, but not in terms of overall time of the three stations in the DMA. Remember, too, that at the beginning of the post-freeze era, Colorado Springs as well as Denver had NO local television, with Denver's KFEL, Channel 2, being the first on the air, and KKTV being the first in Colorado Springs. Remember too, KCSJ and KKTV BOTH carried similar network programs, as Pueblo was classified in its own TV market.
Tom Scanlan - 7/19/2010 4:03:48 PM EDT
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