Friday, January 07, 2000
Bad Bengals outdraw good basketball on TV
UC ratings going up; XU hopes for same
BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Sunday was a big day in local sports television.
You had the Bengals' season finale at 1p.m. on Channel 12. UC was playing a big-name opponent, UNLV, at 2p.m. on Channel 19. And Xavier had a marquee matchup with Marquette on Channel 64 at 5p.m.
The numbers that came out of the day proved that more people will watch a bad pro football team than two good college basketball teams.
The Bengals got an 18.5 rating and a 36 share. UC clocked in with a 9.0/17. And Xavier drew a 3.0/5.
One rating point equals about 8,000 households on the Tristate Nielsen meters. The share is the percentage of sets in use tuned to that particular station.
Those numbers for that Sunday are typical of what the Bengals, Bearcats and Muskies have drawn recently.
The Bengals, despite another dismal season, averaged 19.8 and 41 on Channel 12 for the season. That was the same as they did for the 1998 season.
The numbers for UC are up a full ratings point — 8.4 to 9.4 — over last year at this time.
“They've been very strong,” Channel 19 General Manager Jon Lawhead said. “The ratings take off after Jan.1 when football winds down and (UC) gets into conference play. I think we'll be into double digits for the season.”
Wednesday's UC-North Carolina Charlotte game was indicative of that, drawing a 13.2, the highest rating of the season.
Channel 64 is hoping Xavier's ratings will get a similar bump.
“They've been less than we've hoped for so far,” Channel 64 GM Bill Pulliam said. “They've been between a 2 and 5 so far.”
MORE RATINGS: The Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout, which used to be a boon to the local stations' ratings, is now an ESPN game.
The Dec.18 game still was the top-rated local game by far this season, getting a 14.6/24 share. That's impressive, considering ESPN is only in about 60 percent of the homes in the area.
Nationally, the game drew a 1.4 rating, reaching 1.2 million homes.
STILL MORE RATINGS: NFL ratings were up on two of the three networks this year.
Fox averaged an 11.0 rating and a 25 share, up 2 percent over last season. Each ratings point represents 1 million homes. CBS drew a 10.5/24. That's also up 2 percent.
ABC was down to a 13.7/23 from 13.9/22 in 1998, the lowest ever for Monday Night Football. Bottom line: Look for Mike Ditka to join Boomer Esiason and Al Michaels in the Monday night booth next year.
GREAT LINE: Randy Moss was on the sideline for the Sugar Bowl. ABC's Brent Musburger pointed out that Moss and Peter Warrick were roommates as freshmen at Florida State.
“That's scary,” said Mus burger's partner, Gary Danielson. “I don't mean having them as wideouts. I mean them as roommates.”
TAFOYA TO ESPN: ESPN has hired Michele Tafoya away from CBS. Tafoya, who served as studio host and reporter for CBS, will take on a similar role at Her first assignment for ESPN will be skiing from Kitzbuhel, Austria, Jan.21.
John Fay covers TV/radio for the Enquirer. He can be reached at 768-8445.
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