May Sweeps Give All Stations Reason To Smile

The Nielsen ratings for the May sweeps are in, and they reveal a few interesting trends.

For one thing, total evening news viewership is down overall by more than two ratings points since May 1999. Last year, the 5 p.m. news had an overall 24.7 rating for all three stations combined. This year, it was 22.4 — not a catastrophic drop, but a cause for concern.

On the other hand, overall news viewership was up by a ratings point at 11 p.m. So maybe the slow, long erosion of viewers at 11 p.m. is finally reversing itself. Or then again, maybe this is just a brief, arbitrary burp in the ratings.

Still, everybody had something to be happy with in this ratings book.

KREM won the 5 p.m. and also the 6 p.m. ratings race, edging past the usual 6 p.m. winner, KHQ. KREM also wins big, big, big among over-50 viewers in the evening.

KHQ won both 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. And if you look strictly at viewers age 18-49, KHQ wins every news time slot.

KXLY still brings up the rear in most slots, but it was the only station to actually go up in viewership at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., bucking the overall trend.

At 10 p.m., KSKN-22 is edging KAYU-28, but neither one is dominating.

Here are the May sweeps Nielsen ratings for all households, with the ratings number followed by the share number.

6 a.m.

KHQ: 6.7 rating, 36.9 share.

KXLY: 2.8, 15.5.

KREM: 2, 11.

5 p.m.

KREM: 8.9, 22.6.

KHQ: 8, 20.4.

KXLY: 5.5, 14.

6 p.m.

KREM: 8, 18.

KHQ: 7.9, 17.7.

KXLY: 4.7, 10.4.

10 p.m.

KSKN: 1.5, 3.6.

KAYU: 1.3, 3.

11 p.m.

KHQ: 7, 30.7.

KREM: 4.7, 20.5.

KXLY: 3.3., 14.3.

Fox talk

The Spokane arts community is still buzzing about the Spokane Symphony’s deal to buy the Fox Theater, or should we say “tentative deal” to buy the Fox.

The symphony has 90 days to see if it can raise enough money to buy and restore the building.

If you want to hear more about the building and the symphony’s plans, the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce’s Arts Committee has scheduled a “Fox Talk” for Thursday noon at the Spokane Regional Business Center, 801 W. Riverside.

Architect Ron Tan will speak, and so will Bill Simer from the symphony.

The cost is $12, which includes lunch, and RSVPs must be made Monday to Anna at 459-4115.

Playwright winner

Sandra Hosking of Newman Lake won the “Best of Fest” adjudicated prize in the Spokane Civic Theatre’s Playwrights Forum Festival on June 17.

Her “Romeo and Juliet, Part II” is a hilarious slapstick look at what would have happened if Romeo and Juliet had survived and had babies — lots of babies. The play ends with Juliet giving birth to another little Montagu on the table of their Renaissance hovel.

Hosking, by the way, will have another play, “Object Lesson,” produced by the off-off-Broadway American Theatre of Actors in New York as part of a director’s festival. Hosking’s day job is at the Journal of Business.

The Audience Choice Award, voted on by the audience, went to Matthew Harget of Spokane for “The Nice Guy.”

Drew moves Hawk-ward

Jason Drew, longtime KKZX-FM (98.9, Classic Rock) air personality, has moved to KWHK-FM (103.9, The Hawk).

Drew will handle the 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. slot on weekdays.

Art’s Assistants

Assistants, Inc., a group of Spokane women who have raised money for the arts for 39 years, have announced their annual donations.

They contributed a total of $3,900 to nine different organizations, including the following arts organizations: Allegro’s Royal Fireworks Festival, Cathedral and the Arts, Connoisseur Concerts, Spokane Music and Arts Festival, Spokane Art School, Spokane Jazz Orchestra and the Spokane Symphony.

Thanks for helping to keep the arts alive.