WBAL is the leader in local newscast ratings, according to the October 2008 Local Newscast HH Rating Comparison.
At 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, WBAL holds a 7.8 rating over WJZ’s 5.2, WBFF’s 3.2 and WMAR’s 1.1. The Monday through Friday 6 p.m. time slot is similar, with WBAL’s rating of 8.6, WJZ’s 6.1 and WMAR’s 1.5. (WBFF does not host a news broadcast at that time.)
WJZ takes the No. 1 slot with a 4.3 rating during the 5 to 6 a.m. hour Monday through Friday, as well as the Monday through Friday noon hour with a 5.8 rating, versus WBAL’s ratings of 4.1 (5 a.m.) and 4.0 (noon).
The 11 p.m. broadcast is won by WBAL, with a rating of 10.1 versus WJZ’s 9.7, WMAR’s 3.8 and WBFF’s 2.0.
One rating point equals one percent of television homes in the market, i.e., a 9.7 rating equals 107,000 homes, according to WJZ’s creative services director, K.C. Robertson.
