Competitive reality shows dominate local ratings

None of the shows nominated for Emmys tonight in the drama or comedy categories were among the Top 10 television programs watched by Chattanoogans in the May TV ratings book.

However, two nominated series in the Outstanding Reality-Competition Program category -- "Dancing With the Stars" and "American Idol" -- were well represented, taking six of the 10 spots in the local Nielsen ratings in May.

A look at the spring sweeps ratings book indicates that Chattanooga viewers, like much of the country, have been captivated by reality shows.

"What I have found in the past is there is not an awful lot of differences (in national and local audience tastes), although there are some," said Tom Tolar, WRCB general manager.

Mr. Tolar said that decades ago, when local ratings sometimes differed substantially from national lists, Chattanooga viewers tended to prefer "middle-America sitcoms" such as "The Cosby Show" and "Family Ties."

"We overindexed on those," he said. At the same time, local audiences were less likely to embrace shows geared toward big cities such as New York and Los Angeles.

WTVC General Manager Mike Costa agreed with that analysis.

"Ellen DeGeneres and Roseanne Barr did well nationally ('Ellen' and 'Roseanne'), but not as well here," he said.

Both men said they were not surprised that "Dancing" and "Idol" scored well among Chattanooga viewers.

"They are interactive, and the audience feels like they can participate in choosing the winner," Mr. Costa said.

Having a highly rated network prime-time program can pay dividends for local stations in three ways, according to Mr. Tolar.

"It provides an opportunity to generate more revenue," he said. "It gives us an opportunity to promote other programs on our station to a larger audience and, as a general rule, it helps our 11 o'clock news," he said.