| Topic Name: |
CBS 2 Chicago |
| Message Name: |
Phil Rosenthal's (now at the Trib) Sunday Column |
| Date Posted: |
05/03/2005 |
| Message: |
Phil Rosenthal
Ahern's 4th place falls short
Chicago Tribune
Published May 1, 2005
So this should be when WBBM-Ch. 2 makes its big move, right?
It's been 2 1/2 years since former WLS-Ch. 7 kingpin Joe Ahern returned to town to save the day and rally the underperforming station. He's thrown a lot of money around, millions in fact, putting together his stable of talent, his horses.
CBS, the network owner of the station, is on a roll and has loaded its schedule for the May ratings period. If the surge for Channel 2's local newscasts doesn't come now, when will it?
"I wouldn't want to oversell it coming in," Ahern said.
Of course not. Besides, there's got to be enough pressure, as is. At some point there has to be a major dividend to all of Ahern's investments.
Ahern and news director Carol Fowler have spent freely to bring in Diann Burns, Randy Salerno, Roseanne Tellez and the sports guy who looks like he's from the Brawny paper-towel label.
Another high-profile hire was investigative impresario Dave Savini, who came over from WMAQ-Ch. 5, though Channel 2 had award-winning bloodhound Pam Zekman.
Maybe Channel 2 needs two investigative reporters, if only to look for viewers or expose the flaws Ahern sees in Nielsen's demographic data now that it has introduced so-called people meters to the market.
"The people meters, since September when they went on line, have been reflecting some very strange patterns in viewing, where quite a large number of households and adults 25 to 54 evaporated inexplicably," Ahern said. "But our race over the last 2 1/2 years has really improved."
Despite strong lead-ins from its prime-time lineup, however, Channel 2 remains a distant fourth in the all-important race at 10 p.m. Its 4.1 rating and 7 share during the February sweeps put its newscast anchored by Burns and Antonio Mora behind reruns of "The Simpsons" on WFLD-Ch. 32.
Some higher-ups at CBS may be cool with moving the needle a click at a time, taking the long view that changes come with glacial speed in local TV.
But the network has enjoyed a remarkable rebirth of late. At some point a sagging owned-and-operated station such as WBBM has to follow suit.
NBC's prime time has taken a hit, yet WMAQ-Ch. 5 remains competitive with market-leader WLS-Ch. 7, the envy of the market even when ABC's prime-time fortunes have lagged, which they no longer do. WBBM has been an afterthought.
But this month, viewers can't help but tune in to Channel 2. If they don't come for the series finale of the network's top-rated sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," then maybe they'll tune in as "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race" wrap up their seasons or to see Boston Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich--alumi of both reality hits--get even more airtime with a wedding special.
CBS has a two-part Elvis Presley mini-series set for May 8 and May 11 and a documentary on the big guy May 13. Quentin Tarantino is set to direct the season finale of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." There's even an Amber Frey movie on tap.
Shows such as "CSI: Miami" and "Without a Trace" have boosted the lead-in numbers to the 10 p.m. newscasts. David Letterman is doing better.
Promising, no?
"Look, this is a station that for a very long time was not competitive, for decades," Ahern said. "We're trying to rebuild this station from the inside out. That was what my intent was coming here, bring in people who knew the market, had a track record of success in Chicago, so they could hit the ground running."
"Now, that said, the next step is getting the audience to switch from Channel 7 or Channel 5 or Channel 9 or Channel 32, where long-term loyalty or viewing habits are built up."
But when the subject of timetables comes up, Ahern mentions plans for an expensive new studio facility opposite Daley Plaza, which he hopes will replace the old broadcast barn on McClurg Court by Christmas of 2007.
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