Ratings Climb For WTHR After Angela Buchman’s Debut

By Kevin Eck 

WTHR‘s hiring of meteorologist Angela Buchman looks like it’s paying off.

The Indianapolis Business Journal is reporting WTHR has seen a big ratings increase since Buchman’s debut after she made the switch from cross-town rival WISH.

The NBC affiliate posted double-digit ratings gains in all newscasts during September except at noon, versus the same month in 2012. Buchman first appeared Sept. 3. She reports the weather weekdays at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.

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The IBJ also said CBS affiliate WISH has seen the opposite movement for its 6:00 p.m. news with ratings dropping by 31 percent. Ratings for WTHR in the same time-slot have risen by 14 percent over September of last year.

Buchman left WISH last August. She started at WTHR in September after sitting out a year due to a non-compete clause.

The WTHR meteorologist has also been the target of a tongue-in-cheek billboard campaign featuring FOX affiliate WXIN weather anchor Angela Ganote saying “Only One Angela.”

But not everyone the IBJ talked to about Buchman thought she was the sole reason for the ratings increase.

“There is certainly some room to assume that Angela is part of that growth,” Rick Gevers from Rick Gevers and Associates told the IBJ. “But there are so many factors that go into ratings.”

WTHR president and general manager Larry Delia also credits NBC’s recent ratings and added investment from parent company Dispatch Broadcast Group.

You can read the entire piece by clicking here.

Here’s a look at a piece from WTHR announcing Buchman’s arrival:

13 WTHR Indianapolis

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