WCCO Unable to Maintain #1 Status in Twin Cities

By Andrew Gauthier 

WCCO has been unable to match the 10 p.m. ratings win it experienced in November, when the CBS O&O bid an extended farewell to longtime anchor Don Shelby.

In November, WCCO finished #1 in the 25-54 demo for the first time in 24 years. But the station couldn’t retain its top spot in December.

Although the station was unable to stay #1 with Shelby’s successor, Frank Vascellaro, MinnPost points out that “anchors aren’t the only variable.”

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Kiki Rosatti, WCCO’s director of communications and content, told MinnPost that, despite its slide at 10 p.m., the station saw gains in its other newscasts:

The station showed double-digit demo gains for all newscasts except the 10, including 5 a.m. (up 20 percent), 6 a.m. (82 percent), 5 p.m. (37 percent) and 6 p.m. (17 percent). WCCO won December demo at 5 a.m., noon and 5 p.m.

Ultimately it seems that WCCO’s December ratings are less about an anchor change and more about viewers’ continued shift to earlier newscasts.

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