WLS Atop Ratings in Chicago Coverage of Blago Verdict

By Andrew Gauthier 

Chicago Sun-Times

Extended live coverage of the long-awaited Rod Blagojevich trial verdict Tuesday gave WLS-Channel 7 a landslide ratings victory.

As the high drama surrounding the jury’s decision began to unfold around mid-afternoon at the Dirksen Federal Building, the city’s top-rated TV news outlet proved yet again it is the go-to station in Chicago for big breaking news stories. For more than 2 1/2 hours Tuesday afternoon, the WLS coverage of the verdict and its immediate aftermath trounced the competition in the Nielsen overnight ratings.

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For the 4 to 5 p.m. hour, as the verdict was just coming down, WLS peaked at a 10.3 rating More…

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