WTTG GM: Stations ‘Have to Work Backwards’ to Get Viewers Back

By Kevin Eck 

Among local TV stations, it seems those owned by Fox are willing to make decisions that are a bit bolder than their competitors. Take a look at Charlie LeDuff at Detroit’s WJBK or even WNYW‘s Good Day New York anchors Greg Kelly and Rosanna Scotto.

TVSpy sat down with Patrick Paolini, gm of WTTG, who came to the Fox-owned station in 2013. We asked him about the innovative approach his Washington, D.C. station takes in choosing stories for its newscast.

Paolini also has a pretty simple formula for choosing his on-air talent. “If you’re at a wedding and there’s one seat left,” said Paolini. “And it’s next to that person, are you going to be interested enough to go sit at that [seat] or are you going to find another seat?”

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For November 2015, WTTG’s weekday 10 p.m. newscast was tops in the market with an average 1.7 rating among adults 25-54, which is up 13 percent from November 2014. Among adults 18-49, WTTG pulled in a 1.4 which is up 17 percent from last November. The station’s 10 p.m is the sole 10 p.m. in the market.

Its 6 a.m. news finished number one among adults 25-54 (1.4) for November 2015. Its average 1.4 was a tenth of a ratings point ahead of NBC-owned station WRC’s 1.3. It beat WRC by two tenths of a point in adults 18-49 with a 1.1 compared to WRC’s 0.9.

Source: Nov 2015 NSI (Live+SD) Late News (M-F) 6am News (M-F)

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