Posted by chicagomedia.org on July 24, 2009 at 15:28:49:
In Reply to: Wendy Williams leaving radio posted by Hairball Hank on July 24, 2009 at 15:27:48:
Dud debut for talker 'Wendy Williams'
Lots of pre-launch hype but ratings in the toilet
By Kevin Downey | Media Life
Jul 23, 2009
There was reason to think "Wendy Williams" might well premiere to big ratings when it launched in syndication last week, certainly if distributor Debmar-Mercury's description of its trial run last summer as a rousing success was to be believed.
Add on top of that a heap of pre-launch publicity that gave every impression that the show, from longtime New York radio host Williams, was on its way to being the next "Oprah Winfrey."
As it turns out, the show is a dud.
"Williams" is pulling lower ratings than two far-less-hyped summer premieres, "Wedlock or Deadlock" and "Beyond Twisted."
In its first week, "Wendy" averaged a 0.9 household rating and a 3 share in metered markets, an 18 percent dip from what its timeslots averaged last year and down 10 percent from its lead-in shows.
"Williams" did fairly well in New York, where the host is well known, pulling a 1.6/6, a 7 percent boost for the timeslot from a year-ago.
But it pulled sickly numbers, below a 1 rating, in 31 of 42 metered markets where it's airing.
Making it all the worse, "Williams" is getting clobbered by two test-run shows airing in only a handful of markets, neither of which looks to be doing all that well.
"Wedlock," a spinoff of "Divorce Court" that premiered on Monday, averaged a 1.3/4 in its first two days but slid markedly from day one to day two, averaging a 1.5/5 Monday but then a 1.1/3 Tuesday. Its timeslot average is down 28 percent from a year ago.
"Beyond Twisted" from "TMZ's" Harvey Levin, which is a video clip show mostly airing in the evening and late night, averaged a 1.1/3 in its first two weeks, down 42 percent from last year's timeslot average.