This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The February sweeps won't be over until the end of Wednesday, but the late-news competition has been over since just about Day 1. KUTV-Channel 2 is running away with it.
In the first three weeks of the four-week sweeps, KUTV averaged a 12.3 rating to KSL-Channel 5's 5.6; KSTU-Channel 13's 5.5; and KTVX-Channel 4's 3.4. This will be Channel 2's widest margin of victory ever over Channel 5.
There is suspense, but it has nothing to do with who's No. 1. The race for No.2 is interesting because if Channel 13 can squeak past Channel 5 — which remains a possibility — it will be the first time KSL has been in third place in half a century.
Channel 2 is finding ratings success pretty much across the board with its local newscasts. One exception is 4 p.m., where it trails Ch. 4. And part of that is clearly because Channel 4's lead-in, "The Ellen Degeneres Show," is stronger than Channel 2's lead-in, "Ricki Lake."
Which is why they're rather pleased at KUTV that, as of the fall of 2014, "Ellen Degeneres" will be moving to Channel 2.