LA Stations Saw Audience Increase During Wildfire Coverage

Los Angeles’ local stations saw a spike in viewership when the fires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena started on Tuesday.

Stations went wall-to-wall with coverage. Variety said the local stations saw their normal viewership double and even triple in some cases, especially as the fires began to spread.

According to Nielsen data, market leader KABC (Channel 7) averaged 318,166 viewers for its 6 p.m. newscast on Jan. 7; in the days leading up to Tuesday, the ABC-owned station normally posted an average of 170,769 in the timeslot. The station also saw huge spikes at 4 p.m. (209,421, up from a normal average of 119,190) and 5 p.m. (268,915, up from 140,820).

Nexstar’s CW outlet KTLA (Channel 5) experienced a tremendous viewership increase that evening as well, averaging 212,396 (up from normally 73,036) at 5 p.m. and 282,710 (more than tripling its normal 70,027 viewership) at 6 p.m. NBC-owned KNBC (Channel 4) attracted 130,787 viewers at 5 p.m. (up from its usual average of 70,511) and 123,795 (up from 69,638) at 6 p.m.

CBS-owned KCBS (Channel 2) averaged 93,231 at 5 p.m. (up from 58,165) and 113,180 at 6 p.m. (up from 78,033). And Fox-owned KTTV (Channel 11) averaged 44,891 (up from 30,184) at 5 p.m. and 67,821 (up from 31,016) at 6 p.m.

NBC’s Spanish-language Telemundo outlet KVEA (Channel 52) also saw big lifts, with 218,498 (up from 168,305) at 5 p.m. and 231,777 (up from 201,458) at 6 p.m.

Primetime:

KABC averaged 261,440 viewers from 7 to 11 p.m.

KVEA had 251,194 viewers

KTLA had 215,972 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

KNBC averaged 156,864 in prime

KCBS got 76,839 viewers and KCAL saw 166,320 at 8 p.m. (from its normal average of 111,473) and 193,606 at 9 p.m. (from its usual 104,708).

Late news:

KABC’s 11 p.m. averaged 191,995 (up from 134,753 for the normal half hour)

KTLA saw 200,260 (up from 79,863) at 10 p.m. and 170,008 (up from 61,707) at 11 p.m.; and

KCBS averaged 89,668 (up from 60,148) at 11 p.m. and KCAL averaged 131,474 (up from 85,681) at 10 p.m.

KNBC got 81,916 viewers (up from 66,408) at 11 p.m.

At 10 p.m., KTTV averaged 87,233 (up from 35,198). And at 11 p.m.,

Telemundo station KVEA saw 177,400 (up from 132,752).