Re: TV news ratings race in Portland tightens

["Chris Beckwith" <beckwith@ime.net>]

Dan is right about the bottom line still favoring Channel 6--in many time
periods by a wide margin.  The thrust of the story was the momentum Channel 13
has achieved with former Channel 6 GM Alan Cartwright at the helm (Cartwright
was cast aside in favor of a Gannett insider at CH6.)  Channel 8's hiring of
John Dougherty and its alliance with the Blethen Maine papers (Portland Press
Herald, Maine Sunday Telegram, Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel) has done
it no favors in the ratings; it's still in distant third place.

Not to be outdone, Channel 13 is promoting its new alliance with (drum roll
please) the Lewiston Sun-Journal!  Channel 6 pushes its alliance with the
Bangor Daily News and Maine PBS during elections, but otherwise it's Gannett
synergy all the way (lots of spots to build circulation of USA Today and
Baseball Weekly, plus a few USA Today-branded syndicated stories during fringe
newscasts.)  At the rate things are going we'll probably see Fox 51 link up
with the American Journal. :)

Take care,
Chris