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Atlanta Sweeps: WSB & WAGA soar, WXIA buried, WGCL not even on the scope
from Atlanta Journal-Constitution - 4 Dec 2K

The most startling numbers to come out of TV's just-completed November sweeps: WXIA's evening newscasts took a breathtaking tumble.

Ratings dropped 35 percent from last November for the NBC affiliate's hour-long 5 p.m. newscast, 33 percent at 6 p.m. and 16 percent at 11 p.m.

WXIA's early evening newscasts now run a clear third to leader WSB (up slightly at 5-7 p.m. and up a whopping 67 percent at 5 a.m.) and second-place finisher WAGA (up 14 percent at 5 p.m.).

Things remained unclear at WGCL, where its tiny 6 p.m. rating remained flat, and at 11 p.m., it fell 13 percent.

WXIA general manager Bob Walker pins the station's early evening dive on the frightful performance of news lead-in "People's Court," which replaced the soap opera "Days of Our Lives" at 4 p.m. in September. "Court" drew a 2.1 rating in November --- a felonious 65 percent drop from the 6.0 rating "Days" lured in November 1999.

WXIA's drop at 11 p.m. occurred amid NBC's primetime win during sweeps.

"There's no question the change in programming at 4 had an impact on the 5 and 6 o'clock news," said Walker, who is considering moving "Court" to a new time slot. It could be replaced with new or existing programming in the next few weeks.

Walker said he stood behind the station's newscasts, run by newcomer Kerry Oslund, who replaced David Roberts as news director in mid-October.

"I'm very proud of our news product," Walker said. "We need to continue to get better."

Also at WXIA: "Peachtree Morning," hosted by Carmen Burns and Matt Stewart, goes away on Dec. 15. A replacement for the 3-year-old local show, seen at 10 a.m., has not been named.