Fire may not harm 'sweeps' rating, KXAS official says

Posted Friday, Nov. 20, 2009 Comments   (0)  Print Share Share Reprints
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By BILL MILLER

wmiller@star-telegram.com

A fire late Thursday that forced KXAS/Channel 5 off the air probably won't harm the station's Nielsen ratings for the November "sweeps," a station official said Friday.

The NBC affiliate's station in east Fort Worth was evacuated a few minutes after 10 p.m. Thursday when flames popped from an electrical panel, according to reports. The station is located at 3900 Barnett Street at Broadcast Hill in east Fort Worth.

Channel 5 officials were awaiting clarification from Nielsen Media Research about what, if anything, the disruption meant for November "sweeps," said Tom Ehlmann, station manager.

Nielsen ratings measure audience sizes for programs during four month-long "sweeps" periods. November sweeps this year began Oct. 29 and continue through Nov. 25.

"We believe that, if you go off the air for technical reasons, it doesn't go into your average rating," Ehlmann said. "But we're trying to get confirmation on that."

The blaze was controlled by 11:30 p.m., station officials said. The broadcast signal was working again around 2 a.m., Ehlmann said. No one was hurt, but damage was estimated at $405,000, officials said.

Some viewers reported that their televisions couldn't receive the station's programming until around 5 a.m. Ehlmann said he could not explain why, but he speculated that cable companies hadn't yet rebooted their systems to receive the signal.

Ehlmann said the signal should not have been interrupted during the fire, but the blaze was located at the station's backup power supply.

The Channel 5 Web site also reported that programming would "briefly" go off the air again at 11 a.m. Friday, "to restore an electrical system damaged by a fire Thursday night."

However, "The Bonnie Hunt Show" was being aired normally during that time slot.

KXAS was the first television station in Texas, as WBAP, in 1948. The building is listed with the Texas Historical Commission.

Staff Writer Mitch Mitchell contributed to this report, which also contains information from The Associated Press.

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