Just like the young Blackhawks, the team’s TV ratings for home games are a work in progress.
The numbers for the first home telecast of the season weren’t as impressive as the Hawks’ 3-2 victory over Detroit. Comcast SportsNet did a 0.8 rating for the game (one local ratings point is worth 34,550 homes).
The rating doubled the season average of 0.4. Yet, considering all the hype for this supposed landmark telecast, the game was expected to exceed a 1 rating.
Instead, it tied the previous high of 0.8 for the Oct. 31 game at Dallas. A road game.
So where were all those Hawks fans who had been clamoring to have home games telecast all these years?
CSN President Jim Corno thinks they are coming.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” Corno said. “For the first game, I was pleased we had all the pieces in place. Would we have liked to have seen more of a rating? Yes. But it was double our average. It’s a start.”
Not to make excuses, but there were factors working against the Hawks. A Sunday start at the awkward time of 6 p.m. probably was the worst spot to try to generate a large audience. The competition was too intense.
The opening faceoff coincided with the end of the Bears’ game, which peaked with a 32.9 rating at 6 p.m. So the Hawks definitely lost some viewers at the beginning of their game.
Then NBC had a compelling Sunday night game with San Diego hanging on to beat Indianapolis. Locally, that game did a 12.1 rating.
Besides getting trumped by the NFL, the Hawks also had to compete with “60 Minutes,” “Desperate Housewives” and other popular Sunday night programming.
“The Bears game and going up against ‘Sunday Night Football’ definitely had an impact,” Corno said.
Still, Corno was encouraged by several positive numbers in breaking down the rating. Among adults 18-49, a demographic highly coveted by advertisers, the game averaged a 1.1 rating, peaking at 1.7.
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Now Corno and the Hawks hope to grow the audience for the next home telecast, a Nov. 30 game against Phoenix. The ratings playing field should be better: The game will be on a Friday night with a 7:30 p.m. start. The Hawks won’t have to go up against the NFL.
The Hawks, though, have to do their part by keeping the fans excited with their play.
“The competition on a Friday night will be a better test,” Corno said. “If they have a good [six-game] road trip, I like our chances.”
‘Hawk’ fans
The Baseball Hall of Fame is giving fans the opportunity to nominate their favorite announcer for the Ford C. Frick Award, an annual honor for broadcasting excellence. The three top vote recipients automatically qualify for the 10-member ballot. A committee will compile the other candidates.
Last year, thanks to a push from White Sox fans, Ken “Hawk” Harrelson got on the final ballot for the first time. He didn’t receive the award, but it was a big step in placing his name in the pipeline for the future.
With 31 years in the booth, 22 of them with the Sox, Harrelson is reaching the key longevity level where he deserves to be considered.
Cubs analyst Ron Santo also is on the ballot, but his best bet for the Hall is as a player through the Veterans Committee. Another candidate, Cubs play-by-play man Pat Hughes, is in the midst of a Hall of Fame career. Give him another 15 years.
To place your vote, go to baseballhalloffame.org.
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