Philadelphia

ALTHOUGH THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE RANKS FOURTH OVERALL IN THE NATION in television homes with an estimated 2.8 million according to Nielsen Media Research, it is only sixth-largest in terms of TV advertising revenue according to BIA Financial Network, which estimates the market took in $617.2 million in 2002. The revenue-to-market-size shortfall means that broadcast outlets have to work even harder for their share of the advertising pie in this highly competitive media market.

ABC's owned-and-operated WPVI-TV is the market's longtime leader and top biller, raking in an estimated $176.8 million in 2002, according to BIA (which also ranks it as the ninth-highest billing station in the nation). WPVI continues to lead the market by a wide margin in household ratings, particularly in evening news, but the gap is considerably narrower in late news.

Second-ranked NBC O&O WCAU has been chipping away at WPVI's lead, buoyed in part by strong network lead-ins to its late news. WCAU is also the second-highest biller in Philadelphia, taking in $135 million in '02 ad revenue.

Like many of its sister Viacom television outlets across the country, CBS O&O KYW-TV, which has typically ranked third or fourth in the market, is undergoing a major overhaul both on and off the air. Viacom tapped Peter Dunn as the station's new vp/general manager. Dunn was most recently executive vp of sales for NBC Television Stations. He replaces Marcellus Alexander Jr., who was named executive vp of television for the National Association of Broadcasters.

KYW managed to lure away two key Philly TV personalities in January. Veteran anchor Marc Howard, with WPVI since 1977 and who had co-anchored that station's top-rated 5 p.m. news for the past 20 years, now solo anchors KYW's 11 p.m. newscast. And Kathy Orr, who most recently served as WCAU's weekend weather forecaster, joined KYW as chief meteorologist for late news.

Dunn says given the strength of CBS prime time right now, die timing is ripe for KYW to take off. "We've made so many changes with our talent, with our graphics, with our set. Usually you lose viewers who are turned off by all the changes," says Dunn. "That hasn't happened." In fact, for the May sweeps, KYW has been trending up in ratings in...