Salinas, CA – May 30, 2024 - KSBW 8 was again the #1 choice for local household news viewers on the Central Coast throughout each day, winning each of its newscasts in the May sweeps period. 

“Serving our Central Coast community inspires us daily,” said President and General Manager, Laura Williamson.  “KSBW is committed providing our area the most trusted local news source available to everyone at any time.”

“We know viewers have choices for news and we’re grateful they turn to us to find out what’s happening in our community,” said KSBW 8 News Director, Cassady Velasco.  “Whether it’s keeping an eye on lawmakers or showing you breaking news first, our team is determined to deliver the best coverage on the Central Coast.”

Mornings

KSBW Action News 8 Sunrise from 5:00 am-7:00 am Monday-Friday continues to dominate the morning ratings.  Head-to-head, 7 out of 10 Households in Monterey County watched KSBW Action News 8 at 5:00 am Monday-Friday.  KSBW Action News 8 Sunrise at 6:00 am also remains dominant in the Early morning with a 75% share of audience at 6:00 am.

Middays

KSBW Action News 8 Midday newscast at Noon garnered 6,000 Households, nearly 6x the viewership of the nearest midday news competitor in May.  KSBW Action News 8 Midday received 85% of all total midday news viewership. 

Early Evening

KSBW Action News 8 remained the dominant choice for news viewers in the early evening.  KSBW Action News 8 at 5:00 pm Monday-Friday was the top newscast in the hour, with 77% of the Households watching local news. KSBW Action News 8 at 5:00 pm received an average of 15,000 Households, more than 5x the viewership of the nearest competitor.

KSBW Action News 8 at 6:00 pm is the most watched newscast on the Central Coast in May -- reaching over 18,000 Households in the tri-county area of Monterey County, Santa Cruz County and San Benito County, nearly 6x the Household Viewership of the nearest competitor. In total, KSBW Action News 8 at 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm dominates in the early evening with 84% Share of Audience.

Late Night

KSBW Action News 8 at 11:00 pm Monday-Sunday again beat the competition, delivering 58% of all 11:00 pm news viewers and reaching 10,100 Households.  

Weekends

KSBW Action News 8 Weekend Sunrise, the most watched television program on the Central Coast each Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 – 9:00 AM, saw a 26% increase in Adults 25-54 on  Sunday, April 28. The broadcast featured exclusive live news coverage from the Big Sur International Marathon. 

Social Engagement

KSBW 8 has the top social media presence of all local media organizations on the Central Coast with a market-leading 278,000 followers on Facebook, 65,000 followers on Instagram and 113,000 followers on X.

ABOUT KSBW

KSBW is the California Central Coast’s broadcast/digital media leader, providing news, weather, sports, community service and entertainment on multiple platforms including KSBW 8 NBC, Central Coast ABC, Estrella TV Costa Central, KSBW.com, and the KSBW mobile app. Founded in 1953, KSBW is committed to its mission to serve the Salinas-Monterey-Santa Cruz region with quality local content. The station has been honored with numerous prestigious broadcasting honors including regional RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards for “Best Newscast” and regional Emmy’s, and Associated Press Awards for “Breaking News Coverage.” KSBW is owned by Hearst Television, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst, a leading media company whose global holdings include 33 television stations. Follow us on Facebook (ksbw8), X (@ksbw), and Instagram (ksbw_8).

ABOUT HEARST TELEVISION

Hearst Television owns and/or operates 35 television and two radio stations serving 27 media markets across 39 states reaching 24 million U.S. television households. Through its partnership with nearly all major networks, Hearst Television distributes national content over more than 120 video channels including programming from ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, MY Net, MeTV, Estrella and more. The radio stations are leaders in Baltimore news/talk and rock music listenership. Its Hearst Media Production Group unit produces original programming across linear and streaming platforms for domestic and international distribution. Its Very Local app, free to download on household OTT devices and available across popular streaming services, offers 24/7 access to local news, weather and an array of local and regional programming. Hearst Television is recognized as one of the industry's premier companies and has been honored with numerous awards for distinguished journalism, industry innovation, and community service. Hearst Television is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst.

Contact for KSBW: Ed Everest, Creative Services Director (831) 758-7724 eeverest@hearst.com