Local newscast ratings from the May 2026 sweeps period show WTAE coming in first most often in households and WPXI winning the key demo, but all of the Big Three network affiliates in Pittsburgh saw their ratings drop year-to-year in most time periods. Not by a lot — often one-tenth of a ratings point — but it’s still a noticeable decline.
That ratings trend is unsurprising given the existential crisis facing linear broadcast television. Pittsburgh, with its older audience of devoted news viewers, has managed the streaming storm better than other major American TV markets, but even Western Pennsylvania is not immune to the secular decline of broadcast TV.
May sweeps also continued a negative trend for KDKA-TV. Where once the station dominated in households in many time periods, even if rival stations won in the demo, KDKA only came in first in two household time periods last month, noon and 11 p.m.
WTAE came in first at 6 a.m. (tied with WPXI) and also was first at 4, 5 and 6 p.m. in households. WPXI was first at 5 (tied with WPXI) and 6 a.m. in households.
May sweeps ratings released by Nielsen include household ratings that reflect a measure of overall popularity and the more important-to-advertisers demographic ratings, including the key demo of ages 25-54.
In that key demo, Channel 11 ranked first at 5 and 6 a.m. and at 4, 5, 6 and 11 p.m. KDKA landed in first place at noon and ranked second at 5 a.m. (tied with WTAE) and was also second at 4, 5, 6 and 11 p.m. WTAE came in second at 5 (tied with KDKA) and at 6 a.m. and ranked third at noon, 4, 6 and 11 p.m.
At 10 p.m., the news on WPKD ranked first in households while WPGH was No. 1 in the key demo.
Among local programs, “Pittsburgh Today Live” on KDKA ranked first in households, well ahead of the third hour of NBC’s “Today” on WPXI, which came in second. In the key demo of adults 25-54, it was reversed with “Today” in first place and “PTL” in a much closer second place.
At 3 p.m., “Judy Justice” on WPXI took the top spot in households and the key demo of adults 25-54. “Talk Pittsburgh” on KDKA ranked second.
In late-night, CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” bowed out on top among Pittsburgh viewers, ranking first in households and the key demo. NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on WPXI ranked second in the demo while ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on WTAE came in second in households.
KDKA-TV reporter exits
Chilekasi Adele, who joined KDKA-TV as a reporter in May 2024 shortly after graduating from Syracuse University, departed the station in recent weeks for a reporter job at KDKA’s sister station, KYW, in Philadelphia.
Adele grew up in Aldan, Delaware County, a Philly suburb.
Canceled/ordered
A four-episode third and final season of “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” will stream on Netflix in 2027.
Starz ordered “Power: Legacy,” a new sequel series that sees Joseph Sikora reprise his role as Tommy Egan and Michael Rainey Jr. return as Tariq St. Patrick.
Channel surfing
“Descendants: Wicked Wonderland” will premiere July 16 on Disney Channel and July 17 on Disney . … “Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” the Broadway stage show spin-off of the Netflix hit series, will close Jan. 3,2027 .