by Ed Bark of UncleBarky.com

Let's take an up-close look at a largely unreported ratings phenomenon in D/FW.

Editor's note: This is the first in a daily series of analyses of local TV ratings provided by former Dallas Morning News TV critic Ed Bark. (You can call him Uncle Barky if you like.)

Let's take an up-close look at a largely unreported ratings phenomenon in D/FW. Virtually every day of the week. Fox4's homegrown Good Day whips the national networks' heavily promoted and financed morning shows from 7 to 9 a.m.

Friday's numbers were typical, with Good Day again winning handily in both total homes and the key newscast target audience of 25-to-54-year-olds. Note that each Nielsen rating point equals 23,800 homes and 28,270 viewers aged 25-to-54. And from now on, we're going to do the math for you. Here's a snapshot:

Good Day also won at 6 a.m. in both categories opposite local morning shows on NBC5, Belo8 and CBS11. Otherwise the spoils were divided at 5,6 and 10 p.m.

Belo8 took the 10 p.m. crown Friday in both homes and 25-54. The ABC affiliate also won at 6 p.m. in homes, but placed third to Fox4 and NBC5 with younger viewers. At 5 p.m., it was Fox4 topping the field in homes while tying for first with Belo8 among 25-to-54-year-olds.

Both of the early evening newscast competitions remain exceedingly close, particularly in homes. The winners' circles are changing day-to-day.

On the entertainment front, Megan Mullally's new talk show is a disaster area at 9 a.m. weekdays. Friday's edition on Channel 21 had the dreaded "hash marks" (no measurable rating) among 18-to-49-year-olds, the target advertiser demo for non-news programming. It was the same story in homes. This is not a good sign in a hotly contested time period in which the new Rachael Ray on CBS11 barely placed No. 1 in homes (61,880) while losing the 18-to-49 battle to Belo8's resilient, homegrown Good Morning Texas (31,097). Note: in the 18-49 demo, each rating point equals 30,000 viewers.

Source: Nielsen Media Research

Over on his site, in a continuing series on DFW TV news personalities, Ed is smitten with WFAA's Shelly Slater.