By Steve Kabelowsky Contributing Columnist Published Dec 24, 2014 at 3:08 PM

Ratings can tell a story. In fact, most radio and TV stations are savvy enough to tell the story they want to tell based on the numbers.

When finding the number of the largest key demographic – adults 25-54 – the November sweep numbers in television can be looked at over the course of the month, the results of a single newscast over a certain period of time, or a look at a single day in time.

For WITI-TV Fox 6, the station is touting its performance within the adult 25-54 group on Monday to Friday. It is a different way to look at the numbers, but it spins a positive story for the station. In this grouping, the numbers for Saturday and Sunday were not factored in.

Throughout the decades, the "winning" station in the market meant the one with the best ratings Monday to Friday in the 10 p.m. newscast. I’ve challenged that notion, saying the sign-on to sign-off numbers are a better, true sense of who has the largest viewership. But I could be sold on the numbers of all newscasts on Monday to Friday as a good measurement as well.

WITI Fox 6 is reporting that the Top 10 local news programs for adults 25-54 were:

1. WITI 6-7a FOX 6 WakeUp News 4.5
2. WITI 10-1030p FOX 6 News at 10 4.2
3. WITI 7-8a FOX 6 WakeUp News 3.9
4. WITI 9-10p FOX 6 News at 9 3.6
5. WTMJ 10-1030p TMJ4 Live at 10 3.2

6. WITI 8-9a FOX 6 WakeUp News 2.8
7. WITI 6-630p FOX 6 News at 6 2.8
8. WISN 10-11p 12 News at 10 2.5
9. WITI 5-6a FOX 6 WakeUp News 2.4
10.WISN 6-7a 12 News Morning 2.3

The breakdown of demographics for women viewers between 25 and 54 told a great story for WITI as well:

1. WITI 6-7a FOX 6 WakeUp News 5.6
2. WITI 7-8a FOX 6 WakeUp News 5.0
3. WITI 10-1030p FOX 6 News at 10 4.5
4. WITI 9-10p FOX 6 News at 9 4.1
5. WITI 8-9a FOX 6 WakeUp News 3.9

6. WTMJ 10-1030p TMJ4 Live at 10 3.4
7. WITI 6-630p FOX 6 News at 6 3.2
8. WISN 6-7a 12 News Morning 3.0
9. WITI 5-6a FOX 6 WakeUp News 2.9
10. WISN 10-11p 12 News at 10 2.8

In daytime viewing, WITI offered a breakdown, showing how well the locally-produced "Real Milwaukee" is fairing against many of the syndicated programs available in the market.

Here are the results for Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for adults 25 to 54:

1. WITI 9-10a Real Milwaukee 2.3
2. WISN 4-5p Ellen 1.7
3. WTMJ Days of Our Lives 1.6
4. WITI 10-11a Wendy Williams 1.5
5. WITI 12-1p TMZ Live! 1.4

6. WTMJ 4-5p TMJ4 Live at 4/430 1.3
7. WDJT 10-11a The Price Is Right 1.2
8. WDJT 11a-12p The Young & The Restless 1.1
9. WISN 9-10a Kelly & Michael 1.1
10. WITI 3-4p Judge Judy 1.0

Steve Kabelowsky Contributing Columnist

Media is bombarding us everywhere.

Instead of sheltering his brain from the onslaught, Steve embraces the news stories, entertainment, billboards, blogs, talk shows and everything in between.

The former writer, editor and producer in TV, radio, Web and newspapers, will be talking about what media does in our community and how it shapes who we are and what we do.