Ardy Diercks: NBC-6 president and broadcast gypsy Ardy Diercks keeps her eye on the television ratings, using evolutionary changes to lure more viewers

South Florida CEO, May, 2004 by Rochelle Broder-Singer

At least five different televisions are on in Ardy Diercks' office at any given time. Ensconced in her Miramar broadcasting facility, the WTVJ/NBC-6 president and general manager is watching her own station, most of the competition and partner station Telemundo-51. "When my children were little, they thought I had a great job, that I could just sit in my office and watch TV all day," Diercks says with a smile. But this television watching is serious business. "We sell a product, and our product is news and information, for the most part. If I don't pay attention to the product and the competition. I don't do justice to our business," she says.

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Diercks is paying plenty of attention these days, and has made a number of subtle changes at NBC-6 since she took the job in September 2003. They include filling open executive positions (vice president of marketing and creative services, vice president of sales); giving the station a more contemporary graphic look; reformatting the 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. newscasts into a single, hour-long, program; and offering a predictable pattern of traffic and weather during the morning news. And viewers can expect to see more carefully contemplated tweaks in the months and years ahead. "Sustaining success requires the ability to be evolutionary, and it's harder because the risk is greater," Diercks says. "But the leadership quality that is my pet peeve is [saying], 'Well I won't make a decision because I'm afraid to make a mistake.'"

In the battle for news ratings, Diercks says she is pleased with her station's performance, particularly given the CBS network's dominance in prime-time television. For her, a key measure is the 11 p.m. newscast, known in the industry as the "newscast of record." NBC-6 is in a horse race with WFOR/CBS-4 for top English-language ratings in that slot. The stats are complicated; during the February sweeps (the most recent data available at the time of publication) CBS-4 pulled one ratings point ahead of NBC-6 in total adult viewers for that 11 p.m. newscast. But NBC-6 maintained its lead among adults 25-54. And, for the Monday through Friday weeknight 11 p.m. newscasts, NBC-6 also maintained its lead.

Diercks, whose career in broadcast management has spanned more than 20 years and a half-dozen cities, is a veteran of the ratings wars. Among the stations where she has led the fight are KVUE-TV, the ABC affiliate in Austin, Texas, and KSDK-TV, Gannett Television's NBC affiliate in St. Louis. She joined NBC (NBC-6 is a network-owned station) after a long career at Gannett Television. NBC lured her away from Washington, D.C., where she was president and general manager of Gannett's WUSA-TV and a senior vice president of Gannett.

"I knew of Ardy and her reputation, and I asked her to consider this [move]," says Jay Ireland, president of NBC & Telemundo Television Stations. "We had a lot of interest in the position, but Ardy really stood out. She has great style and strong leadership skills."

You might think that this newly arrived Florida resident would find herself an outsider in a company whose last general manager--Don Browne (now COO of Telemundo)--is something of a community legend. Quite the contrary, says Diercks. Not only has the station welcomed her, but the atmosphere in the tri-county area is, she says, very open to women in positions of authority. "I think South Florida is one of those places where everybody gets to play," she says. "Because of the diversity and ... worldly view. I think everybody has a better chance to succeed."