One thing that's obvious after sorting through the figures for February's "sweeps" ratings period: Fox isn't just successful on cable news these days.

Tampa's Fox station WTVT-Ch. 13 did well in most news time periods among viewers aged 25 to 54, winning early morning hours, beating the Today show at 7 a.m., tying with Oprah Winfrey at 4 p.m. and beating rival WFLA-Ch. 8 in the 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. hours.

Small wonder they decided to add an hour to their morning news block, pushing back Live with Regis and Kelly to 10 a.m. weekdays.

Because all of the Tampa market's ratings are sampled electronically, there isn't technically a "sweeps" period; smaller markets only get information on who is watching their station four times a year when survey participants fill out special diaries. But old habits die hard, so sweeps period are still seen as benchmarks.

In prime time, where NBC's Winter Olympics and Fox's American Idol competed with CBS's always strong regular lineup, WFLA won with those key viewers, helping the station also win at 11 p.m. WTSP did win at 11 p.m. among women aged 25 to 54.

Here's a few numbers, all in adults 25 to 54, provided by WTSP. The first number is the rating (percentage of homes with TV).

5 a.m. to 6 a.m. newscasts:
WTVT-Ch. 13 (Fox 13)                1.8.  
WFLA-Ch. 8  (Newschannel 8)     1.2
BN9 (Bay News 9)                       0.7
WTSP-Ch. 10 (10 Connects)         0.6
WFTS-Ch. 28 (ABC Action News)  0.5

6 a.m. to 7 a.m. newscasts:
WTVT-Ch. 13 (Fox 13)                 3.4  
WFLA-Ch. 8  (Newschannel 8)      2.1
BN9 (Bay News 9)                       1.2
WTSP-Ch. 10 (10 Connects)         0.8
WFTS-Ch. 28 (ABC Action News)   0.7

7 a.m. to 9 a.m.:
Good Day Tampa Bay (Fox 13)    2.9  
Today show  (Newschannel 8)      2.2
BN9 (Bay News 9)                       0.9
Good Morning America (ABC)       0.7
Early Show  (10 Connects)           0.5

4 p.m. to 5 p.m.:
Judge Judy (Fox 13)          2.3  
Oprah  (Newschannel 8)    2.3
Ellen (ABC)                     1.2
Maury (WTTA-Ch. 38)      1.2
  

5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. newscasts:
WTVT              2.5
WFLA              2.3
WTTA               1.7
WMOR-Ch. 32   1.0

WFTS               0.9
WTSP               0.5

5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. newscasts:
WTVT              2.5
WFLA              2.3
WFTS              0.9

BN9                 0.7

WTSP (Inside Edition)  0.7

6 p.m. newscasts:
WTVT        3.5

WFLA        2.5

WFTS        1.2
WTSP        0.7

BN9           0.6

Prime Time, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., Monday through Saturday,

7-11 p.m. Sunday:
WFLA (NBC)   5.9  
WTVT  (Fox)    5.0
WTSP (CBS)   3.4
WFTS (ABC)   2.3
WTOG (CW)   1.0

11 p.m. newscasts:

WFLA           2.4
WTSP           2.1
WFTS           1.4
WTVT           1.4