CNN loses half it's viewers in first part of 2010

[Anti Federalist]

For what it's worth, the downside is Faux news is on fire in the ratings.

CNN Fails to Stop Fall in Ratings
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/business/media/30cnn.html?hpw
By BILL CARTER
Published: March 29, 2010

CNN continued what has become a precipitous decline in ratings for its prime-time programs in the first quarter of 2010, with its main hosts losing almost half their viewers in a year.

The trend in news ratings for the first three months of this year is all up for one network, the Fox News Channel, which enjoyed its best quarter ever in ratings, and down for both MSNBC and CNN.

CNN had a slightly worse quarter in the fourth quarter of 2009, but the last three months have included compelling news events, like the earthquake in Haiti and the battle over health care, and CNN, which emphasizes its hard news coverage, was apparently unable to benefit.

The losses at CNN continued a pattern in place for much of the last year, as the network trailed its competitors in every prime-time hour. (CNN still easily beats MSNBC in the daytime hours, but those are less lucrative in advertising money, and both networks are far behind Fox News at all hours.)

About the only break from the bad news for CNN was that March was not as bad as February, when the network had its worst single month in its recent history, finishing behind not only Fox News and MSNBC, but also its sister network HLN — and even CNBC, which had Olympics programming that month.

CNN executives have steadfastly said that they will not change their approach to prime-time programs, which are led by hosts not aligned with any partisan point of view.

But the numbers are stark: For the network’s longest-running host, Larry King, who has always been regarded at CNN as the centerpiece of prime time because he drew the biggest audiences at 9 p.m., the quarter was his worst ever.

Mr. King’s audience dropped 43 percent for the quarter and 52 percent in March. He dropped to 771,000 viewers for the quarter from 1.34 million in 2009. More alarming perhaps, Mr. King, whose show has been regularly eclipsed by Rachel Maddow’s on MSNBC (and is almost quadrupled by Sean Hannity’s show on Fox), is now threatened by a new host, Joy Behar on HLN (formerly Headline News.)

In her first full quarter competing with Mr. King at 9 p.m. Ms. Behar wound up beating him in the ratings 21 times.

CNN has given no indication that any changes in its lineup are imminent, but recently announced that it would try a series of specials in a talk-show format at 11 p.m. with its current 10 p.m. host, Anderson Cooper. The specials are interpreted by some at the network as a trial run for a new 9 p.m. show with Mr. Cooper.

Mr. Cooper has long been regarded as the strongest host at CNN, but his show has suffered badly as well. For the quarter, Mr. Cooper dropped 42 percent in viewers and 46 percent among the 25-to-54-year-old audience that the news channels use for their sales to advertisers.

In the past, CNN relied on big audiences for Mr. King’s show to deliver viewers to Mr. Cooper. Now Mr. Cooper sometimes finds himself losing to repeats of shows on MSNBC and HLN. (At the other end of prime time, Campbell Brown’s show on CNN at 8 had its worst quarter ever with the 25-to-54-year-old audience.)

Even in the morning, CNN is sliding. Its “American Morning” show dropped behind “Morning Joe” on MSNBC in total viewers for the first time; it still beat the MSNBC show among 25- to 54-year-olds, though it was down 29 percent from a year earlier.

At the same time, Fox News, which had its biggest year in 2009, continues to add viewers. Greta Van Susteren’s show was up 25 percent from a year earlier. Bill O’Reilly, whose show commands the biggest audience in prime time with 3.65 million viewers, was up 28 percent, and Glenn Beck was up 50 percent from a year earlier.

[fuzzybekool]

It is facinating to me that more than 1/2 of America is conservative in some way or another, and in our hands we have the power, if organized properly of course, to permanently damage the liberal main stream media where it hurts them the most. Profits.

[Mach]

Where's the RPN (RonPaulNews) when you need it?

All of the rest, most of the time, are just PROPAGANDIZERS. YouTube - PR Firms = Propaganda (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rPQCPwdwHQ)

[AdamT]

If it was up to me, all these networks would be out of business and off the air. I don't watch any of this garbage. Wish more of the population would do the same and break their programming....

[silus]

The fact that Fox News is dominating just shows how little progress is being made in media.

[Vessol]

Yeah, CNN is the most fair news channel out there, they don't have extreme liberal or extreme neocon guest hosts.... maybe they should recruit Judge Napiltano for a show :)

Uh..what planet do you live on?

[Fozz]

Uh..what planet do you live on?

:rolleyes:

[.Tom]

I sometimes use CNN to get my news, since they're at least somewhat moderate and objective in their reporting, while Fox and MSNBC on the other hand are unwatchable because they're such extreme cheerleaders for the right and the left respectively.

[jbuttell]

The fact that Fox News is dominating just shows how little progress is being made in media.

So if the other networks weren't doing so poorly, that would be an example of progress? :confused:

[dannno]

I sometimes use CNN to get my news, since they're at least somewhat moderate and objective in their reporting, while Fox and MSNBC on the other hand are unwatchable because they're such extreme cheerleaders for the right and the left respectively.

The top story on CNN.com right now is Sex addiction: legit or an excuse?

I dunno I can't really watch any of them.

[.Tom]

The top story on CNN.com right now is Sex addiction: legit or an excuse?

I dunno I can't really watch any of them.

I don't watch any of them on TV. I just check CNN.com occasionally.

[papajohn56]

I think we have a better chance of bringing the Fox crowd on board with Paul than MSNBC though.

[BlackTerrel]

I imagine this is pretty natural. You're always going to do better when the perceived "other guy" is in charge. I imagine Fox will dip and CNN will climb if a Republican wins in 2012.

I also wonder how much of it is due to demographics. According to Alexa

CNN.com is the 18th most visited website in the US and Foxnews.com is the 38th most visited site. I wonder if CNN's audience is younger and more tech savvy and more likely to get their news online than Fox's audience.

[akforme]

Even when I was a MSM sheep freak, I didn't really like CNN. I was a bush hater, can you guess what channel I loved?

[sevin]

Fox News frightens me more than CNN ever did. The in-your-face propaganda and emotionalism is disturbing. There are people who worry about Obama becoming a dictator, but if you ask me, the next Hitler would probably be a neocon.

[paulitics]

Obviously, CNN doesn't care about ratings. CNN is the worst propaganda of all networks, and I am serious.

[paulitics]

Fox News frightens me more than CNN ever did. The in-your-face propaganda and emotionalism is disturbing. There are people who worry about Obama becoming a dictator, but if you ask me, the next Hitler would probably be a neocon.

Probably so, but if you look at Italy, Germany or any other country that turned fascistic, there was a robust socialist movement that was financed by the bankers prior to a "right wing" dictator. They were very close to turning communist, and the fear of the people made them blindly follow a leader who had their roots in socialism, and not much different than the communists.

[Krugerrand]

CNN.com is the 18th most visited website in the US and Foxnews.com is the 38th most visited site. I wonder if CNN's audience is younger and more tech savvy and more likely to get their news online than Fox's audience.

Foxnews.com is a terrible site. It's overridden with advertisements and is a cluttered mess. CNN is cleaner and easier to navigate.

Yahoo News is usually my first site ... but I don't particularly like them either. Virtually all of the news websites simply regurgitate AP newswire feeds.

[Stary Hickory]

I think we have a better chance of bringing the Fox crowd on board with Paul than MSNBC though.

This is the truth even though many here don't want to admit it. Fox is a better choice overall. Yes the Neocons make it practically unbearable most of the time, but still it does have potential and it has libertarians on hosting shows. I am still hoping for Freedom Watch to get on Fox.

On Fox you are likely to hear some decent small government views being espoused. This is good, they also favor a lot of our types which is also good. I would love to see a libertarian news network, but right now we don't have that option.

[tangent4ronpaul]

http://tvbythenumbers.com/category/ratings/cable-news


Category | Cable News Ratings
RSS feed for this section
Cable News Ratings for Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Posted on 31 March 2010 by Bill Gorman

Live + Same Day Cable News Daily Ratings for March 30, 2010

P2+ Total Day
FNC – 1,284,000 viewers
CNN – 446,000 viewers
MSNBC – 461,000 viewers
CNBC – 173,000 viewers
HLN – 312,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 2,544,000 viewers
CNN – 687,000 viewers
MSNBC –1,038,000 viewers
CNBC – 182,000 viewers
HLN –555,000 viewers

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/j/d/jdf15/2010/02/sunlight-the-2nd-best-disinfec.php

***UPDATE***

In response to the comments below, this is as close as I could get to C-SPAN ratings. From the 3rd link, Pew extrapolated in 2006 that 52 million Americans watch C-SPAN. I find that astounding, but there is it. I suppose that hurts my argument a bit, but I think the main point still stands.

From the C-SPAN website:

"C-SPAN Viewership
As a public service created by the nation's cable companies, C-SPAN does not track viewership ratings. However, studies by researchers and user groups have been conducted that describe our audience's interests and viewing habits.

* About C-SPAN's Call-In Program http://www.c-span.org/About/wj_faq.aspx
* C-SPAN Viewer's Guide, April 2009 http://www.c-span.org/PDF/ViewersGuide.pdf
* The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, July 2006 http://www.c-span.org/about/research/index.asp?code=PEW
* C-SPAN Political Science Survey, April 2004 http://www.c-span.org/about/research/index.asp?code=PEW
* Peter D. Hart Associates, INC., March 2004" http://www.c-span.org/about/research/index.asp?code=HART


btw: 6 Million people watched the Health Care vote on all the major cable news channels combined. How many watched it on C-SPAN is unknown.

-t

[tangent4ronpaul]

The above post is NOT an April Fools joke!

-t

[Justinjj1]

Many of you seem to forget Fox News treatment of Ron Paul during the election. I will never watch anything on that channel again. CNN is awful as well, and I really disliked that sit down debate they held where Anderson Cooper virtually ignored Ron Paul, but at least he was invited to their debates and never outright ridiculed by the moderators.

[Krugerrand]

I'm telling you, CNN is just positioning themselves for a bail out.

[j6p]

Yeah, Get the Juge on. At least he talks about diffrent things. Glen Beck talks about Van Jones and Obama wanting to become dictator. Maybe Glen should research the Bush crime family if he was really concern about America. The CIA drug runs with his best buddy Clinton. Oh yeah Bushs grandfather helping out the Nazis during World war two. It sounds like Bush wanted to become a dictaor. Instead of it being fair and balance, lets just blame the democrats, what us republicans did when we were in power. It's intresting to see Glen Beck blame democrats and say that Obamas a progressive, he is. Bush is a progressive too.

[pacelli]

If it was up to me, all these networks would be out of business and off the air. I don't watch any of this garbage. Wish more of the population would do the same and break their programming....

Ditto on all points made. I'm beginning to find less and less desire for television at all.

[SovereignMN]

Many of you seem to forget Fox News treatment of Ron Paul during the election. I will never watch anything on that channel again. CNN is awful as well, and I really disliked that sit down debate they held where Anderson Cooper virtually ignored Ron Paul, but at least he was invited to their debates and never outright ridiculed by the moderators.

This. Faux News may allow some conservative viewpoints from time to time but after the treatment they gave Dr. Paul I vowed never to watch them again.

[specsaregood]

The fact that Fox News is dominating just shows how little progress is being made in media.

Yes, we will have to celebrate the day RT is the top rank cable news show in the US.

[.Tom]

I have no respect for Faux after their outright assault on RP during the election. Also, their website is so ugly and terribly designed, it just shows how out of touch they are.

At least CNN's site has a nice layout and is easy to navigate.

MSNBC is a joke. They're so blatantly biased it's unbearable.

[silus]

So if the other networks weren't doing so poorly, that would be an example of progress? :confused:
YES! But we probably aren't thinking of the same networks.

[Live_Free_Or_Die]

nt

[Krugerrand]

The first major network that decides to stop being a policy machine and return to honest journalism breaking stories regardless of what the government thinks will be very profitable.

Like the gold market fraud.... where is the mainstream media... crickets...
The Hutaree story that initially broke over Islamic threats... where was the mainstream media... crickets...

This and other forums on all sides of the spectrum get news out faster than the mainstream media. That is why they are going broke not disruptive technology.

Sadly, I think the major network that keeps the populace up to speed with the transgressions of Tiger, Brittney, et al will be very profitable.

[Stary Hickory]

The first major network that decides to stop being a policy machine and return to honest journalism breaking stories regardless of what the government thinks will be very profitable.

Like the gold market fraud.... where is the mainstream media... crickets...
The Hutaree story that initially broke over Islamic threats... where was the mainstream media... crickets...

This and other forums on all sides of the spectrum get news out faster than the mainstream media. That is why they are going broke not disruptive technology.

There is more news out there than can possibly be reported in condensed newscasts. Therefore all news must pass through a subjective filter to determine what is and what is not shown.

There will always be a slant or bias. Therefore this notion of objective journalism really has no chance of becoming a reality. Even Jefferson maligned the newspapers in his day. I'd prefer a network identify as libertarian oriented and let it be at that. Libertarian viewpoints are correct, this I understand and will be happy to watch such a network if it ever came to be.

[silentshout]

I can't believe it when people say that FOx isn't the "mainstream." They definitely are, as they are #1 in ratings. I can't stand any of the cable networks..where's the news? It's just opinion. I stopped watching all of them ages ago. Cool if someone else wants to, but don't go saying it's not mainstream just because it's not CNN.

[silus]

The first major network that decides to stop being a policy machine and return to honest journalism breaking stories regardless of what the government thinks will be very profitable.

Here is a start: http://www.youtube.com/user/independentinstitute

[j6p]

When people say mainstream, they are talking about the population. Fox viewership is small compared to the amount of people in this country. If Fox had a fair size of the population, Mc Cain would have won. Glen Beck would be prasing Mc. Cain for bombing Iran. Instead of right/left Obama is bad.

[DAFTEK]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_l8ZBsSeLPxk/SbjbPh1Dc1I/AAAAAAAACGI/D0Xm6noOql8/s400/293535312v2_350x350_Front.jpg

Unplug your brain! :)