MSNBC trumpets Countdown Quarterly Demo victory over CNN’s Paula Zahn Now…
MSNBC issued a release today celebrating Countdown with Keith Olbermann’s Demo numbers for the quarter which beat Paula Zahn Now on CNN and Hardball’s almost beating of The Situation Room in the Demo.
Rhetorical Question of the Day: Which played a bigger role in Countdown’s success: CNN’s struggles, the Olympics, or Bill O’Reilly responding to Olbermann’s taunts which resulted in the media picking up on the feud?
This is the first Quarterly ratings related release from MSNBC that I’ve seen in quite some time and it’s a lengthy one…
According to Nielsen Media Research data, MSNBC’s “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” (M-F 8-9 pm ET) finished the first quarter ahead of CNN’s Paula Zahn in the key 25-54 year-old demographic (”the demo”). This marks MSNBC’s first quarterly primetime victory over CNN in the demo in almost five years (2Q01 MSNBC Investigates beat CNN at 8 p.m. ET). “Countdown” posted big gains in both the demo and total viewers, while CNN and Fox News suffered double digit drops in the advertiser-friendly demographic. “Countdown” ended the quarter with an average of 164,000 (+41%) (all comparisons are vs. 1st quarter 2005) in the demo and 404,000 total viewers (+25%). CNN averaged 158,000 in the demo (-33%) and 632,000 in total viewers (-9%) and Fox News averaged 450,000 in the demo (-24%) and 2,280,000 in total viewers (-5%).
March was a very strong month for “Countdown” in the 25-54 demographic, with the program scoring a decisive victory over CNN. For March, “Countdown” averaged 184,000 viewers in the demo (+63% vs. March 05) and 430,000 total viewers (+28%). CNN averaged 141,000 in the demo (-43%) and 587,000 total viewers (-18%). Fox News averaged 415,000 in the demo (-23%) and 2,266,000 total viewers (-2%).
“Hardball with Chris Matthews” posted the network’s largest gain in 25-54 year-old viewers (+50%), running neck-and-neck with CNN for the quarter. “Hardball” (M-F 7-8 pm ET) averaged 153,000 viewers 25-54 (+50%) and 430,000 in total viewers (+3%). CNN averaged 156,000 in the demo (-19%) and 623,000 in total viewers (+4%) and Fox News averaged 351,000 in the demo (-22%) and 1,491,000 in total viewers (+1%).MSNBC also completed first quarter with significant gains in primetime in both the adult 25-54 demographic and in total viewers. CNN and Fox News posted losses in both categories. For primetime (M-S/ 8-11 pm ET), MSNBC averaged 152,000 in the demo (+27%) and 354,000 in total viewers (+15%), while CNN averaged 192,000 in the demo (-23%) and 696,000 in total viewers (-14%) and FOX averaged 328,000 in the demo (-28%) and 1,488,000 in total viewers (-8%).
MSNBC also experienced strong growth across all primetime hours.
“The Abrams Report” (M-F 6-7 pm ET), averaged 113,000 in the demo (+35%) and 275,000 in total viewers (+39%), while CNN averaged 156,000 in the demo (+3%) and 664,000 in total viewers (+24%) and FOX averaged 312,000 in the demo (-21% and 1,487,000 in total viewers (+3%).
At 9, 10 and 11 pm, MSNBC realized solid gains in the demo and total viewers as follows. At 9 pm (ET), (”Rita Cosby Live & Direct” M-Th and tape programming on Friday) averaged 137,000 in the demo (+3%) and 347,000 in total viewers (+9%), CNN averaged 250,000 in the demo (-28%) and 1,015,000 in total viewers (-20%) and Fox News averaged 387,000 in the demo (-26%) and 1,618,000 in total viewers (-9%).
At 10 pm (ET), (”Scarborough Country” M-Th and tape programming on Friday) averaged 145,000 in the demo (+32%) and 337,000 in total viewers (+6%) while CNN averaged 230,000 in the demo (-2%) and 702,000 in total viewers (-3%) and Fox News averaged 348,000 in the demo (-27%) and 1,436,000 in total viewers (-4%).
At 11 pm (ET), (”The Situation with Tucker Carlson” M-Th and tape programming on Friday) averaged 100,000 in the demo (+27%) and 225,000 in total viewers (+15%). CNN averaged 180,000 in the demo (+22%) and 471,000 in total viewers (+21%) and Fox News averaged 313,000 in the demo (-12%) and 1,096,000 in total viewers (+16%).
Actually, he’s been mostly second recently, even beating all of CNN and HLN in 25-54. But rest easy guys, he’ll NEVER beat your O’Reilly, even if he started fighting the war against the 4th of July.
And I might add one other reason Spud: the cross-promotion from the Dan Patrick ESPN radio show. I would guess that some of the sports segments he’s done (Barry Bonds, etc.) in lieu of the latest unsolved murder, may have brought in new male viewers.
Comment by museglet — March 28, 2006 @ 5:21 pm
I’m sure some people are wondering what happened to their comments in this thread. It seems certain agenda trumpeting types who like to hide in the shadows are trying to stack the comments in a certain direction today. I don’t have a problem with you people posting. I have a problem with the way you are going about doing it. Stick to one alias. Otherwise kiss your comment goodbye…
Comment by Spud — March 28, 2006 @ 5:42 pm
Maybe the deal with Dan Patrick is helping and maybe
people are finally realizing that Keith can do hard
news and lighter stuff like no one else in the business.
Comment by Shirley Hinderliter — March 28, 2006 @ 8:22 pm
I think you’re right, Shirley. The cross-promotion with Dan is not hurting Keith one bit and it is probably helping at least as much, if not more, than the Bill O’Reilly war. In return, Keith is bringing a new audience of women over to the Dan Patrick Show on ESPN Radio…or so Dan says from the e-mail he’s getting. So they’re actually benefiting each other.
Comment by tanne — March 28, 2006 @ 8:54 pm
Once again proof Keith Olbermann is making huge gains in the ratings, as well as continuing to provide a compelling hour of television.
Comment by AnonymousHere — March 29, 2006 @ 1:28 am
Wow, I WONDERED what happened to all the KO-bashing comments–sounds like it might just be one “obsessed” O’Reilly fanatic?
Comment by museglet — March 29, 2006 @ 2:18 am
By jove, I think you’ve got it, museglet!
Comment by Becky in Ohio — March 30, 2006 @ 10:01 am