The sky is falling, the sky is falling…
Media Life Magazine’s Kevin Downey pens the latest apocalyptical piece on FNC’s ratings decline…(via TVNewser)
In third quarter, Fox News suffered a 38 percent decline in 25-54s, to 409,000. In second quarter, that audience was down 22 percent and in first quarter it slid 28 percent. It is still No. 1 by a long shot.
Fox attributes the 2006 declines to a soft news year compared to 2005, which saw audiences shoot up during events like Hurricane Katrina, the Asian tsunami and the death of Pope John Paul II.
Bill Shine, senior vice president of programming at Fox News, tells Media Life: “The numbers that everybody goes by are year-to-year numbers, and 2005 was an incredible year for news compared to 2006.”
And then there’s this ‘graph which seriously makes me question whether the author even watches FNC…
Fox appears to be suffering from other ills, and one is a reluctance to tinker with what’s worked over the past decade. It has done little to change its look and feel, and at a time when its competitors have been busy trying out new ideas and talents and freshening up their formats. That would certainly explain the notable growth of both MSNBC and Headline News.
A reluctance to tinker? Let’s see…
- Replaces E.D. Hill with Gretchen Carlson on Fox and Friends
- Replaces Dayside with The Live Desk.
- Changes its graphics package and design.
- Injects politics to a greater degree than before into the Saturday Business Block (much to my chagrin)
- Makes multiple changes to weekend programming including the creation of Studio B Weekend, The Big Story Weekend, The Journal Editorial Report, and The Lineup.
Doesn’t sound like FNC is standing pat to me…
UPDATE: Here’s a Year to Date spreadsheet of the five cable news channels.
And here’s a ranking by the Demo category of the cable news channel programs (It looks like the usual Program ranker you see every month but that one goes by P2+. This is by P25-54)
My takeaway from all this is FNC is down but so is CNN and HLN with only MSNBC being either flat or having a gain and CNBC being the big winner. But while FNC’s decline has been heavier than CNN’s, it hasn’t altered the landscape as far as who is firmly situated on top of the cable news pole. While I’m sure nobody at FNC likes to see double digit declines under any circumstances (nor does CNN for that matter), I doubt anyone is panicking. When/if FNC starts having daily P2 numbers low enough that they are within 100,000 of CNN, then one can say that FNC is in trouble.
Update: 1:45pm: An e-mailer asks: “Isn’t this the same out of the loop reporter who said CNN was ‘closing the gap’ on Fox News back in April 2003?…”
http://www.medialifemagazine.com/news2003/mar03/mar31/3_wed/news2wednesday.html
Comment by Lurker — November 2, 2006 @ 4:20 pm
Yeah that’s true, but I think the writer is talking about primetime, which is practically the same as it was when FNC first launched…
Comment by Anonymous — November 2, 2006 @ 4:34 pm
Serious signs of aging? Who is this guy? And he went to NewsHounds for his interview….says a lot about this guy’s sources.
Comment by Kim — November 2, 2006 @ 4:53 pm
If anything, Fox News’ ratings will skyrocket if the Dems take the House next week. Does this writer know what is he talking about? Everyone knows Fox has a loyal viewer base.
Comment by TV Guy — November 2, 2006 @ 5:09 pm
I have never heard of Media Life. Is this a trade pub?
Who reads this crap?
Comment by Jon — November 2, 2006 @ 6:02 pm
CNN will never come within 100,000 viewers of Fox.
Comment by Cissy — November 2, 2006 @ 6:24 pm
Do you think Kevin Downey even reads any of the blogs or actually sees the ratings on a daily basis? Because he’s got tunnel vision when it comes to FNC.
Comment by ITK — November 2, 2006 @ 6:27 pm
If Fox News is kicking everyone’s ass (250 weeks in a row which I think I read here) why is the story about them being down over 2005? Up? Down? Who cares when there’s one clear leader?
Comment by Audrey — November 2, 2006 @ 6:42 pm
I agree with Audrey. This story holds as much weight as CBS spinning that Katie Couric is “up” - the bottom line is that she’s third in a third horse race just like MSNBC is third, CNN is second, FNC is first.
Comment by Vlae — November 3, 2006 @ 12:13 am
Let’s see, how can I say this? Oh yeah - what a crock!
Comment by cella — November 3, 2006 @ 6:57 am
Gee, talk to 3 people who are anti-Fox and not even get one other voice in there that’s remotely pro-Fox? Where did this guy get his journalism degree — a crackerjack box?
Comment by Clara — November 3, 2006 @ 7:53 am
I would hardly call this guy a journalist- he writes for a publication no one’s ever heard of. Maybe he’s a j-school student?
Comment by David — November 3, 2006 @ 8:43 am
How stupid does Kevin Downey feel today now that yesterday’s ratings are out? Fox did a MILLION more viewers than CNN and kicked butt in 25-54? Does that even look like a real competition?
Comment by Anna — November 3, 2006 @ 10:14 am
Kevin Downey looks like a serious horse’s ass right about now — 500K in the demo doubling both competitors and Fox’s audience is aging? Yeah, this guy really did his homework.
Comment by Asha — November 3, 2006 @ 10:41 am
Copy that Anna! He seems to have missed the bigger story that Spud has been following closely - how much MSNBC is breathing down CNN’s neck and the ensuing battle royale for second place.
Comment by Ms. Anonymous — November 3, 2006 @ 11:08 am
Spud, 15 out of 15 comments (above) are against this guy’s analysis and call his journalistic skills into question. Count me as #16. Please tell us you weren’t really citing this article because you thought it credible.
Comment by Missy — November 4, 2006 @ 8:59 am