Hussein: Ratings…
Here’s a set of breakdowns for the cable networks for Friday night/early Saturday morning for the execution of Saddam Hussein…
January 2, 2007
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Amazing how people seem to flock to CNN when real news breaks! Once again, they prove that they get the ratings when it matters, when real news happens!
Anyway, just kind of interesting to see how the ratings ended up
Comment by Chris — January 2, 2007 @ 11:16 pm
Yep, people know where to go when they want news vs entertainment.
Comment by Big Dave — January 2, 2007 @ 11:21 pm
No amber alerts… only hard breaking news… this is why CNN is the number 1 in the news biz around the world. Same w/ tsunami.. same w/ North Korea tests… same w/ every international history. For local histories and amber alerts there is a channel named Headline news… or Fox News by the way.
Comment by Rodrigo — January 2, 2007 @ 11:49 pm
Guys, FNC BEAT CNN during prime time, and then CNN took over at midnight ET. But didn’t the broadcast networks cover this story as well? If not, that is almost unbelievable!
I am a loyal Fox viewer but switched back and forth between it and CNN, because Anderson Cooper did a great job and had a very informative guest on (Faisal someone or other, an Iraqi well acquainted w/Saddam’s brutality). CNN did do a good job that night, IMO.
Comment by Missy — January 2, 2007 @ 11:50 pm
I am also a loyal FNC viewer who switched back and forth. FNC should have brought Shepard Smith back in for the breaking news. Let Hannity & Colmes stick to politics, let Greta stick to her murder mysteries, and let Shep do news. Fox Report that night was great and they lost out by not bringing him back in around 10:00.
Comment by SEA — January 3, 2007 @ 12:05 am
The broadcast networks did brief special reports, otherwise, no.
Comment by Brent — January 3, 2007 @ 1:24 am
I personally would like to see Studio B dumped and get Sheppard to do a late FOX Report at 10pm or 11pm as well at the 7pm edition. Shep has said before he would like a 10pm newscast on FOX Channels why not on FOX News too? Dump Greta she is terrible.
Comment by Mike Beckham — January 3, 2007 @ 2:41 am
#7 Thats a good idea. I see no reason for the 3pm showing when he could be on in prime time….And yes, Greta needs to go home.
Comment by Terance — January 3, 2007 @ 7:15 am
Contrary to what Missy said….I believe CNN beat FOX by a few seconds with the “floor drop”. They both beat MESS_NBC by ABOUT a minute or so.
Comment by Roger — January 3, 2007 @ 10:35 am
Roger, my statement about Fox beating CNN was in prime time ratings, not in anything to do with the announcement of the timing of the execution. But CNN clearly picked up viewers at 10 p.m. ET.
Comment by Missy — January 3, 2007 @ 12:00 pm
Yes it was at 10:00 when viewers really started to tune into CNN.They won the demo and only were about 74 shy in total viewers.From 11:00 on was when CNN overtook FNC in both the demo and total viewers.
Comment by Anon — January 3, 2007 @ 2:17 pm
If you want ums and uhs watch Anderson Cooper.
It’s been discussed here many times. It’s not that people “flock to CNN when real news breaks!” CNN viewers are known to have short attention spans. CNN has continued to have more viewers in all time slots; but CNN viewers tend to be people who surf in and out. When they surf in and see an execution being played over and over again, and those attention spans double or triple, those rating can go up pretty fast.
Note there was no Paula Zahn; John Robert filled in for her. And when CNNI kicked in, FNC had no chance. CNNI is simply more compelling than anything CNN has to offer; they should have gone to CNNI right after John Roberts. Americans want to see world events from a world perspective.
Comment by erljr — January 3, 2007 @ 3:59 pm
“And when CNNI kicked in, FNC had no chance. CNNI is simply more compelling than anything CNN has to offer; they should have gone to CNNI right after John Roberts.”
erljr, please look at the quarter-hour ratings posted at TVNewser. To wit: “CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, from 1 to 1:15am, had 1,003,000 demo and 2,078,000 total viewers. The simulcast of CNNI from 1:15 to 2am had 687,000 demo and 1,363,000 total viewers. ”
When Anderson signed off, so did a third of the viewers.
Comment by Arthur — January 3, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
CNN’s including Anderson Cooper’s coverage was excellent. Short attention span? I watch CNN but will admit I don’t watch for hours on end.Not because I have a short attention span but because my schedule doesn’t allow it plus I’m a firm believer in getting my news from as many outlets as possible. CNNI is excellent but unfortunately I’m not sure it’s true that the majority of Americans want a world perspective.
Comment by Anon — January 3, 2007 @ 4:38 pm
When Americans are familiar with a subject, you are right Anon. The regular Iraq stories we hear variations of every day don’t fit into my hypothesis; but this story, the London, Madrid, and other bombings, the London plane hijacking story, and many others all compel me to surf over to CNN to see if they are broadcasting CNNI.
Arthur, you are right that Cooper beat FNC hands down; there’s no question. But I think they would have done even better if they had gone to CNNI three hours earlier. And if they had gone to reruns after Cooper, I believe FNC would have retaken the lead earlier.
Comment by erljr — January 3, 2007 @ 5:30 pm
Fox News need someone for this situation in the future.. Greta’s work isn’t the best in some cases.
Comment by Rodrigo — January 3, 2007 @ 6:00 pm
“Arthur, you are right that Cooper beat FNC hands down; there’s no question. ”
Whoa, did YOU miss my point. My point was that Cooper beat CNNi hands down. People who stuck with him past the top of the hour turned off in droves when CNNi came on.
Comment by Arthur — January 3, 2007 @ 6:40 pm