Jan ‘07: Numbers write ups…
Variety’s Michael Learmonth…
Cable news audiences grew broadly in January, driven by ratings gains for opinionated hosts helped by the Democratic takeover of Congress and a presidential field stocked with celebrities.
The highest-rated hour in cable news was the president’s State of the Union address, which drew 4.6 million total viewers to cable; 45 million watched one of the broadcast nets.
MSNBC had the biggest growth among cable news nets in January, up 75% in primetime and justification for its new tagline “the fastest-growing news channel.”
CNN also saw gains, but it’s increasingly a two-horse race for second to Fox News Channel as MSNBC posted its smallest gap with CNN in total viewers .
FNC marked its fifth year in first place in January, with total-viewer numbers essentially flat from the previous year. The network’s primetime lineup is up 9% over last year, averaging more than 1.9 million total viewers vs. 920,000 for CNN and 618,000 for MSNBC.
Demographics would suggest, after five years, that FNC would remain dominant. The”gains” posted by MSNBC are too niggling to even be significant. CNN, on the other hand,has to be satisfied with being the perennial runner-up, which is not what it envisoned before FNC came along.
Comment by RGL — January 30, 2007 @ 11:10 pm
I love MSNBC trotting out THE DEMO to toot their own horn. Yet, they still get crushed by FNC in THE DEMO. I guess the next tack for their defenders on this site is to say that the FNCers in THE DEMO are actuakky closer to 54 than MSNBC.
Whatever.
Comment by eddiebear — January 31, 2007 @ 1:22 am
I think this is about as good as it gets for MSNBC. They were so in the gutter that these gains look real big % wise so they’ll probably keep on touting these great gains throughtout the new year compared to last year. Let’s see them do it starting next year Jan 07 compared to Jan 08 etc….
Comment by Lurker — January 31, 2007 @ 2:39 am
C’mon people give credit where credit is due; MSNBC has achieved tremendous gains, they have managed to pull themselves up to a point where they are econmically viable and competitive. I dont know if these gains are sustainable, but they sure are impressive.
Comment by Sam — January 31, 2007 @ 2:45 am
CBS News was bragging last year that they were the only nightly news program whose ratings increased over the previous year. The problem is, they were still third place out of three networks.
MSNBC has the same problem.
My parents always taught me to always strive for third place. Yeah, that’s REAL impressive.
Comment by bigred — January 31, 2007 @ 9:29 am
FNC should be happy they didn’t lose double digits in all demos like usual. I feel FNC’s in panic mode. Not because MSNBC or CNN is closing in on them.. more because they can’t seem to come up with any new ideas or new stars. Btw, when is the last time a cable news channel “canceled” someone (Geraldo) then brought them back to save the day?
Comment by Terance — January 31, 2007 @ 9:54 am
MSNBC does deserve credit. Whether or not those gains will be sustained remains to be seen. It appears they are making some progress and should be commended. But, the truth remains that FNC still dominates whether one looks at total viewers or the demo.
Comment by Scott — January 31, 2007 @ 10:14 am
Give it a rest Terance. Between you, Big Dave and Sam, the anti-FNC posts are getting monotonous. Yeah, there’s a lot of panic when you’re the dominant number one cable news channel 5 years in a row.
As for new ideas.. how about Hannity’s new show on Sundays? Already it is a smashing success.
Comment by bigred — January 31, 2007 @ 10:58 am
Bigred, that post wasn’t anti-fnc. I don’t post along political lines or because my IP originates from foxnews.com. How about you?
Comment by Terance — January 31, 2007 @ 11:24 am
“Bigred, that post wasn’t anti-fnc”
Terance: So FNC is in panic mode? Who knew.
The situation with Geraldo is that he is being paid a reported $3 million/ year. And with his syndicated show canceled, Fox wants to get some bang for its buck. Besides, his weekend audiences regularly succeeded 1 million.
Saving the day? Hardly.
Comment by Ira — January 31, 2007 @ 12:56 pm
Which Sam- there are atleast two of us who post here i believe- on account that i’ve seen post in the archives that weren’t made by me. However if you can find one instant in which i bash FNC, i will concede, buti doubt you can.
Bigredyou seem to have a problem with opposing points of view- people on here (included yourself) have bashed CNN and MSNBC before but i dont hear you complaining aboutthat.
Comment by Sam — January 31, 2007 @ 1:46 pm
“people like hannity like to criticize the blue states for their openess as it relates to issue regarding sex, and they complain about sex and violence on screen, however these are the same people who are watching these things”
Is this you? Actually your posts in the psat few days have been more anti-conservative than anti-FNC. You’ve also been anti-bigred, calling me a kool-aid drinker and an FNC employee (I wish).
I might have been wrong to lump you in with Big Dave & Terance. Almost all of their posts are anti-FNC, which of course, they’re free to do. They just get ridiculous with comments like Terance’s that FNC is in “panic mode”.
Comment by bigred — January 31, 2007 @ 3:09 pm
I stand corrected. Terance called me an FNC employee. Sorry Sam. Yeah, Terance. You caught me. Roger Ailes pays me handsomely to search the net for every anti-FOX statement out there and re-but them. I’m just raking in the millions.
Comment by bigred — January 31, 2007 @ 3:11 pm
Bigred, I didn’t call you an FNC employee. But, you do post strictly pro-FNC comments on this blog, don’t you? I like some of ALL the networks and compliment/criticize people from each one.
Comment by Terance — January 31, 2007 @ 3:45 pm
“I don’t post along political lines or because my IP originates from foxnews.com. How about you”
Is that not insinuating I work for them? And no, I don’t post strictly pro-FNC comments. When they’re wrong, I say they’re wrong.
Comment by bigred — January 31, 2007 @ 4:53 pm
Bigred, I apologize. My thoughts didn’t come out quite right. Because I have someone specifically in mind that is the FNC operative on here…and its not you.
Comment by Terance — January 31, 2007 @ 5:09 pm
No problem. Apology accepted.
Comment by bigred — January 31, 2007 @ 6:03 pm
ohhhhhhh get a room lol :).
Comment by Sam — January 31, 2007 @ 6:52 pm
Terrance said, “I have someone specifically in mind that is the FNC operative on here”
OK give it up. Who is the FNC operative? We have already identified a chapter member of the Young Republicans.
P.S. No lectures please. Only a joke.
Comment by elmonica — January 31, 2007 @ 9:58 pm
I’m interested to see whom you’re talking about. I haven’t seen anyone on here who would really qualify for being an FNC employee… nor do I believe that FNC (or any of the other networks) would appreciate one of their employees posting on a blog of this sort.
Comment by ImNotBlue — January 31, 2007 @ 10:29 pm
Hmm didn’t you post this
As I’ve said before… I’ve seen someone fired at FNC for graphic mistake… that didn’t even make it to air! I know they take things like this very seriously.
and this
I’ve actually seen someone at FNC fired for a graphic mistake, less important than this. They had forgotten to type in the date and source on a full screen graphic, leaving the template to say: “Enter Date Here” and “Enter Source Here” This was caught before the show went to air, and so frustrated was graphic department guy (VP of Graphics? Whatever, not important) that he angrily said to the producer “That’s it, he’s done.” And then marched upstairs to fire the guy.
That implies some sort of inside knowledge maybe not an employee but a friend of one or a guest?
Comment by Steve — January 31, 2007 @ 11:08 pm
Yup… I have a friend at FNC… and a few alumni. But then again, I have a few more friends and alumni at MSNBC. I probably have some at CNN, but I can’t think of them.
I went to school to study television & radio, there are a bunch of the people I know in the business. As for me… I don’t work in tv news. I work in sports… they pay better.
Comment by ImNotBlue — January 31, 2007 @ 11:30 pm