Nancy Grace vs. Countdown Ratings: Not all about Anna Nicole…
I had noted in a comment Wednesday that Nancy Grace had been beating Countdown for 2nd recently because of the Anna Nicole Smith story and that her numbers would drop back down below Countdown’s once that saga waned. However I may have been a tad presumptuous in that declaration. While it’s true that Grace’s Numbers have definately gone up because of the Anna Nicole saga, this isn’t the only time this year that Grace has beaten Olbermann. Since the start of 2007 Nancy Grace has beaten Countdown 10 times in the Demo and 9 times in Total Viewers. Four of those times were before the Anna Nicole saga broke. Of course that also means that 38 times Countdown beat Grace in The Demo and 37 times in Total viewers. What all this ultimately shows is that 8pm remains the most competitive hour in all of cable news where on any given night CNN, MSNBC, or HLN could take second place…
Personally, I think the race for #2 at 8pm is between MSNBC and HLN…no one really cares about Paula Yawn except when there is really major news breaking for the day…
Comment by Anonymous — February 16, 2007 @ 8:31 pm
I can remember Nancy Grace beating countdown awhile back.Seems to me it was either during the Duke Lacrosse Team story or the Melinda Durkett (last name may not be right?) story or both.Just remember it seemed obvious she would beat Countdown at the time.
Comment by myview — February 16, 2007 @ 8:38 pm
Nancy needs more of those Howard Stern prank calls to get her some good exposure on youtube.
Youtube has excellent “ratings” for that kind of thing.
Comment by Macjoubert — February 16, 2007 @ 8:59 pm
Apparently you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about! If you check Nancy vs The Hour of Spin for 2006 you’ll find that Nancy clobbered and delivered KO a KO!! The only competition for Nancy for #2 is Paula. The spin hour is usually in 4th and sometimes in 5th and even a rerun of DEAL OR NO DEAL beats it.
Billo even clobbers KO by at least three to one, even if Bill’s away and there’s a sub and Bill’s 11PM reruns wipe out the 8PM HOS!!!
Why his show was renewed is a real mystery to most in the industry!
Comment by paul — February 16, 2007 @ 9:37 pm
Paul, you are an idiot. i believe KO has beatedn Paula every day this week. He beat her in total viewers by 170,000 today and around the same yesterday. KO is finishing in a solid third, and once this Anna Nicole thing is over, he will def have a chance to finish in second. You sound like such an idiot when you say these things, especially since Deal or No Deal isnt even on at 8, its on at 9. Idiot.
Comment by Randy — February 16, 2007 @ 11:52 pm
Geez Randy. You’re a worse name caller than your hero Olbermann. Take a freaking valium and mellow out a little.
Comment by bigred — February 17, 2007 @ 12:03 am
Randy — Deal or No Deal was on at 8:00pm in January and those reruns did beat KO on many nights. The way that Paul structured his sentence with “a” seems to reference those reruns. Deal or No Deal was most likely moved because KO whined.
Comment by Aunt Mary — February 17, 2007 @ 12:06 am
Responding to nightly ratings fluctuations is childish at best with the obsessive anti-Olbermann loons the biggest culprits.
Personally, I would like to see monthly and quarterly averages posted periodically in addition to the nightly ratings.
Spud, maybe you can recruit one of the anti-Olbermann crackpots to compile those numbers for you on an ongoing basis.
Comment by elmonica — February 17, 2007 @ 12:32 am
Elmonica — I must be in a defensive mood tonight — I do believe Spud is just being balanced and correcting his view on a previous statement by pointing out a few facts.
Comment by Aunt Mary — February 17, 2007 @ 12:40 am
I remember reading that statement from you and wondering. There was a time, not long ago, that Beck and Grace were topping the competition at MSNBC an average of four nights a week, for about two months straight. Then suddenly they switched places again. I know Missy remembers; she was tooting Becks horn every night.
8pm ET is the most watched hour for cable news. If you add all the #s up, it’s rare to see any other hour do better overall. Move any of the four shows to another hour, and they won’t do as well. I predict the Olbermann/Zahn/Grace competition will be even closer in 2007.
Comment by erljr — February 17, 2007 @ 3:02 am
#4–paul, who in the industry have you been talking to? Because those I talk to KNOW that the 25-54 and 18-34 demo viewers who watch “Countdown” in its first-run AND ITS RERUN (which is never covered in the ratings) are the most coveted by Madison Ave., where the ad rates are determined. MSNBC has little interest in the 1.5-2 million viewers of “The Factor” who are 55-105.
Comment by museglet — February 17, 2007 @ 6:23 am
Hey Randy
Try learning to read pal! I never mentioned Paula at all. I was talking about Nancy and she beat the Hour of Spin EVERY DAY (I repeat…EVERY DAY) this week! Check it out for yourself!!
Why they renewed this PROVEN ratings disaster is a mystery to most of us!!
Comment by paul — February 17, 2007 @ 3:31 pm
I’m too lazy to check so will take your word for it Paul. So, Nancy Grace has beaten Countdown everyday this week but I’m betting Nancy Grace has been doing the ANS story all week. A large part of the viewing public seems obsessed with this story. Heck, probably Joe the Janitor go on in that time slot and cover it and beat Countdown. Give me a week where NG beats Countdown every night and there is not a big tabloidy whodunit or who’s the daddy story and then maybe I’ll think you’re onto something.
Comment by myview — February 17, 2007 @ 4:34 pm
Hey muse, check the ratings for yourself. Olbermann gets clobbered in your beloved demo too. Who in the industry have you been talking to that makes you think Olbermann is such a hot show when it’s rarely even in the top 10 in the demo?
And while the demo is obviously important to advertisers, but #1 overall is even better, because then your able to generate different revenue streams and more money.
But I guess no one over 34 or 50 matter, right? Then why do I see so many pharmaceutical commercials on television?
Comment by bigred — February 17, 2007 @ 4:41 pm
TO: MY VIEW
I figured you or someone would bring this up. But this is a completely absurd argument about what is the top story of the day. I mean, I thought KO’s show was the “COUNTDOWN” show of all shows about the Top 5 or whatever stories of that day and obviously KO’s writing team and producers decide what THEY think will be the best stories to get the best rating. I’m sure you watch the Edward R Murrow of our time this week but if you didn’t he also had the Smith story on EACH day!! Even his award winning “SPECIAL KOMMENTS” are usually beaten out by Billo or Nancy or even Paula!
And, as bigred just said, Olby even gets blasted in the dreaded all important 18-34 viewers!
Face it! This guy is a ratings loser but obviously MSNBC would rather have someone who averages third or fourth place than one who’s in zi cellar!
Comment by paul — February 17, 2007 @ 5:00 pm
Paul, I’ve stated many times here that I don’t like KO so don’t watch his program. I was just commenting on the fact that NG always get big ratings when one of these stories comes about.I don’t like her program either so I don’t watch it.
Comment by myview — February 17, 2007 @ 5:12 pm
Paul i suggest you review the ratings from the start of 2007, and you will see that out of the three, KO is the most frequent second place- in fact i’m wondering if you know how to read- spud said Nancy has beaten ten times in the demo and 9 times in overall viewers, but KO has beaten her 38 times in the demo and 37 in overall viewers, now i’m not the best of math, but i believe 38 is alot higher than 10, and would seem to suggest that since the start of 2007 KO has been the most frequent second place finisher between himself, Nancy and Paula- now if you can show me where the ratings say otherwise i would appreciate it.
Comment by Sam — February 18, 2007 @ 9:41 pm