Here is a chart showing Countdown’s Demo numbers for the first three months of the year…

Here is the program ranker for Q1. FNC had 13 of the top 15 programs…
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Cable News Ratings for April 2, 2007

P2+ Total Day
FNC – 778,000 viewers
CNN – 472,000 viewers
MSNBC – 286,000 viewers
CNBC – 194,000 viewers
HLN – 256,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 1,615,000 viewers
CNN – 582,000 viewers
MSNBC – 444,000 viewers
CNBC – 134,000 viewers
HLN – 397,000 viewers

25-54 Total Day
FNC – 208,000 viewers
CNN – 172,000 viewers
MSNBC –108,000 viewers
CNBC – 72,000 viewers
HLN – 105,000 viewers

25-54 Prime Time
FNC – 363,000 viewers
CNN – 195,000 viewers
MSNBC – 118,000 viewers
CNBC – 52,000 viewers
HLN –135,000 viewers

Morning programs P2+ (25-54)
FOX & Friends – 707,000 viewers (266,000)
American Morning – 367,000 viewers (113,000)
Imus in The Morning- 289,000 viewers (122,000)
Robin & Co. – 199,000 viewers (126,000)
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FishbowlDC has some interesting backstory on today’s White House Presidential statement…

The White House emailed reporters at 8am this morning: “Please let me know if you plan to attend the statement in the Rose Garden by 8:45 am this morning.” To some reporters, that was a dead giveaway that Bush might take more than a few questions. Of those who showed up on this beautiful spring day, a baker’s dozen got to question the president.

John Kerry along with his wife made an appearance on The O’Reilly Factor last night. One of the subjects discussed was Iran…

O’REILLY: Senator, we’re talking about the danger from Iran at the top of the program here. Congressman King and Ambassador Soderberg on. Let’s say you were the president at this juncture. How do you handle Iran?

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), CO-AUTHOR, “THIS MOMENT ON EARTH”: Well, I think you have to engage the entire region, and you have to engage with greater effectiveness than this administration has, obviously, Bill.

One of the things you have to do is not overplay it. It’s outrageous, what they’ve done. It’s wrong. But the more you kind of play to them in that role alone, the more you make this issue a larger crisis.
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CNN put out a release today on Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s “Changing Life” special airing Saturday and Sunday April 14th/15th at 8pm/11pm ET…

Advocates for stem cell therapy, human growth hormone therapy and dietary supplements all claim those efforts help people live longer, healthier lives; yet, there’s only one scientifically proven method to prolonging life. CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reveals it and tells what works and what does not in a surprising new documentary CNN: Special Investigations Unit – Chasing Life, premiering on Saturday, April 14, and Sunday, April 15, at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. (ET).

The special is based on Gupta’s first book, Chasing Life, which will be released on Monday, April 9.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the endless quest for immortality and extending youthfulness,” Gupta says. “This book and special allow me to shed light on some of the myths behind claims of long life and report on some of the hot spots where reaching 100 is more common than the rest of the world.”
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MSNBC is noting its Q1 gains…

MSNBC enjoyed a blockbuster first quarter, pushing past the competition to achieve more growth than any other cable news network. In total day, MSNBC was up +34% in total viewers over first quarter 2006 (329,000 v. 246,000) and up 36% in the key adult 25-54 demographic (136,000 v. 100,000), according to Nielsen Media Research data. This is the network’s best delivery in total day since the second quarter of 2003 – the start of the Iraq war. In total viewers, CNN was up +15% (502,000 v. 437,000) and Fox News Channel was up only +1% (862,000 v. 867,000).

In primetime (M-F 8:00-11:00 p.m., ET), MSNBC was up a substantial +50% in total viewers (543,000 v. 363,000) and +39% in the adult demo (207,000 v. 149,000), while CNN was up in total viewers by +9% (853,000 v. 783,000) and Fox News Channel was up in total viewers by +6% (1,879,000 v. 1,778,000).

“Imus in the Morning,” which the network simulcasts with WFAN radio between 6:00 and 9:00 a.m. ET, enjoyed a strong quarter of steady growth, up +39% in total viewers (358,000 v. 257,000) and +55% in the adult demo (138,000 v. 89,000), while CNN fell –6% in total viewers (372,000 v. 396,000) and Fox News Channel fell –12% in total viewers (695,000 v. 793,000).
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CNN is noting its Demo gains for The Situation Room…

CNN’s Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer topped long-running shows FNC’s Neil Cavuto and MSNBC’s Chris Matthews in March, claiming the #1 spot for political news on cable at 4p and 5p in P25-54.

4pm:
The Situation Room - 195k up 52%
Your World - 172k down 8%
Tucker - 92k up 44%

5pm:
The Situation Room - 195k up 51%
Big Story - 189k up 6%
Hardball - 120k up 26%

CNN programs soar— the only cable news net to post double digit gains in both Q1 and March 2007 every hour from 9a-12m.
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Here is a chart comparing Q1 2006 to Q1 2007 for the cable news channels…
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Here is a chart comparing March 2006 to March 2007 for the cable news channels…
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Johnny Dollar has the video from last night’s Red Eye where Rudi Bakhtiar analyzes what Iran is up to…

MSNBC beat CNN across the board Saturday. MSNBC was #1 in the primetime Demo on Sunday followed by FNC, CNBC, and CNN.

Cable News Ratings for March 31, 2007
P2+ Total Day
FNC –677,000 viewers
CNN – 353,000 viewers
MSNBC – 382,000 viewers
CNBC – a scratch with 67,000 viewers
HLN – 251,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 1,017,000 viewers
CNN – 436,000 viewers
MSNBC – 457,000 viewers
CNBC – a scratch with 60,000 viewers
HLN – 283,000 viewers

25-54 Total Day
FNC – 194,000 viewers
CNN – 104,000 viewers
MSNBC –193,000 viewers
CNBC – a scratch with 24,000 viewers
HLN – 107,000 viewers

25-54 Prime Time
FNC – 190,000 viewers
CNN – 112,000 viewers
MSNBC – 218,000 viewers
CNBC – a scratch with 20,000 viewers
HLN – 84,000 viewers

Cable News Ratings for April 1, 2007
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FTVLive says both Soledad O’Brien and Miles O’Brien will be taken off the program at some point. Regardless of whether CNN wants to get that drastic or not, the network can’t be pleased with American Morning occasionally getting beaten by Imus.

UPDATE: TMZ.com says it confirms the story…

Sources say the move will be effective in two to three weeks. We’re told both O’Briens will remain at CNN.

UPDATE 2: TV Week’s Michelle Greppi has more…

Sources said Tuesday that Ms. O’Brien, who was co-anchoring weekend editions of NBC’s “Today” when CNN signed her in 2003, just signed a new deal that calls for a new assignment.

It was not immediately known what’s next for Mr. O’Brien, a 15-year CNN veteran who had moved from Atlanta to New York when he was assigned to “American Morning” in June 2005.

CNN declined to comment. An official announcement could come as early as Wednesday morning.

The Orlando Sentinel’s Hal Boedeker interviews Dr. Sanjay Gupta in conjunction with the release of his first book; “Chasing Life”.

The woman lost both her legs in Iraq. But she is walking a treadmill with two artificial limbs, one costing $127,000 for a state-of-the-art knee. She would be the perfect representative for a public-service campaign: What’s your excuse for not exercising?

That question is central to Chasing Life, the first book by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, chief medical correspondent for CNN. The book, to be released Monday, carries the subtitle New Discoveries in the Search for Immortality to Help You Age Less Today.

“We are not a culture of prevention in this country,” Gupta says. “I am a neurosurgeon saying this. My financial welfare is based on the fact I take care of problems. I’m the problem guy, but I’d still like there never to be the problem in the first place.”

Gupta, 37, illustrates that point through personal stories in his book and in a CNN special to premiere April 14.

As with whenever a cable news personality releases a book you can expect lots more Gupta interviews in the weeks ahead.