Fox News Set for Best Year Yet (CNN, MSNBC dip in ratings)

[villager]

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Fox News set for best year yet
Viewership solid as rivals take post-election hits

By James Hibberd

Fox News is on track to have its most-watched year ever, showing significant ratings growth despite having just come off a highflying election year.

With the second quarter coming to a close, Fox News averaged about the same number of viewers as the top three other cable news networks combined. And while rivals including CNN (-22%) and MSNBC (-18%) took hits following last quarter's inauguration-fueled boost, Fox News (-3%) remained nearly steady.

Compared with last year, the Fox News (averaging 2.1 million viewers, 509,000 adults 25-54 quarter-to-date) is up 35% over last year in primetime viewers and 48% in the demo. CNN (805,000 viewers, 210,000 in demo) fell 16% in viewers and 29% in the demo. MSNBC (787,000 viewers, 259,000 in demo) climbed 15% in viewers and about on par, -3%, in the demo. And CNN Headline News (553,000, 201,000) showed very strong growth, up 39% and 37%, respectively, and is on track for its best second quarter.

The new standings are strong enough to rank Fox News third behind USA and TNT among all ad-supported cable networks for the quarter among primetime total viewers. In its core demo, Fox News had eight of the top 10 cable news shows. It had similarly sunny increases for total day, while CNN and MSNBC were roughly on par with last year.

Earning double-digit growth after an election year is quite a feat for a news network. With Fox News best known for such right-leaning personalities as Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly, one might assume having a Democrat in the White House somehow helps boost viewership.

A dominant political party indeed can fuel the popularity of opposing voices -- Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" and liberal online news hubs Huffington Post and Daily Kos came to prominence during George W. Bush's tenure, just as talk radio conservatives like Rush Limbaugh and news sites like Drudge Report rose during the Clinton years.

But it's important to note that when Fox News took the ratings lead during the Bush era, some pundits declared that the network was winning only because a Republican was in charge. Those at the network get weary of outsiders assuming their success must be due to some fortunate external factor rather than their own day-to-day work.

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Read more: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/new...

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More reason to be less-than-hopeful about the ultimate fate of America?

[maxsolomon]

1. the viewers of fox news have their exact parallel

in the supporters of the ahmadenijad regime.

[roguevalley]

17. Fox is bundled into cable packages. You can't not get it. That is

why they appear to have more viewership. they are in more places. However, in the important advertising demographics, they are failing.

[totodeinhere]

31. CNN is on as many or more cable systems as Fox News.

Also, in the 25-54 demographic, which is most important for advertisers, Fox is the number one cable news network by a mile. What you are saying is inaccurate.

For instance, last night in the 25-54 demo it was FNC: 570 | CNN: 253 | MSNBC: 345 | HLN: 240.

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/ratings/the_scorebo...

My theory is that the right wingers who give Fox those big numbers watch a lot of TV. On the other hand, progressives don't watch as much TV and spend more time on the Internet instead.

[Yupster]

46. I think you're right

and the same goesd for talk radio.

Go to core Republican groups like small business owners and homeschoolers and you'll hear talk radio on all day.

Go to core Democratic voting blocks like inner cities and you'll hear music on all day.

[derby378]

2. WTF?

I understand CNN taking a hit, but MSNBC? Something's very wrong here...

[John Kerry VonErich]

4. Probably because cable companies moved them to extended digital.

Way up there where you have to pay more to get.

[onehandle]

23. That's exactly right. I have to pay for more expensive package to get MSNBC on Comcast.

Why the Hell would MSNBC not be on the same level as CNN and Faux?

In a few days (hopefully) MSNBC will go HD. Will they start charging me for a HD+ package just to get it?

[lonestarnot]

33. Fuck Comcast! Fuck Faux Snooze, Rupert Murdock (isn't he dead yet?)

MSNBC should get a clue that people are sick of their private prison shit, while we're at it.

[AlbertCat]

21. Besides, Fox News viewers NEVER WATCH ANYTHING ELSE.

So of course they stay the same. While the others slip a bit because it's not the primary & election.

Makes perfect sense, and doesn't mean that Fox is better. It means the Fox viewers are too dumb to change the channel.

[aquart]

3. Perhaps if MSNBC offered news on weekends?

[Joanne98]

7. Bingo. They lose tons of viewers with their stupid Lockup show.

[pattmarty]

18. That, and that horseshit "to catch a predator". That has to be the.............

..........worst show EVER on TV.

[totodeinhere]

32. Not true. MSNBC even out rated Fox with some of those shows last Sunday.

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/ratings/the_scorebo...

[goclark]

56. Prision stuff is terrible nt

[4lbs]

10. CNN has had the best Iranian protest coverage over the past few weeks, especially on the weekends.

Christianne Amanpour had two specials this past weekend.

MSNBC showed prison porn... er... "Lockup Raw".

[Sultana]

25. LOL, so true

[discocrisco01]

47. RE:MSNBC

Personally, I like the documentaries on MSNBC. That is where I learn a lot about the sewer that is called California Department of Corrections. My disgust with the CDRC is what draws into trying to make efforts to reform the California prison system and help prisoners/parolees deal with life.

[MellowDem]

5. Think about it...

who has time to watch news all day? The elderly. Who do the elderly generally support? You guessed it.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[No Elephants]

36. The elderly? The Sixties Radicals? In my area, they are DEM.

[MellowDem]

44. In your area...

but not the country as a whole, which is what these ratings are based on. The elderly support Republicans by a greater margin than any other age group, and they also are among the most politically involved.

[discocrisco01]

48. Youth, Dissent, and Traditional Values

We have to remember that a lot of people do not live in a progressive parts of the country. These people put strong faith into traditional values and lifestyles. Anything that disrupts and harm that affects them personally. They want their traditions and way of life preserved and will not make the necessary adjustments to cope with the change.

In reality, their way of life is not threaten. Our society is very tolerant and insular in nature. However, their perception of reality does not allow to see this reality

Out of fear, they resort to the elite leaders in the church, military, and private sector as keepers of the traditional society. These people are the type of people who value social confirmity and who do not tolerate dissent. These people are interested in keeping the established order and to keep out dissent. Out of this fear, they allow the elite instituions to stand because tradition cannot be questioned and they put a lot of effort to ensure that the preserved

The corporate establishment creates a manufactured youth culture in order to prevent dissent of the youth. The youth are obessed with sextexting, trying to get laid, playing video games, and other tasks instead of taking the time and really knowing the truth. It is our job to use Facebook and other social networking tools to provide the youth with the resources that they need to create dissent.

[Burma Jones]

6. You know, most of us actually READ our news.......

The no-neck droolers glued to Fox News.....well, not so much

[OKNancy]

8. This doesn't bother me at all... however

I do know that MSNBC is offered in far fewer markets. Do they take that into account?

[Fearless]

9. All of the fundies huddle close to their TeeVees trying in vain to get out of the real world.

[high density]

11. ding ding ding NM

[DuaneBidoux]

12. I believe that the Dem takeover has been a bonanza for Fox

A lot of anti-dem and anti-liberal people who never bothered to watch tv with Bush are now watching Fox so they can monitor the country falling apart.

[Blue_Tires]

35. exactly...they look to fox for answers and reassurance

it's their blanket of comfort

[Zorra]

13. I suspect that RWers, having no lives, watch TV in greater numbers than the rest of us,

in terms of both time spent watching TV, and in percentage of individuals/households that actually watch TV.

I mean, what would RWers do if they were not watching some inane TV show? Maybe go bowling? Go to an Aryan Nations meeting? Shoot up the local Post Office?

[Yavin4]

14. Fox News Gets Higher Ratings Because They Deliver A Consevative Fantasy World Version of the News

Liberals don't live in a bubble fantasy world, and as such, they don't need Glen Beck or Sean or Billo to give them this conservo-facist-sexist-racist view of the world. This is also why AM radio does not work well for progressives.

Also, this is explains why progressives love blog sites, message boards, etc. We tend to like a community of highly intelligent people, well informed people wherein we can share information, ideas, and learn from the world as well as each other.

[jmondine]

15. Does this include internet streaming?

I don't receive broadcast television at all, but watch Keith and Rachel every day from the MSNBC website.
I suspect there are many of my age and younger who have the same viewing habits.

[Crowman1979]

45. Many young people prefer to watch TV from the internet nowadays.

Mostly because they can watch programs based on their schedule, rather that watching it based on the network's schedule.

[maseman]

55. No it doesn't

I work in audience measurement and just read an article Friday that said CNN is kicking Fox Snooze's ass in internet streaming. WHen you combine cable AND streaming CNN is ahead. I don't know where the article is...I'm looking. But it sourced Nielsen as the research source so it is pretty solid. I will look and find a link to that article.

[Turbineguy]

16. Well maybe

but who watches Fox for news? They have better graphics than Comedy Central.

[MasonJar]

20. Well, they obviously have solidified that 20% of dumb butts who turn off their

brains if they have any. In a country of 350 million that is a sizeable number, but hopefully it is set in stone and will not grow.

[scarface2004]

22. sure they are??!?! will you take a check for the brooklyn bridge??

thought so!!!!

[Codeine]

24. There are 307 million Americans.

2 million are watching Fox News. I'm not impressed by something paid attention to by far less than 1% of all Americans.

[Psephos]

27. thank you for some needed perspective n/t

[Cha]

26. Yeah, fauxsn00ze lies...that's

what they do. Bullshit on faux.

[judesedit]

28. Yeah. They have at least 3 channels. That's probably the total for all 3.

More than likely biased polls. They still suck. And they still don't give the facts. They edit and twist everything to fit their WASPY agendas. Murdoch and the backers of FAKE NEWS could care less about the state of the country or the lives of its citizens. They just want control again, so they can keep fattening their pockets at the expense of real America. Unfortunately, they have "some" fooled into thinking they give a crap. My remote skips right over all of their bs shows. I want the facts. Real news. Which is why I check out a few online sites each day, and why I watch anything but the FAKE NEWS touted by their total hypocrites. Maybe one day soon their poor viewers will see the light and start realizing these "Christian", "patriotic", "family first", "homophobic" phonies aren't abstaining from anything but the truth. If you have the guts...do some research.

[Blasphemer]

29. Setting aside content, their market saturation and style of coverage

make their ratings understandable. They are often on in any public setting where there is a TV and when traveling abroad, it seems FOX ends up being the U.S. network of choice - I don't usually see MSNBC as an option and even those who are amazed at FOX's bias seem to end up watching it over CNN or BBC World News. They are simply more sensationalistic than the other networks which given the general audience and, in particular, their target audience, makes their success understandable. It doesn't really say anything to the political future of the country per se.

[IndianaGreen]

30. There has been of a lot of juicy scandals and celebrity news lately

When it comes to tabloid journalism, Faux trumps everyone else. Their coverage of Michael Jackson's death was better than CNN and MSNBC's, and they had the Geraldo Rivera interview with Jackson a few years ago.

Now, if we just could get Faux to get their facts straight, such as when they captioned video of "Don't Cry for me Argentina" governor Sanford as a Democrat.

On edit:

Faux's Shepard Smith is head and shoulders over CNN's Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer, and Cal Cameron is pretty good too, better than the idiots on MSNBC Morning Joe.

[brendan120678]

34. I have to agree with most everything you said...

In fact, there are points in the day where, if I want to watch cable news, Fox is actually my preferred choice.
Of course, I don't really watch much TV during the day because I'm stuck at work.

[No Elephants]

37. Not bad, for a network that cannot even get the Party of Fogel or Sanford right.

[mikelgb]

38. the problem is too many liberal tune in for the comedic trainwreck

[lunatica]

39. They shouldn't get all hot and bothered over themselves on this

That's because the opposition is watching them too. Obama mentioned them as his dedicated critics, so even the White House watches them. It may be that he actually does things that he knows will piss them off. Oh yeah? they don't like when I travel on the Airforce One Helicopter? Well I think I'll take Michelle to a play in NY on date night. It pisses them off when I go for a run for pizza for the staff? Well watch this!

And I don't need to watch them in order to know what they're saying. I only need to log on to DU. Same with Free Republic. I've never once been over to their site, yet I know all about them. Half their watchers are rooting against them and aren't fans. Without the opposition tuning in for their laugh of the day FOX would sink like rock.

[totodeinhere]

43. You make an excellent point. We can't assume that everyone who watches Fox News agrees with them.

I watch them because I want to know what the enemy is up to. And I am secure enough in my progressive beliefs that I don't worry that Fox News will change my mind on the issues, because that will never happen.

[Paladin]

40. No Surprise, Here

All the nation's Obama haters (minus a few here at DU) need someplace to go.....

[DatManFromNawlins]

57. Channels' popularity has to do with the balance of power

Limbaugh would have never gotten the audience he has if not for people fed up with Clinton and looking for an outlet. Fox News was formed in direct opposition to the perception of a liberal media, and it now does well because Obama is in office. MSNBC shifted to a liberal format after it was obvious that many people were so displeased with Bush. It's hard to be as enthusiastic about your positions when your guy is in charge and you have to eat everything he does.

[MARALE]

41. They need to turn them off at Hotels

I travel a lot and about every hotel has fox news on in the lobby and in the breakfast area. For some reason there is a policy at hotels that make them all tune to Fox. You can ask for the station to be changes and I have, but it feels like a loosing battle sometimes.

[totodeinhere]

42. I am not a big Fan of Fox news, but...

the people who run those hotels are not stupid. If they have Fox News on it's probably because it's the most popular news channel with their customers. Since the hotels are running a business, of course they will put on the channel that more of their customers want.

And since Fox News is the highest rated cable news channel, it seems reasonable to assume that the channel would also be popular among hotel guests.

Yet you say "they need to turn them off at hotels." I don't think that's a reasonable expectation. If more customers want Fox News, then that's what they will have on. And yes, you can ask them to turn it off, but what if another customer asks them to turn it back on? Isn't that just as legitimate?

[fasttense]

50. Bull shit.

Fox news is left playing in hotels, hospital waiting rooms and other public areas because Fox solicited them to do it. Fox news was losing big amounts of money and viewership when they were 1st spawned. Their sales department went out and solicited those places to turn on Fake News.

I use to volunteer at our local hospital waiting room. When I showed up for my shift about 6 years ago, the Information Manager told me to put on Fake News first thing in the morning, and leave it on. I did, I didn't know about the lies and manipulation back then. One day I changed it to CNN and forgot to change it back. When I went in for my shift the next day, I got chewed out for changing it. The manager said she had an agreement with Fox to play it in their waiting rooms and that I could jeopardize their funding if I didn't leave it on Fox. I'm not sure what she meant by that, but I know the hospital was getting something out of the deal.

So it has nothing to do with people wanting to watch the crappy lies, it has to do with kick backs and payola.

Besides, MSNBC ain't doing so bad: "MSNBC (787,000 viewers, 259,000 in demo) climbed 15% in viewers and about on par, -3%, in the demo."

[ProudDad]

53. This sounds like Detroit

"Well, USAmericans want us to build huge, over-powered, gas-guzzling, death trap, overpriced pieces of shit and then charge usurious interest on financing them"!!!

Our billions of advertising dollars had NOTHING to do with that...

-----------------------------------------

Those fucking hotels keep this shit on their tv screens because liberals and Dems are too busy or too scared to tell them it's shit, it's lies and if they want US to come stay in their fucking hotels they'd turn that crap off!

Ah, but that's asking too much of liberals...

[truthisfreedom]

49. Fox News (D) Set for Best Year Yet (CNN, MSNBC dip in ratings)

[and-justice-for-all]

51. Some how, I just do not buy this...

The last time I checked the ratings, Faux Noise was number 3.

O'liely was not even in the top 10

[fascisthunter]

60. yup... me thinks this is Fox News damage control

[ProudDad]

52. It's the bunker mentality

The 500,000 mentally defective, fascist, racist, freeper-types who just can't get enough of faux noise and
the 400,000 DUers who love to watch them squirm...

---------------------------------------------------

WARNING:

This kind of thing also happened after Clinton was elected.

The liberals thought he was one of theirs and quit the battlefield and we got...G.W.Bush the lesser...

[SoCalDem]

54. Fox wins because they take a stand.

They were cheerleaders during Bush-Cheney, Clinton bashers during his last few years, and now they are the Anti-Obama station. They have a built-in viewership, and they play to it.

The "others" are too afraid to decide, so they straddle the fence..They give us Keith, Ed & Rachael, but the rest of their programming is quite "right"..and even the left-leaning broadcasts still feel the need to mention, give time to, or validate the right, by including them in their shows.

Fox wins because they know their audience and cater to it..

Would you expect to see burritos on the menu at an Indian Restaurant?

[Crowman1979]

58. Well if the hotels want it on Faux News, then I say it's time for a boycott!

who's with me?

[VaYallaDawg]

59. I'm always astounded by the big flat screen TV at my dry cleaners.

It's always on Fox news. Yet the people who work there are at best semi-literate, working part-time (so the SOB who owns the place can get by with minimum wages and no benefits).

[marshall]

61. Fox News's days are numbered

When the Fairness Doctrine is back in force there will be a whole new playing field.