Convention Viewers Turn Away From CNN, MSNBC, & FOX.

[stewert]

People are watching, they are just not watching CNN, MSNBC, or FOX.

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Besides cable network C-SPAN, which is airing convention news around the clock, the only network with ''true convention coverage'' is PBS, says Tom Rosenstiel, director of Columbia University's Project for Excellence in Journalism. PBS' NewsHour with Jim Lehrer has three hours of the convention each night.

The NewsHour's ratings have jumped significantly compared with the 2000 conventions. Tuesday night, PBS says, an estimated 7.7 million viewers tuned in to some or all of its coverage. Its rating was up 32% from the second night of the 2000 Democratic convention. PBS says its number of viewers surpassed those watching CNN, Fox News and MSNBC combined. Those cable networks together drew 6 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Full Story:

http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040729/6407341s.ht...

[Rowdyboy]

1. PBS coverage has been absolutely excellent

Rational discussion, many uninterrupted speeches, and far less "Truth Squad" crap. Jim Lehrer and Mark Shields are doing a superior job.

[rkc3]

7. Did you see Ted Koppel interviewing Jon Stewart last night?

I thought Stewart was going to explode.

Koppel made it sound like Stewart was the only person who could get away with asking the tough quesitons or providing the commentary he does. Stewart wanted to know why Koppel (who has some measure of credibility) doesn't ask those questions or provide that commentary.

The interview was frustrating for him.

[Rowdyboy]

12. I can only imagine...

I've wondered that about Kopple for a long time.

[rkc3]

2. I was having a difficult time watching the convention on Monday...

and Tuesday given the commentary on CNN and MSNBC. Several times Chris Matthews and Joe Scarborough pissed me off royally. I knew I couldn't watch it on Fox - the thought of Bullshit O'Reilly was too much to consider.

Thanks to C-Span and PBS for their approach.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. Great news! And this means our message is reaching viewers -- nt

[ClassWarrior]

4. That's great!

Now Lehrer needs to lose that whore David Brooks. Or he needs hire Joe Trippi or Maxine Waters to comment on the RepubliCON National Coven.

[rinsd]

5. Not really...

PBS, C-Span, AND the cable networks have seen a surge in viewership over the 2000 Election. Even web streaming is coming into its own.

Network TV seems to have the only decline and its not because people aren't watching at all just not on the networks.

[rkc3]

9. It sounds like you didn't watch "Trading Spouses" last night.

Wasn't ABC against running the Ronald Reagan story because it wasn't entertainment?

Hellooooo? This was a Dave Chapelle skit, not the premise for a reality show. And since when is wife swapping considered consumable for a prime time audience.

[SidDithers]

14. Minor point...

Wife Swap is a very popular BBC series, which began broadcasting in early 2003. That's where the idea for the American shows came from, not from Chapelle. Now, as always happens, the networks will make a complete mess of it.

Apologies for going off topic on this thread.

Sid

[JHB]

6. Clue for sale:

People who tune into a convention wantr to watch THE CONVENTION, not Hannity the Innanity or any of the other RW pisspots that have been infesting the cable networks.

Any takers? (network execs only, please)

Anyone?

Thought not.

[yellowcanine]

8. Leherer is great but David Brooks and Mark "me too" Shields are making me

ill. Brooks trashed THK's speech and Mark basically agreed with him - then last night Brooks said that the Edwards' speech was "not his A game". Shields immediately chimed in his agreement. Than when the historians all said it was a "great speech", Brooks and Shields backtracked a little, saying that maybe they had just seen so great speeches by Edwards that they were getting too picky - but Brooks said "but I still think he rushed it and stepped on his applause lines." Putz.

[senseandsensibility]

10. Wow

It's really so simple, isn't it. But now will the networks suddenly discover that people want to see the full convention, and show the FULL repuke convention because of it? What an excuse to favor the creeps once again.

[alphafemale]

11. The mediawhores do a running commentary DURING the speeches?

Shameless swine!

I've been watching PBS.

I no idea the cable creeps were doing that.

[Cha]

13. All right! This is what we're talkin' about!

C-span Rules!

[kaitykaity]

15. People are proving they will go where the good stuff is

and not just be spoon fed pap from the
commercial whores.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

16. Gee, maybe we Americans aren't as stupid as CNN, MSNBC & FOX thinks we are