Convention Bombs in TV Ratings

Orlando Sentinel ^ | 7-29-04 | Hal Boedeker

[SmithPatterson]

Convention bombs in TV ratings By Hal Boedeker Sentinel Television Critic

July 29, 2004

Pundits say Sen. John Kerry must deliver a rousing speech tonight to have a chance at winning the White House in November. But in TV terms, can he draw an audience?

So far, network ratings suggest that viewers don't consider the Democratic National Convention in Boston to be must-see TV. On Monday, the combined numbers for opening night on ABC, CBS and NBC fell 23 percent from four years ago.

A rerun of CBS' CSI: Miami drew 11.9 million viewers on Monday night. Despite that lead-in, Dan Rather and the Democrats attracted just 4.6 million viewers on the convention's opening night. CBS was ahead of NBC (4.5 million) and ABC (4.4 million), according to Nielsen Media Research.

The broadcasters' cutbacks have been a blessing to the cable networks. CNN averaged 2 million viewers Monday, a 15 percent increase from 2000.

Also posting increases Monday were Fox News Channel with 1.6 million (a 306 percent increase from 2000) and MSNBC with 1.1 million (up 88 percent).

The cable growth continued Tuesday, when the broadcasters stuck with regular programming. CNN averaged 2.4 million in prime time, edging Fox with 2.3 million. MSNBC attracted 1.4 million.

[JeepInMazar]

I hope Homeland Security is taking care of all those convention bombs.

[Rummyfan]

Also posting increases Monday were Fox News Channel with 1.6 million (a 306 percent increase from 2000) and MSNBC with 1.1 million (up 88 percent).

Three hundered and six percent increase! Wow! And CNN got fifteen percent too! No liberal bias there.

[taxcontrol]

Folks, we will need to reverse this for the GOP convention. I propose that all of us Freepers commit to watch the GOP convention AND to buy at least 1 product from one of the advertisers during the conventions

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY

Write the manufactures of the product that was just purchased an let them know that we purchased that product BECAUSE they advertised during the GOP convention.