Posted on 09/16/2004 8:14:29 AM PDT by Rutles4Ever
Edited on 09/16/2004 8:57:41 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Just the title...
MORE INFO
XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX THU SEPT 16, 2004 11:42:09 ET XXXXX
CBS EXECS CONCERN OVER VIEWERSHIP PLUNGE; RATHER RATINGS FADE IN MAJOR MARKETS
CBS executives on both coasts have become concerned in recent days that Dan Rather's EVENING NEWS broadcast has plunged in the ratings since the anchor presented questionable documents about Bush's National Guard service.
NIELSEN numbers released this week show Rather fading and trailing his rivals in every Top 10 city, other than San Francisco, with audience margins in some cities running more than 6 to 1 against CBS!
Executives fear many voters inclined to vote for Bush are now switching off Rather.
"The audience appears to becoming polarized," a top CBS source said from LOS ANGELES on Thursday. "Rightly or wrongly, we're being perceived as 'anti-Bush,' which I do not think is fair to Dan, who is a fine journalist... of course we do not like to see the ratings coming back the way they are this week."
In Philadelphia, the nation's #4 market, Rather pulled a 2.6 rating/5 share on Tuesday night against ABC's 13.3 rating/23 share and NBC's 4.0/7.
In Chicago, Rather hit a 2.3/5 to ABC's 9.2/20.
CBS trailed ABC by more than 2 to 1 in Los Angeles.
And in the nation's top market, New York, Rather finished not only behind NBC NIGHTLY NEWS and ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT -- but also pulled less audience than reruns of the SIMPSONS, WILL & GRACE and KING OF QUEENS.
Rather finished dead last in New York during the 6:30 pm timeslot among all broadcast channels tracked by NIELSEN on Tuesday.
Developing...
I doubt Bill O'Reilly is dumb enough to want to join any network news show. All the networks have seen ratings plummet while Fox gains ratings. O'Reilly will ride Fox for all it's worth.
Great post.
I'm told (this was before my time) that the evening news originally started out as a fifteen minute segment.
Yup, Camel News Caravan with John Cameron Swayze. Our TV had one channel, NBC. Going to half hour was a big deal. Huntley and Brinkley are the first I remember on the half hour broadcast. Out of a half hour broadcast, you're getting about 10 min. of ads, 15 min. of "news you can use", and maybe 5 min. of actual news. We might have been better off with Swayze!
The only way they can know you watch is if you tell them
"Now Jay Leno just ended his career with a scathing attack on GWinner. He didn't do it on his show. HE called a media scum to GIVE an interview. (LA WEEKLY)"
What?????????
they can expect good ratings on election night, if Bush wins, people will tune in just to watch Rather spontaneously combust.
reminds me of the mid term elections a couple years ago. when the repubs won majority control of congress, it was the lead story on every network. except cbs. what a surprize.
jayson Blair, New York Times
Steven Glass, New Republic
Jack Kelley, USA Today
Janet Cooke, Washington Post
Peter Arnett, CNN and NBC, MSNBC and National Geographic Explorer
Dan Rather, CBS
Mary Mapes, CBS
Stephen Glass has written a novel about his life called The Fabulist.
"I wanted them to think I was a good journalist
a good person.
I wanted them to love the story so they would love me." -- Stephen Glass
"The audience appears to becoming polarized," a top CBS source said from LOS ANGELES on Thursday. "Rightly or wrongly, we're being perceived as 'anti-Bush,' which I do not think is fair to Dan, who is a fine journalist... of course we do not like to see the ratings coming back the way they are this week."
Well, Duh!!!
And Dan Rather is no longer a fine journalist. He is now a Clinton butt boy POS that deserves everything that he is going to get.
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