Other Networks' Election Loss Is Fox News's Big Gain

Washington Post ^ | 11/04/04 | Lisa de Moraes

[Pikamax]

Other Networks' Election Loss Is Fox News's Big Gain

By Lisa de Moraes

Thursday, November 4, 2004; Page C07

A record number of voters may have turned out for the presidential election Tuesday, but they didn't translate to record audiences for the broadcast networks' election night coverage.

On the other hand, Tuesday was a very good night for Fox News Channel, which logged its biggest prime-time audience ever.

Collectively, the broadcast networks fumbled about 8 million of the viewers who had watched their prime time on election night in 2000. Ironically, the only broadcast network that can boast an increase is Fox, which doesn't even have a news division. Fox broadcast network clocked an average of 4.7 million viewers from 8 to 10 p.m. Tuesday with election coverage provided by Fox News Channel and helmed by Shepard Smith. (Fox News Channel's own coverage was helmed by Brit Hume.)

An average of 15.2 million people watched Tom Brokaw's last presidential election in the NBC anchor chair during prime time, Nielsen Media Research reports. In 2000, NBC had averaged more than 18 million viewers in prime time on election night.

[GOPrincess]

Barone deserves some sort of award for his election night work. I'll never forget him sitting there sifting through his papers, a veritable human computer able to speak knowledgeably about the political makeup of every county in the country!

[WildTurkey]

Fox got blown off their game by the exit polls, even Britt succumbed. They never recovered with the one glaring exception of Michael Barone whose analysis was simply magnificent, equalled only by our very own prognosticator Torie.

They recovered. They called OHIO first and they called the Bush win first. Good, considering that they had to get FOUR independent analysts to agree.

BTW, Brit (unofficially) called them earlier.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Salvation]

Fox bump!