GALLUP POLLING DROPS CNN AFTER 'LOW RATINGS'; FULL MEMO REVEALED

Drudge Report ^ | March 21, 2006

[RWR8189]

GALLUP POLLING DROPS CNN AFTER 'LOW RATINGS'; FULL MEMO REVEALED
Tue Mar 21 2006 19:01:37 ET

The GALLUP polling company has dropped CNN as its outlet for electronic distribution.

GALLUP, CNN and USA TODAY have been polling partners since 1992.

"CNN has far fewer viewers than it did in the past, and we feel that our brand was getting lost and diluted," GALLUP claimed in an internal memo, obtained by the DRUDGE REPORT.

CNN tells TVNEWSER.COM, which first reported the split: "We want to make it clear that the decision to not renew our polling arrangement had to do with GALLUP's desire to produce their own broadcasts and not about CNN viewership figures. In fact, GALLUP had negotiated with us for four months in an effort to extend the partnership."

**EXCLUSIVE**The full memo, by Jim Clifton, Chairman & CEO of GALLUP:

We have chosen "not" to renew our contract with CNN.

We have had a great partnership with CNN but it is not the right alignment for our future. The longtime partnership has been very helpful to The Gallup Poll as it put us "back big" fifteen years ago when our famous Gallup Poll had lost most of its national coverage. Our CNN partnership helped us make a great comeback. We had a great run as we just cut our 4000th segment this week.

The Gallup Poll will go on with more polling than ever, but with new distribution channels.

WHY. 1) CNN has far fewer viewers than it did in the past and we feel that our brand was getting lost and diluted combined with the CNN brand. We have only about 200 thousand viewers during our CNN segments.

2) We are creating our own e-broadcasting programs and we don't want to be married to one broadcast network. We don't want to move to another network like CBS or Fox but rather become our own network. We cannot do this while married to CNN.

3) By dissolving our partnership with CNN we believe that Frank and other Gallup analysts will be seen as more independent so they will be more likely to be invited on a wide variety of television shows rather than primarily linked to CNN. We believe with this new found independence, we will get covered by more broadcast media because we are not the poll of their competitor.

4) We have enthusiastically renewed our print partner, USA Today. They have arguably the best readership of any newspaper in the world. It has approximately 2.4 mil subscriptions and 7.5 mil readers per day. Far more than the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. And it has substantial international coverage for being a US paper. We also believe that print is a much needed way to present our polls for those interested in studying a chart or reading analysis.

In the big picture, USA Today supplies more than 10x the users per day than CNN. USA Today is our 800lb paperboy. Or the primary distributor of The Gallup Poll. We want to have two primary distribution channels. 1) USA Today and 2) e-Gallup News. We will go on any regular TV show for guest appearances because it will help build our e-viewership. We also will be featured on AOL's front page for news. The AOL e-distribution will likely add more eyeballs per day than all of CNN.

This is a big move for us. We have to boldly change and invent new futures for Gallup or we will not survive the hurricane of competition coming from all directions in everything we do. I personally proposed the deal to Ted Turner about fifteen years ago while backstage at a "People's Choice" event and then again at their headquarters in Atlanta. It has been a great partnership and one that has meant a lot to this CEO. One in which we have all been very proud and one where we delivered our very best work every week. We have offered to help CNN find a new polling partner and to be as helpful as we can during this transition.

Jim

END

[Normal4me]

Polls are based on public opinion in which most of the public gets their biased "news" in 30 minute increments from biased sources....What has changed?

[RabidBartender]

Memo to: Wolf Blitzer, Jack McAfferty, Christina Amanpour, Soledad O'Brien, and the rest of the Bush-hating propaganadists.

Message: Keep up the good work!

[Judith Anne]

Every once in a while, I just have to gloat.

When I think of all the times CNN abused their position and used it to throw out that bleeping propaganda, knowing that people had NO alternative (until the internet and Fox News), I just have to gloat.

CNN, you deserve every failure, every loss, every comeuppance you get. You abused your position, and you abused your viewers. And you're still doing it.

[bkepley]

CNN'll hire Zogby.

[Milhous]

Quite appropriate for to become the first TV network to make my list.

GALLUP POLLING DROPS CNN AFTER 'LOW RATINGS'; FULL MEMO REVEALED - March 21, 2006
'Washington Post' To Cut 80 Newsroom Jobs, Sources Say - 03/10/2006
Gannett January ad revenue slips - 02/15/2006
E.W. Scripps Reports 4Q Loss of $603,000 - 02/02/2006
Knight Ridder profit declines 22% - 01/31/2006
TIMES BOMBS ("paper of record" 2001-04 daily circulation off 19%) - 01/11/2006
TIMES' 4Q PROFIT OFF (attributes costs of 500 job cuts) - 12/22/2005
Gannett Nov. Revenue Drops 2.1% (Other MSM sinking, too) - 12/08/2005
L.A. Times Drags on Tribune Revenue (200 *more* layoffs expected) - 12/02/2005
Newspaper circulation down. Sanfrancisco Chronicle down 17% - 11/08/2005
Newspaper Circulation Continues to Decline (NY Daily News DOWN 1.5% - May 2005) - 10/24/2005
Bored readers cutting off Globe’s circulation - 10/20/2005
Time Inc. Gets A U.S. Subpoena About Circulation - 09/24/2005
Denver papers use liberal rules to boost circulation - 08/08/2005
Advertisers Sue 'Minneapolis Star Tribune' Over Circulation Inflation - 06/29/2005
Arrests made in Newsday circulation scandal - 06/16/2005
Los Angeles Times Reports March Circulation (Down, down, down) - 05/02/2005
Belo Begins Refunding Advertisers Over Inflated Circulation Figures (Texas) - 05/02/2005
Why Can’t the Washington Post Keep Circulation Up? - 07/23/2004
Newsday, Hoy publishers retire amid circulation scandal - 07/19/04
Publishers Seek Scapegoats for Circulation Woes - 07/05/2004
Tribune Company (LA Times parent) Admits Inflated Circulation Numbers At Two Papers - 06/23/2004

[Cicero]

This looks like an economic decision, based on the fact that CNN's loss of viewers was dragging them down and spoiling their business. I don't see it as a political decision. If they want the other networks to pick them up and interview "Frank," then they will still have to slant left or be ignored.

[Calpernia]

bttt

[prophetic]

ping for CNN toilet paper!!!

[Dog Gone]

When bad things happen to bad people...

[Calpernia]

MSM death spiral alert

[CyberAnt]

And .. still CNN insists on printing lies. They just don't get it.

[mdittmar]

By dissolving our partnership with CNN we believe that Frank and other Gallup analysts will be seen as more independent

Why what's he trying to say,that viewers see cnn as biased,why I'm shocked,shocked I tell ya!

[CzarNicky]

what about the fact that by lending its name to CNN polls it was tainting itself with the same stink. Gallup was once the gold standard of polling now look at it another partisan hack for the democrats.

[knews_hound]

Rats off a sinking ship BTTT.

How these guys manage to stay afloat with only 200K viewers is amazing to me.

How much soap can they sell at that rate?

Cheers,

knewshound

http://www.knewshound.blogspot.com/

[OkeyDokeyOkie]

Your list of failed or failing left wing media is downright inspirational! President Nixon coined the term "the silent majority" in the late 1960s. The fall and decline of leftist media sources demonstrates the power of the silent majority. CNN, NYT, WaPo, LAT, MSNBC, ABCNews, CBSNews, NBCNews and the other media on your wonderfully documented list are all on the chopping block--thanks to the not always silent majority.

[beckysueb]

And its all Bush's fault. (sarc)

[Socratic]

Gallup still does polls? Son of a gun...

CNN still does news? Son of a gun...

[BlessedByLiberty]

What a great post!

You guys are always so nice about pinging me, thought I'd return the favor!

[dvwjr]

Thanks for the ping...

Looks like Gallup is smart to jump ship from CNN. The real reason is not the ratings of CNN, it is the fact that Gallup is trying to regain their 'neutral' stance after their mistakes in the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections. The USA-Today print connection is still valid since it will be the last newspaper to go under. However by that time I expect that Gallup will have cemented relationships with the leading i-media firms/sites of the future since what they wish to sell is 'neutral' polling and polling commentary that is percieved as so by the final news consumers.

Looks like they need to retake the election accuracy position they lost to CBS News polls (ironic, huh?) after having taken the 'crown' from Harris many years ago. For all the distain that CBS News deserves, the CBS polling unit usually gets it right the last four or five weeks before an election (the only time it counts), otherwise they too fall into the trap of 'All Adults' pollitorials as do most of the legacy media outlets.

Thanks again,

dvwjr

[gathersnomoss]

They will find another bias based outlet. So what. They will not come to FOX.