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Posted on 10/01/2002 4:19:28 AM PDT by MichiganMan
NEW YORK (Variety) - Defying the general malaise in post-9/11 news viewership, Fox News Channel displayed energetic third-quarter audience growth compared to the previous year, while other cable news outlets showed a predictable -- but significant -- drop. Spanning the period of July 1 through Sept. 26, Fox News jumped 24 percent to an average audience of 629,000 total viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. CNN, on the other hand, dropped 26 percent to an average of 518,000 viewers. Recently remodeled CNN Headline News, which is now challenging the overhauled MSNBC for third place, fell 17 percent to 226,000 vs. MSNBC's 249,000 viewers, which plummeted 35 percent. Cousin cable channel CNBC, which covers Wall Street and does not accept Nielsens as an accurate measure of its Nielsen box-averse audience, was down 27 percent to 210,000 viewers.
The year-to-year comparisons offer the first indicators of post-9/11 viewership patterns. In the most recent quarter, however, FNC's growth points to a peace dividend. In contrast, CNN experiences audience booms during wartime. Indeed, CNN had an average of 699,000 viewers in the third quarter of 2001 vs. FNC's 508,000. That period includes initial coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In prime time, Fox continues to dominate, with four series in the top five. FNC's "O'Reilly Factor" remains in first place, followed by CNN flagship "Larry King Live," "Hannity & Colmes," "The Fox Report With Shepard Smith" and "Special Report With Brit Hume." CNN's prime time, which includes "Connie Chung Tonight," slid 30 percent to an average of 880,000 viewers compared to the same period the previous year. FNC spiked 18 percent to 1.1 million. MSNBC, which added Phil Donahue to its lineup, slipped 36 percent to an average of 368,000 viewers.
a) addresses it's audience as if they have a working brain cell or two (in comparison to the rest of the alphabet networks that talk down to you as if you're about 6 years old)
b) covers issues/topics others avoid like the plague.
In a related question:
Earlier this month I was re-reading a ton of the 9/11/01 threads. One constant was the legitimate outrage over Peter Jennings, and if many of the posts from that day are true, there were thousands of e-mails sent to ABC to send that moosehead back across the north border. Why is Jennings still on the air?
With a year now passed, NOTHING ever happened, and he continues to draw the ire of those who [for whatever reason] watch him.
Listen up ABC: You will never ever have the respect of the American people until that jacka$$ is sent packing.
/rant
I personally think it is because the people on FOX look like they are having such a great time. They know the story, the back story, and the spin, and they enjoy cutting to the chase, and letting the viewer in on it.
It does not surprise me that ABC and CNN are considering a merge-their slipping ratings combined with their deeply entrenched liberal propaganda should make such a marriage quite interesting. LOL.
As Fox News Cable expands the geographical accessibility to new areas in our country, this unwholesome marriage of ideologues is going end in much bickering, blaming and more slippage in viewership.
What the liberal press and its bosses have not yet figured out is really quite a simple concept. CHARACTER (or providing a truthful, balanced reporting of news) really does matter. I guess billy klinton and the rest of the horrors that so used the mainstream press corrupted it even further. To a point where the bias became obvious. What a turn off to every thinking American.
Good.
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