Speech Had Big Audience Despite Networks' Action

New York Times ^ | 10/08/02 | JIM RUTENBERG

[kattracks]

BC, CBS and NBC may not have covered the president's speech in Cincinnati on Monday night, but it was still one of the most-watched television events of the evening.

A combined audience of nearly 17 million people watched it on the Fox broadcast network and the three major cable networks, Fox News Channel, CNN and MSNBC, according to estimates by Nielsen Media Research.

Those figures do not include people who watched on C-Span, which is not rated, and those who caught it on the relatively few local stations that also carried it..

Just the same, even the incomplete estimates surprised cable news executives, and bolstered the case of critics who questioned the broadcasters' decision to forgo live coverage of a presidential speech when war potentially looms.

The networks said they did not carry it because the administration did not expressly ask them to, as is customary for important addresses. Another factor, they said, was that they did not expect the president to say anything very new.

Still, people were interested enough to seek the speech out on cable in above-average numbers. The Fox News Channel, CNN and MSNBC were watched by average audiences of 4.5 million, 2.6 million and 1.2 million people, respectively, during the speech. Those networks had average audiences last month of 2 million, 765,000 and 452,000 people on Mondays between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Nearly 8.5 million people watched the speech on the Fox broadcast network.

The address handily beat its direct competition on the other broadcast networks. "The Drew Carey Show" was watched by 4.5 million people on ABC; "King of Queens" was watched by 11.7 million people on CBS; "Fear Factor" was watched by 12.2 million people on NBC.

Administration officials were clearly pleased.

"The American people are exercising their role in our democracy, which is to tune in, listen, and make judgments," said Ari Fleischer, the White House press secretary.

[PhilDragoo]

Leno began cracking on "When Presidents Attack" and "lemme give you an idea how few watched it" when I clicked him off.

One of the longshoreman puts on a suit; but all of them are united in sabotaging the economy.

Not my idea of a comic bit.

[goldstategop]

The President was a smash hit where liberals would have bombed. That pretty much says it all.

[TheLion]

I personally watched C-Span. I can get the speech without all the side comments. You can always get the spin later. Fox is rightly getting many converts. The liberal left will only let the public view something when they think it is in their best interest.

[kattracks]

ping

[Drango]

Here in Northern California, PBS showed cartoons...

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[Howlin]

Haha. Just as I said yesterday, it was THE talk on all the shows I listened to today; I thought Mort Kondracke was going to stroke out!

Fools. But I hope they keep it up!

[Moonmad27]

How it must gall the NY Times to admit that the President's speech was actually seen (and appreciated) by the people, despite the networks' best efforts to keep the speech unheard and unseen.

[AnnaZ]

Leno may not have been funny, but this is the kind of news that makes me giggle.

[McGavin999]

HAR Don't you just love it. Just think of all the people who were introduced to FOX News last night.

[CyberAnt]

And ... what no one has mentioned is that "Clear Channel" which houses such greats as Rush Limbaugh and Roger Hedgecock, carried the speech live to almost every car driving home on the West Coast - in the 5 p.m. time slot.

[Wphile]

I saw Mort too and he was livid. OUTRAGEOUS he says. I agree myself but I love seeing the boon to FOX NEWS!

[Wphile]

In the car was where I heard it first. I later watched it on CSPAN. I was watching other people in their cars, and it looked to me that most people had it on as well.

[Mo1]

The networks said they did not carry it because the administration did not expressly ask them to, as is customary for important addresses

Ummm .. When did the Major Networks have to get permission from the White House to REPORT NEWS!!!

As USUAL .. Liberal's not wanting to take responsibilty for their OWN ACTIONS!!

FACE IT YOU IDIOTs .. YOU BLEW IT BIG TIME!!! /rant>

[Mrs_Stokke]

But I hope they keep it up!

There's something ironic about the major media, which has changed not a bit since impeachment ("If it ain't broke, don't fix it"), driving their viewers to the right precisely because they have changed not a bit since impeachment ("If it ain't broke . . . uhhhhhhh . . . why does it look broke?").

They must sit up nights scratching their heads and saying, "Ok, ok. Let's re-run Hillary and Matt Laurer doing the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy interview. That got us great numbers five years ago."

hmmmmm . . . That must be how they came up with Phil Donohue. Again.

[AFPhys]

These figures of 17million also do not include the radio audience. I personally searched out a radio station that carried the president's speech, and I'm sure many others who found the demonetworks were not carrying the speech did likewise.

[bushfamfan]

What kind of mean-spirited jokes is Jay telling nowadays? Him and Letterman hate President Bush and I haven't watched them in the longest time, but I can get a sense of what they're saying. It's great to read that people found the speech even when the lib/Demonrat machine "big 3" networks tried to keep us from it.

[Always Right]

The Fox News Channel, CNN and MSNBC were watched by average audiences of 4.5 million, 2.6 million and 1.2 million people, respectively, during the speech. Those networks had average audiences last month of 2 million, 765,000 and 452,000 people on Mondays between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Nearly 8.5 million people watched the speech on the Fox broadcast network.

I realized Fox News was beating CNN, I did not realize Fox was beating CNN that bad.

[Winston Smith]

I was at work in a GM plant. Nothing but CNN headline news allowed to enter the Socialist UNion's Peoples Car Plant.
So I was lucky enough to find a computer and streamed CSPAN 2. Got to see most of the speach ANYWAY!!!

Jeez had a guy tell me tonight Bush stole the election. Arrgghh, things I must put up with.