MSNBC INCREASES VIEWERSHIP BY 26% (Fun With Statistics Alert!)

NBC Media Village ^ | January 2, 2003

[Timesink]

MSNBC INCREASES VIEWERSHIP BY 26%
Published: January 02, 2003

MSNBC DELIVERS DOUBLE DIGIT RATINGS INCREASES IN KEY DAYPARTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER 2002

RE-LAUNCHED PRIMETIME BLOCK BOOSTS VIEWERSHIP 26%

SECAUCUS, N.J. -- January 2, 2003 -- MSNBC witnessed double-digit increases in key dayparts during the Fourth Quarter of 2002, and boosted viewership for its re-launched primetime lineup by 26% over the first half of the year, prior to the network’s programming re-launch.

MSNBC grew its primetime viewership in fourth quarter to an average 408,000 viewers, up 26% over the first six months of the year (12/31/01-6/30/02) when it averaged 325,000 viewers. For total day, MSNBC delivered an average of 275,000 viewers during the Fourth Quarter.

A key fourth quarter ratings boost for MSNBC was “Countdown: Iraq,” (7:00-8:00 p.m. ET) hosted by Lester Holt, which launched on October 7th and delivered an average 326,000 viewers, up 27% for the time slot over the previous quarter.

MSNBC’s most significant audience gains in 4Q’02 over the first half of 2002 - before the primetime re-launch -- were during the key primetime hours from 8 to 11 p.m.

“Donahue” (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) increased viewers in the timeslot by 21% over the first half of the year, reaching an average of 442,000 viewers during fourth quarter. “Donahue,” which changed the telecast venue when it moved to the NBC studios at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York on Nov.11, has experienced significant ratings spikes in total viewers and in adults 25-54 since the move.

“Hardball with Chris Matthews” (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET), boosted viewership in the 9 p.m. timeslot by 26% over the first half of 2002, when the telecast was on at 7 p.m., averaging 421,000 viewers for the quarter. In its new timeslot, “Hardball” is also up in the news demo by 9%.

“MSNBC Reports” (10:00 - 11:00 p.m. ET), which launched during the fourth quarter, showed the most dramatic increase in primetime, up by 31% over the first half of the year, delivering an average 360,000 viewers for the quarter. “MSNBC Reports” is also up 14% in the news demo of adults 25-54 when compared with the first half of 2002.

Elsewhere on the MSNBC schedule, “Nachman” (5:00-6:00 p.m. ET) which changed its time slot during the quarter (Oct 7th), continued to gain momentum, and during the day, “Buchanan and Press” delivered 37% more viewers over the previous quarter.

Source: Nielsen, 4Q‘02 (9/30/02-12/29/02) vs. Jan - June ’02 (12/31/01-6/30/02)

[Timesink]

Deducing reality from this PR spin is left as an exercise for the reader.

[stylin_geek]

26% increase of a viewership that is approaching zero is still zero. New Math? BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

They're trying like hell to deliver good news to the few that are still watching. The real story is that everybody except Fox News is tanking badly!

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Who here wants to bet that CNN and the other networks pick up on this and do the same thing?

[paul in cape]

Gee, if you start with only 100 viewers, and a year later you have 126, WOW, that's a 26% increase! ShaZZam!

[SteveSenti]

Yeah, just like the Dems crying the Tax Cut is only for the wealthy top 1%. Abra Cadabra.

[discostu]

nah, the reality is in the second paragraph, evening viewership of 408,000. That's half the population of Tucson. Bye bye MSNBC are hardly cared about ye.

[Keith in Iowa]

There are lies, damn lies, and statistics. And then there's TV ratings. They're doing their darndest to put some lipstick on a pig.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Yep, and I've noticed that they only talk about the very few shows and time slots that picked up a few viewers. This is too funny! The bottom line is that they and everybody else lost big to Fox.

[mhking]

And 26% of zero is what?

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I saw a thread awhile back that was saying that Scooby Doo was beating out most shows and time slots on MSNBC. I'm not kidding!

[Bommer]

Appears to be The New Math!" CNBC has the most enertainment (which aint saying much) and drops 44% but MSNBC run Donahue and National Geographics re-runs and is up 26%? Please explain this?

"CNBC catches 'flu from Wall Street

NEW YORK (Variety) - The past year has been harsh to Wall Street, and it hasn't been that kind to CNBC, either.

In year-end Nielsen Media Research ratings, the financial news network suffered a 44% drop in its total-day coverage vs. the previous year.

Its 7-10 p.m. primetime schedule, which the network revamped in July, remained flat compared with the first half of the year with an average of 224,000 viewers.

While CNBC believes that the Nielsen ratings don't reflect the appeal to advertisers of its affluent, on-the-move audience base, it has broadened some of its editorial content. Perhaps in an effort to reach out to the casual investors who may have ditched the network when the markets went south, it covered the California dockworkers strike and aired more consumer-oriented fare such as the five-day documentary series "Price of War."

"CNBC continues to deliver to its core audience -- executives and senior-level people," said Chris Geraci, director of national broadcast at ad agency OMD. "But does it hurt? Only that we're always looking for a good story, not a negative one."

The network has not seen a very positive story yet with anchor Brian Williams, who became exclusive to CNBC in July and shifted from his time slot on the network from 10 to 9 p. m.

The heir to Tom Brokaw's "Nightly News" throne on sister channel NBC has brought up ratings in the time slot by a mere 4% to 250,000 viewers vs. the first half of 2002.

One of Williams' lead-ins, "Kudlow & Cramer," has seen a 27% spike compared with the first six months of the year, however.

CNBC rivals Bloomberg and CNNfn aren't in enough households to be rated by Nielsen.

Reuters/Variety

[ConservativeMan55]

I notice this is from the NBC MEDIA VILLAGE!
DOES IT TAKE A VILLAGE TO RAISE THE RATINGS????

[ConservativeMan55]

I notice this is from the NBC MEDIA VILLAGE!
DOES IT TAKE A VILLAGE TO RAISE THE RATINGS????

[RicocheT]

Just think of the rise in numbers Fox would have if Laurie Due did the news topless !

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I'd be tuning into that big time. She doesn't even have to be topless, some good lingerie would work for me.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Fuzzy math aside, whatever happened to Ashleigh Banfield?

[Timesink]

I think Ashleigh's back working the 12-2 pm slot and is off this week.

[pabianice]

MSNBC is now piped-into nursing homes...

[pabianice]

I saw a thread awhile back that was saying that Scooby Doo was beating out most shows and time slots on MSNBC. I'm not kidding!

"Scooby Doo" is the 10th highest grossing film of 2002 ($ 153 million).