War Boosts MSNBC Viewership 503% [Insert Your Own Joke Here]

Ad Age Magazine ^ | March 26, 2003 | Richard Linnett

[ewing]

MSNBC had attracted 2.6 million viewers and us ip on viewership 503% in the first quarter over previous quarters, while CNN is up 325% and Fox 233%.

[ewing]

I had the same reaction, MSNBC is really more watchable for long periods of time if you are doing something else and half paying attention (what a ringing endorsement!)

[ewing]

LOL! Is Nachman still even working there?

[mercy]

zactly

Fox is a small operation. No world presence. They got whorealdo and one imbed I think.

I like Brit and Shawn and I can sometimes stomach O'reily. God bless em for getting some of the conservative view out there but when you are hungry for news ... they do not cut it.

[ewing]

I think there might be room for some viewership on the right of FOX. I would watch Ann Coulter or Drudge over Greta..

[ewing]

Greta and Shep Smith are probably the weakest 2 of the nighttime lineup, if I was NBC I would target those time slots and go to the ideological right of FOX.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Jerry's now a stay-at-home dad...

[ewing]

I've always wondered how those Nielson families work!

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You mean someone actually procreated with Nachman!

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Peter Arnett has been doing good work as well.

[mercy]

Fox's real problem is they are owned by Sir Rupert. The guy is a voyeur and thinks everybody else is too. Probably right.

[ewing]

Must have been an FR breaking news family.

[mercy]

Pro ? More like ex .

[Rome2000]

I would watch Ann Coulter or Drudge over Greta

Yeah, but there would go some of the "balance" Fox tries to achieve.

Greta needs to ramp it up, a litle more pro American energy would be nice, but she is about 18 months from being "Chunged".

[ewing]

Probably an adoption..(I hope)

[Catspaw]

Last report I've heard on Nachman is that he's being treated for cancer.

[rwfromkansas]

They are not a big operation. Eventually, this should improve. If not, somebody needs to be canned.

[WaveThatFlag]

In the last few weeks, Donahue got the boot, and Savage's show debuted.

[ewing]

Yep, and Gretas focus on Elizabeth Smart and Laci Peterson is what was keeping her on the air.

Those stories are off the radar for as long as the war continues.

[ewing]

So Nachman is on leave form PMS-NBC

[Diddle E. Squat]

Exactly. FNC's ticker headlines are often out of date, they often run the same 20-second video loops for an entire day, and most annoyingly they turn the sound up on those video loops while their analysts or reporters are talking. I really don't need to hear the boom of the cannon in the unrelated stock video half-drowning out Ollie while he is reporting from a helicopter squadron. Whoever does the video background production for FNC too often thinks that we are stupid 3 year olds fascinated by bright colors. With all the footage coming into them, is it really that hard to add just a little more variety and try and match the images to the subject being discussed? Why show daylight video from the green Kurdish mountains when discussing urban night skirmishes in Basrah?

Which is too bad, because FNC's personalities and analysts are the best overall. But all things considered, I'd say FNC and MSNBC are neck and neck for best war coverage so far.