CNN ratings in 2011 show improvement; Fox remains the leader
For each of the three major news networks in 2011, there was good news and bad news, depending on how you spin it.
Fox News could take comfort that it remains the dominant ratings leader, drawing more viewers than CNN and MSNBC combined both during the entire day and prime time. It averaged 1.1 million total day and 1.9 million viewers each night. Its top 11 shows all exceeded 1 million viewers each, a figure no CNN or MSNBC program achieved. It has remained the news leader for the past decade.
Ratings, however, were down about 8 percent year over year and 14 percent in the 25 to 54 year old demographic during prime time and 5 percent overall. (Its 2010 numbers were boosted by the mid-term elections and will likely go up again during the 2012 presidential election year.)
It lost viewers at the 5 p.m. hour, where “The Five” replaced Glenn Beck mid year but the network said advertisers are more welcoming to the new show than Beck.
Atlanta-based CNN bounced back from a dismal 2010 and gained 17 percent in total viewers and an impressive 29 percent among 25 to 54 year olds, fueled by big international news stories such as the Arab Spring, the Japanese earthquake and Osama bin Laden’s death. At night, CNN is still third behind MSNBC, which won the 25-to-54 demo race for a third year in a row, but edged back to second total day.
Piers Morgan. CREDIT: AP
At 9 p.m., CNN brought in Piers Morgan, who improved upon Larry King’s last-year numbers, and moved Anderson Cooper to 8 p.m. (with a repeat at 10 p.m.) after a short-lived effort with Eliot Spitzer. CNN also added Erin Burnett in the fall at 7 p.m.. And in 2012, Soledad O’Brien returns to mornings, where CNN lags behind “Morning Joe” on MSNBC as well as “Fox and Friends.”
But outside of 2010, CNN’s 2011 performance was still its second worst in 15 years, according to data collected by tvbythenumbers.com. During primetime, the network averaged 689,000 viewers, up from 590,000 in 2010 but way behind the 1.3 million in 2008.
Despite losing Keith Olbermann, MSNBC survived in prime time, gaining two percent year over year and averaging 775,000 viewers a night, though it was down 11 percent in Olbermann’s spot.
Atlanta-based HLN’s numbers were up 20 percent, boosted heavily by Casey Anthony coverage. Interestingly, Nancy Grace’s overall raitngs were up 7 percent but among 25 to 54 year olds, it actually dropped 19 percent, according to data collected by TVNewser.
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By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk
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297 comments Add your comment
Kym-Occupying the Ho Committee Member-Day2
December 29th, 2011
3:36 pm
ITL..just some bs..I am playing 3 games right now..
Kym-Occupying the Ho Committee Member-Day2
December 29th, 2011
3:38 pm
I found a place in one game to use this dang gone Q…
Kym-Occupying the Ho Committee Member-Day2
December 29th, 2011
3:44 pm
So will we be down with the Ho again tomorrow?
SexyCool - OTH
December 29th, 2011
3:46 pm
Remember, you only have until Saturday to redeem any coupons that expire on 12.31.11.
Leggs - Occupying the Ho Analyst
December 29th, 2011
3:51 pm
@Kym ~ possibly (lol).
Into the Light - OTH Day 2
December 29th, 2011
3:52 pm
I had a thought about Occupying the Ho, Day 3. Since Rodney doesn’t close his comments, maybe we should stick to this thread, so that we don’t take up a new one.
Leggs - Occupying the Ho Analyst
December 29th, 2011
3:54 pm
Great advice, ITL
Celisea....Occupying the Ho
December 29th, 2011
3:56 pm
Awwww, just got a gift card from my manager…thanks!!!
Celisea....Occupying the Ho
December 29th, 2011
3:56 pm
czBrat – Thanks girlie!! That’s an almost definite maybe
I’m close by
czBrat
December 29th, 2011
3:57 pm
hmmm. no guys trespassing today?
big lunch + quiet office = sleepy
ciao donne!
czBrat
December 29th, 2011
3:57 pm
@ c,
Into the Light - OTH Day 2
December 29th, 2011
3:58 pm
@Kym: Hmph! I’m down to 2 letters, and can’t use them together. *sigh*
Thanks, Leggs. Should we take a vote?
Leggs - Occupying the Ho Analyst
December 29th, 2011
4:01 pm
@czB ~ NH and BF were here earlier.
Celisea....Occupying the Ho
December 29th, 2011
4:01 pm
I’m good with whatever is decided. Same bat time, same bat channel tomorrow?
Into the Light - OTH Day 2
December 29th, 2011
4:06 pm
I vote for that – let’s meet right here. Rodney has been a gracious host, and I don’t want to wear out our welcome.
Leggs - Occupying the Ho Analyst
December 29th, 2011
4:06 pm
Yeah, let’s just see who shows up.
Celisea....Occupying the Ho
December 29th, 2011
4:07 pm
Regardng coupons….I’m not a coupon person but my neighbors that performs mammagrams gave me a ton of coupons for Execedrin Migraine to expire Dec 2012. I used all but one. I found that sucker last night and purchased a bottle from Publix even though my doctor just recently prescribed Topamax to see how that will work. I dunno, $2 bucks off for that was worth springing for a bottle
Celisea....Occupying the Ho
December 29th, 2011
4:08 pm
neighbor…not neighbors…gheesh
Celisea....Occupying the Ho
December 29th, 2011
4:08 pm
and mammograms
Celisea....Occupying the Ho
December 29th, 2011
4:09 pm
I promised a client I’d stick around until 5…still waiting to hear back from her
Celisea....Occupying the Ho
December 29th, 2011
4:11 pm
Rodney – You have been fantab letting us camp out here until we can get back home
Jd
December 29th, 2011
4:16 pm
The nation prefers Fox news, like it or not!
Leggs - Occupying the Ho Analyst
December 29th, 2011
4:22 pm
That may be true, Jd, but abc has the more unbiased news broadcast…
Jd
December 29th, 2011
4:25 pm
If you believe that then don’t let the truth get in your way.
Leggs - Occupying the Ho Analyst
December 29th, 2011
4:27 pm
I won’t…
Leggs - Occupying the Ho Analyst
December 29th, 2011
4:28 pm
Cuz if you look at it as a whole, all the news broadcasts are biased to some degree, even Fox.
Into the Light - OTH Day 2
December 29th, 2011
4:29 pm
It’s been fun, I’ll see y’all tomorrow!
Jd
December 29th, 2011
4:32 pm
True but you see only one stands out against the crowded left bias. You are correct though, I have seen Fox get it wrong. As I grew older the bias of the abc’s etc. was too easy to spot and very tiring.
Celisea....Occupying the Ho
December 29th, 2011
4:36 pm
Night folks…it’s been fun!!
Leggs - Occupying the Ho Analyst
December 29th, 2011
4:39 pm
It’s been a blast….thank you Jd for coming on and speaking on the topic (lol).
Rodney Ho
December 29th, 2011
5:25 pm
I appreciate the bonus page views guys!
Jay Dubbe
December 29th, 2011
5:26 pm
All these people are on the government dole, no doubt. Typical liberals.
Leggs - Occupying the Ho Analyst
December 29th, 2011
5:34 pm
Yep, we have jobs and pay taxes.
melanie
December 29th, 2011
6:30 pm
I only watch Fox News out of New York. I wake up to it every am & tune into it off and on during the night. Local news only talks about one or two things, but the Fox news in NY is very fair & balanced where our own local CNN is one sided, for the liberals.
CNN ratings in 2011 show improvement; Fox remains the leader – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | annabags.net
December 29th, 2011
10:03 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Despite kingmaking expectations, Fox News seems neutral among GOP field – Aran Orin online
December 30th, 2011
1:49 am
[...] despite the relatively small audiences that cable news attracts (Fox News, the ratings leader, rarely reaches more than 2 million people at a time). Among Republican voters in Iowa, 37 percent said they got most of their news from Fox, making it [...]
Into the Light
December 30th, 2011
8:24 am
(ITL taping a note to the outside of the blog door)
Our home has been restored!!
Dredai
December 30th, 2011
9:19 am
Well with yet again another year of dominating the news market, can FOX viewers and the Republican party drop the mantra of the “Liberal Media”!!!
Sarah Palin
December 30th, 2011
1:53 pm
Beacuse False Fox are the most racists to >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>%%%%%%%%%#################
Jo
December 31st, 2011
9:18 am
Funny about being a called liberal. Repugs love to call me a
Liberal because I think and analyze issues and don’t trust the fair and balanced approach of Fox. This so called liberal owns 2 businesses and created 20,000 jobs for Georgians in the last 18 months. So much for the rants that liberals are on the dole, don’t want to work, are lazy or just don’t get it. Yes, I work and help the people out no matter who they may be. I guess that sounds like socialism but I don’t really care as long as we seek the truth and do what is right and ignore the hate.
SanDiegoJacket
December 31st, 2011
9:21 am
This blog is a disgrace…..occupied by retards. Get a life!!
Fall Line
December 31st, 2011
10:34 am
There are no conditions under which I would watch a program hosted by Soledad O’Brian. Everything she presents is tainted by her own prejudices.
FLA Alum
December 31st, 2011
11:23 am
The reason the media is liberal is they make of the vast majority of outlets. Fox may have the best rating but they are just one source. ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN are all liberal as hell. I am very curious as to why Jo thinks fair and balanced is suspect. Probably because he won’t listen to opposing ideas so there goes the balance. Fox isn’t perfect but at least they show both sides (and believe me they do – it annoys me sometimes – I can’t stand listening to liberal spin when it ignores logic which it usually does).
BAM
December 31st, 2011
11:46 am
I dont trust anything that Brian Williams, David Gregory, Matt Lauer or Ann Curry says or any editing of any story they put on the air. NBC has sold out to environmentalists, progressives, Obamabots, Occupiers, Pelosi, Reid, and the Upper East Side Huffingtonians.
IZ
December 31st, 2011
12:01 pm
This is because most of America is Center-Right and has common sense. America doesn’t trust the garbage that the Leftist CNN (Communist News Network) spews daily. And, if you think I’m “full of it”, please refer back to the ratings. That’s just my personal opinion…
Bregginkrak
December 31st, 2011
2:31 pm
What planet are all you Occupying the Ho folks from?
Kim Kardashian
January 1st, 2012
9:16 am
You two idiots need to get a life what the hell are you even talking about?it makes no sense,geez put the crack pipe down