Cable News Ratings August 2010: CNN Viewership Plummets, Fox News Still On Top

[WillowTree]

Did you see O'Reilly "outfox" Sharpton last night? It was magnificant. You don't get to see shit like that anywhere but Fox.

 

[Samson]

Partisanship sells.

No one wants "straight news" anymore. I've said it forever. If CNN tries to stay the course with their "straight news" format, they will wind up playing a distant 3rd fiddle.

Murdoch is a genius. You may disagree with him, but he saw a market for what he was selling and went for the jugular. In doing so, he has created a market for his foil. MSNBC.

Apparently, some "partisanship" sells better on cable than others......

My theory is that the other end of the partisan market is already saturated, and those consumers have a number of choices other than MSNBC: e.g. NPR, NYT, Time Mag, Newsweek, and practically every Op Ed section of anything else in print.

I think that's part of it. And the target audience is different demographically in more ways than just ideology.

Can't remember the last time I tuned into either FOX or MSNBC, honestly. But it's for-profit commercial infotainment. I can't blame them for doing what everyone else does, choose a demographic that will make them a bundle and target their audience with a product that sells. I just wish the consumers were more savvy.

Exactly: Its the medium, cable, that allows audience targeting, rather than the old airwaves, a broadcasting system that had no choice but to have broad appeal.

Poor ol' Walter Chronkite wouldn't stand a chance.

"And... that's the way it is, September 2, 2010."

 

[Samson]

Did you see O'Reilly "outfox" Sharpton last night? It was magnificant. You don't get to see shit like that anywhere but Fox.

Actually, I thought Sharpton was pretty brave to show up.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

of course faux is still on top. older people still depend on getting their news from TV. whereas young progressives tend to get their news on the internet

and keep in mind just because faux news is on top doesn't mean their reporting is great. im a fox news watcher. not because i think their reporting is any better but because its entertaining..

This has got be the funniest post I've seen in a long time. You watch Fox News because it's entertaining? I must say that, that Bret Baier is a laugh a minute and who can resist the ever so delightful Megyn Kelly on her variety show America Live. Seriously, the only programs Fox has that could even be considered as entertainment is Fox & Friends and Redeye w/ Greg Gutfeld. IMO

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Fewer people can afford cable.

I read that 5 times more people watch "Sponge Bob Square Pants" than anyone on Fox.

As far as the Democrats go, the Hispanics watch the Spanish networks. The gays watch Logo, the blacks watch BET and so on.

Fox has an entire political party that is 90% white and mostly all Christian. They don't even know Fox is "foreign owned" with the second largest shareholder being a Muslim who gives money to the families of Suicide bombers. Fox works to divide this country and mislead the ignorant and they are very, very good at it.

Spin it any way you want, fact is more people watch Fox News than any other cable news outlet, period!

 

[Avorysuds]

Who really cares? All the news networds are really only about the he said she said BS.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Who really cares? All the news networds are really only about the he said she said BS.

You obviously care enough to weigh in on the subject.

 

[saveliberty]

MessNBC is in second, and more poeple are watching Oberman than CNN? Heads should roll

Partisanship sells.

No one wants "straight news" anymore. I've said it forever. If CNN tries to stay the course with their "straight news" format, they will wind up playing a distant 3rd fiddle.

Murdoch is a genius. You may disagree with him, but he saw a market for what he was selling and went for the jugular. In doing so, he has created a market for his foil. MSNBC.

CNN is still moderately to heavily liberal. Should they venture into truly neutral reporting, I think 2nd is achievable. Didn't you have oil spill reporting overload? I started watching news 15 minutes into the program to avoid it after three weeks.

 

[Middleman]

Fox News is successful with a combo of sexy blond commentators, and a right leaning perspective that many are hungry for. Plus, they throw in lots of juicy tabloid gossip pieces.