Ordinarily, one wouldn't take much notice of a gallon jug losing only a drop or two of water a day. But if you came back a year later and saw it half-empty, that would get your attention.
Such is the case with the steep ratings declines at CNN and MSNBC. A year ago, they already trailed Fox News badly -- so badly that Fox's audience in a given hour of prime time was sometimes greater than CNN, MSNBC, and Headline News (HLN) combined.
Revise "sometimes" to "virtually always." A comparison of Media Bistro's scoreboard for Thursday, February 4, 2010 to the same report for Thursday, February 5, 2009 shows stunning leakage from CNN and MSNBC. The jug is less than half full:
CNN and MSNBC both declined over 50% in the 25-54 demographic, while both networks also suffered seriously in total audience.
Much more detail is in this graphic. Some highlights/lowlights from that graphic:
- MSNBC's first two hours of prime time, with Chris Matthews and David Shuster, each had fewer than 100,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo last Thursday .
- Every single one of CNN's prime time shows came in with fewer than 200,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo on Thursday. Last year, every one was above 200,000. Anderson Cooper's 10 p.m. show cratered, dropping from 528,000 to 178,000.
- HLN significantly outdrew both CNN and MSNBC in the 25-54 demo during both prime time and the entire day; it was a distant third in each category a year ago.
- The results were not entirely peachy at Fox News. Sean Hannity's and Greta Van Susteren's audiences were both down by single digits from a year ago in the 25-54 demographic and total viewers.
While it's heartening to see steep falloffs from the fever swamp, those of us who would like to see more Americans tune into the fair and balanced reporting of Fox should not be overly cheered. Less than a quarter of those in the 25-54 demographic who tuned out MSNBC and CNN switched to Fox; barely a sixth of total viewers did so.
Where did the rest of them go? Some may have decided to tune into the evening newscasts of ABC, NBC, and CBS, as their viewership is up about 10-15% since fall of last year. The rest appear to have tuned out -- at least from television news. Unless one believes that the vast majority of the rest are actively visiting blogs and social media to get their news, which seems hardly likely, a lot of the potential electorate may simply be tuning out. This would not bode well if one believes that a highly engaged electorate is a prerequisite to turning the country around.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
—Tom Blumer is president of a training and development company in Mason, Ohio, and is a contributing editor to NewsBusters
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To paraphrase Andrew Breitbart
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 12:22 ET by obageegee"It's not your business model that sucks, it's you that suck" It's only a matter of time before Comcast figures that this "business model" sucks big time
Liberal FAIL
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 12:27 ET by Free StinkerI love it! Thanks for posting this Tom!
خال
MSNBC's first two hours
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 12:38 ET by FirmwormWow...with those kind of numbers a 30 second ad should run, oh about 10 bucks!
And the Fox Business
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 12:50 ET by Free StinkerAnd the Fox Business Network gets mocked for having ratings below 100,000 . . .
Funny how it doesn't matter when it's MSLSD
خال
NBC and Comcast
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 12:41 ET by NJ DanTake heart.....Old Chris, Rachel, and Keith will be out to pasture when Comcast takes over. That's the real reason the Dems in congress are fighting it. I worked for Comcast, and I can tell you that they will not tolerate anything that would threaten them losing one subscriber. Bye, Bye!!!!
It could not happen to a...
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 12:46 ET by jdrippersorrier group of people. All I know if I had failed as badly as these guys I would have been fired long ago.
Jack
"If at age 20 you are a conservative then you have no heart. If at age 30 you are a liberal then you have no brains." Sir Winston Churchill
All I know if I had
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 13:03 ET by FirmwormAll I know if I had failed as badly as these guys I would have been fired long ago.
No kidding Jack. Just imagine if these same people worked for a corporation that made let's say jet engines and they kept screwing up orders and a company like Boeing stopped buying those engines. Do you think they would be fired?
Since I have kids
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 12:48 ET by pbthinkerMy guess is the politically involved that voted for Obama, decided they knew enough and dropped out.
Election 2008-God's way of showing us that elections count.
I guess some people have
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 12:50 ET by ThoreauI guess some people have finally woken up. Fox ain't perfect, but they sure as shit ain't a communist's mouthpiece.
The lemming demographic dropping out would make sense, if fox wasn't gaining by double digits. That's not what's happening. They aren't dropping in total. They are shifting.
they should have thought about this
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 12:51 ET by spepperthey should have thought about this, the end results of hiring blithering propagandists like Olbermann, Matthews, Maddow etc-- unlike certain other news outlets, they continue to just simply attack and bash with baseless charges, which people see right through and respond appropiately: by changing the channel......
MSNBC= Air America
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 13:00 ET by ironchefofmunchiesBoth were supposed to cater to the vast, untapped left-wing niche like talk radio and Fox did for the right-wing market.
Neither was able to succeed with this strategy. Why? Because the left-wing niche is overserved by the rest of the dinosaur media. The only way they could differentiate themselves was by going EVEN FURTHER left (and thus targeting a smaller and smaller demographic). This is an unsustainable business model.
Will the left figure this out? No way Jose!
To put it another way-the ratio of MBAs to Law Degrees of those on the left is about 1 to 1000. And lawyers make horrible business decisions..
MSNBC = Minardi
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 13:04 ET by Lord-come-soon-pleaseDon't know how familiar everyone is with Formula One racing, but for many years F-1 featured a team called Minardi. They never won a race - or even came close to winning one - and consistently ran at the back of the pack. Fans wondered why they kept showing up every race, and it eventually became clear that the owner just wanted to be part of the F-1 circus, and knew he didn't stand a chance of success. This is what's now going on at MSNBC. They know that they are dismal failures, but they still want to be "in the game", so their friends on the upper east side of Manhattan will think they're cool. Ratings don't matter anymore, idiot on-air talent doesn't matter - it all about "being there". It's the only possible explanation. In any other media environment, these microscopic ratings would have resulted in pink slips long ago. Now the only pink slip at MSNBC is the one Keith wears in the bathtub.
I think you are right.
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 13:30 ET by Red JeepOtherwise there is no way MSNBC or CNN would still be in existence. Far less than 1% of America watch any of their programming. It makes no sense for a business standpoint to spend millions to reach an audience that small.
In general though it seems that not many watch television anymore. While Fox News is doing super well compared to its competition most of America is not watching it either. The ABCCBSNBC 1/2 hour news shows only have an audience of 2 to 3% of America.
Maybe TV won't be around 25 years from now. Most of TV programming now is the vast wasteland Newton Minow said some of its programming was in 1961.
Minardi team…
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 13:57 ET by JPR1Great analogy.
To include a significant difference though: The Minardi crew was having fun.
They were passionate about their machines, the competition and the “circus” atmosphere. Winning wasn’t a primary objective.
The MSNBC bunch however have their entire beings invested in advocating for an ideology which is being soundly rejected by the American public.
It must be getting painful for these sad-sacks to go to work when the future looks as dismal as it does. Geesh, 100,000 viewers? Hardly worth warming up the studio lights.
You're right
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 16:02 ET by Lord-come-soon-pleaseMinardi had fun and tried hard to improve - something MSNBC doesn't do. F-1 fan by any chance? should be an exciting season with MS coming back.
F1
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 17:23 ET by CiampinoI'm looking forward to it.
a highly engaged electorate
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 13:19 ET by VonuDidn't we just go through that? Fewer people following politics is a good thing. Public officials only proper role is to protect the rights of their constituents. People belived this could be possible once again and today they know better. They are defending their own rights and are likely less swayed by further calls for electorial engagement.
Freedom is a vital component of human effectiveness and fulfillment.
www.freestateproject.org/
WOW! If Anderson Cooper's ratings drop any further...
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 13:26 ET by Mitch NJhe will be able to teabag every viewer personally.
Re Andie
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 14:01 ET by slickwillie2001Andie strikes me as much more of a teabaggee than a teabagger.
Viewing
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 14:14 ET by paulnashtnI, for 1, hardly ever watch ANY TV anymore - except big breaking news - I get ALL my news from internet(bout 10 different sites)
I am out of that coveted 25-54 age group, I'm 69yo
VOTE CONSERVATIVE
Same here. I get my news
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 15:18 ET by celatorSame here. I get my news when I want it, how I want it, with as many points of view as possible, do my own research, come to my own conclusions.
Ditto that. 'Doubling
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 15:24 ET by bigtimerDitto that.
'Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea'~Breitbart
What is so coveted about the 25-54 age group?
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 15:31 ET by Red JeepNever understood why 25-54 is such a coveted age range.
The Baby Boomers were and are the largest population group in the country and they are all over 55. They always have been the largest population group in part due to the invention of the birth control pill in the 70's and the legalization of abortion (baby killing).
Baby Boomers have more disposable income than all other age groups so why advertisers are interested in appealing to the smaller population groups in the country has had me scratching my head for all my 60+ years as I was maturing.
(By the way there are many older and current TV shows you can watch on your computer through sites like hulu and sling. The heck with TV's might as well put a flat screen computer monitor on you wall and watch DVD's or TV programming available on your pc.)
RJ you are spot on
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 16:09 ET by Lord-come-soon-pleaseThe reason the 25-54 is so coveted is because consultants have said so for many years, and they don't want to modify their sermon and look foolish. Baby Boomers are at the top end of that demo now (or past it), and still, the ad agencies go after gen x and younger. It makes no sense.
25-54 age productive?
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 17:51 ET by jon_torlinIsn't that also the same age group that would be considered productive, as in, (barring any handicaps that prevent you from being able) being able to work a steady job under the rules of communism?
And the years prior to that are the education years?
Just a thought.
-Jon
News gap
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 14:27 ET by okiehawk44Why does the electorate that "won" the last election big time want to watch TV anymore? Obama is president? The House and Senate are totally controlled by Democrats and they will flat out tell you "we won you lost now shut up and sit down."
This electorate did everything they were asked to do by the left and now they see the media wing collapsing and don't know why they should be asked to care. They think "We won now produce! Produce on those things we voted for and you said you would make happen. Why should we have to watch Olbermann or Matthews anymore?"
I read somewhere that Huffington Post is doing badly financially and can't sell advertising -- is it next?
Even the captive audience is demanding change
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 14:29 ET by zachlindLiving in south Texas there seems to be a lot of restaurants and eating establishments that have TV’s mounted where people can watch the news and sports events. And for many years the sets were all tuned to CNN, I mean all of them. But that’s changing and fast. Most now are tuned to FOX. So even the captive audience is changing. This is good.
A little good news!
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 14:37 ET by carolina09Thanks NB for bringing us these stats.
42%
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 15:09 ET by Jerry MackSaw recent poll on Fox that 42% did not know anything about the Tea Party movement. My guess is that far too many people do not pay attention unless it is a Presidential election. Do not remember if it was an adult, lv or rv poll.
Jerry... I saw that as
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 15:26 ET by bigtimerJerry...
I saw that as well, it's still hard for me to believe....I do wonder sometimes where they take their polls.
'Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea'~Breitbart
well people just get sick
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 15:50 ET by shanecomebackwell people just get sick of drooling crazy people after awhile
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"
more like
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 17:18 ET by CiampinoIt's more like a manufacturer that makes something that no one wants any longer - pretty soon it's out of business.
These two Networks
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 17:52 ET by ahusserwith the decidedly leftist bent, some over the top like Olbie, Schultz, Matthews and Maddow some a little less hyper like the ones on CNN were basically a one trick pony which was the 'Great Bashing' of President Bush. That one trick pony is now beating a dead horse.
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
nothing to watch on msnbc, cnn or hnn
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 21:56 ET by TWOTIMETUNAIf Joe Scarborough is on Morning Joe I will tune in occasionally, but if he's not on I skip it. The rest are just crazies. It's fun watching Scarborough put some conservative views out there but he is basically a RINO.
The Government is the Enemy
And companies keep
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 01:35 ET by RR GOPAnd companies keep advertising on these networks?
After this report, Sham-Wow probably won't even bother with them.
Sean Hannity's and Greta Van Susteren's audiences were both down by
single digits from a year ago in the 25-54 demographic and total
viewers.
Hannity-I still watch and like his show, but I liked it a lot better when he was on with Colmes and also before The One won. I appreciate the support that Hannity gives to both the Tea Party and the Conservative movement in general. I do get tired of seeing Bob Beckel on there so much, and I fast forward through most of those long interviews he has on his show from time to time. He's just too jovial with these Libtards for my taste.
Susteren-After watching Beck, then O'Reilly, then Hannity I'm pretty much burned out on the political scene for one night...nothing against Susteren.
In general, I think people are going one of several directions...concerned, but burned out (I believe this to part of the Alinskyite strategy-wear us down), prepping for disaster, disenchanted with Hope and Change or escapism.
"Under Capitalism, man exploits man. Under Communism it's just the opposite."
"All that Communism needs to make it successful is for someone to feed and clothe it."