CNN Clobbers Fox, Beats MSNBC On Obama's Speech

According to Mediabistro, CNN's decision to carry Senator Barack Obama's historic speech live caused it to beat all networks, cable and broadcast, for June 3rd, outpacing ABC, the other network that had Obama's speech live, 4.3 million viewers to 4 million for ABC.

(Before you see the numbers below, FNC is Fox, CNN is CNN, and HLN is Headline News.)

Here are the numbers:

25-54 demographic: (L +SD)

Total day: FNC: 298 | CNN: 407 | MSNBC: 294 | HLN: 134

Prime: FNC: 739 | CNN: 1415 | MSNBC: 1053 | HLN: 199

5p: 6p: 7p: 8p: 9p: 10p: 11p:

FNC ElectionHQ: Hume: Shep.: ElectionHQ: ElectionHQ: ElectionHQ: H&C:
242 280 326 528 843 847 415

CNN Blitzer: Blitzer: Dobbs: Elec.Cent.: Elec.Cent.: Elec./Coop: Cooper:
293 351 579 885 1465 1890 975

MSNBC Hardball: Spec.Cov.: Spec.Cov.: Spec.Cov.: Spec.Cov.: Spec.Cov.: Spec.Cov.:
250 320 531 617 1068 1473 598

HLN Prime: Prime: Beck: Grace: Beck: Grace: Showbiz:
112 92 241 308 116 203 218


Data by Nielsen Media Research. Live and same day (DVR) data.


Total Viewers: (L +SD)

Total day: FNC: 1086 | CNN: 1102 | MSNBC: 770 | HLN: 303

Prime: FNC: 2389 | CNN: 3519 | MSNBC: 2627 | HLN: 496

5p: 6p: 7p: 8p: 9p: 10p: 11p:

FNC ElectionHQ: Hume: Shep.: ElectionHQ: ElectionHQ: ElectionHQ: H&C:
1100 1443 1398 2006 2745 2415 1341

CNN Blitzer: Blitzer: Dobbs: Elec.Cent.: Elec.Cent.: Elec./Coop: Cooper:
1058 1114 1502 2242 3788 4523 2323

MSNBC Hardball: Spec.Cov.: Spec.Cov.: Spec.Cov.: Spec.Cov.: Spec.Cov.: Spec.Cov.:
770 965 1266 1719 2713 3450 1346

HLN Prime: Prime: Beck: Grace: Beck: Grace: Showbiz:
272 238 611 712 363 469 457


In reading this, CNN beats all other news channels in the 25 to 54 demographic and overall for June 3, election night. But CNN beats Fox on every night, even when there's no election coverage. Whie Fox News Channel may have a victory in one time slow or another, it's just that -- one slot at one time. CNN has a larger audience, and it's thought to be due to the fact that CNN is more of a "news ticker" channel whereas Fox is personality driven. CNN commands higher ad rates and is believed to be the "snob" channel.

As for Fox News, it really is competitive with -- drumroll -- no one. According to fair.org, Fox News's most popular show, The O'Reily Factor, draws four times fewer viewers than the CBS Evening News, which is considered to be a ratings disaster. If that's the case, then Bill O'Reilly's the Titanic. It's why they resort to the upskirt tactics and other "Jump the Shark" programming. MSNBC falls late night -- in my view -- because of that stupid prison-programming where they seem obsessed with showing the inside of a prison. It's depressing and channel-turning -- away from MSNBC. Their power is in news, but they don't seem to know that.