CNN vs. Fox, Again [Kevin D. Williamson]
The New York Times reports the good news for CNN:
All three cable news networks — CNN, Fox News and MSNBC — have enjoyed ratings bumps during the primaries. But CNN is able to brag about something it had not been able to since 2001: it topped Fox News in the prime-time ratings for a single month in the 25 to 54 age category, the group most coveted by advertisers.
In February, CNN attracted an average of 750,000 viewers in that category during prime time, compared with 550,000 for Fox News and 363,000 for MSNBC, according to Nielsen. (Across all age groups Fox News remained No. 1, with an average of 2.2 million viewers in prime time, compared with 2 million for CNN.)
“If you look at the ratings, in 2006 they stopped the bleeding,” said Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism. “In 2007, that continued, and there was some overall growth at CNN.”
But the real question now isn't CNN vs. Fox, it's CNN vs. Fox vs. Drudge vs. NRO vs. Rush vs. ... It's not that 2.2 million viewers during prime time is nothing, but in a nation of more than 300 million, a couple million isn't exactly a commanding position.
03/05 12:22 PM
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