Friday's debate audience on TV was smallest ever

[babylonsister]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/53276.html

Friday's debate audience on TV was smallest ever
By Glenn Garvin | Miami Herald

The final Nielsen data is in, and Friday's presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain didn't bring in quite as many viewers as it appeared from preliminary results.

About 52.4 million viewers (about 4.6 million fewer than the overnight numbers suggested) watched on the four big broadcast networks, the two big Spanish nets, the three cable news channels, CNBC and BBC America.

That's well below the 62.5 million who watched the first debate between John Kerry and George W. Bush in 2004, and not even close to the 80.6 million who watched Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan square off on Oct. 28, 1980.

And considered another way -- by the percentage of American households who tuned in -- McCain and Obama were an absolute flop compared to previous presidential debates.

Nielsen says 31.6 percent of U.S. homes were watching the debate. That's only about half as many as the 61 percent who tuned into the third Nixon-Kennedy debate in 1960.

If you compare just the first debates of the nine other election years in which the presidential candidates have squared off, McCain and Obama are tied for last with Bob Dole and Bill Clinton in 1996.

[LisaM]

1. But debates didn't used to be repeated over and over

does this factor in people who Tivo'd it, or watched a re-run?

[bunnies]

6. or watched it online?

:shrug:

[LisaM]

12. That's probably true, too

I can't imagine watching it on a computer screen, but that is probably how some watched it - live or later.

[Arkansas Granny]

18. That's how I watched the conventions. I don't have cable and that was

the only way to see the whole thing without any network commentary.

[FSogol]

2. America has already decided

Why waste a perfectly good hour listening to McBush drone on?

[bdamomma]

3. Did you guys hear, even people in Arizona did not view the debate.

had low ratings.

[VolcanoJen]

4. To be fair, it was on a Friday night

I think everyone went out for drinks since we thought the economy was crashing. :-)

[TwilightGardener]

5. Are debates always held on Friday nights? I think that may be

a factor. I don't know too many non-political-junkies who are going to stay home to watch something that they can catch the highlights/analysis of later.

[TeamJordan23]

7. It was also on a Friday night. nm

[RoadRage]

8. Cable..

Think about it.. back in the Nixon-Kennedy and Carter-Regan debates.. you could turn on the TV and watch the debate.. or nothing. There were no other options.

I think with 24/7 news cycles, You Tube and internet sites.. people don't need to watch the debates as much anymore. They know if there is any big gaffe.. it'll be on the internet / you tube / news cycles constantly for the next week.. people will see it.

So, they don't obsess (like we do here at DU).. they just continue on with their lives.

[Thrill]

9. The VP debate will break all records. The conservatives are obsessed with Palin

[Lucky 13]

13. Just conservatives?

DU has been obsessed with Palin hardcore!

[Johonny]

19. wait theres Palin hardcore!

I'm watching for sure now

[Barack_America]

10. Damn those intertubes!

I know Nielsen is able to monitor online viewership as well. Those numbers would be interesting.

[MattP]

11. They don't count PBS or CSPAN

PBS and CSPAN don't even count in the ratings, I watch everything on CSPAN so I guess I don't count.

[maseman]

14. PBS and CSPAN won't add much

Plus they were both carriers of the debates four, eight, twelve and sixteen years ago so it is moot.

[dontforgetpoland]

15. Not surprised. Friday night is overall the second lowest TV rating night.

By a considerable margin to other nights. Lowest TV rating is on Saturday night.

[Basement Beat]

16. Friday Night + Debate parties...

Since Friday night is typically one of the party nights, it was a ton of debate parties...therefore fewer tv being used?

[tritsofme]

17. What the media talking heads can't seem to grasp, is that many people have better things to do than

watch the idiot box on a Friday evening.

I for one went to a Chicago Blackhawks game, and trust me, it was much more entertaining than watching two asshole politicians duke it out for 90 minutes, followed by hours and hours of media spin.