More on Faux News losing Key Demo Viewers (Advertisers Covet)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/

In total day, FNC averaged 208,000 demo viewers in April, down from 212,000 in March and 236,000 in February. April's viewership was at its lowest level since 9/11.

In total day, FNC averaged 402,000 demo viewers in 2003, 323,000 in 2004, 300,000 in 2005, and just 221,000 so far in 2006. (Year-to-date, FNC is down 26 percent from 2005, while CNN is down 21 percent.)

In primetime, FNC averaged 317,000 demo viewers in April, down from 321,000 in March and 344,000 in February. January (319,000) was the network's second-lowest month since 9/11. (Click on the graph to see it full-size.)

After Sept. 11, 2001, many new viewers discovered cable news, and ratings rose across the board. Among total viewers, FNC is holding steady: The network had 1,484,000 viewers in primetime in Sept. 2001, and 1,440,000 in primetime in April 2006. But among the highly desirable viewers in the 25-54 demo, FNC is slipping. The net averaged 623,000 demo viewers in prime in Sept. 2001, but was down to just 317,000 in April 2006.

FNC averaged 609,000 demo viewers in 2003, 530,000 in 2004, 462,000 in 2005, and just 319,000 so far in 2006. But this isn't meant to be a history lesson. FNC is recording its lowest ratings in almost five years in all the demos. April's 236,000 in the 18-49 demo was the worst since 9/11. And April's 58,000 was the second-worst in the 18-34 demo. (The worst came in March with 57,000.)

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. How do they track that stuff?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

2. Unfortunately That Trend Appears To Be Equal For Everyone.

Does it just mean that demo is getting bored of news? Each network is trending almost identically based on that graph, so it's not like FNC is losing them and MSNBC is gaining them.

[WCGreen]

3. Maybe if they actually did some journalism instead of just look

good and read the news....

If everyone on DU stopped watching the crap that passes for news and read the on line papers and magazines...

The demo would track even lower....

Say what you will about the NYT and Washington Post, at least they have reporters out there actually doing some good journalism....

The editorial decisions are questionable at best, but at least they are still performing their jobs...

BTW, when was the last time a cable "news" channel actually discovered something that wasn't fed to them or won an award for excellence in journalism....

no wonder the eyeballs are leaving....

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

4. "If everyone on DU stopped watching the crap... ...The demo would track

even lower"

Not true, Only a slight few if any DU'ers have ratings boxes. I haven't heard of any actually. So DU'ers tuning out would have zero impact on ratings.

But on the rest of your sentiment, I totally agree.

[depakid]

7. I agree, except about the Post

That's worthless paper- they even try to spin thier science stories! I've seen more outright false statements of fact- straight up lies- from "undisclosed sources"- in the Post than almost anywhere else.

They have ZERO crediblity in my book-

And apparently in others' too, because they recently announced that they'd be cutting 10% of their workforce.

[depakid]

5. Why would that be unfortunate?

I think people are just getting wise to fact that they're being constantly misinformed and lied to. Personally, I can't think of even one good reason to watch passes for "news" in America. It's pretty well useless (even more so on the local front- like I really care about who's been shot and what's burned down- or 5 weather reports an hour). That's part of what I see this trend reflecting.

I should note that you can see that to a lesser extent among the larger newspapers. For example, people see my hometown "newspaper" as little more than a bad joke. That's what hapens when run cover for right wing politicians and abusive corporations in a progressive town. You earn a reputation- and then you can't even give subscriptions away. And they try to- about every 6 months some kid comes around offering 3 month free. I don't think they get many takers.

[WCGreen]

6. I don't get the local paper anymore....

And watching the 11:00 news is almost as funny as watching the Daily Show....

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

8. As Stated, Because It Would've Been Nice To See Them Going

to MSNBC instead, for example.

I agree it is still good for them to tune out altogether, but I think it would be more telling if they jumped from the extreme RW FNC to a far less one like MSNBC. I want K.O. to have the ratings of hannity/oreilly.