HLN, like the other cable nets, was down year-to-year in total viewers and the demo, but some programs made progress against the competition.
First, here are HLN’s April ’10 averages:
Total day (Mon-Sun): 296K Total / 134K A25-54
Prime (Mon-Sun): 512K Total / 166K A25-54
HLN was the only network to show demo growth — though it was minimal — compared to the Q1 averages.
HLN remained in fourth in total viewers for total day and primetime, but in the A25-54 demo, finished #2 in total day behind Fox News and #3 in prime behind FNC and MSNBC.
The only morning program to show growth was HLN’s “Morning Express” which was up +9% in the demo. Behind FNC’s dominant “Fox & Friends,” “Morning Express” was again the second most viewed program in the demo (third, ahead of “American Morning,” in total viewers).
Though it still trailed the competition on CNN, MSNBC, and FNC in total viewership, the only program to show significant year-to-year growth in primetime cable was “Joy Behar,” which is up 31% in Total Viewers. “Behar” did eke out a win against CNN’s “Larry King Live” in the demo, drawing 159K to King’s 157K.
The 11pmET edition of “Showbiz Tonight” finished #2 in the demo ahead of the second hour of “AC360” and the replay of “Maddow.”
HLN portion of the CNN release after the jump…
HLN
For the second time this year (and the 6th time in the past 12 months), HLN has topped MSNBC among 25-54 viewers during total day in April (134k vs. 129k), a 4% advantage. Previously, HLN topped MSNBC among total day demo in January 2010 (131k vs. 123k).
Morning Express with Robin Meade beat MSNBC’s Morning Joe among 25-54 (188k vs. 115k), a 63% advantage. This month marks a complete year of monthly Morning Express demo victories over Morning Joe, as the HLN morning program has topped it competitor every month since April 2009. Additionally, Morning Express was the only cable news morning program to post a gain among 25-54 (+9%) compared to year ago (188k vs. 173k).
Across the entire cable news weekday line-up, HLN’s The Joy Behar Show grew the more than any other program among total viewers compared to April 2009, up 31% (610k vs. 465k).