CNN remains the number two cable news network, except in the primetime demo where MSNBC finished second. Against last year’s campaign coverage-heavy August, CNN saw significant decreases in total day and primetime viewership. In total day, CNN averaged 573K Total Viewers, a 13% decrease, with 162K in the demo, a 29% decrease. In primetime, CNN averaged 891K Total Viewers, a 32% decrease, with 248K in the demo, down 45%.
The biggest decreases in the demo were seen by “Lou Dobbs” (20%) and the “Situation Room” first hour (30%) and second hour (35%). And while “Campbell Brown” had a 4% decrease in the demo, the hour was up 13% in Total Viewers.
CNN’s press release after the jump…
Campbell Brown Grows in Total Viewers Compared to a Year Ago, Larry King Live Tops Maddow in Total Viewers and
Anderson Cooper 360 outperforms Countdown with Keith Olbermann in Total Viewers and Demo 25-54
CNN’s American Morning and HLN’s Morning Express with Robin Meade Outperform MSNBC’s Morning Joe
CNN Digital No. 1 TV News Property on the Web in July
For the month of August, CNN continued to top MSNBC in total day in both total viewers and in the key demo adults 25-54, and in primetime among total viewers (M-Su and M-F). In total day, CNN averaged 573k in total viewers, 45% more than MSNBC’s 396k, and posted 162k among 25-54, 13% ahead of MSNBC’s 143k. CNN also increased its total day advantage over MSNBC during August, growing to a 45% lead from 32% a year ago in total viewers, and increasing to 13% from 11% last year among 25-54.
In primetime (M-Su/M-F), CNN outperformed MSNBC among total viewers with 892k vs. 813k and 939k vs. 938k, respectively.
CNN primetime program highlights include:
Campbell Brown grew its total viewer audience compared to last year, up 13% (762k vs. 673k), while Countdown with Keith Olbermann lost -4% of his audience.
Larry King Live topped MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow in total viewers for the 11th time since her launch, averaging 1.090 million vs 1.073 million last August.
At 10p, Anderson Cooper 360 easily outperformed MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann in total viewers (866k vs. 695k) and in the 25-54 demo (260k vs. 243k).
Also in August, CNN’s American Morning outperformed MSNBC’s Morning Joe in total viewers (409k vs. 337k) and in the key demo adults 25-54 (148k vs. 117k). American Morning has topped Morning Joe every month since the MSNBC program launched in the fall of 2007 among total viewers. In August, Morning Joe placed fourth among 25-54.
On Friday evening (August 28), CNN’s coverage of Senator Kennedy’s memorial, Ted Kennedy Remembered (7-10:09p), attracted 1.929 million total viewers and 475k in the 25-54 demo. MSNBC’s coverage (7-10:20p) posted 1.377 million in total viewers and 310k among the demo, while FNC (7-10:20p) had 1.342 million and 274k, respectively. On Saturday, CNN’s coverage of the Kennedy funeral mass (10a-1:30p) averaged 2.339 million total viewers and 619k in the demo, while MSNBC had 1.096 million total viewers and 270k 25-54 and FNC posted 1.676 million in total viewers and 305k in the demo. Coverage continued into the evening with the Kennedy motorcade in Washington, D.C. and the burial at Arlington, with CNN (4-8:30 pm) registering 2.913 million total viewers and 692k 25-54. FNC (5-8:27p) posted 1.627 million total viewers and 348k 25-54, while MSNBC (5-8:32p) had 1.342 million and 335k, respectively.