Cable Ranker: During DNC Fox News Maintains Slight Lead, While MSNBC Sets Ratings Record

By Alex Weprin 

The Democratic National Convention provided an enormous ratings boost to the cable news channels last week, with MSNBC and CNN in particular seeing dramatic ratings increases. Whereas last week Fox News was the number one cable channel on all of TV, with CNN and MSNBC in the top 25, this week Fox News was 3rd in primetime and 4th in total day among ad-supported cable networks, with MSNBC and CNN cracking the top 10.

FNC averaged 1.99 million total viewers in primetime, and 1.18 million in total day.

MSNBC placed 4th in primetime for the week with 1.92 million viewers, and 12th in total day with 777,000 viewers. The network also set a ratings record however in M-F primetime ratings, winning the week for the first time ever in total viewers. CNN was on top by 7,000 viewers in the demo, but it was a notable moment for MSNBC nonetheless.

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CNN was 6th in primetime and 14th in total day, averaging 1.85 million and 683,000 viewers, respectively.

HLN was 40th in primetime and 42nd in total day with 322,000 and 245,000 viewers, respectively. Current TV saw a bit of a ratings bump, placing 88th in primetime and total day, averaging 54,000 and 36,000 viewers, respectively.

Among the business networks: CNBC was 53rd in primetime and 49th in total day, averaging 201,000 and 171,000 viewers, respectively. Fox Business was 81st in primetime and in total day, averaging 89,00 and 63,000 viewers, respectively. Bloomberg TV isn’t rated by Nielsen, and hasn’t been since it launched in the mid 90’s.

The full ranker:

All Cable Ranker Week of 9-3-12

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