CNBC’s #’s: “Heading In The Right Direction”

This week’s Variety includes a story about CNBC’s new 8pm programming and its recent ratings gains. Michael Learmonth writes:

“CNBC’s Nielsen viewership — not an accurate metric because most CNBC viewing occurs in workplaces — peaked in 2001 at 330,000 just before the Internet bubble burst. After that, the net fell into a prolonged slump; at the beginning of 2005, the average was 134,000.

But from May 2005 to last month, CNBC had increased every hour during Business Day compared with the previous year, reversing a four-year slide. So far in 2006, total viewers have rebounded to 211,000. Still small, but for the first time in years, CNBC’s numbers are heading in the right direction.”

> Also: “The average number of daily guests — CEOs, traders, pundits — more than doubled from 42 to 87” since Hoffman came to CNBC…