Not satisfied with being, by far, the #1 cable news channel, Mediaweek’s Anthony Crupi writes about Fox News Channel’s ambition to be the #1 cable channel on the dial.
Since the inauguration, Fox News commands nearly half of the gross ratings points in the cable news marketplace, and is now on course to mark its tenth straight week as ad-supported cable’s No. 2 network.
“This is a great chance for us to step back and say, ‘By the way, virtually all the growth in cable over the last year has been a result of news’,” FNC EVP of sales Paul Rittenberg tells Crupi. “If even two guys who don’t have news on their spec sheet say, ‘Hey let’s take a look at this,’ then I’m happy.”
NBCU’s USA network has been the #1 cable network in prime every week this year and, Crupi writes, “isn’t likely to be overtaken until the fourth quarter, when ESPN storms back with Monday Night Football.”
“Look, Rittenberg is a smart guy and he has to say something new, something other than ‘We’re creaming CNN’,” says media strategist Gary Carr. “This time of year, every network is trying to position themselves, make themselves stand out from the crowd. It’s a good story, but they’re not going to be taking anything away from USA”