July Ratings: Not ‘Friends’ With O’Brien’s

CNN is already beginning to benefit from The O’Brien’s. “In Miles O’Brien‘s first full month as co-host of CNN’s American Morning with Soledad O’Brien and Miles O’Brien, the program experienced significant increases in both P2+ and P 25-54, versus July 2004 while FNC’s Fox and Friends decreased,” CNN’s ratings press release says.

American Morning averaged 495,000 viewers in July, up from 471,000 in July 2004 — a five percent increase. Fox & Friends averaged 890,000 viewers in July, and CNN says it declined nine percent compared to last July. AM is also up 12 percent in the 25-54 demographic, from 147,000 to 164,000 viewers.

> Fox & Friends is the #10 show on cable news, and American Morning is #17…

> Update: 3:47pm: “CNN kept “The O’Briens” on air for hours on end (well past their normal end time) during the terrorist attacks and other big events in July,” an e-mailer says. “CNN was intentionally inflating the shows’ numbers by attributing the network’s breaking news coverage of such events solely to “American Morning.” Of course CNN is going to say they are up, but what are the real “non-inflated” numbers? Give me a break.”

> Update: 5:45pm: By labeling breaking news coverage “American Morning,” CNN benefited from increased viewership during busy news periods. An accurate time period comparison — 7 to 10am for AM — shows the program averaging 474,000 viewers in July, only a tiny increase from 471,000 in July 2004. F&F’s time period average was 890,000.