October 2011 was a big one for cable news, with the Presidential debates and the final leg of the campaign generating huge numbers for cable news. Fox News was the biggest beneficiary, placing number one in primetime among all ad-supported cable channels for the month. The last time FNC placed number for the month was September 2005, when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast.
The ratings for October 2012:
- Primetime (Mon-Sun): 3,459,000 Total Viewers / 795,000 A25-54
- Total Day (Mon-Sun): 1,577,000 Total Viewers / 378,000 A25-54
Compared to the same month last year, the network is up in Total Viewers (+86% in primetime and +50% in Total Day) as well as in the key news demo of adults 25-54 viewers (+120% in primetime and +51% in Total Day).
In primetime, “The O’Reilly Factor” had its strongest month since the last Presidential campaign in October 2008, while “Hannity” posted its best numbers yet since moving to the Colmes-less format in November 2008. “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren” saw its highest ratings since April 2003, when the U.S. invaded Iraq.
In daytime, “America’s Newsroom” and “Happening Now”each had their best month every in total viewers, with “America Live with Megyn Kelly” also posting a total viewership record. “Special Report with Bret Baier” had its best month in total viewers since Baier took over as anchor, while “The Five” had its best month ever in both total and demo viewers.