CNN and Fox News viewership surged when Saddam Hussein was executed Friday night.
At 9pm, as cable news awaited the execution, Hannity & Colmes was on top with 838,000 demo and 3,039,000 total viewers. Larry King had 637,000 demo and 1,873,000 viewers, and MSNBC had 226,000 demo and 508,000 viewers.
Anderson Cooper beat Greta Van Susteren from 10pm to midnight, when both hosts were in their chairs.
CNN delivered 2,981,000 total viewers, with 1,421,000 in the 25-54 demo. FNC delivered 2,602,000 viewers, with 976,000 in the demo. (MSNBC had 704,000 viewers with 340,000 in the demo.)
Compared to their monthly time period averages, CNN was up 429 percent in viewers and 573 percent in the demo, more than any other cable news net.
Greta was #1 in total viewers at 10pm, with 3,338,000 compared to Cooper’s 3,265,000… but Cooper was #1 in the demo, with 1,448,000 (compared to Greta’s 1,174,000).
At 11pm, Greta dropped to 1,865,000 total viewers, while Cooper had 2,697,000. In the demo, Greta had 778,000 and Cooper had 1,393,000.
Click continued for the midnight to 2am data…
Midnight to 1am:
CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 averaged 1,032,000 demo and 2,039,000 total viewers.
FNC’s execution coverage delivered 704,000 demo and 1,518,000 total viewers.
MSNBC’s Headliners & Legends special about Saddam had 330,000 demo and 714,000 total viewers.
1 to 2am:
CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, from 1 to 1:15am, had 1,003,000 demo and 2,078,000 total viewers. The simulcast of CNNI from 1:15 to 2am had 687,000 demo and 1,363,000 total viewers.
FNC’s execution coverage delivered 536,000 demo and 1,083,000 total viewers.
MSNBC’s Headliners & Legends special about Saddam had 225,000 demo and 480,000 total viewers.