Fox News programming continues to rank at the top of the cable news landscape, but CNN and MSNBC series made some in-roads in October, particularly when it came to performance among younger viewers.
Fox News remained dominant in total audience rankings for October 2016. FNC claimed 8 of the top 10 cable news programs for the month in total audience, once again led by The O’Reilly Factor. The Kelly File finished No. 2 in total viewers, followed by Hannity, Special Report with Bret Baier, The Five, and On the Record with Brit Hume. MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show was the most-watched non-Fox News program, followed by its lead-out The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, with Fox News’ America’s Newsroom and Your World with Neil Cavuto rounding out the top 10.
The Kelly File was the No. 1 cable news program for the month of October among adults 25-54, up +71 percent from October 2015, and ahead of Bill O’Reilly by +20,000 viewers. Fox News took the top 3 spots in A25-54 (The O’Reilly Factor and Hannity followed Kelly), but Anderson Cooper 360, which averaged 571,000 viewers, was the highest-rated non-Fox News program of the month and ranked No. 4 overall. MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show ranked 5th in the demo, followed by CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, Erin Burnett Outfront, Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, with Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier and On the Record with Brit Hume rounded out the top 10. That’s 5 from Fox News, 3 from CNN and 2 from MSNBC. Not quite the dominance we have become accustomed to.
Additionally, Erin Burnett Outfront grew +131 percent in the demo from October 2015, and beat On the Record. Burnett’s win represents CNN’s first victory over Fox News in the demo at 7 p.m. since 2001.