Red Eye Resurgence: More Demo Viewers Watch Fox At 3am Than CNN at 8pm

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by Steve Krakauer | 3:18 pm, October 5th, 2009

» 58 comments

Fox News’ 3amET comedy/news hybrid Red Eye is in a league of its own when it comes to cable news shows. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a player in the ratings.

Despite its late (or early, depending on your sleep habits) start time, the ratings for the show continue to improve, and surprisingly, top some cable news competition you might not expect.

Last week we were forwarded this message board post on ActivityPit.com – Red Eye‘s online community that feeds its dedicated base of fans. Here’s a part:

The ratings came out for September and Red Eye is up over 30% in total viewers and up 50% in the key demo (25-54) since July. They have more overall viewers than every CNBC show, every MSNBC show that is on before Hardball, most of HLN, and American Morning on CNN.

The show is looking up year-to-year as well. Compared to September 2008, the program grew 23% in total viewers and 43% in the A25-54 demographic. But let’s look at the individual shows. Last week we wrote about the 13 shows at the top of the ratings in September – all on Fox News. Red Eye, naturally, wasn’t one of them. Here’s where they fell – this is the full chart for September programs.

Red Eye averaged 432,000 total viewers and 202,000 in the demo. Let’s deal with the demo first – CNN’s 8pmET show, hosted by Campbell Brown, averaged 191,000 in the demo. Let’s just let that one sink in – Fox News had more people in the all important A25-54 demographic watching their channel at three in the morning (east coast time) than CNN had for the show that leads off their prime time. This says as much about Fox News as it does about CNN. Wow.

In total viewers (and demo), Red Eye beat the cable news competition three hours later. All three other morning shows, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, CNN’s American Morning and HLN’s Morning Express had less viewers in September.

Part of the credit for this can be attributed to Red Eye, which has been consistently growing since its debut in 2007 and built up a solid following. Host Greg Gutfeld and regulars Bill Schulz and Andy Levy have been effective in connecting with their viewers through new media and other means. Some credit goes to Glenn Beck, whose repeat at 2amET was added a few months ago, providing a nice lead-in for the show. But in general, this shows not only the continued and expanding dominance of Fox News, but a major boost for the program some people thought wouldn’t survive.

It has, and continues to defy the odds, pulling in strong ratings, big guests and interesting segments at an hour normally reserved for re-runs and infomercials.

Here’s a look at some recent segments on Red Eye:

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Andy Levy, Bill Schulz, fnc, fox news, greg gutfeld, Ratings, red eye

Zakk

Ha!
CaptainAmerica

Come on Mediaite! Those are the clips you chose to show! Why don’t you use some clips that show how funny the show really is…. and why it gets the ratings it does??!!

Where’s Lauren Sivan doing YOGA NEWS?! Lauren Sivan is the hottest thing on FNC. She also has to put up with a ton of hate mail/tweets every time FNC bumps “Red Eye” for Obama coverage or some other crappy “breaking news”. When she agreed to do Yoga News she said it would be “TV MAGIC”. She was right!! Hey FNC, wake up! Lauren should have her own show!!

Where’s Shira Lazar doing Ab News?

Where’s any mention of “The Leg Chair”?

Have you ever even seen the show??!

“Red Eye” is the best show on Fox News Channel by far, but they treat it as the bastard step child. While Red Eye crushes shows like American Morning, Morning Joe, Campbell Brown and others–do you think Greg is getting anywhere near $1M + a year like those hosts?

Fox has gone all out over IMUS IMUS IMUS, but Greg Gutfelds show has better ratings than Imus ever did over on MSNBC. Where’s the love for Greg?

Sure there needs to be some changes made on the show. Dumping Bill Schultz along with “pinch” would be a great start to making the show better.

Also, people want to know why Greg and the producer won’t have Julie Banderas back on the show. What could she have possibly done to upset them?

Where has Ainsley Earhardt been? Why haven’t they had Carrie Keagan back on? She was once a regular! Why does Jenna Lee (the most requested FBN babe) refuse to go on the show? And if you want a great clip to show Mediaite, show the one where Andy is talking about Carrie’s breasts. That is why the show gets the ratings it does.

Also, no mention of ASK A BEE, the segments with the future President of the US– Gov Mike Huckabee. Will all his appearances on “Red Eye” hurt when he runs again?

One also wonders why RED EYE (with bigger ratings that MORNING JOE) can’t get a deal like they have with STARBUCKS…. . where’s Red Eye’s VISINE sponsorship?

This is a show that FNC needs to think about moving over to FX! It would make a great show at 11:00 or 12:00 pm on that network. They could get away with more and it wouldn’t be pre-empted all the time.
CaptainAmerica

Now for some REAL “Red Eye” moments:

Carrie Keagan’s huge rack: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Km0_gKyAlEo

Lauren Sivan YOGA NEWS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdMr4BQ2L7s

Shira Lazar AB NEWS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MBEL1avd7g

Who needs Gene and Paul when you’ve got Ace Frehley on “Red Eye”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmf6JhPzWA8
sarainitaly

i love Red Eye, but can only view the videos online. I wish they would post more of the show. My favorite part is Andy, though, and they always post that segment.
CaptainAmerica

Sara: They have some full episodes available on HULU.com. Don’t know why the don’t have more of them.

http://www.hulu.com/red-eye
rmbltmbl

fun show
http://www.facebook.com/people/Drew-Matich/575765938 Drew Matich

If they posted all complete shows on HULU, it would probably mark the end of my DirecTV subscription..
libra blue

I love “Redeye!” Greg, Bill, and Andy are masters of comedy! Anyone unafraid of smacking down Hollyweird gets my respect every time!

“Redeye” is hip, fresh, and hilarious! It makes “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” look old and dated and Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert (who I used to really like) sound tiring and predictable in comparison.
Magister

The demo thing is probably because more people who are up at that hour are in the demo, as there are those who want to watch news in primetime.

I’ve watched Red Eye off and on via Hulu, since shortly after SteveK first started singing their praises on his previous website. For the longest time, you could only get one segment on Hulu and because it often referenced other segments, it seemed a bit out of place.

I’ve also wondered why they don’t put the shows online quickly like TDS and Colbert, but if I were to make any kind of complaint, it’d be the same as the one I occasionally voice about the topic-driven, humorous blogosphere; It’s usually a bunch of relatively young people holding forth on things they don’t really know.

But, I still frequent the blogosphere, and I’ll still occasionally watch episodes of Red Eye on Hulu and on those occasions that I think about it, I have been known to let Red Eye run in the background, if I’m doing something and have the tv on for noise.
Magister

IOW: If they uploaded Red Eye to Hulu in a more timely manner, I’d probably let it run more often.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ted-Silliman/1203235293 Ted Silliman

I guess if you are a dou che bag with no social life and no job, you can stay up all night to watch that cr ap. Of course, comparing this train wreck to CNN primetime, when normal people watch regular TV, is the only way it comes out looking good.

Daily Show: 6.5 millions viewers weekly
Red Eye: 200K viewers WEAKly
Facebook User

I think RedEye is one of the Best Shows on TV. We love it. After we stopped watching John Stewart’s Daily Show we really felt something was missing. We have watched RedEye since day one & even watch the reruns. (I am 55, husband 57.)

Keep up the good work Fox, Greg, Bill & TVs Andy
m

Red Eye is a fun show. Unfortunately it’s just like every other Fox News show: conservative. But when you discard that, it can be funny at times.
Lurker

Does this idiot Ted Silliman know how to do math?

Red Eye has 400K+ viewers every night so how can it have 200K weekly viewers?

What a a$$clown! Hahahahaha
ChrisG

If ratings keep trending the way they have been, Red Eye might have a chance at surpassing the remaining non-FNC shows that they are trailing in the 25-54 demo. Maybe even by year’s end.

October’s ratings are going to be interesting.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chuck-Steele/1147844375 Chuck Steele

We DVR Red-Eye every night and watch it at bed time the following night. It is always funny to those who get it. Bonus, most every night, there is a beautiful young woman siting in the chair on the end just making sure that I have blood presure and good vision.
JunkJunk

FOXnews does entertainment. That’s why they get the ratings, even for crappy shows like Red Eye. There is no news content to be seen on their channel (except during Shep Smith’s hours: everything else is propaganda dressed up as entertainment).

Whatever gets the ratings…
JunkJunk

BTW – Chuck Steele, you’re beginning to sound a bit David Letterman-ish, and that’s starting to creep me out…

;-)
Yephora

You want funny Red Eye? Here’s funny Red Eye…
http://www.popmodal.com/video/3585/
sarainitaly

CaptainAmerica says:

Hulu doesn’t allow out of country viewers. :O(

Drives me crazy because I live in Italy, but I still watch TV (via Slingbox)/ and videos from America, and BUY stuff via internet all the time. I wrote asking to get Morning Joe to stream live, since Europeans are in a much more friendly time zone to view his show. And with Starbuck’s as an advertiser, they should – there are plenty of Starbucks’ in Europe (but not in italy).

Also, business travelers are stuck in their hotels with the crap Sky News on 15 minute repeats, and CNN (’nuff said) International, which repeats content over and over again. People on business in Europe would, I bet, love streaming Red Eye and Morning Joe (and Willies Geist). And the advertising is still hitting their consumer.

Ok, enough whine. Time for dinner, and some wine.
jkingo

This is great news. As a fan of the humor of “lad” mags like Maxim and FHM, which Greg used to edit, I find this show comparable in wit and edge. Keep up the good work, gang! I tivo it everyday!
StewartIII

NewsBusters: ‘Red Eye’ Gets More ‘Demo’ Viewers at 3AM Than CNN Does at 8PM
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/10/06/red-eye-gets-more-demo-viewers-3am-cnn-does-8pm
LevyLover

Ted Silliman and JunkJunk are the d0uchebags!! This show is awesome but then again Ladies Love Casual Andy (he’s joolicious) and adore Greg and Bill as well. Some of us have no control over not having a job so to keep the depression level down we watch this funny as hel| show!!
If you, Mr. Silliman, have a job then good for you. Leave those of us who don’t, but are trying, to watch the best show on TV in peace.
If you don’t like the show, then why they hel| are you bothering to read this article AND take the friggin’ time to bellyache about it. Go mow your lawn or wash your windows, Mr. Average American, I’m sure your little wifie poo has something for your boring as$ to do.
kimross

That’s funny…. I have started to record it to watch later in the day… there is no way I am staying up that late nor am I getting up that early… I need my beauty rest for crying out loud.

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bradstyris

Cobalt’s Gin deserves all the praise it got . Awesome stuff . Mcsorley seems like a pretty intelligent guy with more than one side to him . Gotta respect anyone who joins the army for life to show that he’s serious about his war metal .Red Eye is for people who aren’t smart enough to understand The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show. I usually don’t generalize like that, but if you watch Fox news for any show, go fuck yourself! Especially if you have anything but hatred for that slimy little bitch, Glen Beck.

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MCGIRV

Red Eye Rocks!
n5dpk

My wife and I found Red Eye about a year and a half ago and frankly we had to watch it a few times before we caught on to Gutfeld’s humor. When we did finally GET IT, it reminded me of some of the first Saturday Night Live shows in the beginning years. Well written shows with some of the best on the edge humor every on late night TV.. Back in the early 1960′s the old Steve Allen Show was again the funniest late night show because Allen was a great comedy writer. Gutfeld is a genius most nights with his rapid fire lines and his guests are challenged with the timing that is spot on. Funny stuff. !!! My wife and I are in our 60′s so we don’t fit the demographic but that’s OK we still watch the show everyday ,DVR of course, and are entertained every time we watch.

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lesliehiggins

Gutfeld’s humor is like an acquired taste. I am one of the hundreds of thousands of people who watch Red Eye and I say this show is very well written. No wonder CNN is lagging behind. My late night TV has never been the same again!
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http://www.facebook.com/people/Shelley-Aronson/1199396083 Shelley Aronson

Please Hulu, add more red eye, can’ t stay up every nite til 3:00AM.every nite. More Dr. Mark Lamont Hill pleased. Love ya!
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http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1144653961 Rony Bony Tony

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My wife and I found the Red Eye about a year and a half ago, and frankly, we have observed a couple of times before getting caught Gutfeld humor. When we finally got it, it reminded me a little ‘Saturday Night Live’s first show at the beginning of the period. A well-written shows some of the best humor on the edge of each late-night TV .. Back in the early 1960′s, the old Steve Allen Show was once again the best show Late Night, because Allen was a brilliant comedy writer. Gutfeld is a genius almost every night in his constant lines and guests with the timing of the challenge is there. Entertainment. ! My wife and I have our 60, so do not fit the demographic, but it’s still OK to watch the show everyday, DVR, of course, to entertain, and every time to watch.
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