CNN And MSNBC Battle Over Who’s Winning More And Losing Least

ratings

by Steve Krakauer | 9:48 am, April 28th, 2010

» 20 comments

We saw how Fox News is doing in the ratings yesterday – April made it 100 months with the network #1, and far ahead of the cable competition.

But how was April for CNN and MSNBC? Well, depends on who you ask. Here were each network’s big points – and what they mean.

• CNN is #2 from 9-6pmET – MSNBC is #2 from 6pm-MidnightET: Generally. For example, MSNBC topped CNN in the A25-54 demographic during the earlier hours and in total viewers as well in prime time (by far). But CNN wins in both categories during the day and in total viewers in total day. All the daytime “non-opinion news programming” (CNN release language) saw CNN with a big advantage in both categories.

• MSNBC isn’t just beating CNN in prime time – they’re beating CNN by a lot: Countdown won for the 26th consecutive month, more than doubling CNN in both categories (HLN was actually 3rd). The Countdown 10pmET repeat also beat the live Anderson Cooper, for the first time in total viewers in almost 10 years. Rachel Maddow topped Larry King big as well.

• But many of these MSNBC shows (and some FNC shows) are down year-to-year: CNN’s release featured an odd sub-headline at the top, touting losses by the competition (specifically Glenn Beck and Keith Olbermann). A significant portion of the release highlights losses by MSNBC and Fox News. But here’s the problem – CNN is down more. Year-to-year in April, MSNBC was down 6% and 13% in prime time, total viewers and demo, and FNC was down 19% and 13%. But CNN – down 38% and 41%. Similar numbers came up for total day.

• Robin Meade makes it a year over Morning Joe: HLN’s Morning Express with Robin Meade topped MSNBC’s Morning Joe in the demo by 63% in April – it was the 12th month beating the show in that categories. The program was also the only morning show on cable news to go up in the demo year-to-year. MSNBC, though, did beat CNN in the morning.

• Hardball and Ed Show perform solidly: For the first time ever, Chris Matthews beat CNN at 5pmET in total viewers (but lost in demo). The repeat beat John King USA in both categories. Ed Schultz beat The Situation Room in both categories and grew year-to-year.

• Joy!: The cable news show to grow the most in total viewers year-to-year? Joy Behar‘s on HLN at 9pmET.

What’s missing here are CNN victories – very little about prime time, and even less about new shows like Ali Velshi‘s, Rick Sanchez‘ and John King’s. For MSNBC, we don’t see much about the new shows either – Daily Rundown, Dylan Ratigan‘s. For the most part, April continued to separate the two networks even more obviously as news vs. opinion. During the news day hours, CNN is #2, when it’s opinion hours, MSNBC takes over, and takes over big.

—–
» Follow Steve Krakauer on Twitter

CNN, msnbc, Ratings

MarkStr82Hell

Life is about winners and losers. CNN and MSNBC are the Negoes and Mexicans and Fox News Channel
are the Asians and Whites.
Grammie

MarkStr82Hell says:
April 28, 2010 at 10:00 am

Do you have to work hard to be that obnoxious or does it just come naturally?
MarkStr82Hell

Tongue-in-cheek, Grandma.
tws258

Isn’t this like arguing over which boat has the smaller hole ?
Grammie

MarkStr82Hell says:
April 28, 2010 at 10:56 am

Tongue-in-cheek, Grandma.

In that case my apologies.
The Real Royal King

No, tws258, it’s more like saying that FOX is the largest minnow in the ocean of television news, and CNN and MSNBC are smaller minnows.
The Real Royal King

MarkStr82Hell says:
April 28, 2010 at 10:56 am

Tongue-in-cheek, Grandma.

—

That, coupled with your offensive avatar, strongly suggests otherwise.

By the way, it wasn’t in the least funny except to the the assembled bigots and racists.
MichelleF

Wow, battling for the bottom fo the barrel How sad.
MichelleF

Since you keep forgetting King, FOX was votes the MOST trusted name in NEWS. I can see why you libs like to block that out. It has to hurt.
writer

Yes, being bigoted against entire groups of people or entire sections of the country is wrong, isn’t it, King? (I know. Yoke of oppression, sting of discrimination, blah, blah, blah.)
tws258

The Real Royal King says :No, tws258, it’s more like saying that FOX is the largest minnow in the ocean of television news, and CNN and MSNBC are smaller minnows.

The article did not address the “ocean of television news” it was addressing a specific segment of said ocean, CNN and MSNBC ratings ,which I commented upon.
The Real Royal King

MichelleF says:
April 28, 2010 at 11:28 am

Since you keep forgetting King, FOX was votes the MOST trusted name in NEWS. I can see why you libs like to block that out. It has to hurt.

—

I know of the poll about which you ramble so incessantly, Michelle, but it really doesn’t make any sense does it. FOX’s best programming (in terms of viewership) never tops 3% of Americans, and generally only 1%. Yet, we are told 49% trust FOX? You can do the math. It simply doesn’t fly. That’s much like saying that John Stewart is the most trusted newsman in America. That is demonstrably true by polling. But, he has a very small audience. I think we are in one of those “prettiest girl in West Virginia” and “brightest boy in Alabama” situations here.
Olby Sucks

The phony queen is very good at making olbyloon diversions…
writer

It’s like claiming to be a white Texan, but hating white southerners and mocking them with stereotypes. It just doesn’t make sense.
MichelleF

Believe what you want King. If FOX and Beck didn’t have enourmous clout, you libs wouldn’t spend so much time running them down. You’d just ignore them.
writer

“prettiest girl in West Virginia”. “brightest boy in Alabama”. Two entire states stereotyped. The King is on his game today. (Yoke of oppression, sting of discrimination, etc., etc.)
The Real Royal King

MichelleF says:
April 28, 2010 at 12:15 pm

Believe what you want King. If FOX and Beck didn’t have enourmous clout, you libs wouldn’t spend so much time running them down. You’d just ignore them.

—

I swear I didn’t set you on a continuous loop, Michelle.
Rusty Shackelford

Olbermann now bills his show as the highest rated non-fox show. Thats kind of like the Phillies calling themselves the best non-yankee baseball team last year.
http://none pyrope

Maybe this will result in Madcow and Kink promoting a cage fight that will settle the argument as to whom deserves to be known as #2.
Latin2

It’s a battle for the bottom tier.