MSNBC Dayside Demo Ratings Lowest In 11 Years

Hey media writers and TV critics – remember when you had all those ideas about how to help CNN’s lagging prime time ratings?

Well, put on those executive hats again because it’s time to help MSNBC. The network’s 9am-5pmET (dayside ratings) is headed for its worst year since 1999, with even less viewers in May.

The MSNBC ratings comparison is based on the A25-54 demographic, and so far in 2010 the network is averaging 73,000 from 9am-5pmET. In the first two weeks of May, that average falls to 68,000. It takes going back to 1999 (less than three years after the network launched) to find an average lower.

This is a storyline we’ve discussed before, last year. It showed that CNN generally finishes 2nd place on cable during these hours, while MSNBC is fourth, and sometimes even 5th (behind fellow NBCU network CNBC). While MSNBC has far surpassed CNN during the prime time, and even pre-prime time hours, the dayside ratings are still low, despite occasional line-up shuffling. Also, it should be noted, Fox News is far and away in first place in every category.

Before 9amET, MSNBC beats CNN as well (in total viewers, but not in demo). It was mentioned in Sunday’s fawning New York Times profile of Morning Joe that the program regularly beat CNN’s American Morning in total viewers. Not mentioned, however, was that HLN’s Morning Express regularly beats MSNBC – and has for more than a year. But the problems are really from 9-5.

So how does MSNBC fix this? Well hopefully the dozens of media writers have some ideas of their own. But when looking at what has been successful for the network, certain themes emerge. With Keith Olbermann as the face of the new MSNBC, we see strong personalities, and yes, a liberal tilt. That works for Rachel Maddow, as well as Ed Schultz and Chris Matthews before prime time. It doesn’t worry about sometimes appealing to partisan emotions – and in the process has built a loyal audience that has grown in the last few years (although MSNBC shows have declined year-to-year, as most programs have).

One solution could be to build up the dayside hours with more personality-driven news. While Andrea Mitchell and Chuck Todd are well respected journalists, their anchoring duties have not produced significant ratings. For a visual representation of these ratings, take a look at the usual ratings charts, but with the 9am-5pmET ratings filled in. We picked a random day, Tuesday.

Update – Mediaite publisher Dan Abrams (who is Chief Legal Analyst for NBC News and often appears on MSNBC) defends MSNBC’s ratings in comments below, saying “anyone who says that MSNBC (on the whole) in the past five years has not become a real success story is either too blinded by politics or isn’t paying attention.”

(Here’s the actual Tuesday ratings report.):

TV NEWS RATINGS: 25-54 DEMOGRAPHIC (L +SD)
9 am	Am Newsroom 353	Newsroom 125	Daily Run. 50	Express Cont. —
10 am	Am Newsroom 346	Newsroom 118	MSNBC Live 69	Express 76
11 am	Hap. Now 206	Newsroom 136	MSNBC Live 42	Showbiz 52
12 pm	Hap. Now 175	Newsroom 145	MSNBC Live 33	News 60
1 pm	America Live 254	Velshi 154	Michell Rep. 43	News 62
2 pm	America Live 247	Velshi 157	MSNBC Live 41	News 61
3 pm	Studio B 222	Rick’s List 143	MSNBC Live 59	News 54
4 pm	Cavuto 285	Rick’s List 131	Ratigan 110	News 76
TOTAL DAY	315	131	118	111
Data by Nielsen Media Research. Live and same day (DVR) data.

TV NEWS RATINGS: TOTAL VIEWERS (L +SD)
9 am	Am Newsroom 1292	Newsroom 446	Daily Run. 295	Express Cont. —
10 am	Am Newsroom 1200	Newsroom 470	MSNBC Live 279	Express 250
11 am	Hap. Now 916	Newsroom 477	MSNBC Live 212	Showbiz 253
12 pm	Hap. Now 791	Newsroom 499	MSNBC Live 208	News 259
1 pm	America Live 1092	Velshi 607	Michell Rep. 299	News 230
2 pm	America Live 1211	Velshi 436	MSNBC Live 257	News 223
3 pm	Studio B 1100	Rick’s List 514	MSNBC Live 236	News 174
4 pm	Cavuto 1373	Rick’s List 538	Ratigan 355	News 177
TOTAL DAY	1170	444	392	285
Data by Nielsen Media Research. Live and same day (DVR) data.

Obviously the bigger issue is demo than total viewers, but the numbers are striking. While CNN struggles in prime time, MSNBC struggles during the day.

Media writers, let’s hear those ideas!

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