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Cable News Ratings for Thursday August 7, 2008

Posted on 08 August 2008 by Robert Seidman

Looks like Keith Olbermann tanked again and dragged MSNBC down with him. I don’t really follow any of this stuff personally (though am glad to post the data) so I don’t really have any theories on this. The best theory that I have is that half of Olbermann’s viewers were O’Reilly lovers who just had to see what KO is up to and they got sick of it.

Nancy Grace does continue her surge, but that doesn’t account for all of the missing Countdown viewers. Truthfully I have no real theory, conspiracy or otherwise, but the numbers are down. Your guess probably is better than mine…

Live + Same Day Cable News Daily Ratings for August 7, 2008

P2+ Total Day
FNC – 1,026,000 viewers
CNN – 488,000 viewers
MSNBC – 225,000 viewers
CNBC – 203,000 viewers
HLN – 302,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 2,093,000 viewers
CNN – 806,000 viewers
MSNBC- 407,000 viewers
CNBC – a scratch w/106,000 viewers
HLN – 741,000 viewers

25-54 Total Day
FNC – 243,000 viewers
CNN –155,000 viewers
MSNBC – 78,000 viewers
CNBC – 70,000 viewers
HLN- 135,000 viewers

25-54 Prime Time
FNC – 462,000 viewers
CNN – 245,000 viewers
MSNBC – 119,000 viewers
CNBC – a scratch w/ 34,000 viewers
HLN – 275,000 viewers

35-64 Total Day
FNC – 452,000 viewers
CNN – 241,000 viewers
MSNBC – 107,000 viewers
CNBC – 116,000 viewers
HLN – 176,000 viewers

35-64 Prime Time
FNC – 797,000 viewers
CNN – 359,000 viewers
MSNBC – 182,000 viewers
CNBC – 63,000 viewers
HLN – 388,000 viewers

Morning programs (6:00AM-9:00AM) P2+ (25-54) (35-64)
FOX & Friends – 805,000 viewers (204,000) (476,000)
American Morning- 407,000 viewers (184,000) (284,000)
Morning Joe- 166,000 viewers (52,000) (71,000)
Squawk Box- 217,000 viewers (79,000) (158,000)
Morning Express w/ Meade- 184,000 viewers (90,000) (139,000)

6PM – P2+ (25-54) (35-64)
Special Report with Brit Hume – 1,260,000 viewers (239,000) (562,000)
Situation Room- 509,000 viewers (136,000) (211,000)
Race/WHTE HSE W. Gregory – 304,000 viewers (70,000) (140,000)
Mad Money – 234,000 viewers (84,000) (132,000)
Prime News- 267,000 viewers (110,000) (137,000)

7PM – P2+ (25-54) (35-64)
Fox Report w/ Shepard Smith – 1,423,000 viewers (246,000) (619,000)
Lou Dobbs – 594,000 viewers (108,000) (264,000)
Hardball w. Chris Matthews – 389,000 viewers (119,000) (186,000)
Kudlow & Company- 220,000 viewers (79,000) (126,000)
Glenn Beck – 324,000 viewers (64,000) (165,000)

8PM – P2+ (25-54) (35-64)
The O’Reilly Factor- 2,609,000 viewers (504,000) (938,000)
CNN Election Center– 550,000 viewers (133,000) (250,000)
Countdown w. Olbermann – 643,000 viewers (176,000) (266,000)
On the Money -126,000 viewers (a scratch with 40,000) (81,000)
Nancy Grace – 1,126,000 viewers (382,000) (510,000)

9 PM – P2+ (25-54) (35-64)
Hannity & Colmes – 1,948,000 viewers (444,000) (766,000)
Larry King Live – 1,034,000 viewers (369,000) (496,000)
Verdict w/ Dan Abrams– 280,000 viewers (84,000) (111,000)
Made in China- a scratch w/ 116,000 viewers (a scratch w/44,000) (72,000)
Glenn Beck- 497,000 viewers (136,000) (259,000)

10 PM P2+ (25-54) (35-64)
On the Record – 1,722,000 viewers (437,000) (687,000)
Anderson Cooper- 835,000 viewers (234,000) (332,000)
Countdown w/ Keith Olbermann– 296,000 viewers (97,000) (169,000)
Big Idea w/ Deutsch –a scratch w/ 77,000 viewers (a scratch w/ 16,000) (a scratch w/ 37,000)
Nancy Grace – 647,000 viewers (328,000) (419,000)

11 PM P2+ (25-54) (35-64)
The O’Reilly Factor – 1,358,000 viewers (453,000) (622,000)
Anderson Cooper – 668,000 viewers (248,000) (324,000)
MSNBC Special–303,000 viewers (151,000) (134,000)
Mad Money – a scratch with 114,000 viewers (a scratch w/ 45,000) (60,000)
Showbiz Tonight– 368,000 viewers (197,000) (210,000)

P2+ = viewers over the age of 2

(25-54) = Adults 25-54 viewing

(35-64) = Adults 35-64 viewing

Prime Time = 8-11pm

LIVE+SD: The number that watched a program either while it was broadcast OR watched via DVR on the same day [through 3AM the next day] the program was broadcast.

For more information see Numbers 101.

Scratch = when a show’s audience fails to meet minimum Nielsen reporting levels. For more information go here.

Nielsen TV Ratings Data: ©2008 Nielsen Media Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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  • Irina
    Keith, Keith, Keith

    You are an angry, frustrated liberal. That's why I watched you for a while- I got a lot of laughs. But... then it ocurred to me that you are under the delusion that you are fair and balanced. I didn't want to encourage you by raising your ratings so I tuned out. Maybe I'll watch again if you make John Edwards the WORST PERSON of the day. Come on... I double dare you!
  • Rich Rummy
    When a show like Nancy grace doubles your audience you should be looking for a different career.
  • Ricj=h Rummy
    maybe BO's audience own homes with air conditioners while KO's are being throw out of theirs by the bush backed crooked mortgage industry
  • StephenMartin
    I don't think the Olympics, or the fact that it is lighter outside have anything to do with it. If those were the case, then why are the other shows either up from Tuesday (and previous days), or even? Seems that MSNBC is down across the board. Especially Olbermann. Yet shows like Larry King and BOR are up, as well as Special Report, Fox Report, Mad Money, Prime News, On the Money, Hannity and Colmes, Beck, Grace, On the Record, etc. Not to mention that the Olympics were not on on Wednesday night ( it was light then also) and Olbermann was at around 600K too. In fact, a case could be made that since the Olympics are on the NBC network, and MSNBC gets crumbs from the mother network, their numbers would be up.
  • tokar
    "What I am saying about the soccer thing is that I am a KO fan, followed him from SportsCenter to MSNBC, so I am a devout watcher, yet, I missed Olbermann on Wednesday because I thought that MSNBC had switched to Olympic soccer coverage."

    I am pretty much guaranteeing that this is the reason for the 40% drop. No one drops 40% instantly unless they say something REALLLLY insensitive, except Olbermann is not dumb enough to do that. Im sure everyone though "oh Olympics ads, that must mean broadcast news is over till the Olympics are done. I think I will either not watch it or just watch NBC."
  • Larry LeBlanc
    Does anyone ever call Olbermann to task on his claims ? I have looked at the
    O'Rielly - Olberman Neilson Ratings and I do not see what Olbermann is claiming
    Can someone show me where I may be wrong. He made a major mistake about a month ago in his ratings claims. Newsmax.com caught it and you can look on the web Newsmax.com June 23rd "O"reill Trouknces Olbermann in Ratings"
  • Foxisnotanewschannel
    I think it may have to do with that fact that it is light outside, KO's audience is younger and has not turned on the tv or is on summer vacation. O'Reilly's audience (and most cable news viewers) are old and are staying out of the heat.
    I also did think MSNBC went to Olympics coverage, and until the olympics are over, political coverage is not on the brain. Besides many of us are a little tired of the constant discussion of those false negative McCain ads-yawn.
    And Al-not a single accurate line in your post. For one, Obama supports nuclear power-Illinois has the most plants in the USA; and he does not support late term abortions, despite the distortions of his voting record in Illinois.
  • 1001BG
    AL, I agree with you 100%. Olbermann is a clown who gets his ratings and viewers by smearing others. He's a loser.
  • StephenMartin
    Maybe Olbermann's ratings are dropping because people are bored with his narcissistic arrogant personality. O'Reilly is arrogant, but his narcissism is minimal compared to Olbermann's. IMO, that is. Plus, from what I'm seeing, many of the cable shows that have talk politics most of the time are losing viewers. FOX seems to mix it up more. For me, the whole presidential campaign thing is just old, and I find myself avoiding shows that focus on it. I'm just tired of it all. I might not be alone. Maybe it's as simple as that.
  • RfrancisR, we won't get the #s for tonight probably until ~3pm PDT on Monday. it will likely be hard to do anything much with the numbers for tonight as the tape delayed Olympic opening ceremonies were on NBC starting at 7:30p (at least on the east coast).
  • Rfrancis, my sense that his ratings have dropped down and risen back before and that these aren't record breaking lows. But I suspect that barring a special guest that got way more viewers than average, or KO not being on, this is the steepest drop for more than one day.

    To do the analysis you're asking for would be a bit of work on my part, and I'm really not interested enough in the subject to do the analysis. : ) We have numbers for KO in one fashion or another going back to last fall, you're welcome to comb through them all...

    http://tvbythenumbers.com/category/ratings/top-...
  • RfrancisR
    >>>>>>>Yes the anthrax thing was a story, but leading with it could have really screwed up others who watch it in a similar way to myself. I want my politics fix, darn it!>>>>>>>

    Yes Chris, I noticed that. He went with the anthrax story starting last friday when everyone else was screaming about the "race card" controversy. I think Olbermann sees himself as above that kind of stuff and may have been a bit stubborn in going with the anthrax story and then to justify it beat in the conspiracy theory a bit too much. It's actually one of the things that I like about Olbermann -- he's willing to do something as his lead story that isn't what all the talking heads scream about.

    This is the reason I see the missing girl stories hurting Olbermann more than O'Reilly. Olbermann doesn't really want to go there, whereas, the few times I've watched O'Reilly he seems more than willing to go there. So, when a big sensational story is going on, and Nancy Grace is queen of that stuff, I would expect it to hurt Olbermann more than O'Reilly while helping Nancy Grace. I can't remember the last missing girl story focused on Olbermann.

    Today's sensational story was the revelation of Edwards' affair (which really made my stomach sick), Olbermann could not NOT do that story and lead with it. I don't know when RS will post today's numbers, but I'd like to see if the fact that the sensational story today was of political import helped Olbermann regain some of his audience.
  • RfrancisR
    Robert,


    Are these ratings the lowest KO has had in recent months? Has he dipped this far down and recovered in the past? Was the recovery quick or did it take a longer term to complete a rebound? What I am trying to find out, I suppose, is whether he hits lulls routinely only to recover quickly, or if this is the start of a very bad trend from which there may be no recovery? What was the last time his daily ratings were below 700,000?
  • Chris Merrill
    I have another theory for everyone...try this out. Olbermann's first segment (the 15 minute one) is normally a politics fix. There have been times where I watch for the first segment, and might stick around for a few more stories (I always bail after Worsts, if not sooner). Yes the anthrax thing was a story, but leading with it could have really screwed up others who watch it in a similar way to myself. I want my politics fix, darn it!
  • RfrancisR -- haha, I'm sure some will go with the Nielsen/Bush conspiracy. Here's the thing that concerns me if I'm MSNBC. If KO vs. BO really does have any kind of Yankees/Sawx significance, MSNBC is in worse shape than the Washington Nationals because if the cause of KO's ratings tanking is Nancy Grace, Brett Favre and the olympics, etc -- it only bled viewers off of KO. BO was down a teeny, tiny 16,000 viewers while KO was off 450,000 and from a much smaller base to begin with.
  • RfrancisR
    >>>>>It's not unthinkable to me that the Brett Favre story (and thank goodness our long national nightmare is now over!) took some of the viewers, but it's not like KO completely tanked when ESPN was running NBA playoffs or for that matter, NFL games on Monday nights -- down, yes, tanked no. You may be right about the soccer. >>>>>

    Well, I wouldn't assume that its any one thing. It could just be a confluence of events.

    Great sensational stories of missing little girls that fit perfectly with Nancy Grace's show taking some from Olbermann, Brett Farve story taking a bit more, a few careless people like me who don't check the program guide, making dumb assumptions about programming now that the Olympics started, and maybe others who don't want to hear the anthrax conspiracy theory story -- even very solid liberals don't want to hear conspiracy theories.

    Oh, what the heck. Let's go with a conspiracy theory: The Bush administration ordered Nielsen to lie about Olbermann's numbers because he's on their trail with the Anthrax story ;-) :-P
  • StephenMartin
    Two nights in a row Olbermann hit just over 600k. This is significant. Very interesting.
  • but further, I don't really buy the soccer theory because not many (and certainly not most) of KO's viewers are watching MSNBC in the morning. The historical numbers seem to back this up emphatically.
  • Rfrancis, sadly neither ESPN nor Nielsen provide us with ESPNs nightly ratings and Sportscenter doesn't usually get into the top 40 of cable we see weekly unless it precedes or follows some big sporting event. We won't see ESPN's numbers.

    It's not unthinkable to me that the Brett Favre story (and thank goodness our long national nightmare is now over!) took some of the viewers, but it's not like KO completely tanked when ESPN was running NBA playoffs or for that matter, NFL games on Monday nights -- down, yes, tanked no. You may be right about the soccer. It's so easy to use your cable, sat, DVR or Internet program guide these days to see a "what's on" grid that I just assume people actually do that to see what's on. Probably not a safe assumption.
  • RfrancisR
    >>>>>KO is down from 1.097 million a week ago to 643,000. That's down 41%. We don't usually see that kind of vacillation without special circumstances. Not really seeing it here. Your speculation on Nancy Grace and being turned off by anthrax conspiracy theorists makes much more sense to me than the soccer thing. I doubt soccer in the AM would have much if any bearing on the 8pm hours ratings (again, 7pm hour only down 12% week over week).>>>>


    What I am saying about the soccer thing is that I am a KO fan, followed him from SportsCenter to MSNBC, so I am a devout watcher, yet, I missed Olbermann on Wednesday because I thought that MSNBC had switched to Olympic soccer coverage. I am also a soccer fan but their soccer coverage was god awful, and I couldn't stand it. I turned MSNBC off for the rest of the day thinking Olbermann wouldn't be on. I wonder if there were other people like me who assumed wrongly that Olbermann wouldn't be coming on because of Olympic soccer coverage because, like me, they assumed it would be an all day thing?

    That said, I do think the recent sensational stories are more up Nancy Grace's alley than Olbermann's alley, so she benefits from his general refusal to do that sort of story.

    I also wonder if others like me who follow Olbermann because we loved him on SportsCenter, may have been bigger sports fans than Olbermann fans and with the hoopla about Brett Farve may have decided to tune into ESPN for that coverage instead? How are ESPN numbers over the last couple of days?

    I don't know. I am just guessing here. I am completely flabbergasted. How do you lose half your audience in one day? I mean 1.3 million on Tuesday, and then 600,000 the next two days?

    I am looking at your chart here :http://tvbythenumbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/072308oreillyolbermann-500x400.gif

    And it looks like the long term trend had been right around a million viewers a day for a few months now. Although if I am reading it correctly, he's dropped off to somewhere around 700,000 or so a few times recently but bounced back as well. Could this be a temporary thing?

    Also, I don't normally follow the day to day ratings wars but I got curious because I've heard a lot more people talk about what KO said about this or that issue, and found your site, which had the most complete and recent data of all the sites I saw about this.
  • Chromium
    Dish Network was offering MSNBC free to all subscribers, even those who had packages that did not include it. Is that offer over now?
  • AL
    Nancy grace....nancy grace beat olberman...nancy grace!!!lmao,it's too funny.

    How can you compare pinheads and patriots,debate between libs and conservs,dennis miller,the beautiful megyn kelly(love her) and lis wiehl segment when they go at it.reality check is a riot,the viewer mail....His constant attack on pedophile scum,his tough questions,his investigative reporting on these weak judges and fake politicians.

    Remember oreilly told you Edwards was a phony before any one else.I wonder if edwards will be the worst person in the world?

    If olberman is a true newsman and not a hack sportscaster,and not biased edwards should be the worst person in the world .we'll see,nothings worse than cheating on your wife while she's dying of cancer!!
  • AL
    nOW WHERE'S OLBERMAN NOW....WHERE'S ALL THE OLBERMAN LOVERS NOW?

    The man's whole show is bush is dumb and a war criminal,billo this,sean hannity that and let's not forget mccain bashing 101.

    that's the man's whole show....who wants to watch that everynite...i personally tivo his show just to see what dumb crap he'll say about oreilly..i am a oreilly lover.

    The last straw for me was saying that although oreilly beat him in the total viewers, 25-54 ,25-43,25-36 and he beat oreilly in the 19-36 range that his show kicked oreillys butt...and his staff starts laughing and cheering.....so someone beats you 4 out of 5 categories...yet your the winner?

    lmao...that's when i had to stop watching this nut.Also if you watch countdown,read the huffington post first b/c everything he uses comes str8 from there!
  • RfrancisR, my theory was entirely in jest!

    I agree w/you about Nancy Grace, the little girl missing will attract viewers. Also that the lawsuit against Nancy Grace was allowed to go forward can't be bad for her ratings either.

    I can't really speculate on the other things although your contention that earlier programs were way down leading into Countdown doesn't really work for me. A week ago Thursday Hardball had 443,000 viewers, last night it had 389,000. That's down 12% but we see the ratings numbers for all of these shows vacillate at that level all the time. KO is down from 1.097 million a week ago to 643,000. That's down 41%. We don't usually see that kind of vacillation without special circumstances. Not really seeing it here. Your speculation on Nancy Grace and being turned off by anthrax conspiracy theorists makes much more sense to me than the soccer thing. I doubt soccer in the AM would have much if any bearing on the 8pm hours ratings (again, 7pm hour only down 12% week over week).
  • AL
    CONSERVATIVES ARE ON THE MARCH TO TAKE BACK THE COUNTRY FROM YOU WIFE CHEATING WHILE SHE'S ON CANCER/NO DRILLING/NO NUCLEAR POWER TREE HUGGING/LATE TERM ABORTION(MEANING YOU CAN KILL A 9MONTH OLD BABY AS LONG AS IT'S IN THE WOMB)/GOD HATING/TERRORIST LOVING/TAX AND SPEND/CUT AND RUN LIBERALS.
  • RfrancisR
    Also, it looks like all the MSNBC numbers have been cut in half, even the shows that lead into Olbermann are way down.
  • RfrancisR
    What has Nancy Grace been covering? With the story about the little Kaylee Anthony girl missing, if she's obsessing over that, that could be driving her numbers up and hurting Olbermann? Just a guess.

    It's a good sensational story and Olbermann really hasn't covered that story. Also there's that Clark Rockerfeller mystery story and Olbermann really hasn't talked about that much either. If Nancy Grace is covering that, that could be hurting Olbermann as well.


    The idea that Olbermann's viewers were really O'Reilly viewers who just got curious and then left when they got bored of it begs the question, where did they go now that they aren't watching Olbermann, because O'Reilly's numbers don't seem to have soared as a result.

    I also wonder if waking up to Olympic soccer on Wednesday didn't mislead some people into changing the channel. When I woke up on Wednesday and saw women's soccer on MSNBC, I turned the channel and never turned back. I didn't feel like watching women's soccer all day. It wasn't until later that I realized the soccer coverage wasn't all day.

    Don't get me wrong, I like soccer, but I don't watch MSNBC for soccer.

    Another theory I have is that Olbermann has had Greg Posner on his show for a few days postulating a conspiracy theory on the anthrax case. Could that have turned viewers off?
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