With lots of cable news shows, the feast of the 2008 election has lead to famine in 2009.
Countdown with Keith Olberman’s ratings are in the famine range as well, with October year over year ratings down 53% in the cable news target adults 25-54 demo, and down 53% in average viewership. Although I don’t have a trend chart, October is also Olbermann’s lowest rated month so far in 2009 in both 25-54 and average viewers.
You can see our daily cable news ratings here.
P2+ = average viewers aged 2 and older.
Nielsen TV Ratings: ©2009 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
Right now there is so much other new programming to watch and of course there is no big election to follow. And quite frankly I am sick to death (okay that wasn’t meant to be a joke, just came out that way) of this health care back and forth debate. Keith isn’t entertainingly looney like the hosts who are getting the ratings. He show and Rachel’s are more for policy wonks. His one bit of theater is Worst Persons of the Day. Otherwise most of his show is commentary on policy.
Anyway, last year I watched every night. This year, not so much.
You can download his show on iTunes every day. Wonder what the numbers are there?
Someone needs to send this link to the Uberdork himself! Let me hear that fool tell everyone he’s the highest rated show on cable news! LMAO!
All these comparisons to last October are certainly not fair as many (myself included) were tuning in because of the election. In fact, it’s not fair to compare much of this year to last year in terms of ratings for the news networks.
Now if someone happens to increase from year-to-year, THAT is news.
KO has got to be the most angriest and hateful person in America. I have to try very hard just to watch more than 2 minutes of him. And I think “the worst person in the world” is stupid. Why does having a difference of opinion make you the “worst person in the world”? He also needs to do actual research before just blasting out mediamatters nonsense.
I think the Jean Gerafelo bit was the worst thing I’ve ever seen on tv period. I wonder what that did in the ratings.
Terrence, I chart the numbers I have. Sometimes they cooperate and are interesting, sometimes not
“Now if someone happens to increase from year-to-year, THAT is news.”
Have you ever heard of Fox News?
THANKS FOR THE COMEBACK, BATHTUB BOY > COULDN’T HAVE DONE WITHOUT YA !!
BEST PERSON IN THE WORLD HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Olbermann never claims to have the highest rated cable news show, I watch him just about every night. Still, ratings don’t equal quality. And if Olbernmann can still deliver an average of more than a million viewers in a significantly down month when many other cable entertainment shows can not, MSNBC is just fine with his performance.
Just this month, O’Reilly got about a 2.5 which is close to what Olbermann averaged in October. That says to me that all cable news programs are down from the last election cycle.
Also, considering a repeat of Countdown at 10 does better than AC360, the Situation Room, Hardball, the Ed Show, Campbell Brown and everything else on CNBC – it’s hard to consider the show a failure. Not as watched as shows on Fox News – True. But that doesn’t mean it’s a failure.
Waiting to hear how he spins this news
Hey Mike, have you actually LOOKED at the long term comparisons of O’Reilly vs. Olbermann that are posted on this site? Go take a look.
O’Reilly is up, close to the same numbers as this time last year. More importantly, his TREND is up versus Olbermann’s which is down. He routinely beats Olbermann by 3x.
Hard to believe any network exec an be “fine” with that performance.
cant bear to watch KO and Rachael. There just glorified cheerleaders for obama. only problem is which one looks better in a cheerleading outfit.
Im a democrat and watched Olbermann religiously during the election season. Olbmermann had a lot of targets; John McCain, Sarah Palin, George Bush. But once Obama won the election, I started watching Fox News. The opinions of the party OUT of power are usually more interesting than a ‘raa raa’ session for the party IN power. Why watch Chris Matthews pat other Democrats on the back when I can watch Glenn Beck cry about how the country is becoming a dictatorship and see a diagram on a chalk board that ties Obama to Stalin. I like hearing opinions that differ from my own especially when they are this entertaining
Hey Mike, did you say O’Reilly got 2.5 Million this month? What planet do you live on? O’Reilly is always a 3.4 to 3.8 everynight he is on, if he got a 2.5, then he wasn’t hosting it that night. Get off the crack pipe.
hey mike…what ratings are you looking at?
not the same ones i track…
I cant imagine why?
Carl, I think you are a good indicator of why Fox has grown and the others tanked. Americans, in general, have a healthy skepticism of their government and as such will tend to watch organizations who question, rather than promote, our government. It’s our history to look to the press to keep our government honest. MSNBC, CNN, etc. aren’t asking the tough questions so fewer Americans are watching.
Is it true that Olbermann is going to anchor the JACKASS show.
I don’t think you can find a bigger or better jackass anywhere.
JC says: “I think the Jean Gerafelo bit was the worst thing I’ve ever seen on tv period…”
Michael Musto’s segments leave much to be desired, as well…
For what it’s worth, Keith has taken a lot of days off this year, more than even O’Reilly, one would think. Of course, most of them are related to caring for his parents (one of whom is now deceased). I’ve noticed that he has taken Fridays off for awhile, and last Friday, when I saw Lawrence O’Donnell (who deserves a regular MSNBC show of his own, btw) introduce a segment, he referred to it being a “regular” segment or something… So I get the feeling that Fridays for Keith will be like Mondays to Johnny Carson.
If Olbermann would snort less, I might consider tuning in more.
Olbermann is the biggest hack in the history of television and anyone who thinks his show is “quality” needs some serious counseling.
AMERICA IS TIRED of his HATEFUL RANTS.
If MSNBC management had 1 functional brain cell, they would fire him.
On the other hand, everyone is watching Bill O’Reilly, so it really doesn’t matter what MSNBC puts in the time slot — they could never win the hour.
Olbermann’s ratings are hurt by all the reruns. Clearly MSNBC has just been repeating his shows from last year over and over again. Whenever I turn him on, he’s ranting about George Bush, Dick Cheney, Sarah Palin. Olbermann fans, can you tell me when does he will start doing new shows again?
icky. I can not watch his show. He looks creepy and he is so angry, and it appears that he thinks he is wonderful.
FOX every night from 5-10 @ our house. Of course, often we have the tv on and are laying on the couch in the living room not really watching but listening. Also, I practice my piano usually during Brett and Shep – getting up when i hear something exciting haha, yes, two hours of piano.
During Shawn’s show I am doing evening chores, but listening.
I think it is hilarious that they have so few commercial sponsors, you know those sponsors are being threatened by that WH thug group not to advert on Fox. lol
“Keith isn’t entertainingly looney like the hosts who are getting the ratings.”
Correct. He’s unentertainingly loony.
- JP
The liberals are watching regular programming, the conservatives can’t stomach the sexual content on say How I Met Your Mother, so they watch Fox News instead.
Im asking, who granted Olby power to decide, who is a good and bad person,? Thats just a cheapshot, he should have the worst person of the world come and debate him, now that would be ratings, cause O’Reilly & Limbaugh would murder him…
Overbite is to scared to debate anyone, he would lose everytime.
I couldn’t even bare to watch him on Sunday Night football this last week. I had to keep muting the TV during the pre-game show every time I heard his voice. It doesn’t even require brain function anymore; it’s a reflex. Hear Kieth Olbermann’s voice … hit mute button! I think I could do it in my sleep. NBC/MSNBC doesn’t seem to understand. They have to get rid this guy. He’s killing them!
Olbermann is typical left-wing Obama-scum. Olberman is the scowling face of the fascist left, while Obama is the smiling face of evil, determined to destroy a once great nation.
overbite thinks hes funny and he can trash people like sarah palin and people will thinks he’s cute.In reality sarah can dress a moose and do the same with this nitwit!!
ditto heads…ditto heads…ditto heads…
the right wing morons watch Fox….hour after hour after hour.
Oh and by the way, ‘time spent’ makes up a significant portion of a rating calculation…so it’s really just the same folks over and over and over…with their set on prolly 24 hours a day to Fox News…
No wonder they’re so off base.
Everyone else divides their news information seeking time across multiple outlets…MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Newspaper websites, etc. Good thing, too. Smarter, better educated…better for the country and even better for advertisers.
He’s a wretch! nothing eles needs to be said.
I was wondering why there seems to be such a Fox News bias on this website. It became clear after looking at the demographics: http://www.quantcast.com/tvbythenumbers.com#demographics
White, Male and Old (aka Republicans.)
Not a good reflection of society as a whole so I guess it is best to take this fodder with a grain of salt…
D.J. has a valid point about the guest hosts. For much of the month, K.O. was off caring for his ill father after having lost his mother in the spring (and during football season, K.O. rarely hosts on Fridays).
Another factor is common to political magazines and other opinion journalism. Readership/viewership is noticeably higher when in the opposition. Conflict draws people in (as in pausing to watch a fistfight in the real world). Without the us versus them tension of having an in-power opponent, the edge comes off and the interest of the casual viewer (interested in observing David/Goliath verbal sparing — even with an off-screen antagonist) wanes.
K.O. could bring some of the edge back by inviting in as guests policy wonks from the right (and not message-of-the-day verbal flamethrowers who would turn off his core audience) capable of intelligent debate. The late William F. Buckley did it for years on Firing Line. Watching an intelligent debate with a conservative version of a Howard Fineman would lessen the odds of fast forwarding through much of the first half of the program. I wouldn’t touch the World’s Best/Worst segments of the show — they are the most unique and entertaining parts of the broadcast.
Facts are facts Olbie down, O’Reilly up. Spin is spin and liberals are whiny
YZNN, don’t mistake the demographics of the commenters with the attitudes of the editors. I won’t speak for Robert, but I don’t watch *any* cable news networks unless there’s a hurricane, plane crash, OJ Bronco situation or something similar (although I completely missed balloon boy), and then like most “casual” viewers I typically watch CNN.
We post what we think people will read.
Daniel,
Naming someone ‘The Worst Person in the World’ is Keith Olbermann’s shot at being non-judgemental.
YZNN, try to spin this
Check out Gawker, a left-wing gossip site with like 99% left-wing commenters, looks pretty similar to the one you posted of this site lol
http://www.quantcast.com/gawker.com#demographics
LOL, Lurker. Even better YZZN should spin:
http://www.quantcast.com/dailykos.com#demographics
they are white, male, and OFF THE CHARTS old. We are relatively less male, relatively less white and downright youthful by comparison. The data clearly suggest that most of the people who really care about television news and politics on a regular basis are older white men. Left, right, or center.
And to make media matters worse, this wrist cutter is the hightest rated drone on any of the obama ass kissers networks.
Well, like Bill Gorman says, his numbers don’t lie, FOX NEWS is getting a lot more younger viewers then MSNBC or CNN, so whine all you want about FOX, but they dominate, not just old white folks…hahaha.
Sorry to imply that Bill. I meant the comment brigade, not the ratings reports or site content.
As for Gawker, the fact that older white liberal men like the salacious stuff they post is no surprise. Being that it is an Online NEW YORK Magazine would probably account for the progressive slant in the user generated commentary. It is tailored for that specific audience (Northeast liberals.)
This site does not have a particular appeal to liberals or conservatives so the demographics are probably a more honest slice of America and from that would could extrapolate that the majority of commentators are older white Republican men.
On another note, something I have always found funny…
For liberals, news is a collage of mainstream and secondary sources, be it MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, BBC, PBS, The New York Times. The LA Times, The Washington post et al. For conservatives it is Fox News or bust with maybe a little Drudge report thrown in for good measure.
..and there is a very good reason why. In these tough times with the Republican party probably to remain a minority party in both Houses of Congress and the White House for the foreseeable future(think at least 7 more years) – They need a place to tune in an hear anything that will reinforce their ideology and tell them everything will return to the way it was in 1950 very, very soon…
Haha…it is actually quite sad, but rather than digress I’ll leave this old white male boys club to its devices and catch up on the latest Dollhouse news!
>The data clearly suggest that most of the people who really care about television news and politics on a regular basis are older white men. Left, right, or center.
No Bill, the data shows that because TVBythenumbers is not a politically themed site, its audience does not have a political predisposition (unlike Gawker or Kos.)People come here to read about TV ratings. Thus we can take the demographic numbers, assume they are not skewed and then apply the percentages from the national breakdown of party affiliation based on race, age, and sex.
If you are saying there are equal amounts of Democrats, Independents and Republicans that visit this site you are in effect saying that Democrats are underrepresented being they have twice the statistical value of Republicans based on the most recent polling data. Are you following me?
YZNN are you just ignoring the most left wing site dailykos:
http://www.quantcast.com/dailykos.com#demographics
shown above? I think many of your statements are subject to quite a bit of question. Based on the demographics I don’t think you can make much of this sites breakdown as saying anything about their politics. However any story about msnbc having low ratings will bring out conservatives if not Republicans.
>YZNN are you just ignoring the most left wing site dailykos
Read above.
>However any story about msnbc having low ratings will bring out conservatives if not Republicans.
This is true.
Mike says:
October 28, 2009 at 10:33 am
Olbermann never claims to have the highest rated cable news show, I watch him just about every night. Still, ratings don’t equal quality. And if Olbernmann can still deliver an average of more than a million viewers in a significantly down month when many other cable entertainment shows can not, MSNBC is just fine with his performance.
Just this month, O’Reilly got about a 2.5 which is close to what Olbermann averaged in October. That says to me that all cable news programs are down from the last election cycle.
Also, considering a repeat of Countdown at 10 does better than AC360, the Situation Room, Hardball, the Ed Show, Campbell Brown and everything else on CNBC – it’s hard to consider the show a failure. Not as watched as shows on Fox News – True. But that doesn’t mean it’s a failure.
(Umm, Mike? You may want to look at the link below where Cankles Ubberdouche claims he has the #1 rated cable “News” show.
http://video.filestube.com/video,23711dfa0b1d85cb03ea.html)
Felix says:
October 28, 2009 at 11:22 am
Olbermann’s ratings are hurt by all the reruns. Clearly MSNBC has just been repeating his shows from last year over and over again. Whenever I turn him on, he’s ranting about George Bush, Dick Cheney, Sarah Palin. Olbermann fans, can you tell me when does he will start doing new shows again?
(These ARE his new shows Felix. It seems like no one changed the teleprompter from last years scripts. Or, he can’t stop because he didn’t get new notes from mediamatters.com or dailykooks yet. Or, he just doesn’t know about anything else to talk about.)
Alright…Must. Close. Webpage.
It is not like anyone ever gets convinced in online discussion about anything…
People have their opinions, and for “unknown reasons” there is a clear and present bias with the comments on this page that is not wholly representative of the populous at large. If there was, we’d be talking about how president McCain is a ratings glory hole for MSNBC.
KO and The Ed Show, they remind me of a drunk uncle who knows everything, but don’t you dare say anything about my drinking problem.
Carl great posting and I agree with your viewpoint of hearing the opponents arguments.
I love a battle of ideas, but we often only get “talking points” and repetition. I saw Steve Wynn on Fox and he spoke clearly and simply about his views … very gripping. And the others with him, both Dems and Reps … spoke “talking points.”
But at least Fox will have tough opponents on going against the grain of conservative positions.
Too bad most shows are “talking points”
Carl’s posting below
Carl says:
October 28, 2009 at 10:39 am
Im a democrat and watched Olbermann religiously during the election season. Olbmermann had a lot of targets; John McCain, Sarah Palin, George Bush. But once Obama won the election, I started watching Fox News. The opinions of the party OUT of power are usually more interesting than a ‘raa raa’ session for the party IN power. Why watch Chris Matthews pat other Democrats on the back when I can watch Glenn Beck cry about how the country is becoming a dictatorship and see a diagram on a chalk board that ties Obama to Stalin. I like hearing opinions that differ from my own especially when they are this entertaining
Unfortunately, this thread has turned from “what’s the rating’s looking like” to “are you red or blue”?
Please people, stick with non-partisan talk!!!
As for Fox vs. Keith ratings, when has MSNBC ever rated higher than Fox? Fox has the edge in glitz and a DEVOTED fan base.
The good news is that Depends undergarments sales are up by that same percentage in the drugstore downstairs from Olbermann’s studio.
Don,t know who can clean this mess up, but when we learn we are all American’s we might say why did’nt we think of this to start with.
I can’t stand KO! I accidentally flipped to one of his shows last year and I could barely stare at his face on tv! His show is doing so bad that they had to put that idiot on Sunday Night Football! He looks like a clown on there, why do the keep him?
His eyes are too far apart – he looks like ET’s daddy or something.
Even worse news is that COMCAST is starting to move MSNBC to Digital Only while leaving FOX, CNN and HLN on analog cable. This should shrink his numbers even more. Not that anyone but hard core leftists watch him anyway. Same goes for Rachel Madcow.
The only thing being COUNTED DOWN is the day until his show is cancelled.
Olbermann (and all of MSNBC for that matter) just cannot be taken seriously anymore. Can someone tell him that George Bush is no longer in office. Just take a look at who KO books as guests. Same left wing apologists spewing the same vitriol night after night. I used to compare it with watching a car accident as he slid further in the ratings, but now it is unbearable. Add to that the horrendous Maddow and the red headed lard ass “ED” and you possible have some of the most “unwatchable” programming on cable today. His defense of his ratings is turning it from parody to mere comedy.
The Obama butt-kissing has become too much for most cable news viewers. Olbermann has no credibility remaining. He’s a shill for the White House. No big secret how he’s turned off the viewing public.
I use to watch cable news but but got rid of the addiction. I think most people like myself turned off cable talk Tv after the election. It was interesting leading up to the election watching both parties debate the issues and the candidates react but after the election was over it was old news. Whether it is healthcare, Iraq, Afghanistan or some other issue, the politicians will do what they do but listening to the chatter became boring and I turned to sports and entertainment and at most watch the evening news.
To Keith Olberman:
Congratulations on the ratings! You certainly deserve them. I wish you continued movement in the same direction. Maybe you and the 34 viewers you now have can start a spinoff? Meltdown, with the MSNBC Chief Propagandist?
Are you guys really too stupid to see that you are no longer relevant or are you just keeping your collective heads in the sand? Has Fox News been kicking your collective butts only since they were put on the White House enemies list, or have they been doin it for YEARS?
Your competition, Bill O’Reilly, has THREE TIMES the amount of viewers and even Glenn Beck, with a crappy 5 O’Clock time slot, is kicking your butt 3.1 million viewers to your 1.3 million.
Get the hint, Olberman…nobody CARES what you have to say!
Anyone who takes a failed sportscaster’s editorial opinion seriously isn’t very bright.
I love football, but won’t watch any Sunday night games as long a Olberman is doing the pre-game show.
Maybe Keith Olbermann’s ratings are in the tank because he is never there…and I mean never. He’s the only talk show host who’s paid millions of dollars for a part-tine job. Either his family members need him or he’s got off to go to a baseball game or….whatever!!! Actually, I like the show when he’s there…which is rarely.
KD said:
Carl, I think you are a good indicator of why Fox has grown and the others tanked. Americans, in general, have a healthy skepticism of their government and as such will tend to watch organizations who question, rather than promote, our government. It’s our history to look to the press to keep our government honest. MSNBC, CNN, etc. aren’t asking the tough questions so fewer Americans are watching.
KD, you are spot on. I agree that the role of the media should be on the side of the people, and I feel that the media, as a whole, has lifted up Obama as a “Savior” of sorts. And one that is going to save us “from ourselves”. But when you look at the people that he surrounds himself with, it is hard to say that he is on the side of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. He has said that he is going to “fundamentally change America”, and so far, he is on that track.
Bigger government is NOT the answer, and I agree, that we have a lot of problems. but bigger government is not the answer. The government is the reason that lending regulations were loosened, which led to the ridiculous real estate market that we are currently in.
Barney Frank, Maxine Waters, among others are the reasons that Fannie Mae & Fredddie Mac loosened their guidelines to the point that led our country to the brink of disaster. I don’t know about the rest of you, but my house is worth 25% less than it was 2 yrs ago, and it is NOT because the free market allowed it. It is because the government forced them to loosen the guidelines so that the lenders would lend the money because they knew that Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac would buy the loans. It is that simple. They would have not lended the money if they didn’t know that Fannie & Freddie woudn’t back it. And who dictated that Fannie & Feddie should back it? The government.
We, as a people have to stop relying on the government to provide for us and go back to relying on ourselves. OK, so there is a portion of our population that cannot seem to provide for themselves, but that doesn’t mean that we need the government to step in an totally overhaul the best health care system in the world.
Let them provide for the less fortunate by expanding the medicare system to provide for those that cannot do for themselves, or those that cannot get coverage because of their exenuating health care situations. But that does not mean that we, as a whole have to hand over our sovereignty and increase our taxes to the point that we cannot AFFORD to start a new business because of the overbearing tax code that ensues.
It is time that we all wake up and realize that the government is not working in our best interest. They are working for more power…period. PERIOD. The more people that depend on them, the mre power they wield.
MSNBC must be stuck on that phrase “To big to fail” or maybe they either do not want to admit defeat or are scared of the lawsuit that Obey files against every one of his ex-employers