Since late 2005, the broadcast (ABC, NBC, CBS) evening news shows are all down, while Fox News, MSNBC, and Headline News are up. CNN and CNBC are effectively flat.
Note that the two tables aren’t apples to apples. The broadcast chart measures a 30 minute period each night and the cable network chart measures a 6 hour period.
Broadcast Networks Evening News Ratings
Trend
Monday-Friday 6:30-7PM – 4th Qtr 2005 – 3rd Qtr 2009
| Networks/Demographic | 3Q 09 | 2Q 09 | 1Q 09 | 4Q 08 | 3Q 08 | 2Q 08 | 1Q 08 | 4Q 07 | 3Q 07 | 2Q 07 | 1Q 07 | 4Q 06 | 3Q 06 | 2Q 06 | 1Q 06 | 4Q 05 |
| ABC – World News Tonight |
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| HH US AA% | 4.7 | 4.9 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 5.3 | 5.6 | 6.3 | 6.0 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 6.2 | 6.0 |
| A18-49 US AA% | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| A25-54 US AA% | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| CBS – Evening News |
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| HH US AA% | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| A18-49 US AA% | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| A25-54 US AA% | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.9 |
| NBC – Nightly News |
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| HH US AA% | 5.1 | 5.4 | 6.3 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6.3 | 6.0 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 6.8 | 6.9 |
| A18-49 US AA% | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| A25-54 US AA% | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
| Noticiero Univision | ||||||||||||||||
| HH US AA% | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 | - |
| A18-49 US AA% | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | - |
| A25-54 US AA% | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | - |
| Noticiero Telemundo | ||||||||||||||||
| HH US AA% | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | - |
| A18-49 US AA% | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | - |
| A25-54 US AA% | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | - |
Cable News Networks Demo Trends
Monday-Friday 6PM-12M – 4th Qtr 2005 – 3rd Qtr 2009
| Cable Networks/Demo |
3Q 09 | 2Q 09 | 1Q 09 | 4Q 08 | 3Q 08 | 2Q 08 | 1Q 08 | 4Q 07 | 3Q 07 | 2Q 07 | 1Q 07 | 4Q 06 | 3Q 06 | 2Q 06 | 1Q 06 | 4Q 05 |
| CNN | ||||||||||||||||
| HH US AA% | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| A18-49 US AA% | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| A25-54 US AA% | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| CNBC | ||||||||||||||||
| HH US AA% | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| A18-49 US AA% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| A25-54 US AA% | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| FOX NEWS | ||||||||||||||||
| HH US AA% | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| A18-49 US AA% | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| A25-54 US AA% | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| HLN | ||||||||||||||||
| HH US AA% | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| A18-49 US AA% | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| A25-54 US AA% | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| MSNBC | ||||||||||||||||
| HH US AA% | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| A18-49 US AA% | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| A25-54 US AA% | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Source: The Nielsen Company, Galaxy Lightning
Note: Nielsen began reporting Univision and Telemundo beginning 2006.
Just curious, but do you guys get the actual viewer totals, or just this? Since cable audiences are so small, there can be such a wide range of audience fluctuations (on a percentage basis). For example, CNN is down 22% in total viewers from 2007….but by looking at this chart, one would assume they’re flat (which technically isn’t true).
Anon, this came directly from TVB, so this is all I have. They update it quarterly and I like it because we get very little time series data like this (for news or anything else).
The fact that number you cite for CNN doesn’t match these may be for a number of reasons. One may be that these cable news numbers are 6-12pm. Your stat may be for another time period like total day, or primetime (8-11p).
Bill O’Reilly has made the claim that he has beaten Katie Couric in total viewers on rare occasions.
Adam, O’Reilly’s average audience exceeded 5 million on three dates since we began the site in Sept, 2007 through May, 2009 when I stopped my charting: 9/3/08 5.206m, 9/4/08 6.644m and 10/2/08 5.624m.
I don’t have the comparable numbers for Katie Couric on those nights, but O’Reilly could have been higher.
“Note that the two tables aren’t apples to apples. The broadcast chart measures a 30 minute period each night and the cable network chart measures a 6 hour period.”
it’s tough to figure out which has more influence on the public.
FNC or the Networks?
i’m calling it a tie at this point, but FNC’s star is still on it’s way up, the Network’s star is fading.
and Time Marches On!
Too many numbers…
The 3 big broadcast networks are down by about 25-30 percent There will come a time when the cable news guys will pass up broadcast networks.
Even in these numbers, FOX sticks out like a sore thumb on the cable side. In absolute terms, they have by far the largest viewership (by about 3X) and the largest increase in viewership.
FOX needs a Network news to compete with the big 3
The numbers cause you to wonder why CBS is taking so long to replace Katie Couric who has been consistently in third place among the broadcast network news shows. I can’t image any other corporation that would allow that level of financial ‘bleeding’ to continue without making a change. Could it be that CBS doesn’t know what to do? If so, why aren’t shareholders forcing a change?