This puts the report that Dobbs walked away from $9 million in question.

CNN was so sick of Lou Dobbs, it gave him an $8 million severance package to leave, The Post has learned.

“They wanted him out,” according to a source.

via NY Post.

It was interesting to me that CNN still would retain some sort of ad rate premium based on “brand”.

After losing its ratings lead and falling to last in primetime, the once-dominant CNN stands to lose the last piece of top-shelf value still attached to its business side: premium pricing.

Time Warner-owned CNN, while getting beaten handily in the ratings race and having fallen to fourth place in rankings, still commands higher ad rates than rivals — in some cases double those of Fox News and MSNBC.

But perhaps not for long.

While advertisers have been willing to shell out more for CNN’s venerable brand, broad audience reach and less-opinionated programming, media buyers said the network’s ratings slide is likely to bring down pricing.

CNN’s long, steady ratings decline now has some Madison Avenue executives wondering how much longer it will command an advertising premium — the last advantage it holds over rivals.

“They will maintain a premium, but will it stay this high?” asked one ad buyer. “I think it will probably go down.”

via NY Post.

Could viewers have tuned into the now Ex-Lou Dobbs Tonight show on hearing he’d left? The 7pm hour on CNN was noticeably boosted from Wednesday to Thursday.

Live + Same Day Cable News Daily Ratings for November 12, 2009

P2+ Total Day
FNC – 1,479,000 viewers
CNN – 545,000 viewers
MSNBC –381,000 viewers
CNBC – 233,000 viewers
HLN –327,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 2,724,000 viewers
CNN – 868,000 viewers
MSNBC –962,000 viewers
CNBC – 348,000 viewers
HLN –630,000 viewers

Read the full story

d

Lou Dobbs walked away from more than $9 million [remaining in his current contract] when he quit CNN.

[...]

CNN had been unlikely to renew Dobbs’ contract in 2011 anyway, sources said

via NY Post

It’s not surprising that the final Lou Dobbs show on CNN didn’t get a ratings bump. The news came out so late that there was effectively no warning or chance for any casual viewers to tune in.

Live + Same Day Cable News Daily Ratings for November 11, 2009

P2+ Total Day
FNC – 1,433,000 viewers
CNN – 560,000 viewers
MSNBC –426,000 viewers
CNBC – 235,000 viewers
HLN –313,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 2,735,000 viewers
CNN – 632,000 viewers
MSNBC –1,063,000 viewers
CNBC – 348,000 viewers
HLN –581,000 viewers

Read the full story

Following yesterday’s news that Lou Dobbs had stepped down at CNN.

John King will replace Lou Dobbs at 7 p.m., beginning early next year, CNN said Thursday.

via Broadcasting & Cable.

Lou Dobbs, the longtime CNN anchor whose anti-immigration views made him a TV lightning rod, plans to announce Wednesday that he is leaving the network, two network employees said.

via Media Decoder Blog – NYTimes.com.

In the 7pm cable news ratings race, Lou Dobbs Tonight usually trailed The Fox Report substantially, but was typically close to that hour’s Hardball w/ Chris Matthews. Yesterday, it was CNN’s #3 primetime show in the adults 25-54 demo targeted by news advertisers.

Live + Same Day Cable News Daily Ratings for November 10, 2009

P2+ Total Day
FNC – 1,534,000 viewers
CNN – 752,000 viewers
MSNBC –398,000 viewers
CNBC – 206,000 viewers
HLN –360,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 2,862,000 viewers
CNN – 1,194,000 viewers
MSNBC –961,000 viewers
CNBC – 186,000 viewers
HLN –638,000 viewers

Read the full story