Primaries Help CNN\'s Profits Double

Primaries Help CNN's Profits Double

The New York Times   |  Tim Arango   |   March 5, 2008 01:18 PM


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The morning after the Democratic primary debate on Feb. 21, while both sides argued over who had come out ahead, there was one clear winner: CNN. The debate, broadcast by CNN and Univision, the Spanish-language network, drew 7.6 million viewers, one of the biggest audiences ever for a primary debate on a cable network.

All three cable news networks -- CNN, Fox News and MSNBC -- have enjoyed ratings bumps during the primaries. But CNN is able to brag about something it had not been able to since 2001: it topped Fox News in the prime-time ratings for a single month in the 25 to 54 age category, the group most coveted by advertisers.

In February, CNN attracted an average of 750,000 viewers in that category during prime time, compared with 550,000 for Fox News and 363,000 for MSNBC, according to Nielsen. (Across all age groups Fox News remained No. 1, with an average of 2.2 million viewers in prime time, compared with 2 million for CNN.)

Time Warner does not disclose finances for CNN, but according to a source familiar with CNN's performance, the network has posted a compound annual growth rate of nearly 20 percent since 2004. Over that time, profits have grown from about $200 million to almost $400 million a year.


 
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- wm1066 I'm a Fan of wm1066 28 fans permalink
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The wall to wall Clinton news is like that slow speed Bronco chase only it is going on 24/7 now for months. I am sick of it. They let Clinton slide on important issues while constantly asking the same nonquestions over and over again.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:49 PM on 03/06/2008
- PKSSK I'm a Fan of PKSSK 15 fans permalink

The spike in CNN's profit does not surprise me. I was a loyal MSNBC fan until they turned their ax on Obama with the likes of Matthews and Scarborough and that did it for me. For a while they controlled their coverage fairly on both Clinton and Obama after the Schuster incident, which I agreed with, and then she continued to whine about others, including Russert, and they threw Obama under the bus and the result was the outcome of the elections. On the night of the Ohio and Texas primaries I found Scarborough's coverge disgusting and demeaning and had to turn to CNN. Although CNN was less devisive, they still had the theatrics that were in full support of Clinton.

I am disgusted by all the cable networks and have chosen the internet as my reliable souce of information, until the media takes control once the republicans are back in office.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:53 PM on 03/06/2008

All the media outlets will give more time to whoever is in second place since 'everybody loves an underdog'. As long as they can keep some doubt in the minds of the voters there will be people tuning in. It's the same reason the weather channel turns every storm into a massive weather event that 'will change your life' so you have to watch. They don't report, instead they manufacture news and manage it's presentation to sell their product. Always understand it's just another business.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:56 PM on 03/05/2008
- snowcat I'm a Fan of snowcat 23 fans permalink

and CNN should also ask:
from Daily KOS
Have any of her Democratic opponents, including Obama, sought more detailed answers from her about stories such as:
* Norman Hsu and his bundling of money for her campaign?
* How "dishwashers, waiters and others" poured "$1,000 and $2,000 contributions into Clinton's campaign treasury?"
* Bill's trip to Kazakhstan with Canadian magnate, Frank Giustra, that netted Giustra $3 billion and Bill's foundation a $131 million contribution from Giustra?
* How powerful foreign donors to Bill's presidential library, such as the Saudis, may pose a serious conflict of interest to Hillary's foreign policy actions as president?
* How Bill's tangled ties to an investment concern of Clinton friend, Ron Burkle, and it's dealings with Dubai may yet, again, threaten to compromise Hillary Clinton's execution of foreign policy as president?
* The fact that the with all of these questionable financial dealings, the Clintons have been unwilling to release their tax returns, especially in light of Hillary Clinton claiming that the $5 million she lent the campaign was "her own money?"
* And, finally, though we, as Democrats, don't care who Bill schtupps (and, no, none of us believe he has kept his fly zipped the last seven years), you can be damn sure the Republicans will be digging hard (no pun intended) to see just what Bill has been up to since leaving office

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:34 PM on 03/05/2008
- snowcat I'm a Fan of snowcat 23 fans permalink

Why doesn't CNN look into:

Further scandals that have plagued Hillary Clinton recently include but are not limited to:

Norman Hsu, a fundraiser and donor to Hillary Clinton that was a fugitive of the law for over a decade;

Samuel Rivera, Mayor of New Jersey and a Clinton supporter, recently arrested for corruption;

The very public "Paul vs Clinton" legal battle where Hillary will have to testify under oath about Hillary Clinton’s Senate campaign understating over $750,000 in contributions to her 2000 Senate campaign, from one Peter Paul, that will be heard in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Hillary’s campaign initially denied even knowing Peter Paul, and then later, admitted meeting him but never had a conversation regarding his contribution to her campaign;

Hillary Clinton's association with the 527 Group, America Coming Together, financed by George Soros, which has been fined $775,000 for violating campaign finance laws.

Her association with that group is via, Harold Ickes, president of America Coming Together, who just "happened" to be a former Bill Clinton Top Aide.

Clinton often refers to criticisms about her as a "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" but the fact of the matter is, if these situations of her own making did not exist, that conspiracy would have no ammunition against her.

CNN is now FOX 2

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:38 PM on 03/05/2008
- frappe I'm a Fan of frappe 204 fans permalink
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The political cable news channels just love an extended primary battle season. It boosts their ratings and their profits. Then there are people like me who would rather that the Democratic nominee be chosen sooner rather than later so that the real job of dislodging that diseased and rancid Republican party from the people's houses can begin in earnest.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:09 PM on 03/05/2008

And thus the point of ALL of this.

The primaries help the income at HuffingtonPost as well -- more traffic, more money in ads...

This is the way of the world; it's not news.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:44 PM on 03/05/2008
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