MSNBC, CNN Closing In On Fox News

Fox News reclaimed the top spot among cable news channels for the second quarter of 2008, having been beaten by CNN during the first quarter. However, Fox shouldn't rest easy, reports Jaques Steinberg of the New York Times, because its rivals are are closing in:

But the back-and-forth these last few months masks a more ominous trend for Fox News, particularly as its gears up to cover the general election campaign. The most dominant cable news channel for nearly a decade and a political force in its own right, Fox has seen its once formidable advantage over CNN erode in this presidential election year, as both CNN and MSNBC have added viewers at far more dramatic rates...

... While Fox News remains the most-watched cable news channel over all -- it has been attracting an average of nearly 2 million viewers each weeknight this year, compared to 1.3 million for CNN and 805,000 for MSNBC -- its momentum has effectively stalled, at least when measured over years past. The overall prime-time audiences watching CNN and MSNBC, by contrast, have each grown by more than 50 percent this year, when measured against the same period last year, while Fox's has increased by 10 percent, according to Nielsen. (The New York Times and NBC News, the parent of MSNBC, share some resources in covering political news.)

Read the full report here.

Comments

[Beowolf741]

The conservative agenda is getting old and tired like an empty toothpaste tube.

I hope MSNBC buries Fox News. This is clearly NOT fair and balanced or mature for that matter.

[ibsteve2u]

Fox has a problem even beyond their obvious biases - they are BORING.

Their biases are so very institutionalized that you can take any breaking news story and KNOW how they will spin it: In the direction that promises to make Murdoch's various enterprises the most money, which is of course to the right.

No amount of O'Reilly shilling or Hannity shrilling can enliven their utter predictability.

[heal57]

I think the average age of viewers of Fox News is 84. How long can they lead?

[FearlessFreep]

I haven't forgotten how MSNBC changed the goalposts to keep Kucinich out of the candidates' debate. Very, very tacky. (They wouldn't have excluded a candidate for being too conservative.)

[neesy08]

I also like Joe. Until he stars verbally abusing Mikka. Or his arrogant side comes out. I had to e-mail him once, his verbal attack on Mikka was soooo bad.

[uclafan]

I don't know why, but my husband and I absolutely love Morning Joe on MSNBC. . the Today show with the weddings, cooking and bla bla stuff just isn't working for us. Its politics, economy, and opinion that we look forward to. We are definitely new converts to MSNBC from Fox in the past

[kroses98]

I abhor the Right-Winged Joe Scarborough, but i watch MSNBC most of the day and night. Somehow, it is only seen on cable, however, and is not available via Verizon Fios, which accounts for some of the lesser number of viewers. I wouldn't be caught dead watching FOX, and I only watch CNN when there is a horrible person on MSNBC!

[filo]

I too have FIOS and the only thing I miss is MSNBC. I watch Countdown w/KO the following morning on the net. They recently improved the website so that they show most if not all of the show. I guess the rating folks don't take that into account.

Here's his site.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/

[brwnizofmine]

Speaking of - it annoys the hell out of me every time I have to make a trip to our local hospital. They have Faux News on and it's disgusting! You'd think the friggin hospital would be more neutral than that.

Signed- Brwn Iz Hussein Of Mine

[kroses98]

I always report it when that happens. Don't let them get away with it!

[OgreDaddy]

I listen to CSPAN and NPR WAMU radio every day.

I simply refuse to pay for cable or satellite TV.

If it's really something worth catching, I can usually catch the highlights on YouTube.

I still find it ridiculous that Europe and Japan, the two nations we supposedly beat
in WWII have superior communications to what we have here less than 1 hour
from the nation's capitol.

We have allowed the communications industries to protect their interests to the point
of putting us in 3rd world status.

There is no excuse but greed.

FAUX News should have their license revoked!
They are truly a propaganda outlet.

[pilgrim7]

I got cable when my sons were growing up because we had a rule -- after three cuss words, they had to change the channel. We quickly ran out of channels. My husband and I don't watch that much TV, but I always kept cable just for CNN. Because of all the Obama-bashing and endless streams of Rev. Wright during the primaries, it was refreshing to "find" MSNBC. Keith Olbermann is my hero, just like O'Reilly is to McCain fans. Other MSNBC programs are not as strongly supportive of BO and have a mixture of commentators, so I think MSNBC shouldn't be labeled as biased. They try to be fair, unlike Fox and CNN during the primaries. I try to steer others to MSNBC who had never tuned in before. It's now become their fav news channel, too. I still watch CNN occasionally since primaries are over but just not as much as I had previously, so it may take awhile for others to catch on to MSNBC. Wonder if they advertise elsewhere.

[writeaway]

KO just bashes Clintons. Didn't you know? You won't get news on MSNBC, that is unless Brittney or OJ are involved.

[pilgrim7]

Writeaway, I didn't perceive KO as Clinton-bashing during the primaries; but then many times I turned the TV off in anger at what I perceived was Obama-bashing by most commentators, so I understand how you feel. If KO felt the Clintons or others said anything outrageous or below-the-belt, he spoke out strongly. He was the only commentator to consistently defend Obama through the Wright fiasco. Obama supporters had nowhere else to turn for favorable coverage except to KO. I'm almost certain if Obama had played the race card or made any despicable comments, KO would have lambasted him, too. When Hillary said "Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me," I was shocked. All the Obama camp responded with was, "Obama will be the strongest nominee because he appeals to Americans from every background and all walks of life. These statements from Sen. Clinton are not true and frankly disappointing." Obama had opportunities to call out Hillary, such as when she was exposed on tape after having repeatedly lied about her facing danger and dodging bullets. Obama could have attacked her character but instead he graciously defended her.

Somewhere along the line, the campaign took a nasty turn. I hope for our country"s sake that the majority of Americans will somehow be able to pull together for the common good, or we all lose.

[cindii]

I caught a little of Obama on Fox and Friends one morning. I don't watch Fox anymore but was skipping through the channels and saw barack. The ladies sitting on the sofa seemed as if
they were trying to catch him on something. The one lady who had interviewed him wanted to play that "0ne word" game with him. I guess she wanted to pick his brain or try to catch him off guard.
She said, NAFTA and he said something like, reform or re-do, something like that. Did anybody else catch it?

[pilgrim7]

He could use the exposure to that "element" who know nothing about him and think he's a Muslim. Despite all odds, some of their truly decent ones might eventually grow to like him. If nothing else, others may find themselves believing that not all Muslims are terrorists.

[editor]

Hey maybe they might even cover the General Taguba accusations of War Crimes by this administration. Hello...CNN? I guess they think its not really important

[radiclib]

.
.
I watch Fox just to count the warts on Brit Hume's scowling face.
If you took a ballpoint pen and connected them, what sort of picture would they make?
A swastika, maybe?
A peace sign?
.
.

[JiminNC]

Interesting that more people don't watch Faux than do.

[YWC]

Sean Hannity turns a looooooot of people off with his constant bigotted rants against Obama, Hillary, and other Dems. My brother's machinist shop use to have him on the radio in the after-noons but turns him off now because of the constant customer complaints. O'reilly can tune it down after a rant, but Hannity has become completely unhinged and distasteful! He's crossed the line into blatant BIGOTRY!

[pie8ter]

Wasn't he a KKK member before he became a radio/TV host? He couldn't hide his bigotry no matter how much he tries. Well if we all start a campaign against the companies broadcasting their ads in his show, we can get this bigot off the air in no time.

[booksnmore4you]

Bill-O has got nothing on Hannity. He's the worst.

[Fernando]

People watch news these days for entertainment, not just information and that is something Faux News understood. However, belatedly CNN and MSNBC have realized that editorilazing shows do very well ratings-wise. The Cafferty File on the Situation Room is the highlight of the show. Keith Olbernman is more likable and just as aggressive (sans the hubris) as Bill O' Reilly. Not only that, but since Faux is betting on the wrong horse, their ratings have nowhere to go but down.

[NotPC]

Who are they betting on?