Fox News Sweeps The Republican National Convention Ratings Race

While CNN was the undisputed winner of the Democratic National Convention, Fox News swept the Republican National Convention ratings race in impressive fashion, beating the broadcast networks each night in the 10 p.m. hour and setting several records in the process.

Bill O'Reilly's Thursday evening broadcast, which featured Barack Obama, was the second highest rated "O'Reilly Factor" in the show's history, topped only by a March 2003 show at the beginning of the Iraq War.

John McCain's speech Thursday night and Sarah Palin's speech Wednesday night — which both came in at 9.2 million viewers — were the highest rated convention telecasts in cable news history, and they tied for the third-largest telecast in Fox News history, behind only George Bush's address on the eve of the Iraq invasion (March 19, 2003, 9.7 million viewers) and a 2004 presidential debate between George Bush and John Kerry (September 30, 2004, 9.5 million viewers).

Ratings info below:

Thursday (McCain speech)
10 - 11:15 pm - total viewers

FOX NEWS - 9.2 million
NBC - 8.7 million
ABC: 6.0 million
CBS: 5.3 million
CNN - 4.8 million
MSNBC -- 2.5 million

Wednesday (Palin speech)
10-11:15pm - total viewers:

FOX NEWS - 9.2 million
NBC - 7.7 million
CNN - 6.2 million
ABC - 5.9 million
CBS - 4.6 million
MSNBC - 3.4 million

Tuesday
10 pm hour - total viewers

FOX NEWS - 6.2 million
NBC - 4.5 million
CNN - 3.2 million
ABC - 3.1 million
CBS - 2.9 million
MSNBC - 1.6 million

Comments

[brwnizofmine]

This is interesting........................Google ~ Trac Palin going to jail for what?

Read the articles and look at the reasons why they say family is off limits. They do not want people talking about the two oldest children because they're in trouble.

[SoCalNick]

Interesting. No shocker here BUT Obama was seen more evenly throughout MANY Channels. Could it be that he attracts a more diverse less fanatical narrow minded crowd?

[cocorina]

Will Big Govt to take care of all your woes? Who the heck will pay for it all? It doesn't come from the Govt. It comes from YOU!!!!. Think health programs won't cost you? YOU pay SS,how much do YOU get back? I have experienced another Country's Health Care. I would much rather WORK HARD earning my way , then taking a Govt. hand-out. Some say they would be willing to wait months for elective surgery, but little do THEY KNOW they may wait even LONGER for immediate CARE. Willing to PAYOFF the Drs? I have seen it myself. It WILL happen here. Has our Govt. been successful in the past? THINK!!! WAKE UP AMERICA!!! My husband is a naturalized citizen from a Communist country and he, for one, knows all about BIG Govt. controlling EVERYTHING !! AMERICANS DO NOT APPRECIATE what they have here. When FREEDOMS are taken AWAY, then MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, they will understand, but, I am so afraid it will be too LATE! Those of you who do not believe this is the BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD should just PACK YOUR BAGS AND L E A V E!!!!! You are FREE TO DO SO!!! A SOCIAL Country would not allow it!! Find out the Facts. McCain has admitted to the wrongs of his Party. He will CUT GOVT. Palin has more experience than Obama and it's ONLY a POSSIBILITY for her Presidency. Obama wants it NOW. McCain has more than BOTH of them!!!

[Hare]

There is no point with pinheads but for the sake of "I have nothing better to do this morning". Healthcare... Over 40 million w/o it. SS the only money many seniors can and do count on, since there is no retirement funds for many of us. Freedom...That's gotta be a joke right? Republicans are not into cutting gov anytime soon, so dont believe it even for a second when their mouth piece makes false claims. Last, No one wants or expects this to become a communist country like your husband's. People just want to be able to live peaceful lives (NO WAR) having all their basic and fundamental needs taken care of. and a few bucks on the bank for rainy days...like when the next rep dictator wanna be is elected by ignorant sheeps.

[IowaKid]

OMG does this surprise me, Fox was number 1 with listeners on the republican convention. LOL they are in bed with the republicans.

[littlepuffycloud]

Lemming follow the biggest lemming of all..no surprise the minions followed their evil leader; Murdoch and friends. Why does rupert murdoch hate America?

[VegetableMan]

in related news, grass is green, the sky is blue and, coming up next, water remains wet.

[whit4brains]

LOL! Is anyone actually surprised by this? REALLY?

[pupbayer]

I was a lifelong Democrat who never watched Fox News unless it was a gossipy topic. They did gossip well. I despised them for their blatant bias. But through the Democratic primaries this year, a strange thing happened. CNN and others also became openly biased, except in the opposite direction, and Fox appeared to be the least biased of all. It amazed me. Now that we are into the general election campaign, Fox has gone back to their old ways and the others have stayed with their new one-sidedness. So, pick one to watch...it doesn't really matter. None of them are news organizations anymore. They are all just propaganda machines.

[Imzadi]

I'm shocked - and stunned.

[socratiskiss]

No surprise there. I suspect most Republicans watch FOX "News" as they slant to the right.

[WeekendWarrior]

True. Fox is McSame's base.

[whit4brains]

I want to know why if they are so "fair and balanced" and are the "no-spin zone" why do they have to repeat those two lines over and over and over and over and over and over again...(brainwashing?)

And where is this "liberal media"? I'm a proud lefty liberal and I am still looking for it :)

[VictorLaszlo]

FOX "News" doesn't slant to the right, they *are* the right.

Put another way: this isn't a news outlet (I could stop right there) that tends to favor Republicans. Rather, FOX "News" is a *part* of the Republican Party.

[Marilynleigh34]

Like MSNBC is the left. I can't watch them without wanting to vomit.

[mezz1962]

Way to go Fox for all their bluster MSNBC still cant beat Spongbob

They can run promo after promo saying MSNBC and CNN are #1 in the rartings but numbers don't lie

[UnbiasView]

MSNBC is hardly a network at all . . . 10 pm it is time for prisoners that think they are women or how to catch a predatpr reruns.

[Mercurial]

I used to watch Fox news. I voted for Bush twice.....but...as soon as I broke away from Fox News I was able to think clearly and see the error of my ways. Never again will I be brainwashed like that. That channel is no longer allowed in my house. It feels so good to no longer be a bigot and a hatemonger.

[Mercurial]

surprise surprise....

[Yesnik]

I watch all 3 cable news channels.
FOX and MSNBC are entertaining to watch. After 6pm mostly opinion shows.
CNN not as much. Entertaining that is. Larry King is good because of odd questions he asks.
If you watch just one channel you more than likely not open to alternate opinions.
FOX slants their news to McCain.
MSNBC slants theirs to Obama.
CNN depends on the time of the day you watch.

[ObamAtomic]

Liar!,,,The number are not correct,,,Fox a Cable Station,,,,,,ABC,NBC,CBS national channels,
locals channel over the air......free,

[ohiomark]

I wonder how Keith will spin his 6th place finish?

He will probably accuse Diebold of tampering with the Nielson ratings.

They couldn't even get any ratings for the DNC.

[Yesnik]

Why would he have to spin anything.
I'm sure he probably sleeps just fine at night.

[toochie]

Actually, he has Restless Leg Syndrome and suffers from sleep deprivaton. I'm not joking. That explains why he is so snarky.

[whit4brains]

I watched both conventions on CSPAN so I could actually listen to the speeches and not the commentators trying to tell me how to interpret what I was hearing. I wonder how many people were watching it on CSPAN as well.

[Imzadi]

LOL.

If it had been just Keith, I think the ratings would have been higher, but Chrissy just ruined it for us, so we switched to c-SPAN - no opinions or commercials. I think Chrissy brought it down - that, and their feuding was just painful and childish.

[IowaKid]

Oh PLEASE give me a break!!!!!!!!! Keith Olbermann is so far above this. I could say the same for O'Riley at the DNC convention.

Olberermann and Maddow are great.

[ohiomark]

O'Reilly got far better ratings during the DNC than Olbermann.

MSLSD is constantly at the bottom of the ratings ladder.