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

[truegreen]

lol...figu­res FOX NOISE got the highest ratings. Only d-bags watched that Klang meeting.

[UnbiasView]

Actual KKK Members in the US Congress:

Dems - 1

Repubs - 0

[Subversive]

So FOX and our friend Rupert won the Great Battle for Convention Viewers 2008. This is hardly surprising. When FOX TV was created in 1986, it offered old movies and salacious programs like "Married..­With Children"--not a lineup that draws people like free beer. However, when FOX won the rights to the NFL in 1993, FOX (with the "inside" assistance of Republican owners like Cowboys owner Jerry Jones) not only got the right to broadcast games, but also caused many local affiliates to switch from CBS to FOX as they wanted to broadcast football locally. Advantage FOX. Then the government stupidly allowed station owners to own more local market TV affiliates­--approach­ing nearly half a local market. Advantage FOX and conservative owners who could now own 2 stations locally. Then when the decision was made for all broadcasts to be digital by February 2009, the government sided with cable and satellite. This had the effect of practically mandating that people who wanted to watch TV either get cable or satellite. The largest satellite provider is Digital which is owned by-- --Rupert Murdoch. Game, set, and match to FOX.
I stayed recently at a hotel receiving satellite TV which mysteriously didn't offer MSNBC on the cable lineup. Of course FOX cable won the ratings race. A blank screen typically doesn't win ratings. It's also impossible to win when your competition has rigged the race.

[UnbiasView]

"I stayed recently at a hotel receiving satellite TV which mysteriously didn't offer MSNBC on the cable lineup"

First off, hotels aren't included in Nielson ratings.

Secondly, MSNBC is not offered with a basic package in many places because it 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.

[LightSword]

I feel special! I contributed to the millions!
VIVA LA VIDA FOX! VIVA LA VIDA OREILLY! VIVA LA VIDA SEAN HANNITY!

My goodness, I am so happy!!!!!!!!!!
LOL@ MSNBC
LOL!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!

[ricitizen]

Well then, assuming that all those people that watch fox are mcbush supporters and everyone else that watch the so called "liberal media" are O/B supporters then I say LOLOLOL@mcbush because he's going to lose by a landslide.

[wolf58]

of course they did, it is the home of the brain dead for the brain dead kool-aid drinkers. Man I wish fox would burn to the ground as an act of god, Then I would have faith

[ECB]

NO SH*T ! SHERLOCK !

[UnbiasView]

I think that is amazing that a cable channel beats out network television in the ratings.

[Melissa]

More people are tuning on to Fox because their election coverage is fair and balanced. I used to watch CNN but their coverage is so biased I couldn't stand it anymore. They were terrible to Hillary and their panel of pundits are terrible including cafferty.

[UnbiasView]

I agree, they didn't go the MSBC way of letting pundits run the show . . . that turned out to be a disaster.

[LightSword]

You speak the gospel! I'm losing faith in CNN honestly =(

[anelder]

I think you like Fox because they say it like - you want it to be. Sorry to challenge you but CNN has so many conservatives, moderates, and liberals on I keep a scorecard.
Now Olbermann, we know he's a liberal. So I know where he's coming from, check out the facts, and conclude on my own.

I'm thinking you want to surroung yourself with one - your - kind of viewpoint. The problem is you never know what's real only what's been viewed thru a lens that eliminates any other opinions. One show just doesn't do it.

[Bibbo]

Amen Melissa. I just posted a similar view (a couple posts above) and scrolled down and read yours. Its just amazing the excuses people are coming up with to explain Fox wiping the floor with the competion.

[Arleen1]

And so what?