MSNBC Tops CNN For October

MSNBC beat CNN in prime time for the month of October, led by the breakout success of "The Rachel Maddow Show," which brought MSNBC its first-ever victory over CNN in the 9PM hour.

The Hollywood Reporter's Paul J. Gough reports:

MSNBC has throttled into second place in three hours of cable news primetime, beating CNN for the month of October.

Fox News, as usual, retains the top slot and is in no danger of relinquishing it. But MSNBC turned in its best primetime performance in its 12-year history in the adults 25-54 demo, according to Nielsen Media Research. It surpassed CNN for second place between 7-10 p.m. with "Hardball," "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" and "The Rachel Maddow Show."

MSNBC GM Phil Griffin said Monday that it's a historic placement for the network and part of MSNBC's long-term strategy when it set out on this course two years ago.

"We wanted to challenge CNN and become a player by the election," Griffin said. "Guess what? In the months leading into the election, we beat CNN."

Griffin also spoke to TVNewser, saying:

"We've never had a performance like this in our history. We tamed the giant of Larry King."

The Numbers
7PM
"Hardball": 458,000 (A25-54)
"Lou Dobbs Tonight": 428,000 (A25-54)

8PM
"Countdown with Keith Olbermann": 784,000 (A25-54)
"Campbell Brown": 582,000 (A25-54)

Story continues below

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9PM
"The Rachel Maddow Show": 700,000 (A25-54)
"Larry King Live": 673,000 (A25-54)

Of course, with MSNBC's growing success comes a target on its back, and CNN President Jon Klein said in a statement that he expects CNN's nonpartisan programming to win out once the passions of the election season have subsided:

CNN is beating MSNBC in primetime, we are No. 1 in all cable news at 10 p.m., and it is no surprise that their partisan approach will see a bump a month before the election. We think our objective, post-partisan approach will have better long-term results.

Such a sentiment was echoed by TV executives on both sides of the political aisle at a media luncheon. The Hollywood Reporter's Paul Bond reports that even Democrats said MSNBC is "out of control" in its liberal leanings:

The cable news channel is "completely out of control," said writer-producer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, a self-proclaimed liberal Democrat.

She added that she would prefer a lunch date with right-leaning Fox News star Sean Hannity over left-leaning MSNBC star Keith Olbermann.

Olbermann was criticized by many who attended Monday's luncheon sponsored by the Caucus for Producers, Writers & Directors at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The event was dubbed "Hollywood, America and Election '08."

Bloodworth-Thomason and others seemed especially critical of the way MSNBC -- and other media -- has attacked Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin while demeaning her supporters.

"We should stop the demonizing," she said, adding that Democrats have been worse than Republicans as far as personal attacks on candidates are concerned. "It diminishes us," she said of her fellow Democrats.

Full MSNBC press release below:

MSNBC'S RACHEL MADDOW DE-THRONES KING - MSNBC FASTEST GROWING CABLE NET IN OCT.

MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" Out-Rates CNN's "Larry King Live" in A25-54 in Oct., First Time MSNBC has Ever Out-Rated CNN at 9 PM

"Countdown" Sees Highest Ratings Ever; MSNBC's Best Primetime Performance Ever

"Hardball with Chris Matthews" Out-Rates CNN's "Lou Dobbs" at 7 PM

NEW YORK - Oct. 27, 2008 - MSNBC's seven-week old "The Rachel Maddow Show" marked a huge milestone, out-rating CNN's "Larry King Live" in just its second month on the air among Adults 25-54, the first time ever MSNBC has out-rated CNN at 9 p.m. (700,000 vs. 673,000, program data, excludes presidential debates). "The Rachel Maddow Show" is up an astounding 396 percent from Oct. 07 among A25-54 (700,000 vs. 141,000) and up 387 percent in total viewers (1,893,000 vs. 389,000).

MSNBC's fantastic ratings growth reached new heights in October, becoming the fastest growing network in all of cable for the month (+147% in total viewers, total day vs. Oct. 07, through Friday). MSNBC also saw its best month ever in weekday primetime in total viewers (2,002,000) and in the key Adults 25-54 demographic (769,000).

"Countdown with Keith Olbermann" continued its dominance over CNN at 8 p.m., out-rating "Campbell Brown" by 35 percent in A25-54 (784,000 vs. 582,000) and 41 percent in total viewers (2,175,000 vs. 1,540,000). "Countdown" had its best month ever among A25-54 in October, and is up a tremendous 170 percent in A25-54 from Oct. 07 (784,000 vs. 290,000) and up 180 percent in total viewers (2,175,000 vs. 776,000). Excluding coverage of the presidential debates, "Countdown" is the #3 top-rated show in cable news in A25-54. "Countdown" is also the #1 cable news show among young viewers, Adults 18-34.

"Hardball with Chris Matthews" out-rated CNN's "Lou Dobbs" by 7 percent in A25-54 (458,000 vs. 428,000), delivering the best numbers at 7 p.m. since April 2003 (the start of the war in Iraq). "Hardball" is up a huge 242 percent vs. Oct. 07 (134,000) and up 214 percent in total viewers (423,000).

"Morning Joe" had its best month ever, averaging 224,000 A25-54, and delivered MSNBC's best morning ratings since April of 2003. "Morning Joe" is up 239 percent from Oct. 07 (66,000).

"Race for the White House with David Gregory" delivered 294,000 A25-54, up 272 percent from last year (79,000). These are the best ratings ever for "Race" and the highest ratings in the time period since April of 2003.

Built on the worldwide resources of NBC News, MSNBC defines news for the next generation with world-class reporting and a full schedule of live news coverage, political analysis and award-winning documentary programming -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week. MSNBC's home on the Internet is msnbc.com. Msnbc.com delivers a fuller spectrum of news. Drawing on its award-winning original journalism, NBC News heritage, trusted sources and Microsoft's advanced technologies, the site presents compelling, diverse and visually-engaging stories on the consumer's platform of choice. Nielsen Online reports more than 52 million unique visitors for August 2008, making msnbc.com the number one news site, ahead of Yahoo! News, CNN, ABC, CBS, and Fox News.

Comments

[mergina]

Not surprising at all. RACHEL YOU ROCK!

[BOin08]

Rach needs to stick to the intellectual arguments, make the case for our agenda and propose solutions to the issues of the day. She will lose her new found audience if she continues down the road of sarcasim and riddicule-that's why we stopped watching Olbermann.

[SeattleStew]

Rachel is a natural. What she does is a lot tougher than it looks. But before we finish building the pedestal , let's see where her ratings are after the election.

[CaptainStormfield]

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE49R0GK20081028

One thing missed in the article is that Linda Bloodworth-Thompson is clearly past her shelf life date.
She wants to "write defenses of Palin and her supporters into TV shows" ? Havent we had enough of that from the Bush regime? This woman is not a democrat.

"Some of the most spirited debate came from the panel's moderator, outspoken conservative Lionel Chetwynd. The writer, director and producer passionately defended the Iraq War and Palin, whom he called "the ideal Jeffersonian political figure."
This is an insult to Thomas Jefferson and all of us who revere him.

[prailey]

Im 21 y.o. and from 7-10 every weeknight with MSNBCs on my TV, I consider myself an Independent and just because MSNBC calls out all of these nutjobs from the far right, doesnt put them that far in left field. I will agree that Olberman pushes his agenda a little too far, but then again he's used as the alternitive to O'Reilly, and atleast Keith is HONEST. Ive tried watching CNN but I can't stand Blitzer or Dobbs (who rambles on and on about how Mexico is waging a secret war on America and falsly reporting Obamas ties to ACORN) You gotta love Pat and Scarbourogh for sticking around, they do their best to fit in. Thank god they locked Tucker in the closet and lost the keys...

[vallon]

"Bloodwort­h-Thomason and others seemed especially critical of the way MSNBC -- and other media -- has attacked Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin while demeaning her supporters.
"We should stop the demonizing," she said, adding that Democrats have been worse than Republicans as far as personal attacks on candidates are concerned. "It diminishes us," she said of her fellow Democrats.­..."

Hmmmm, SOMEONE's pissed that Hillary didn't win, and now won't be able to sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom again anytime soon...

[Melissa]

Both MSNBC and CNN are in Obama's pocket. Fox News, the station I used to hate, is the only one I now watch. As soon as this election is over I doubt whether any of them will have much of an audience. People are tired of spending their time listening to hate filled pundits.

[pw]

Yeah right Melissa and there were WMDs in Iraq and the Moon is made of cheese.

[jjoshaugh]

"People are tired of spending their time listening to hate filled pundits."

Which is why the other networks audience is increasing and Fox's is declining.

[susie1776]

At my house in CA from 4-7pm it's Chris then Keith then Rachel! I especially love Rachel. She was adorable last night when she told us she was going to Florida on Thursday to interview BARACK OBAMA! She was like a little kid....soo­ooo excited! Good for her. Now there's a smart woman!

[wmafoune]

I love keith and Rachel and Matthews.

[poliscibabe]

If you saw Rachel's football analogy last night you know everything you need to know about why MSNBC is beating CNN.

[PhoenixtheUndying]

In the first place what demeans us is a hastily picked, clearly unqualified, woefully underinformed candidate for vice-president who has been coddled as if she were an eight year old this entire election season. At the debate, Joe Biden was specifically instructed not to go after Palin, not to call her Sarah, and to focus on John McCain. Thus Palin never had to answer for leaving Wasila two million dollars in debt, the bridge to nowhere lie, her views on global warming, her non-existent foreign policy credentials, her pursuit of earmarks, or anything else. Name another vice presidential nomineee that's gotten off that easy. Neither Olberman, nor Maddow are wrong to point out the evils of declaring that your opponent plans to turn America into a socialist state. She can imply that Obama is fond of terrorists but if you ask a question about her wardrobe, you're sexist. Second, CNN is a dull and boring network devoted to ignoring glaring facts like Sarah Palin and Joe Biden are about as equal intellectually as Al Sharpton and Colin Powell, in order to claim to be nonpartisan. if your network cannot call a lie a lie I refuse to watch it

[TMann99821]

Coddled??

Sarah Palin has taken more abuse from the mainstream media than Obama, Biden and McCain combined.

What gets in the Washington Elite's craw so much is the fact she came from humble beginnings, became Mayor and then Governor on her own.

Unlike Obama, she did not have support of limosuine liberals funding her every move.

[christopherflynn]

What planet are you living on????

[Diogenis]

awwwww, the pit bull was abused you say? Listen....­that pit bull knows how to dish it out. Sooo, she should take it too. It's called politics. In her case...nas­ty politics.

[frappe]

I hope that MSNBC builds on their success with their early evening lineup of Matthews, Olbermann, and Maddow. There is a huge market and audience for politics and news that caters to moderates and liberals. It has become so tiresome to listen to the constant drivel emanating from the Right. We get it from all quarters -- radio and tv. It's about time that moderates and liberals have a voice in the mainstream media.

(I would suggest that they drop Joe Scarborough, Mika, and Willy Geist from their morning show and substitute individuals who are more aligned or compatible with their evening lineup. It would markedly increase their audience share and cement brand loyalty among those whose numbers vastly exceed the conservative reactionaries on the right who seem to get most of the mainstream media's love and attention.­)

[iamnumba1]

Ok, let me try this again. Get rid of Scarborough but keep Andrea Mitchell.

[TC9]

The fact that Fake News gets the most viewers is a very sad commentary on the state of this country.

This just shows how paranoia, envy, and fear are in control of the political mind of many Americans.

[Rnactivist]

Here are the only people watching faux news...the ones who got their education funding cut under Bush.....t­hey had to drop out...

[michellefs622]

Fox has it's Democrat bashing shows so why shouldn't the Dems have a few GOP bashing shows? I was a devout CNN fan but MSNBC is alot more fun! Keith and Rachel are great!

[DaOne]

Keith & Rachel rule!