"CBS Evening News," "ABC World News" Hit All Time Ratings Lows

Both the "CBS Evening News" and ABC's "World News" suffered all-time ratings lows last week, the week of June 15, 2009. Both broadcast's anchors — Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson, respectively — were off for the entire week.

CBS averaged 4.89 million total viewers for its lowest total on record. Its previous low came two weeks ago when the Couric-anchored broadcast averaged 5.18 million total viewers. The broadcast was anchored by Jeff Glor on Monday and Tuesday, Harry Smith on Wednesday, Maggie Rodriguez on Thursday, and Russ Mitchell on Friday.

ABC averaged 6.42 million total viewers for its lowest total on record. George Stephanopoulos subbed for Gibson all week.

"NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams" won its 36th consecutive week with 7.75 million total viewers, though Thursday and Friday's broadcasts were omitted from the average due to US Open-related schedule changes (though, it should be noted, "Nightly" was at full coverage both nights).

The record low for both CBS and ABC suggests that the resurgence of the evening news has cooled. Earlier this year, ratings for all three broadcasts were up on the economic crisis and widespread interest in the new Obama administration.

Comments

[akuma river]

I've been watching World News and Nightline hoping to see them covering Iran. I'm still pissed that World News did not name the Iranian people the persons of the week last friday. Hopefully they will this week.

I do wish I had cable news though as they are able to give me round the clock updates. Otherwise I'm hitting Nico's page, The Guardian, Andrew Sullivan, BBC, CNN.com, twitter, et al for news on Iran and other happenings.

I perfer World News over NBC's (I don't get CBS or FOX), there is something soothing about Gibson and I love the formula of the show. George does a decent job at it as well.

[Bulbul]

So ?
What does it mean ? None to me, I think all of them are excellent , although I watch ABC mostly...

[magnetplanner]

Couric and Gibson are ex-morning show hosts. Williams is a male model/news-reader. These are not newspeople. They have no real journalism credentials. They do not know how to find the news or make news with interviews. Couric did trip up Palin, but an 8th grader could have done that. Most of the content of these shows is irrelevant to the struggle people are going through now. The rest is just lip service to address real problems in this country. It is quick topic hits with no follow up or consistent story line. These shows were played by Bush and Cheney on WMD. No one sniffed out the economic meltdown. No one was on to the torture story before it blew up. No one is really doing justice to the health care battle now. Give us anchors who are real journalists who know how to track a story. Make the content relevant and compelling. The viewers will find their way back.

[Bulbul]

Well, they managed to get rid of Dan Rather ......

[MarianneEvans11]

I think rating are down since the majority of people are tuned in to the President and Iran, etc. CNN, MSNBC cover the major news affairs 24/7. I know I am missing some normal TV since I am so interested in my country and my President. OBAMA has changed the way people look at the news. It is up to the news media to cover the news.
With re: Charles Gibson. He is fair and does, in my view, conduct a fair and unbiased news show. Sorry to hear his ratings are down. But he is not alone.
FOX News? NEVER. I can't give them the time of day. CNN and Wolf, Rick, Jack Don Lemmon, all my favorites.

[Puffin16]

Network news is going to end up in the same boat as newspapers. If they want to continue to be relevant, they need to give the people what they want, not old-fashioned anchor in the chair news. People want everything FAST now - the news is old even before it is read off the teleprompter. Maybe they can hire that guy who used to do the American Epress commercials who can talk 586 words per minute!

[zapper502]

you know its hard to judge them by these pics. we really need some swimsuite pics and maybe a couple action shots, like hitting a beach ball or something, climbing rocks. you know, action, to see how the muscles look in motion. i hope huffpo can get on that

[Servility]

There should be plenty of film footage of them RUNNING away from a tough question...

[hauty007]

America is moving elsewhere for their sanity.

Fox News at least offers objective reporting vs. one sided.

The rest of mainstream MEDIA is out of touch with reality and what drives independent, non partisan viewers.

[ramal]

"Faux News" is not a real news network, it is a comedy channel.

[dillydawg]

It serves the needs of the educational value of its viewers. They can easily understand rock throwing, mud slinging and raw racist hate mongering. It's a single line message. Hate the President in everything he does. Programmed Propaganda, nothing more, nothing less. simple news for simplier minds.

[Pigeon2]

Typical Dim reply

[Mustang Sally]

America no longer needs that brand of "sanity". Lies, fear mongering and hate really don't fall under the defintion of "objective".

Keeping enjoying the Propoganda.

[werdberd]

Having seen and heard George Stephanopoulos' wife on Oprah...I can no longer respect him.

[Mustang Sally]

Believing anything said on her show negates that opinion.

That said, GS is terrible. Not supported by his right-wing Sunday morning posse, he's a dry and uninteresting broadcaster.

[ChelseaC]

LOL!
The laughs just keep coming tonight!
ABC sucks.

[sarabono]

In my area, Central Florida, radio provides a much better coverage of the news than ABC,CBS or NBC. Many diverse viewpoints on the radio as well. BBC, on cable and the net, provides the best domestic and international coverage as far as I am concerned. Not skewed like our domestic networks.

[renatam]

Stale, dying traditional media. Can you imagine George Stephanopolous can only find journalists from the 1980s for his Sunday program - who see the entire world through the prism of their Reagan-era days of their youth??? You can actually predict what Cokie Roberts will say or answer to ANY question. And ABC can't do bette than this?

[JackDermand]

So True! If it's Sunday,,,,it must be conservative! Ha!

[Mustang Sally]

Excellent - both of you.

Fanned and faved!

[thinkworklivelove]

I guess competition does work.

[kvet]

db....

You need to expand your horizon's.....

Stop watching FOX Noise Only.....

[frantaylor]

He's talking about the Internet. Fox on the brain much?

[Mustang Sally]

Do you mean Cable and/or Internet or NBC?

[Daniboy]

Chris Wallace is very good on Sunday morning-very fair with two Libs and two Conseves on panel. You Libs should try watching him some time.

[dillydawg]

C'mon, give me a break. He is unwatchable.

[dandypuddin]

Headline material? I think not.

[Daniboy]

Can we blame Bush for the low ratings?

[iamvalid]

Nope. Just war crimes.

[hairyhuman]

Good luck with that.

[Pigeon2]

lol