"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

[JerryLevy]

"Special Report" with Bret Bair is enjoying very good ratings. The quality of the program is excellent, you get 40 min. of news and then a panel discussion giving all points of view. You can't find a more thorough news program anywhere else.

[kvet]

Jerry,,,,,,,Try Shep Smith !

He's the Best there at FOX Noise...

[JerryLevy]

I like him too. I just don't get home in time to see him much

[John Horner]

I'm surprised anyone still watches the network evening news programs. Look at the numbers, all together they three networks are reaching about 5% of the population.

[MSMSucksCom]

TV news is on the decline because of the Net, plain and simple. By the time the news comes the stuff on TV is old news, or people will be on their computers getting more in depth coverage on issues they want to read about.

TV news is becoming as outdated as newspapers.

[kvet]

Too Funny!!!!

Poor,,,Poor,,, Georgie Boy........

America Has Voted you out....."You're Fired".....lol

[kvet]

Daniboy...­...Daniboy­......

That would be fine with alot of us.....thank's for the recommenda­tion...lol

[Mustang Sally]

I don't watch the "Big 3" in that time slot - Ed Schultz rules!!!

[Daniboy]

Would it be possibe for Obama to take over CBS and ABC? I think the government could run them so much better and they wouldn't need to make a profit. Is tomorrow night a dry run for the Obama-ABC Network?

[kvet]

sherp....bitter are we ?

Now how about making a promise never to come at the HuffPo ever again....

[kvet]

sherp,,,,Do'nt hate and be Bitter......

Now,,,,How about making a promise never to come here again....

[Churchi11]

I'll bet you proudly drive a honda. obama is only trying to save what bushco ran into the ground.

[hairyhuman]

Are you saying Bush ran the auto industry into the ground?

[sherp]

I promised my self I would never watch another CBS or ABC news show after the Governor was sandbagged by olde Charlie and Katies. Looks like others did too. I was disgusted with them and disgusted with their agendas. Keep boycotting these folks and Letterman.

[MSMSucksCom]

Oh please, are you so deluded to think that ratings are down because of Palin?

Gimme a break. By that logic I can just as well say that Gibson and Couric were the cause of Palin losing the election for the GOP.

[kvet]

Hey Devil.....

One day you will wake up and have Colon Cancer !

And Remember your Hating !

[sherp]

Well, yes I do, Why do you think their rating are so low? Lack of viewership and who is not watchin? Well, mainstream America and I think women.

[Roxanna]

The ratings are down because people are moving towards independent journalism.. Listener sponsored , not commercial oriented.

The ones watching fox are those who do not explore anything else and are totally brainwashed.

[ShanniC]

I only watch Nightly News with Brian Williams. I lost all respect for Charles and George after their disastrous debate moderation.

[BeefyT]

Just wait, the 24th is coming. When ABC officially signs itself over as the willing Pravda of the Obama regime...

[caseyblab]

Beef: you learned this from Fox News, right- ha

[timmmahhhh]

Puh-leese! You righties forget so fast how the Bushies all ran to FOX to skew things to their side. And now that Obama won't do the same you go waah waah waah all the way home. Then you whine about how people worship Obama (which they do not) all the time conveniently forgetting how you STILL put Reagan on a pedestal. None of the rational people buy it any more so just keep selling it to yourselves and enjoy life in the political obscurity you have so earned and deserve.

[iamvalid]

Radio Shack sells chip removers.

[1088]

People are moving away to real news! They should check BBC or PBS!

[jestanle]

and Fox keeps on going up...could it be that people don't like blatantly liberal themed programming.

[dagmaclugh39]

Rupert Murdoch bought 3,134,796 TVs, and channeled them to Faux News.

[caseyblab]

Why are Fox viewers OK with Fox being owned by a foreigner ? Can you speak to this, jestanle?

[genia]

I just want to say....why are we drawing attention to news ratings when the core problem with news coverage in this country is ...ratings...?

Also....I find in my circle of the world folks are really put off by all the Obama bashing. It's a shame no one gets it. After 16 yrs. of president scandals and corruption we all cheered and wept when we got a man we could like and trust.....it was cool to like the POTUS. For many young voters it was a first....something they had never really had. Yet media....left right and all together ...on a daily basis play a game of gotcha.
I dropped cable the other day...I realized I only kept it for the news channels and I've had enough of the same old same old.

[ConnecticutPoster]

when the news is constantly declining in quality, everything revolving around society soap operas coupled with bad news......people simply get turned off.

[grdavis1019]

Don't the know-it-all network execs say that no one watches TV in the summer anyway?

[put]

I never understood why a tv station would pay anyone million of dollars to sit & READ a news story. These anchors don't provide an intelligent situational news analysis but only their own "limited" bias vews. For goodness sake, "it is not rocket science."

[Ponderus]

And yet little George is so wildly unpopular!

Oh -- whoops -- that explains it.

[Knowledgeseeker]

Rating are low because of twitter.

Twitter is now the place to go for news..