MSNBC Beats CNN In Total Weekday Viewers For First Quarter Ever

MSNBC topped CNN in weekday primetime viewers (both total viewers and A25-54) for the first quarter ever in the second quarter of 2009.

MSNBC averaged 946,000 total viewers in weekday primetime compared to CNN's 939,000. In the Adults 25-54 demographic, MSNBC averaged 289,000 viewers compared to CNN's 261,000.

However, when weekends are factored in, CNN tops MSNBC, which has notoriously scant live weekend news coverage. In Monday-Sunday primetime, CNN averaged 863,000 total viewers to MSNBC's 797,000.

Both networks combined had fewer primetime viewers than Fox News, which is on pace for its best year ever.

MSNBC was also the #1 network among Adults 18-34 in the second quarter, a promising statistic as the network looks to build itself as the cable news brand of the future. "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" was the top cable news program in that demo, as well.

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Comments

[CherokeeGirl]

and they lose ratings over the weekend cuz of Lockup Raw, and now they are expanding Lockup?

The CEO of MSNBC is incompetent. His network is successful thru the good work of the anchors and in spite of the right wing guests he probably forces the daytime anchors to host.

Every time I turn around there's a CEO obstructing my right to truth, facts, and integrity.

[clemenj98]

I watch MSNBC during the week, but on the weekends they're worthless for news so i have to go to CNN. Looks like MSNBC could beat CNN if they drastically overhauled their weekend coverage. I wonder if MSNBC programmers will ever understand that?

[phredralf]

Limbaugh speaks to elicit a reaction, Olbermann reacts to illicit speak.

[Ping]

Yeah but frivolously complaining about Obama has gotten Olberman and Maddow put on the boycott list.

[ljc]

Here is my take.

Fox=Never
CNN=Chronically Negative News.
MSNBC=My viewing (except for Morning Joke) watch Chris, Keith, Rachel, I feel like Ed is yelling at me.

[ljc]

Oh, and bring back Daivd Shuster to Prime time. Do we really need a repeat of Hardball? What's up with that? News should be LIVE.

[smchp]

After MSNBC chose to talk about Micheal Jackson and Stanford instead of airing Obama's town hall today I lost a lot of faith in them ever being a viable alternative to (cringe) CNN.

[ECB]

CNBC lost all creditability last fall when they did not predict the down turn in the economy. Especially with that Jim Cr*a*PP*er telling people to continue to Buy !

[nunzia]

How come MSNBC doesn't do some programming on which pols are funded by which
insurance/­pharmaceut­ical corporations?

That Ed Show guy rants and raves, as if he doesn't know it's all about who's giving money to whom.
A woman commentator just tried to bring that up, to explain why the Ds "don't have the votes" and the host, Ed, just barreled right over that.

That guy's a phoney.

[CherokeeGirl]

no, the person saying "they don't have the votes" is the phoney. They are the ones shielding the greedy insurance companies and trying to preserve the status quo. Ed sees thru that and gets impatient. They are waving a flag of surrender when they say that.

Ed is the best thing to come along to political news since Rachel, and before that, Keith.

Ed cares about Americans and is fighting hard for the public option that would help you to be able to afford health insurance. You are the phoney baloney.

[rockyb26]

my guess is alot of people watch fox just for shock value or because they don't know any better.

[ljc]

My guess is that at 50% of Fox viewers are monitoring them to report on their craziness. Media Matters, Newshounds, MSNBC, HuffPo, Crooks & Liars, Think Progress, etc all report on Fox. Who knows why average people watch. Fox doesn't even have credible guests. They basically interview each other.

[srsjones]

"MSNBC was also the #1 network among Adults 18-34 in the second quarter"

Sounds like big bucks for MSNBC. That's the coveted advertising demographic.

[MaryanneAZ]

MSNBC and Olbermann have it going on (except weekends). They just do not play in a level playing field when it comes to counting ratings. MSNBC is not available in so many areas unless you pay an extra fee to have it through a box or higher tier in your home. And who can say how accurate Neilsen's viewership numbers are. How many of us are Neilsen Family households with boxes hooked up to our TVs, VCRs, computers and other media? I have never known anyone who was part of the Neilsen households whom they tally. Does anyone else know someone hooked up to Neilsen? www.neilsenmedia.com

[Bamboo]

Forgot the US cable news stations. Networks too. The only reasonable and straightforward (mostly) electronic news source is the Beeb. Go BBC!

[rockymountainhigh]

Newsflash.­..Keith Olberman is not a news show...he offers opinion...­big difference­....except to the dimwits that can stomach watching him, of course....

Personally, I feel he is on the same level of Limbaugh..­..they both bend, twist, and distort the facts to appeal to their audience..­..wake up, nimrods...­think for yourselves­....don't let ANYONE tell you what to think....

[MaryanneAZ]

Comparing Olbermann to Limbaugh is a non-starter. Olbermann is college educated and does actual research on his stories that he presents and opines on. All of the cable shows tend to be generically terms "news" shows. Few are. Olbermann is a top-notch commentator who seems to come down on the left as well as the right in his commentaries. He is not a thoughtless cheerleader for the Obama Administration. He has questioned and come out against the Administration on many points. I like the lack of rigid ideology that Olbermann offers.

[Whitley2009]

Keith, you da man!

[corwin]

I haven't really listened to Limbaugh more than a coupleof times, and maybe watched KO the same. Still, I want to offer a little G and S parody
"I am the Monarch of DC
"Beloved by MSNBC'
Whose praise Keith Obie loudly chantd
Chorus
ANd so do his brothers and his cousins and his aunts"

" When on Air Force One , I ride
My chest expands with pride
And I snap my fingers at EL Rushbo's taunts"
Chorus
And so do his brothers and his cousins and his aunts "
"But as the economy slows, I generally go below.
And seek the serenity that nicotine grants.
And so do his brothers and his cousins and his aunts.
Half brothers and his cousins
who he reckons by the dozens,Half brothers and his cousins and his aunts."

[phredralf]

Call it news or not, but I'm confident that Keith gets his facts straight, or he will be the first to admit it. However, I have seen him take a seemingly minor molehill issue and blow it into a mountain, but that's likely because he's a fierce combatant of hypocrisy.
Limbaugh speaks to elicit a reaction, Keith reacts to illicit speak.

[vanron100]

Easy to understand CNN losing.

News for CNN is the proper color of Palin's shoes ALL DAY.

[BOin08]

MSNBC is just a TV tabloid rag....pri­me time will lead with MJ's Will rather than hard news....wh­ere's the outrage at late night amendments to unread Bills signed by house reps? Is that not a WTF moment, Keith?

[MaryanneAZ]

Olbermann comes out against the Administration as it is warranted and in his opinion. There are so many issues and so little time.

[BOin08]

yes, apparently MSNCB agrees with you...with so much MJ, Palin and Bush
history ...why cover real news?!? So many issues...s­o little time---Did you see the white carriage for Micheal's funneral? MSNBC was all over it!