Fox News, "NBC Nightly News" Win Big News Week

In one of the bigger news weeks this fall, with the the health care debate, the 2009 elections and the breaking news out of Fort Hood, Fox News and "NBC Nightly News" came out on top in the ratings.

Among cable news networks, Fox News was tops, averaging 2.556 million total viewers in primetime for the week and registering as the #3 cable network in primetime. CNN averaged 883,000 total viewers for the #21 spot on cable, while MSNBC averaged 741,000 total viewers for the #26 spot on cable.

In the total day, ratings Fox News placed 4th among all cable networks with an average of 1.402 million total viewers; CNN placed 20th with an average of 593,000 total viewers; MSNBC placed 33rd.

On the networks, "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams" averaged 9.469 million total viewers, its best week since the week of February 16, 2009. ABC's "World News" with Charles Gibson averaged 8.380 million total viewers, while the "CBS Evening News with Katie Couric" averaged 6.204 million total viewers. "Nightly News" was also the only network newscast to show growth compared to a year ago, adding 136,000 total viewers (2%) versus the same week last season.

In the A25-54 demographic, "Nightly" garnered a 2.3 rating, its highest in that demo since the week of March 23, 2009. "World News" got a 1.9 A25-54 rating, and "CBS Evening News" got a 1.5 A25-54 rating.

Cable Time Period Rank - Week of 11-2-09 _Live+SD_ -

Comments

[meinmd]

08:23 AM on 11/12/2009

Could it be that although people have cable/sate­llite, they still choose to watch the local news which leads them to watch the evening news on their local channel? I know that is what I do. Faux is not a channel that I watch. I program my remote for favorite channels and FNN is not on the list.

This thing with HP and FNN ratings is absurd! So what if FNN has a million viewers! It's still very small percentage wise no matter how you try to frame it.

[daultman463]

09:14 AM on 11/12/2009

It`s not absurd,i gets so many hits on here they can`t help themselves­.I always loves yall liberal logic as to the success or failure of fox news.So now libs are going to use the network news has a bigger audience so the don`t count,you guys are funny. The big question should be why is no one watching msnbc and cnn,not fox`s numbers.

[meinmd]

10:10 AM on 11/12/2009

It is absurd! One million people is only a small percentage of tv watchers whether they have cable/sate­llite or not. You toolbags on the right just wish that Fox was real news and not liars. Who gives a good GD if anyone watches msnbc or cnn. My point was that the nightly news programs are out performing cable news because viewers stay tuned after watching their local news on ABC, NBC or CBS.

And if Fox was so great, why aren't the local Fox stations number 1 in local news? IMO, Fox is only good for the NFL games and nothing else.

The lack of logic by you rethugs is astounding­! Always trying to defend FNN where there is no defense to be had.

[GeoLee]

02:13 AM on 11/12/2009

It is refreshing to read that ten times more people watch mainstream news (ABC, CBS, NBC) than watch FAUX not-quite-­news. WHAT i WANT TO KNOW IS HOW MANY VIEWERS WATCH JON STEWART FOR THEIR NEWS?

[cornelison]

03:40 AM on 11/12/2009

And Jon's program is more accurate than Fox Fringe. Jon enjoys the fact that young voters watch his show as well.

[t iessa]

06:59 AM on 11/12/2009

Too many. All you have to do is read the posts on this site. Way too many get their news from Stewart and Letterman. Of course, considerin­g we actually have very little actual news reporting in this country, I guess that is not surprising­. Comedy Central is probably as accurate in the long run as any other network.

[alilamos]

08:15 AM on 11/12/2009

as accurate? I'd have to say more accurate. Jon offers a sharp critique of all the news spin, no matter what the network.

[billobasher]

12:05 AM on 11/12/2009

"Dancing With Stars" 16 MILLION viewers in prime time.

Fox News- 2.6 million viewers in prime time.

Yep, Fox News just "dominates­' TV.

[Amalek]

05:21 AM on 11/12/2009

They have 100% of teabaggers­. How do you answer that?

[daultman463]

10:30 AM on 11/12/2009

Whats wrong with that amalek?

[battlez]

07:56 PM on 11/14/2009

The Shopping network beats PMSNBC.

[billobasher]

09:49 PM on 11/14/2009

battlez,

Does it make you feel better to call it PMSNBC? Do you really believe that ratings alone makes something right?

[Smithn]

11:53 PM on 11/11/2009

Am I the only one in the whole wide world watching PBS NewsHour w/Jim Lehrer?

[odinfellow]

12:32 AM on 11/12/2009

No. You and me are the only ones. :(

[OscarthePug]

01:59 AM on 11/12/2009

Nope, I am, also. I want to learn about the news of the day and what happens around the world. I cherish accuracy and factual informatio­n. PBS is the only network to offer real news coverage. The rest of the MTM, in vary degrees of quality, offers fluff and commentary­. It appeals to the mentally lazy.

[FarOutFish]

11:41 PM on 11/11/2009

Perhaps this is the reason President Obama has backed off and is giving Fox an interview. It's hard to ignore this many viewers.

[yweston]

11:49 PM on 11/11/2009

It's hard to ignore 24/7 pack of lies they're selling to their viewers.

[hippieforlife]

10:56 AM on 11/12/2009

So, you lie about Fox lying.

[billobasher]

12:04 AM on 11/12/2009

Farout fish,

Fix doe NOT have "a lot of viewers. Cable News is 3% of the overall TV audience. Katie Couric on a bad nifght waxes Fox #1 show three times over.

[G FORCE]

11:31 PM on 11/11/2009

Fox News Sucks !

[daultman463]

10:32 AM on 11/12/2009

MSNBC swallows !

[Harry Scrote]

10:54 PM on 11/11/2009

In the spirit of Cheney, "So?"

[Poorsarah]

10:43 PM on 11/11/2009

Unfortunat­ely, Fox News "wins" with misinformi­ng the gullible with pretention­s...winnin­g used to be about being honest and thinking critically and real fact-findi­ng before spouting off nonsense.

[Mark Slater]

12:00 AM on 11/12/2009

Yes, but their numbers reach fewer than 1% of the American public. Don't be fooled into thinking that a lot of people watch Fox. There's a reason Barack Obama was elected last November . The center elected him. The media has consistent­ly mis-interp­reted where the center is. It's not crazy right wing or crazy left wing. It comforts me that with all the noise Fox News tries to make, most people aren't even aware of it or ignore it.

[daultman463]

10:46 AM on 11/12/2009

You are right about the center electing obama. But what should scare dems is how many in the center voted repub. last week. Remember its the left that can`t quit talking about fox news.We are on HP,which last time i checked was a left blog.

[battlez]

07:58 PM on 11/14/2009

yeah......­...like PMSNBC

[hitmangvc1985]

08:08 PM on 11/11/2009

Nothing new here. Spongebob is still on top. Spongebob is truly the king of Cable!

[bayarea000]

07:54 PM on 11/11/2009

this administra­tion is emabarassi­ngly weak and ineffectiv­e. folds like a cheap suit!!!!

[x004Ronin]

08:53 PM on 11/11/2009

Learn how to spell then try again later.

[odinfellow]

12:33 AM on 11/12/2009

Ditto.

[battlez]

07:59 PM on 11/14/2009

Soros.....­..........­you get what you pay for!!!

[dre7861]

07:43 PM on 11/11/2009

Why is it that the big three networks' newscast, who have ratings of 9.4, 8.3 and 6.2 million viewers, still allow Fox "News," with only 2.5 million viewers, to dictate the news? Almost 24 million Americans get their news from someplace other than Fox but yet Fox is treated as the Holy Grail. This makes no sense what so ever. Look at how all three rushed to Fox' defense. The establishe­d media wisdom is that at least lip service has to be paid to phonny stories that Fox "News" reports as news, witness the Birthers, the size of the Tea Party Rallies, Death Panels, etc...

[Ifticar2]

08:16 PM on 11/11/2009

Those other news outlets get the core news from Fox. This is what got the WH so upset.

[battlez]

08:01 PM on 11/14/2009

Maybe if the didn't get their talking points from the WH, they would be more respected.

[glatze44]

06:58 PM on 11/11/2009

Fox News: The network for people who will believe just about anything.

[brady61995]

07:03 PM on 11/11/2009

except compassion or understand­ing or diversity

[yweston]

11:54 PM on 11/11/2009

You forgot to add the truth. Also I Fanned you

[battlez]

08:02 PM on 11/14/2009

Liberals are NONE of those things....­....

[talkingdog]

06:34 PM on 11/11/2009

You just wait Shep and Brian,....­...Diane Sawyer's coming and pretty soon your gonna have to lead off with cooking tips!!!

[FerrellGummitt]

05:36 PM on 11/11/2009

741,000 people watch MSNBC? Wow, I didn't realize the Olbermann, Matthews, Maddow and Schultz had that many relatives combined. Now those are big families.

[Kevin Ehsani]

07:47 AM on 11/12/2009

good one... try again, funny man.

[battlez]

08:04 PM on 11/14/2009

PMSNBC....­......."Th­e Thrill Up Your Leg" network.

[stencil62]

05:34 PM on 11/11/2009

Well i don't watch tv news its too slanted toward the right. I read blogs, newspapers and maybe watch BBC when its available. American corporate news is just crap.

[Ifticar2]

08:17 PM on 11/11/2009

and, of course, the BBC is not at all biased. Nope. Not in the least.