Haiti Coverage Ratings: Fox News, NBC Win The Week

The Haiti earthquake represented the biggest international deployment of TV news talent since the 2004 tsunami, and the ratings winners were NBC and Fox News.

In broadcast news, "NBC Nightly News" averaged 10.299 million total viewers, ABC's "World News with Diane Sawyer" (8.526 million) and the "CBS Evening News with Katie Couric" (6.740 million).

On cable, Fox News won the week, averaging 2.412 million viewers in primetime, more than CNN (1.130 million) and MSNBC (670,000) combined. It also placed second among all cable channels in primetime for the week, losing to USA by just 211,000 viewers.

Cable network rankings (primetime and total day) for the week:

Cable Network Ranker Haiti Week -

Comments

[wolf58]

11:12 AM on 01/24/2010

In as much that fox is on the lower tier of all cable companies and the others are on upper (expanded) tiers their ratings don't mean much. Put all three on the same playing field then lets see how ratings shake out.

[dteg]

07:26 AM on 01/24/2010

Sick. ratings winner for Haiti. News was better when it didn't have to make money for the networks.

[melton244]

03:30 AM on 01/24/2010

just because someone has higher rating DOES NOT mean a higher quality show. CNN will win the best of show award, even if only I saw it. That is a fact.

[Fat Greg]

10:47 AM on 01/26/2010

I'm probably to late but how is that a fact. What do you base you opinion on? You Fox bashers need to get over this. The stats show Fox News is the best Cable News program on TV.

[lynn1219]

12:24 PM on 01/23/2010

By far, Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN have done the best job of covering the Earthquake aftermath in Haiti. I've purposely switched to Fox on occasion to see how they're covering it, and they give it little attention. They're too busy slamming everything Obama. Cooper has always gotten the best stories and angles, and he's not afraid to get his hands dirty. Dr. Sanjay Gupta had, in my opinion, one of the best situations to report on when he was left stranded alone with 25 patients at night with almost no supplies. He turned his crew into medics and got all of the patients through the night. Not one other network reported on this. I wait for AC 360 each night, as I believe it's the only comprehensive reporting on the devastation and lack of supplies in the area. He's not afraid to go after anyone who's holding up the recovery, and he's not afraid to name names and hold people accountable. Fox isn't interested in the people of Haiti; they don't have any money!!!

[ediva75]

02:33 PM on 01/23/2010

Fox also isn't interested in Haiti because they are brown and the only Brown of interest to them is the Pin up boy senator!!

[keepemhonest]

01:20 AM on 01/23/2010

I find those numbers suspicious.... very suspicious ... who owns the ranking company? Seriously, it was reported that Fox did like 7 minutes on Haiti and CNN has had the best coverage of all and they don't pop up in the ranking ... hmmmm.....

I've suspected funny business for a long time with these ratings ... hmm....

[keepemhonest]

01:29 AM on 01/23/2010

Lachlan Murdoch’s Illyria is poised to announce the purchase of most of Nielsen Business Media,

Lachlan Murdoch is Rupert Murdoch's son ... Fox ... hmm..

[keepemhonest]

01:18 AM on 01/23/2010

I find those numbers suspicious.... very suspicious ... who owns the ranking company? Seriously, it was reported that Fox did like 7 minutes on Haiti and CNN has had the best coverage of all and they don't pop up in the ranking ... hmmmm.....

I've suspected monkey business for a long time with these ratings ... hmm....

[paulfla99]

04:22 PM on 01/22/2010

What is the big surprise here? When people want news they go to Fox News.

If you want liberal Obama approved lies and distortions, you go to the lowly rated MSNBC.

[keepemhonest]

01:30 AM on 01/23/2010

Paul

Fact is, Rupert Murdoch's son is buying Neilsen Business Media ...

[up2uamerica]

11:40 AM on 01/22/2010

I think CNN is doing a fantastic job in Haiti. They are still reporting there while evryone else has moved on.

[keepemhonest]

01:19 AM on 01/23/2010

I agree

[nexxtep54]

06:12 PM on 01/21/2010

Kinda just makes everyone eager for the next massive loss of life so we can all wait with baited breath to see which puppet media team rakes in the advertising bucks.
Sickening !

[springsm]

05:22 PM on 01/21/2010

Actually in spite of all the hysterica and mean remarks below, I think Anderson cooper does the best reporting on these tragedies. He is angry when he should be, gets dirty, doesn't worry about how neat and smooth he looks and Gupta is honest too. I wouldn't watch Faux news if it was all that was offered. And Brian Williams is too darned smooth. It is too bad tho that some people have to really diss those who are there. I have to admit there are far too many reporters/journalists there getting in the way. Anderson will help, Katie Couric was helping and the rest report with mush.

[LeFlaneur]

04:15 PM on 01/21/2010

Haiti week? Like sweeps week? Gosh I'm biting my nails to see which corporate media giant profits the most the next time 100,000 people die. How disgusting.

[directfitz]

02:41 PM on 01/21/2010

NBC owned by GE right? Exactly the same problem.
I will say MSNBC clearly defines that their shows are opinion NOT news.

[ediva75]

02:37 PM on 01/23/2010

And Murdoch owns News Corp which has Fox under that umbrella right??
I will say Fox clearly defines that their shows are opinion NOT news!!! And forget covering news involving people of color in a tragedy. Yet heaven forbid that a tragedy hurricane or tornado happened in Fox's Real Middle America area with mostly yt folks and they be the only ones giving major coverage and complaining that the other networks aren't!! S M D H

[JimR]

01:20 PM on 01/21/2010

That's great. I'm so happy they are having both networks are having such success with massive death and destruction.

[jtbreeze94]

11:40 AM on 01/21/2010

In fact most Conservatives has Fox news locked on there tv.

[murz]

06:23 PM on 01/24/2010

When I go get my eyes tested, their TV set is always on FoxNews. I have no doubt that the owner of this company is a conservative.

[CammyV]

10:47 AM on 01/21/2010

Was Fox able to blame Obama and the Dems for this earthquake? That would explain the rating surge.

[jennylynn]

03:40 PM on 01/21/2010

You are referring to Katrina. You know....the Blanco, Nagin episode. Let's not forget they reelected Nagin.