2011 is drawing to a close, which means it is now time to report year-end ratings for cable news shows. As in previous months and years, Fox News dominated the list. Just like November, Fox News programs held on to the top thirteen spots. MSNBC's Rachel Maddow broke Fox News' streak.
While Fox News maintained its ratings dominance and will celebrate it's 10th year as the number one cable news channel in January, the network's 2011 ratings were down from 2010.
MSNBC ranked second in 2011, and beat rival CNN in prime time programming in both total viewers and in the key demo (adults age 25-54). During the last quarter of the year, MSNBC made significant changes to its lineup, moving "The Ed Show" to 8:00 p.m., and "Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell" to 10:00 p.m.
CNN was up 29 percent in prime time. The network's highest rated show was the 10:00 p.m. repeat of "Anderson Cooper 360," which beat MSNBC in the key demo and was up 16 percent in total viewers from 2010. While MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" beat CNN at 9:00 p.m., "Piers Morgan Tonight" was up 24 percent in the key demo and eight percent in total viewers in 2011.
View a slideshow of the top 30 cable news programs below.
