Cable News Ratings: Top 30 Programs For January 2012 (PHOTOS, POLL)

The cable news ratings for January 2012 are in, and as usual, Fox News cleared the top programs. The network claimed the thirteen highest rating shows of the month. Moreover, it celebrated 10 straight years as the top cable news channel.

The best news of the month, though, probably came for CNN and Anderson Cooper.

CNN and MSNBC continue to duke it out for viewers in January. CNN won across the board, besting MSNBC during primetime in total viewers (842,000 vs. 804,000) and in the key 25-54 demo (282,000 vs. 219,000).

CNN's two GOP debates -- both of which saw testy exchanges between the moderators and Newt Gingrich -- boosted ratings for the network. "AC360" also gained in total viewers and the key demo in both of its timeslots, compared to January 2011. The 10 p.m. broadcast grew an impressive 61% among viewers 25-54.

MSNBC slipped at 8 p.m., compared to last January before Keith Olbermann's departure. However, the network claimed the next five highest rating shows after Fox News. "Hardball With Chris Matthews" also grew in total viewers and the key demo at both 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., and "Morning Joe" broke the top 30 shows.

How did individual shows fare? Below, see the top 30 cable news programs of January.

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Comments

[clearasmud]

05:31 PM on 02/11/2012

The Republicans have obviously succeded in dumbing down America. But we knew that.

The 2012 election will be Fox viewers vs The Knowledgable

[IndependentRule]

10:26 AM on 02/07/2012

O'Reilly RERUNS are in the top 12 before ANY MSNBC or CNN show Now That IS sad.

[IndependentRule]

10:19 AM on 02/07/2012

All three Jeopardy contestants drew a blank at a Maddow question...they had ni idea who she is. I think she should move to Fox and offer some real balance. If you ask random people who are O'Donnel.Shultz, Matthews and Maddow work for or do for a living...most would have no idea. People remember Sharpton from the Twana thing.,

[bredlaum]

07:06 PM on 02/06/2012

Liberal hair is on fire at these ratings .. just saying.

[habenae23]

03:56 PM on 02/04/2012

1) Fox is Still crap. In the words of Jon Stewart, "I was not aware that ratings equalled quality"

2) Hats off to Rachel for being the highest-rated REAL news show. And for those fox-nuts who are going to comment on this by saying that she's obsolete because she only has "3 regular viewers" (I'm one of them, by the way), just let it be known that she checks and double checks her facts and if she makes a mistake, she corrects herself either later on in the show or the very next night...ON LIVE TV. She has a Ph.D. in politics from Oxford University and is a Rhodes scholar. Based on this, she could run in circles around you with her intelligence and you'd be on your butt, head spinning, before you could say "Fox rules"

3) Jon Stewart should be up there

[arthrbaum]

03:25 PM on 02/04/2012

as a New Yorker i never realised how despicable this Trump' is. he should never,never represent NY in any way or fashion! a total embarrassment and racist!...

[Seafarer61]

12:59 PM on 02/04/2012

....for a distant second place.

Wow. Trophies for everyone time.

[El 84]

11:02 AM on 02/04/2012

The obvious question: Do MSNBC and CNN complete for roughly the same audience? We know what Fox's is. And why do you keep calling Fox, "News"?

Eyewitless News. Long live Ron Powers.

[PrairieGayCompanion]

10:53 AM on 02/04/2012

Fox employs bright primary colors, loud talking and lots of motion to keep the attention of the elderly and dim-wits.

[Hwrd Sprague]

10:10 AM on 02/04/2012

FOX news # 1 for 10 YEARS !! O'Reilly had more viewers Monday than Brian Williams & NBC did, but you won't see that story here - just headlines of CNN and PMSNBC battling it out to see who can come into 13th spot in the top 30.

[El 84]

11:04 AM on 02/04/2012

CNN and MSNBC split viewers as they cater to one general demographic. Fox caters to another. Rocket science.

[arthrbaum]

03:31 PM on 02/04/2012

Hey Hwrd Sprague most of Fox Audience either wear hearing aids or have cataracts..i dont mean to put down our elderly but they aint 'listening' or 'watching! what dont you get!!

[ZGuile]

12:28 PM on 02/06/2012

Of course you mean to put down the elderly. Jam it.

[donnie-cheesehead]

08:44 PM on 02/03/2012

Just as an Observer of all three cable outlets, I always think CNN is trying
hard to mimic Fox ---

[IndependentRule]

10:21 AM on 02/07/2012

Sincerest form of flattery

[icon22]

08:21 PM on 02/03/2012

Maybe the folks over at msnbc should try being a little bit more pleasant. Just a suggestion.

[Penzoyle]

06:36 PM on 02/05/2012

Yeah, Rush Limphippo is a really nice guy.

[IndependentRule]

10:22 AM on 02/07/2012

Rush is a great self made man. Love listening to him and Maddow. The rest I can take or leave.

[ConservativeAlways]

07:54 PM on 02/03/2012

Sanity prevails. Fox News dominates! This is a good day for America!

[Estreet1964]

08:58 PM on 02/03/2012

And McDonalds has the best, most delicious food in the world because millions of people eat there every day.

[joeisright]

09:25 AM on 02/04/2012

I just had an Egg McMuffing while reading a HP article on PETA whats the big deal?

[IndependentRule]

10:23 AM on 02/07/2012

Well if the food wasn't good no one would buy it......Makes sense to me. Poor strawman

[chris hatala]

06:19 PM on 02/03/2012

The people who watch fox news think Larry the cable guy is funny.

[Estreet1964]

08:57 PM on 02/03/2012

Love it!

They also think Newt Gingrich is an intellectual.

[IndependentRule]

10:23 AM on 02/07/2012

An Jon Stewart.

[Donna Richard]

02:54 PM on 02/03/2012

"But this phenomenon was not balanced on both sides of the ideological spectrum. While Democrats trust most news outlets, to varying degrees, Republicans trust only a single one — Fox News. While a massive 73 percent of Republicans trust Fox, the next highest rating among any major TV news outlet is PBS, which just 30 percent of GOPers trust, according to the PPP poll." http://thinkprogress.org/media/2012/01/18/406441/survey-republicans-trust-fox-news-and-nothing-else/

http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2010/01/fox-leads-for-trust.html