CNN Beats Fox In Target Demo For First Time Since 2001

The New York Times | Bill Carter | April 1, 2008 12:06 PM

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The political season continues to be very good to CNN, which will officially announce on Tuesday that for the first time since 2001, it managed to beat the Fox News Channel in prime time for one quarter of the year in the category of news viewers most desirable to advertisers, according to Nielsen. Thanks to its debate coverage and heavy focus on the presidential primaries, CNN's ratings in prime time for viewers 25 to 54 were up 90 percent, to an average of 453,000 for the first quarter of 2008. That was enough to edge past the perennial leader, Fox, which had 438,000 viewers, up 12 percent from last year.

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- iPolitics See Profile I'm a Fan of iPolitics

I hope that the news and especially cable news worries a little more about being fair and factual and not so much about being balanced. Be balanced when there is reason to be. CNN is trying to be overly balanced. It's much better than Faux News' Republican talking points, but it's still not exactly the right take.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:48 PM on 04/01/2008

- timothe See Profile I'm a Fan of timothe

Dear HuffPost:

You forgot this part of the story.

"Among total viewers in prime time, Fox maintained its leadership position in the first quarter with an average of 1.8 million viewers, up 14 percent from last year. CNN grew 67 percent to 1.3 million viewers. MSNBC was up 59 percent to 791,000 viewers."

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:11 PM on 04/01/2008

- totalliberal See Profile I'm a Fan of totalliberal

["CNN grew 67 percent to 1.3 million viewers. MSNBC was up 59 percent to 791,000 viewers."]

Nobody is arguing that Fox hasn't got the old mouth-breather audience that yell at the screen all day long locked up. The younger people that spend money however are transferring to CNN.

(By the way, the big network news shows regularly draw 6 to 7 million a night . Fox is a piss-ant in comparison.)

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:04 PM on 04/01/2008

- MariaHopeful See Profile I'm a Fan of MariaHopeful

CNN is rapidly becoming a joke!

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:14 PM on 04/01/2008

- Burkelbile See Profile I'm a Fan of Burkelbile

All network news outlets are flawed in one way or another - including HuffPost.

Fox however takes the cake imo.

It's one thing for MSNBC to "appear" to cheer Obama (I agree);
and another for CNN to slant the other way;

But Fox is a goddam joke. I cannot believe anyone has the sack to spin Fox as being anything close to a legitimate News organization. O'Reilly, Hannity, ad nauseum ... you gotta be kidding me.
Fox is nothing more than a propaganda outlet for Murdoch.

When someone trys to sell me on Fox being a watchable / reliable source of information (like reading Krauthammer in WashPost),
it reminds me of what Hitler and Goebbels said about the "big lie."

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:35 PM on 04/01/2008

- Weathermaker See Profile I'm a Fan of Weathermaker

There is ONE real news channel: C-Span. CNN, FOX and MSNBC are not news channels. They are opinion channels. Do people actually get their news from CNN? I don't. By the time I get home and turn on the TV, I know what happened that day. God bless the internet!

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:51 PM on 04/01/2008

- Pammy1151 See Profile I'm a Fan of Pammy1151

I agree. I do watch MSNBC but don't consider it a NEWS channel. I watch it to see all the idiots perform. Oh except I do love KO. Sorry but had to say that. Haven't watch CNN since the OJ Trial and never never watch FOX.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:13 PM on 04/01/2008

- KyopMote See Profile I'm a Fan of KyopMote

CNN is winning because it is the most fair cable news network, just barely fair but much more than Fox or msnbc.. MSNBC should be ashamed with their 1-sided cheerleading for Obama. Now if Obama gets the nomination, MSNBC will turn on him and his followers for McCain. Get ready for it.
Corporate Media is ruining democracy. It will be our downfall. HuffPo included.
I thought the HuffPo would treat its readers with respect but that's not what is happening. This site acts just like republicans. Shoving their viewpoint down our throats and showing no respect for people who disagree.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:17 PM on 04/01/2008

- brwnizofmine See Profile I'm a Fan of brwnizofmine

We must be watching two different networks. CNN is almost as bad as FOX. They are so biased for Hillary that I cannot stand to watch Wolf Blitzer any longer.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:42 PM on 04/01/2008

- MajorKong See Profile I'm a Fan of MajorKong

CNN is bad. Fox is worse.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:02 PM on 04/01/2008

- lvogt See Profile I'm a Fan of lvogt

FOX will live on a steady diet of anti-Democratic attacks.
Limbaugh made his name attacking Clinton.
Air America and the Huffington Post are building an audience attacking Bush.
Being in opposition can be very compelling.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:36 PM on 04/01/2008

- nogimmicks See Profile I'm a Fan of nogimmicks

Oh, no, CNN is so full of it.. I know that is April Fool's Day .

Seriously, it is funny to watch two groups spinning the same agenda competing with each other. I think Fox (if purged from O'Reily and Hannity) has a better potential to become watchable.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:20 PM on 04/01/2008

- iPolitics See Profile I'm a Fan of iPolitics

Faux News. No Bush, No Access, No ratings. Just watch.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:07 PM on 04/01/2008