Monday, January 19, 2009

Cable news—who will win the war with O in office?


An article in the NYTimes today analyzes how the new presidency of Barack Obama may affect the ratings of cable news networks (Fox News, CNN, MSNBC). 

During the past seven years (aka the Bush presidency), Fox News has had the highest ratings among the demographic coveted by advertisers:

The media world will watch carefully to see whether Fox receives the same treatment from an Obama White House that it received from Mr. Bush's. And it will wait and see whether Fox can stave off its two primary competitors, CNN and MSNBC, in the 25- to 54-year-old demographic that matters most to advertisers.

Fox easily leads the other cable networks in that demographic on a total day basis. But for a couple of important hours, the gap has narrowed. On at least 10 days since the election, Fox's 9 p.m. program "Hannity & Colmes" has been surpassed in the competition for viewers in that demographic by Rachel Maddow, the new MSNBC host.
It sounds like Fox is shaking up their programming for the new administration, but I certainly hope Maddow's quick-fire wit and sense of humor will ultimately win the day.

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