I have read a lot of news about Fox News' high prime time (7 p.m. to 11 p.m.) ratings
versus other cable news channels. Is this a real cause for alarm? Or, does it tend to say more about the people who would actually tune into Fox News, then it does about Fox's amazing content? I think it says more about the folks who watch Fox News, who are distinct and angry right wing minority.
The reason is that most reasonable people are not watching cable news during the prime time hour. I am political junkie, but I personally watch sports, rather than watch cable news. I apparently am not alone as Wednesday's ratings show:
If Fox News was the tremendous ratings monster that it is hyped to be, then Fox would drop it Fox network channel content, and replace it with Glen Beck and Hannity in the prime time slot. It hasn't. The fact of the matter is that it takes a special person to ignore friend, family, and normal television, and watch Fox News.
My take is that normal people do not watch cable news during prime time, and normal people watch CNN and MSNBC, which is why their ratings have dropped since the election. Normal people have gone on with their lives, while abnormal people (Fox users) are cocooned from reality in the alternate world that is Fox News during prime time.
However, as the ratings below show, even mighty Fox News is largely ignored by the general public. I love Rachel Maddow, but I am not going to watch her if my favorite team is playing.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mediaweek/20091022/ad_bpimw/primetimemeteredmarketwednesdayratingscbswins8pmhourremainsoneofthesoftestoftheweek###
Ratings Breakdown:
CBS led the Wednesday overnight troops, beating second-place NBC by a healthy 60 percent. Third overall was Fox, followed by ABC and distant The CW.
CBS finished first overall in the 8 p.m. hour care of its combination of The New Adventures of Old Christine (#1: 4.4 rating/7 share) and compatible Gary Unmarried (#2: 4.3/ 7). The two sitcoms, in fact, beat ABC's competing Hank (#4: 3.6/ 6) and The Middle (#4: 3.7/ 6), which were both series lows, by an average of 19 percent in the overnights. But the Wednesday 8 p.m. hour remains one of the least competitive in all of prime-time.
Also airing from 8-9 p.m. was NBC's consistent, albeit non-spectacular Mercy (#2: 4.3/ 7), Fox's So You Think You Can Dance (#3: 4.2/ 7), which will win the time period among adults 18-49, and fading America's Next Top Model on The CW (2.4/ 4), which year-to-year was down by a significant 29 percent (3.4/ 6 on Oct. 22, 2008 to 2.4/ 4).
The Wednesday 8-9 p.m. overnights in a nutshell:
ABC
Hank – 8 p.m.: 3.6/ 6 (#4)
The Middle – 8:30 p.m.: 3.7/ 6 (#4)
CBS
The New Adventures of Old Christine – 8 p.m.: 4.4/ 7 (#1)
Gary Unmarried – 8:30 p.m.: 4.3/ 7 (#2)
NBC
Mercy: 4.3/ 7 (#2)
Fox
So You Think You Can Dance: 4.2/ 7 (#3)
CW
America's Next Top Model: 2.4/ 4 (#5)
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