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CNN ratings aren't what they used to be

by Brad Trechak, posted Mar 28th 2009 5:04PM
CNNPeople want more Bill O'Reilly or Keith Olbermann and less Anderson Cooper. The cable news station that started it all is now number three. Both Fox News and MSNBC exceeded the ratings of CNN in the past year.

Is CNN becoming a dinosaur? Granted, the prime-time ratings between MSNBC and CNN are pretty close (1.16 million vs. 1.14 million), but why is it that CNN is having such a problem maintaining a television audience?

The theory presented in the AP article (for which I tend to agree) is that CNN is still trying to be a politically neutral news network, whereas the other two have become more like opinion shows. With the news today being what it is, creating an "us vs. them" mentality is popular whether it's one political agenda or the other.

I have one other tangentially-related theory as to why Fox News doubles the ratings of its competitors: conservatives tend to skew older watch more TV. Liberals tend to get their information via other sources, such as the Internet. What do you think?

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danson1

CNN is no longer interesting because Wolf Blitzer is a boring boor. I like Kyra Phillips and T.J Holmes they are the only ones that seem to have life in them.
Anderson Cooper is boring anyone who sits with Kelly Ripa is boring.
Maybe if Wolf Blitzer talk with Jeff Cafferty when Jack comes on it won't be so bland.
Wolf need to get that stick outta his azz!
EVERYONE KNOWS THAT FOX IS PROPOGANDA AND MOST LIBERALS DO THE INTERNET MORE SO I REALLY DON'T THINK FOX IS WINNING ANYTHING MUCH.

I HAD A NEILSON BOX BEFORE AND YOU CAN RIGGED IT ANYWAY YOU WANNA!

May 24 2009 at 11:07 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
tina

I used to watch CNN at the beginning of the Clinton era. That is when I realized how in the tank they were for Democrats. I switched to FOX which at that time gave an opposite point of view. Granted, FOX has since moved closer to the right, but so have I, and the majority of cable news viewers. It has nothing to do with an older audience. I am 40.

April 28 2009 at 9:15 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Diane

I was raised in a liberal school district, read the liberal books that were showcased at my local library, watched scores of liberal movies, wrote liberal essays in college, sung liberal songs. Then I got out of school and began to live life. Things weren't right. The assumptions I had been taught weren't right. I began to question NPR. I sought solace in peeking into to conservative thought. I found a whole new world of ideas. Many of them made sense. So Fox News now appeals to me. For now I am a reformed conservative. So what if I am a little older (50). It takes a while to get here.

April 19 2009 at 12:08 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Fredneck

Hmmm... maybe CNN should take a look at how the covered the Tea Parties... Not allowing someone to answer a question their "reporter" asked... Sorry she was NOT a reporter... she was giving her OPINION... That's the problem with CNN - they don't report the news, they report their OPINION... Yes Fox leans to the right but when ALL other News stations ARE left, how can anyone complain (unless you complain about ALL News stations)...

Second - Why is a "News" Station talking about "TeaBagging" when talking about the Tea Parties... I'm sorry but if they were teenagers (and didn't take place on TV while my kids are in the room), I wouldn't say anything... BUT this was a so called "NEWS" Report...

Maybe WE should try to be AMERICANS and stop labeling people right / left or Rep / Dem...

United We Stand - Divide We Fall!!!!

April 16 2009 at 10:41 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
michel

Fox News is nothing else than a propaganda station who invite opponents to tell them to shut up and and to ridcule them but not to listen to them. O'Reilly is a sort of Paul Joseph Goebbels, American version. He is sarcastic, full of himself, arrogant and convinced that the Left brings us to our doomday. He should not that doomday was for the friends of Goebbels.

April 04 2009 at 2:49 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ithwear

I only watch CNN. I want to hear all sides of a story and form my own opinions based on the information I have heard from all possible sides with all sides getting their fair time. CNN is the ONLY non-biased news network on cable television right now. If you think a certain way because Rachel Maddow told you so..you are a puppet. If you think a certain way because Sean Hannity told you so...you are a puppet. If you hear all sides of a story and think for yourself...you are an informed intelligent American. If you want pure entertainment..watch a comedy. If you want news...watch CNN.

April 04 2009 at 3:13 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
GrrrRomeo

I don't watch CNN anymore because they devote too much time to dumb stories. I don't care about dead celebrities or the woman with a bunch of babies. Probably sounds cold but I also don't care to follow the stories of missing people or trials for weeks on end. It's not anything I can use or do anything about. I don't find other people's tragedies entertaining.

If the assumption here is that only conservatives watch Fox, I'd say that's wrong. 1/3 of Fox's audience is probably liberals who either like feeling outraged, point/laugh/debate with the TV or watchdogging.

I think most conservatives like having the home team advantage. That's why they don't go on MSNBC. They'd rather argue on their own turf. I don't know why people assume hosts on MSNBC don't ask conservatives to come on. They do...often publically.

March 31 2009 at 11:24 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Stephon

No wonder we see many CNN anchors desprate and trying to beef up any news stories.

March 30 2009 at 9:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
MK

CNN is just a snooze-fest. Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper and now John King all are terrible toothless interviewers who are unable to ask relevant and sharp follow-up questions. Where is Ted Koppel and his style of interviewing guests?
Larry King is a lazy moron, who never even reads a book or sees a movie which was written by or starred his guests. He is absolutely irrelevant today and is time for him to retire. Never watched Campbell Brown show and am not interested. Stopped watching CNN completely. They are only good when some disaster strikes.

March 29 2009 at 7:47 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
MWM

CNN lost me when Lou Dobbs was given a show

March 29 2009 at 6:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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