Fox News Sees Profits And Viewership Rise, Cable News Competition Doesn’t

Mediaite.com ^ | 03/15/10 | Steve Krakauer

[OldDeckHand]

This year’s annual State of the News Media, put together by Pew, is a comprehensive look at the entire media world.

But let’s take a look at the cable news section – and the all-important race between Fox News, CNN and MSNBC.

• It is clear CNN declined not only in viewership (as evidenced by the chart below as well) but also in the comprehensive way it covers the news:

In one key demographic — 25-to-54-year olds — CNN fell behind a more ideological MNSBC in prime time audience, a prospect unthinkable even two years earlier. For the first time in years, CNN also cut back on newsgathering, its primary competitive advantage over its rivals.

[OldDeckHand]

I've still have never seen a reasonable explanation why CNN can charge more for commercial spot than FNC can. Although, from the report, it appears that FNC is very close to eliminating that gap, which even as recently as last year, was still very pronounced.

[Newtoidaho]

There’s a huge business opportunity for someone, with room for at least one more cable network that is to the right of Fox. All conservative all the time. That would get better ratings than any of Fox’s competitors.

[wac3rd]

What should be impartial advertising costs as measured by timeslot, demographics, etc. many advertisers have ideological bents that allow them to pay for more ad space (see Liberal companies - Comcast, Progressive Insurance, Miller, etc.)

Liberals invoke their First Amendment right to overpay, and they do.

[ETL]

MSNBC Host: We Ought to Rip Out Cheney’s Heart & Kick It Around (Audio)

Posted on February 26, 2010

ED SCHULTZ (01:59): I just want all of you to know that I get my entertainment through NewsBusters. (laughs, then in mincing voice)

How dare [we] Democrats make fun of Dick Cheney’s heart problems and turn it into a political football. (back to normal voice, to the extent possible) I can just hear some little weasel who’s writing that at NewsBusters. You’re my entertainment.

Bozell, Bozell and his bozo crew. You’re damn right, Dick Cheney’s heart’s a political football. We ought to rip it out and kick it around and stuff it back in him. I’m glad he didn’t tip over. He is the new poster child for health care in this country.

http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2010/02/26/msnbc-host-we-ought-to-rip-out-cheney%E2%80%99s-heart-kick-it-around-audio/

[AFreeBird]

[Carley]

Wonder if it’s because CNN has an international presence.

[Mr. K]

THE REASON WHY IS CLEAR (EVEN MORE CLEAR TO US HERE AT FR)

Last week a senator stopped funding for unemployment extensions. If it were up to ABCBSNBCNNPBSMSNBC that is all we would have heard (and how HORRIBLE -he must hate unemployed people!!)

But thanks to FOX NEWS we learned he was standing on a principle of a new law enacted JUST THE MONTH BEFORE that said any new spending must be “PAID FOR” - and this WASN’T

He would have been drummed out of washington for being so mean 10 years ago- THANK YOU FOX NEWS !!!!!!

[AFreeBird]

[OldDeckHand]

"Liberals invoke their First Amendment right to overpay, and they do."

That certainly could be it. I have wondered, however, if it has more to do with the pliability of the more liberal viewer, and how they would be more attractive to an advertiser. If your audience is less susceptible to advertising (which might be the case with a FNC viewer), you might be less inclined to pay top dollar for that spot.

Nielsen provides MUCH more data to advertisers beyond just age and number of viewers. It captures a whole host of socioeconomic indicators that are NEVER released to the general public. I would be interested in seeing those for the average CNN and FNC viewer. I imagine they'd paint an interesting picture.

[reformedliberal]

I imagine if you went to the effort of presenting yourself as a legitimate business by providing some advertising and financials, you could request the media package from any media outlet.

I have done this in the past, legitimately, with magazines and the demographics and breakdowns are usually right in there, complete with sub-headings.

I know someone who went the infomercial route and she seemed to have a lot of information about target audiences by geographic locale and time of day. The infomercial companies run test ads first and these are planned, I gather, to test the product against known demographic points.

I found it interesting that places like DFW and San Antonio seemed to be favored TV ad test markets. Back in the day, it was places like Milwaukee, WI and Peoria, IL. The product under consideration was a fashion accessory.

[OldDeckHand]

"I imagine if you went to the effort of presenting yourself as a legitimate business by providing some advertising and financials, you could request the media package from any media outlet."

Nielsen makes you pay for it. In fact, that's really how they make their money, off prospective advertisers researching where the best "fit" is for their advertising dollars.

Nielsen will gladly release their numerical viewer data, but they won't release the more interesting demographic data, because that's their proprietary hook.

It must be powerful data too. As an example, while NCIS doubles or triples the number of viewers for Heroes, Heroes still commands a premium advertising rate, much larger than what NCIS can command. IOW, Heroes has far fewer viewers, but generates MUCH more money for NBC than NCIS does for CBS.

I got interested in this when CBS canceled "The Unit". I thought, why are they canceling a program that outperforms virtually every show on NBC. The answer was in the show's demographics and the ad rates it commanded.

[reformedliberal]

Interesting. Thanx.

I imagine that the demo for Heros is the coveted younger one w/more disposable income. NCIS is, OTOH, likely older viewers and perhaps more conservative.

Frankly, we watch even less TV now than ever. Most of it is garbage and boring garbage, to boot. Also, we automatically reach for the mute when the commercials come on or we use that time to do something else. So much for the eyeball count, let alone the other demographics.

I suppose Nielsen has a detailed intake form that provides all the relevant data? I know statistics are more accurate than one could guess, but I always wonder just how much they have to crosscheck the intake data with other data in order to stay accurate. Data mining is a mature industry, and with the internet, it is probably fairly efficient, too.

[lowtaxsmallgov]

If anything I would think it’s the other way around. For example NASCAR fans tend to be the most brand loyal of all sports fan, and the I would think the NASCAR demographic would be relatively conservative.

Overall I would think conservatives mmight tend to be more brand loyal because they aren’t predisposed to hate everything a corporation might do (like make a product, hire a worker, generate a profit, those kind of nefarious, disastrous things - better if that was left to the government).

[Joe Boucher]

I predict obammy will make up and excuse to shut FOX news down.
Can’t have criticism of this marxist pos now can we?