Morning news show ratings in a slide (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

Media Life Magazine ^ | August 9, 2007 | Toni Fitzgerald

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Big Three shows are down notably in adults 18-49

Everyone expected ratings for NBC’s "Today" to slip this year, with the exit of longtime co-host Katie Couric, and indeed they have. But it’s not the only morning news show suffering.

"Today," ABC’s "Good Morning America" and CBS’s "Early Show" have all declined at least 10 percent compared with last year among adults 18-49, according to a Magna Global analysis of Nielsen data from September 2006 to July 2007.

"Today" has fallen 11 percent, from a 1.9 to a 1.7, though it remains the leader in the category. "GMA" and "Early" both declined 13 percent, ABC going from a 1.5 to a 1.3 and CBS slipping from a 0.8 to a 0.7.

All three also posted declines among women 18-49, women 25-54 and adults 25-54, and ABC and NBC both slid in households, though CBS remained even.

Certainly some of the declines can be blamed on the personnel turnover that began last May. "Today’s" Couric and "GMA’s" Charles Gibson, both longtime and popular morning fixtures, left to anchor evening newscasts, while CBS co-host Rene Syler was dismissed in December in an attempt to revamp the sinking show.

Their exits no doubt led to some viewership churn, but there are also other factors.

One is the general aging of the morning news audience. All of the morning programs saw their median ages increase by at least one year compared to the 2005-’06 season, and younger viewers are not taking their place.

As morning news watchers continue to age out of the 18-49 and 25-54 demographics, news ratings in those categories will keep sliding.

Another factor is the rise of cable’s competing morning news programs. Fox News Channel’s "Fox and Friends" has nearly doubled its audience over the past six years, and MSNBC’s "Imus in the Morning" had also been making year-to-year gains in the same 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. timeslot before being taken off the air in April.

If CNN’s revamped "American Morning," which got a pair of new hosts in April, begins demonstrating consistent growth as well, that could lead to even more losses for the broadcast networks’ morning programs.

Meanwhile, in other dayparts for the week ended July 29, NBC’s "Meet the Press" was first among Sunday morning shows in total viewers with 3.02 million tuning in, and among viewers 25-54 with a 0.8 rating. CBS’s "Face the Nation" was second in viewers with 2.33 million and tied for second among 25-54s with a 0.7, with ABC’s "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" pulling 2.22 million viewers and a 0.7. Fox's "News Sunday" was fourth in viewers with 1.06 million and among 25-54s with a 0.4.

In late night, NBC’s "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" was first for the week, averaging 5.4 million total viewers and a 1.6 rating among adults 18-49. "The Late Show with David Letterman" on CBS had 3.7 million viewers and a 1.2 rating in the demo, with ABC’s "Nightline" bringing in 3.0 million viewers and a 0.9 18-49 rating. In late late night, NBC’s "Late Night with Conan O’Brien" had 2.0 million total viewers and a 0.9 in 18-49s, with CBS’s "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" averaging 1.7 million viewers and a 0.6, ABC’s "Jimmy Kimmel Live" at 1.6 million viewers and a 0.6, and NBC’s "Last Call with Carson Daly" bringing in 1.3 million viewers and a 0.6 among 18-49s.

In morning shows, NBC’s "Today" was first with 4.7 million total viewers and a 3.7 household rating and 15 share, followed by ABC’s "Good Morning America" with 4.2 million viewers and a 3.3/13. CBS’s "Early Show" was third with 2.3 million total viewers and a 1.8/7.

In daytime, CBS once again had the largest audience for daytime dramas and full daytime, averaging 3.64 million and 3.88 million viewers respectively, but was third among women 18-49 for dramas and for full daytime, averaging a 1.2 rating for each. ABC had the second-largest audience with 3.20 million watching its dramas and 3.16 million for full daytime, and was first among women 18-49 with a 1.7 rating for its dramas and a 1.6 for full daytime. NBC had an audience of 2.37 million for both dramas and full daytime, and was second among women 18-49 for its dramas and full daytime, posting a 1.3 rating for each.

In evening network news for the week ended Aug. 5, ABC’s "World News with Charles Gibson" was first for the second straight week with an average of 7.92 million viewers, and was also first among 25-54s with a 1.9 average rating. NBC’s "Nightly News with Brian Williams" was second in viewers and among 25-54s, averaging 7.51 million viewers and a 1.7 in the demo, while CBS’s "Evening News with Katie Couric" was third for the week with 5.70 million total viewers and a 1.4 25-54 rating.

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By the end of this decade or shortly thereafter, television "networks" as we know them today will cease to exist. After the '08 elections, network evening broadcasts will no longer air and the network news divisions will be disbanded.

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ping

[SevenofNine]

OUCH that hurts for network news

[Dilbert San Diego]

It sounds redundant or simplistic to say, but I am amazed that in the past few years, the “old media” of major newspapers, major news magazine, and the major TV networks news divisions are all in a free fall. They are all hemmoraging (sp?) readers and viewers.

People smarter than me have said that if they had a compelling product for the reader/viewer, they would be retaining their audiences much better in the face of all the competition they face now.

[brownsfan]

“After the ‘08 elections, network evening broadcasts will no longer air and the network news divisions will be disbanded.”

I don’t know if it will be that quick, but you’re right. It seems America’s idea of news is what Paris Hilton is up to lately.
Those of us who want real, unslanted news are being ignored for because: We aren’t the majority, and it doesn’t fit the MSM agenda.
I watch the local Fox station in the morning, and that is nearly unwatchable. If they didn’t have a weather segment, I wouldn’t switch it on. They fill the time I watch with “Food Request Live”, “Fox unplugged”, “Kicking it with Kenny” and about 3 minutes of news, another two of weather. *Sheesh*.
When I have a day off, or work from home, I like the tv as background, so I usually switch it to Mike and Mike in the morning. At least they cover what they are *supposed* to cover.

[madvlad]

Naaa, the morons that run the show at CBS, ABC and NBC will
realize that there is money in them thar conservative views and
will move to compete w/ RMurdoch.

It could happen! And monkeys might fly out of my butt!

MV

[bilhosty]

I think CBS should return to Captain Kangaroo. True Bob Keeshan is dead. But, maybe Michael Moore could have a responsible job(if he could hold it)?

[colorado tanker]

Gee, if this keeps up NBC may be willing to take The Perky One back from cBS.

[twonie]

You ain’t just trying to make me feel good, are you? I hope you are right.

[Badeye]

Yep. Most don’t understand how much it costs to put on the Nightly News, and how low the cost of Wheel of Fortune type shows are.

What I enjoy is Katie Couric’s beginning realization she was brought in to turn out the lights on CBS News.

[ichabod1]

SOME things are more important than retaining audience.

[FormerACLUmember]

It is more efficient just to directly read press releases from the Democrat National Committee, and skip the annoying middlemen at NBC, CBS, etc.

[bray]

Appparently offending 50% of your Customer Base isn’t a good strategy???

Pray for W and Our Troops

[mdmathis6]

“And monkeys might fly out of my butt!”

Well we all of us prefer it be monkeys....;)

[AU72]

If you look at the ads on these shows they are same ones you would find in any issue of AARP magazine.

[RoseofTexas]

My special time in the day are the Mornings and I love to get up have a cup of coffee, fire up the puter and straight to FR. No commie paper, No commie stations, No commie radio(all the jocks do is bash W)....just PURE golden silence in the morning. It kinda reminds me of what it must have been like before radios and televisions. TRY IT, IT’S FAB!!AND it saves your sanity! :)

[Milhous]

SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS Week ending July 29, 2007 Sunday averages
Program	Network	Households
		Rtg%	Shr	Adults 25-54	Total viewers (millions)
Meet the Press	NBC	2.3	7	0.8	3.017
Face the Nation	CBS	1.7	5	0.7	2.325
This Week With George Stephanopoulos	ABC	1.7	5	0.6	2.221
News Sunday	Fox	0.8	3	0.4	1.064
Source: NTI

LATE-NIGHT RATINGS Week Ending July 29, 2007 Five-day averages
Program	Network	People 2+	Adults 18-49
		Total viewers (millions)	Rtg%
Tonight Show with Jay Leno	NBC	5.4	1.6
Late Show with David Letterman	CBS	3.7	1.2
Nightline	ABC	3.0	0.9
Late Night with Conan O’Brien	NBC	2.0	0.9
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson	CBS	1.7	0.6
Jimmy Kimmel Live*	ABC	1.6	0.6
Last Call with Carson Daly	NBC	1.3	0.6
*Encore telecasts on Monday, Thursday and Friday Source: NTI

MORNING SHOW RATINGS Week Ending July 29, 2007 Five-day averages
Program	Network	Households		People 2+
		Rtg%	Shr	Total viewers (millions)
Today	NBC	3.7	15	4.7
Good Morning America	ABC	3.3	13	4.2
Early Show	CBS	1.8	7	2.3
Source: NTI

DAYTIME RATINGS Week Ending July 29, 2007 Five-day averages
Daytime dramas	Total viewers (millions)	Women 18-49
Network	(millions)	Rtg%
CBS	3.643	1.2
ABC	3.202	1.7
NBC	2.366	1.3
Full daytime	Total viewers (millions)	Women 18-49
Network	(millions)	Rtg%
CBS	3.875	1.2
ABC	3.161	1.6
NBC	2.366	1.3
Source: NTI

 

 

EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS Week Ending August 5, 2007 Five-day averages
Program	Network	25-54s	People 2+
		Rtg%	Total viewers (millions)
ABC World News with Charles Gibson	ABC	1.9	7.920
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams	NBC	1.7	7.510
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric	CBS	1.4	5.700
Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

 

SYNDICATION Ranked on Households Week Ending July 29, 2007
#	PROGRAMS	Syndicator	Households
			US Rtg%	(000)
1	WHEEL OF FORTUNE	KIN	6.4	7178
2	JEOPARDY	KIN	5.4	5971
3	JUDGE JUDY (AT)	C/P	4.6	5141
4	ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)	C/P	4.4	4939
4	OPRAH WINFREY SHOW (AT)	KIN	4.4	4917
6	EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN (AT)	KIN	4.1	4535
7	CSI MIAMI-SYN (AT)	KIN	4.0	4464
8	SEINFELD (AT)	SPT	3.7	4177
9	DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)	KIN	3.6	3962
10	WHEEL OF FORTUNE WKND	KIN	3.3	3707
11	KING OF QUEENS-SYN (AT)	SPT	3.0	3396
11	FRIENDS (AT)	WB	3.0	3342
11	SEINFELD-WKND (AT)	SPT	3.0	3334
11	INSIDE EDITION	KIN	3.0	3316
15	LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY	BV	2.9	3269
15	MILLIONAIRE (AT)	BV	2.9	3264
15	KING OF QUEENS-WKND (AT)	SPT	2.9	3183
18	THAT 70S SHOW-MF-SYN (AT)	2/T	2.8	3172
19	KING OF THE HILL-SYN(AT)	2/T	2.7	3028
19	JUDGE JOE BROWN (AT)	C/P	2.7	2959
21	EVBDY LVS RAYMOND-WKD-SYN	KIN	2.6	2939
21	BUENA VISTA VI	BV	2.6	2904
23	ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT WKD	C/P	2.5	2755
24	PEOPLE'S COURT (AT)	WB	2.4	2706
24	ACCESS HOLLYWOOD (AT)	NBU	2.4	2658
Source: Nielsen Media Research

[Antique Gal]

Even Fox and Friends are getting unwatchable.Gretchen is all about herself every other word out of her mouth is I I I I ,it drives me crazy,or is it just me?

[RinaseaofDs]

And not as hot as E.D. Hill was.

[colorado tanker]

I just don’t do morning TV. I catch up on local news with my paper and national news with FR, then fit the WSJ in sometime during the day. I find TV news manages to squeeze about 15 minutes of news into an hour.