Fox News Finds Its Rivals Closing In (NYT on Nitrous Oxide)

New York Times ^ | June 28, 2008 | Jacques Steinberg

[Eurale]

When prime-time cable news ratings for the second quarter of 2008 are officially released next week, they will show that Fox News reclaimed the top spot among viewers in their mid-20s through mid-50s, those of greatest interest to news advertisers, according to estimates from Nielsen Media Research. During the first three months of the year, by contrast, CNN drew so many viewers on big Democratic primary nights and for several presidential debates that it vaulted over Fox News for the first time in six years.

[tsmith130]

Wonder if it had anything to do with the fact the FOX haD terrible graphics during the primaries. Difficult to read...even I switch to CNN on primary nights...and I HATE CNN.

[Recon Dad]

I can only speak for one Fox household, but over the last 3 or so months we got so tired of hearing about Rev. Wright and William Ayers we couldn't stand it.

You have to know when to move to a new subject.

[Jack Wilson]

So when Fox 'reclaims its top spot' the headline is 'rivals closing in'?

Bill O'Reilly has had half a dozen #1 books on the NY Times list and claims they've never reviewed one of them.

[Laverne]

I’m a Fox fan from day one, but of late, they are almost impossible to watch. Their weekend crews are completely incompetent. I watch MSNBC with Alex whitt (I think thats her name) on the weekends. I watched that show with Meagan Kelley and whats his name yesterday and for two hours it was tabloid television; yuck.

I have sent more emails that i can count to Brit and to Brian Wilson about how they have to change their format. Having someone on to comment on a situation for two minutes is a waste of time. They NEED to let people speak. The should modify segments into fifteen minute discussion rounds, at a minimum.

Furthermore, they have too many people who don’t know what they are talking about. AND, they pay much more attention to dem issues than republican ones. They have thrown “fair and balanced” into the garbage.

They have simply lost their way. We were lucky to have them for the while that they did, but for some reason, they have changed their focus. Don’t know if it can be pointed to the day that Brit’s wife left or not, but...they don’t seem to listen to their viewers anymore.

As for their number one show: O’Reilly...he has gotten a little to big for his britches. He interrupts way too much lately. He may disagree, but he should let his guests speak and then disagree.

I do like Laura’s new show at the 5pm slot; but when I see Shep on the air, I switch the station. I can do without that drama queen.

[armymarinemom]

You have to wonder why they keep Shep. Conservatives can’t stand him and libs hate fox anyway. Fox is turning into the in the pocket for Obama station these days.

[Laverne]

If Fox did a nightly segment on Success in Iraq, they would gain audience, but instead they seem to fall into the MSM meme more and more.

I believe that Murdoch is on record as supporting Obama, so perhaps that explains some of their change.

I still enjoy F&F during the week, they are far better than Mourning Joe or what’s on CNN, but as I said, their weekend crews are completely incompetent.

[nuconvert]

I love your tagline! Big THANK YOU to your son!

[armymarinemom]

I agree. Fox had an audience and they are doing their best to lose it.

[armymarinemom]

:). I will pass along the word.

[BallyBill]

I recommend Fox do a special where Geraldo & Shemp go over Niagara in a barrel filled with cement.

It's a Win-Win for the channel and viewers.

[submarinerswife]

I’m a Fox fan from day one, but of late, they are almost impossible to watch. Their weekend crews are completely incompetent

Yup. I don't watch it anymore either.

I don't watch it on weekdays anymore either. Gretchen Carlson is an insufferable wretch. I miss E.D.

[LibLieSlayer]

I stopped watching the networks years ago... I no longer watch the liberal Fox News Network either. Putrid excuse for a news organization... Fox has become the dnc lite.

LLS

[NELSON111]

I agree 100%. Fox’s graphics during the primary....compared to CNN...were stone age. I switched back and forth...and I never watch CNN...but I could not handle Rove and a dry erase board.

[mathluv]

I absolutely agree with you, and have sent e-mails to Fox. Now they have dropped E.D. completely. I also miss John Gibson.

[6SJ7]

I recommend Fox do a special where Geraldo & Shemp go over Niagara in a barrel filled with cement.

Skip the barrel!   ;-)

[InterceptPoint]

But the back-and-forth these last few months masks a more ominous trend for Fox News, particularly as its gears up to cover the general election campaign. The most dominant cable news channel for nearly a decade and a political force in its own right, Fox has seen its once formidable advantage over CNN erode in this presidential election year, as both CNN and MSNBC have added viewers at far more dramatic rates.

Well I'm not surprised at this development at all and I consider myself a student of Fox News. My wife is addicted to Fox so it is the default channel for our family room TV.

But for me, I find CNN, which I have not watched for almost a decade, to be much more entertaining these days. Here are my reasons:

CNN broadcasts in HD. If you can get HD you will see that CNN is 10x better than Fox News. New and better sets, way better election coverage, better picture quality, better round table discussions, just better. It is not even close.

Greta. Boring, boring, boring. How many coeds have to die before they replace Greta with someone who will give us the news?

Anderson Cooper. He may be a lefty, he may be gay, but by CNN standards he is pretty straight arrow. Much more balanced then, for example, a Marxist like Lou Dobbs.

Campbell Brown. Very competitive with the Fox Newsbabes (see below) and also reasonably balanced by CNN standards.

O'Reilly's format is getting old and boring.

Sean's show is too predictable. It also is becoming boring. I hardly watch it anymore.

And most important - CNN wants to cover the upcoming election and Fox wants to cover the latest car chase and coed murder.

And for the newsbabe fans, here is Campbell Brown:

[k2afe]

Fox news is still the better part of a bad deal. I saw the MSM news one night and once again decided that to hear the news and not propaganda, you need to view Fox News. With all the faults indicated by others here, Fox still represents a fair and balanced issuance of the news. k2

[battletank]

I completely agree. I can barely watch Fox anymore and I’m one of those that embedded the lower left Fox symbol on my TV in the early days before they got smart and started rotating the darn thing! I watch CNN alot more now because they actually have NEWS! on instead of the National Enquirer smut stuff. Not to mention that they do the broadcast in HD! What the heck is wrong with Fox that they STILL don’t have HD??? I believe their new business channel is in HD, but their main channel doesn’t?

[SpaceBar]

Fox News lost me when Sean Hannity had the huckster Al Sharpton on every other day to bless us with his special brand of vile hatred.

[Eurale]

“Fox News lost me when Sean Hannity had the huckster Al Sharpton on every other day to bless us with his special brand of vile hatred.”

And, to show off his greasy pompadour.

[RetiredArmy]

Dito. I quit watching a long time ago also. I have deleted Fox, CNN, MSNBC, from my TV listings. I have local channels, but hardly even bother to watch them and I never watch their ABC, NBC, CBS news liberal half-hours. I have not watched a “nightly news” half-hour telecast since the late John Chancellor was on NBC. Even though he was a liberal, he was the only one I could even get the stomach to watch. And that was before the big cable TV days. I never watched Uncle Walter, ABC, or Tom Brokebackass after he replaced Chancellor.

[Will88]

You’ve hit on many of their problems, and O’Reilly has really been getting on my nerves lately with his constant interruption of his guests. Watching much less of him

And, I liked John Gibson in the afternoon. Two or three hours in the morning was not enough for Megan and Bill? Liked Megan much better as a commentator. She seems superficial and silly now with so much time to fill.

And Fox has apparently never heard of the segue. They have too many guest “experts” blabbing and the experts are given to little time to make their points and are constantly cut off abruptly and not heard from again that day on a particular show.

And, a significant factor, the Republican primaries and debates were generally so disgusting, with McCain supplying a big portion of the disgust, that I just didn’t care to watch much of the primary coverage, and didn’t. Have actually watched less on Fox this year than prior for that reason. That, of course, was nothing Fox could remedy.

[AmericanVictory]

Are there any people on TV that do a competent job on energy? Where is Fox in exposing the ethanol boondoggle and the utter lack of leadership in both parties on getting us more oil and better use of it?
McCain jumped on offshore drilling, but where is the follow through on the truth about oil?

[RetiredArmy]

I just went to Wikipedia and found this on Chancellor and noted this re the red-blue states thing:

Although Chancellor was a respected, well-spoken journalist and noted author in his own right, his broadcast ratings were eclipsed by Walter Cronkite in the 1970s, when CBS Evening News had become the most popular of the three network weeknight broadcasts. Toward the end of Chancellor's tenure, ABC, for the first time ever became competitive with NBC and CBS with its World News Tonight. Chancellor does have the distinction of creating the idea of using colors to represent the states won by presidential candidates in presidential elections. For the 1976 presidential election Chancellor suggested to his network's engineers that they create a large electronic map of the USA and place it in the network's election-night news studio. If Jimmy Carter, the Democratic candidate, won a state it would light up in red; if Gerald Ford, the Republican candidate, carried a state it would light up in blue. The feature proved to be so popular that all three television networks would use the color scheme in future presidential elections, although the colors used to represent both parties would eventually be reversed due to the sensitive issue of Democrats being known as "Reds" (Communists) during the election cycle. (that is tooooooo freaking funny. TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE!!!!)

[Guenevere]

I rarely watch Fox anymore....and it use to be on almost 24/7 at our house.

I refuse to watch Giraldo or Karl Rove....car chases or Britney Spears/flavor of the day, week, month...

..They've turned the women commentators into cheesecake factories...

..Occasionally they get it right...ie Laura Ingraham...

.. I really liked John Gibson before they yanked his chain.

CNN gives us Lou Dobbs and Glenn Beck.... & the other 'assorted news readers' occasionally almost seem fair and balanced :^

[skipper18]

Campbell is really pretty, but I’m in love with Robin Meade, who hosts CNN’s Headline News Channels morning show.

If I try to post a picture, I’ll screw it up.

[shadowgovernment]

“With all the faults indicated by others here, Fox still represents a fair and balanced issuance of the news. k2”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>................
no longer watch them, too bad they had fair and balanced for a short while..now they are like a tabloid, do not get my news from any MSM ...FR is the place to see whats happening, and of course Drudge report.
Fox news sucks.

[Vaduz]

It’d not news it’s CNN covering the left left left....

[InterceptPoint]

It is really not that hard to post an image.

1.Just find the URL of the image you want. For this case that is:

http://damnyankeee.com/wp-content/photos/Robin_Meade_0180_nl.jpg

2. Then insert the following: img src="" with a < in front of img and a > after the quotes ("")

3. And then paste the URL in between the "". If you do that then you get this cute picture of Robin Meade

[Guenevere]

LOL, if it were Fox News, that little white triangle at the top of her dress would be missing :^

[dbacks]

[..Occasionally they get it right...ie Laura Ingraham...]

I tried Laura but her screachy voice just grates on me. Also, the support video is never correct or on time. I think the control/production people are sabotaging her??

[InterceptPoint]

It’d not news it’s CNN covering the left left left....

To some extent that is still true.

But CNN had to become more balanced simply to survive against Fox. The Left still dominates their coverage so you have to be selective. But Stewart Anderson and Campbell Brown clearly have their marching orders: keep it as balanced as possible (for natural lefties.)

I still watch Fox more than CNN and my Right Wing credentials are easily established by reviewing my posts on this forum. But the handwriting is on the wall for Fox if someone like me starts watching CNN. For me it shows that Fox has some homework to do and changes to make. They can start by broadcasting in HD and moving Greta to the midnight slot.

[Blue Turtle]

FOX has drifted towards the left...hence why their ratings are down. I don’t care to hear the other side ALL THE TIME.....I like hearing conservative thoughts and opinions as they justify what I think. Go back to that format and those ratings will soar...

[bmwcyle]

Ever time I turn on Fox there is some liberal giving their 2 cents. I don’t watch much anymore.

[aimhigh]

I struggle with Fox because it appears to have double the ads of CNN, and more teasers than news. Then they dwell on boring news. Frustrating to watch.

[Sal]

I also watch Fox very rarely now after it being our household favorite for years, and I also have found Glenn Beck over on CNN (which I hadn't deigned to watch for years).

I agree with every one of your statements on #26.

[Wolverine]

FOX.Tabloid.News.Special@foxnews.com

[LibLieSlayer]

I did not know this... very interesting! Did I mention that I HATE the msm?

LLS

[MinuteGal]

I watched Laura Ingraham the first couple shows. When she stops interrupting and stepping on the lines of her guests, stops asking questions that are longer than Fidel's speeches and takes voice lessons to get rid of that screech I'll resume watching her.

It seems to be de rigueur today that interesting/important/much anticipated guests are never allowed to string two sentences together without interruption. They are never allowed to flesh out a point before they and the segment are aborted. They are treated as mere appendages of THE centers of attraction on the shows....namely, the self-important, ever-irritating MEDIA-STAR hosts.

The few times I turn TV on now is for relaxation and escapism.......classic movies, Forensic Science and, LOL......What Not to Wear.

For world and national events and issues, for culture and humor, for political news and keen analysis I'm better served by freeping than by ANYTHING on The Vast Wasteland.

I freep, therefore I am.

Leni

[Vaduz]

CNN will never top fox look at the rateings,It’s what CNN does not cover is why more people veiw Fox.
CNN is pro left and has always been that is way people who think are sick of the left BS.

[gunnyg]

“Bill O’Reilly has had half a dozen #1 books on the NY Times list and claims they’ve never reviewed one of them. “
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GOOD!!!!!

[gunnyg]

Personally, I would love to see fauxnoose go down in flames.
They have some good announcers—ED Hill, John Gibson, Neil Cavuto, etc.—any one of them an upgrade to o’pinhead’s position and timeslot.

Semper Fidelis
Dick G
~~~~~

[Biblebelter]

O’Reilly and H & C are still pretty solid in the ratings. But Shep Smith really does not bring much to the table. And the ONLY people who are watching Greta are those who were watching O’Reilly and H & C and whose remote is lost or broken and are too drunk or too lazy to get up and change channels the old-fashioned way.

[Mike Darancette]

Graphics is why I stopped watching John Madden on pro football shows because his graphics are so low tech. Doesn’t matter that John knows more than all the others combined.

So just sit there and mindlessly drool over the pretty graphics generated by CNN while their no-nothing in-the- tank DNC operatives mouth inanities. FNC has Hume, Barone, Rove and many others that really know their stuff. In 2004 while all the other networks were gleefully celebrating Bush’s demise based on really crappy and biased exit data FNC’s Barone was not fooled.

[virgil]

That’s what I say. Fox gives scads of air time to democrats so they can spout off their position about something to the whole country. Then it’s Fox that does the responding. You hardly ever see a Republican politician responding. If you watched Fox, you would think there was only 1 political party in the US. To Fox, a story is only interesing if it involves a blonde bimbo. Laura talks about interesting stuff, but she has the attention span of a gnat. I don’t watch them as much. I go to CNN to get news, then I turn it off. I pay so much for cable it don’t seem worth it anymore.

[skipper18]

Hey, thanks a lot for that.

Nice pic of Robin, too. I wish Fox would do something like Headline News, I have a short attention span and they really go bang-bang-bang with the stories. Good, fast pace.

[tsmith130]

So just sit there and mindlessly drool over the pretty graphics generated by CNN while their no-nothing in-the- tank DNC operatives mouth inanities.

I would switch to CNN to see the vote counts (mute was on). I would then switch back to FOX. I could listen to Karl Rove all day. The guy is a genius and I like his personality.

Kinda cranky, aren't ya Mike? Who peed in your Cheerios?

[Mike Darancette]

Kinda cranky, aren't ya Mike? Who peed in your Cheerios?

I just don't like style over substance. If I want pretty graphics I'll fire up the X-Box on my 1080 Samsung LCD TV.