CNN’s domestic ratings woes mask underlying strengths (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

Atlanta Journal Constitution ^ | August 25, 2012 | Rodney Ho

[Zakeet]

When he announced his departure from CNN last month, President Jim Walton said the Atlanta-based news network needed “new thinking” and a plan for change.

But can CNN remake itself?

[Snip]

Questions about CNN’s health, as well as its influence, are growing louder. Interviews with two dozen industry experts and former and current staffers of the cable news pioneer paint a picture of an entrenched organization struggling to connect with viewers and deeply wedded to a domestic news format that hasn’t retained its popularity.

In some ways, those experts say, CNN has become a victim of its own success ...

[Snip]

Measured just by U.S. television ratings, CNN appears to be in a free fall, hitting 20-year lows in recent months.

The average number of people watching CNN nationwide during prime time last month (489,000) was smaller than the population of Fresno, Calif. (494,665). It’s also about half of CNN’s peak audience in 2008, when the presidential election drew extra eyeballs. What’s more, once-upstart Fox News now draws about three and a half times the prime-time audience of CNN. (CNN still reaches more individual viewers in a given month than Fox, but Fox viewers spend far more time with the network.)

Even MSNBC — a distant third just a few years ago — regularly beats CNN. On a broader measure, CNN was the 37th most popular basic cable channel during the week of August 6, behind the likes of ID, NatGeo and Animal Planet. (Fox News ranked seventh; MSNBC, 23rd.)

[Snip]

Although several CNN employees say morale remains fundamentally sound, they also note staffers are acutely aware of the ratings slide and its deleterious effect on CNN’s reputation.

[Zakeet]

They just don't get it:

While CNN’s competitors at Fox and MSNBC have chosen to appeal to partisan audiences with a healthy lineup of opinionated talk shows, CNN has held fast to news programming that the network regards as middle of the road compared with Fox or MSNBC.

But many viewers still regard CNN as a liberal, left-leaning news operation and they’ve abandoned CNN for Fox.

In a conference call with analysts earlier this month, Time Warner’s Bewkes signaled that CNN’s news format isn’t likely to change. CNN will continue to provide “objective, comprehensive, non-partisan coverage really covering all of the partisan views,” Bewkes said.

[Zakeet]

Chicken Noodle Newser News ping.

[Mr. K]

So... CNN’s low rating prove how strong it is?

I don’t get it...

[Izzy Dunne]

CNN’s domestic ratings woes mask underlying strengths

Yeah, and Roseanne Barr's face masks her inner beauty.

[Izzy Dunne]

CNN still reaches more individual viewers in a given month than Fox, but Fox viewers spend far more time with the network.

The only way that's true is if they're counting airport waiting areas, hotel lobbies, and that sort of thing. Where people have a CHOICE, they're choosing something else.

[Travis McGee]

At least Larry King was an American.

CNN replacing King with this left-wing Lord Haw Haw UK reject shows how detached from American reality CNN is.

[sauropod]

CNN will continue to provide “objective, comprehensive, non-partisan coverage really covering all of the partisan views,” Bewkes said.

Gasp... wheeze....

ROFLMAOPIMPWTIME!!!!

REALLY?

[Doctor 2Brains]

1. Remember that guy who used to post “after the 2008 elections the network newscasts will go dark and the networks will be just a few of millions of URLs comepting ont the web...”? Is he still around?

2. The dinosaur media is SO IMMENSELY POWERFUL they, ALMOST SINGLE HANDEDLY, put a foreigner into the White House. The kenyan was a virtual stranger to the American people. We knew NOTHING about the man, and the things that we COULD have known (reverend wright, anti-Americanism) were NEVER known by the American people because the allegedly weak, dying, pathetic MSM didn’t want us to know.

The MSM has ruled us for 40 years at least, and they have killed the nation and the nation is NEVER coming back; there are now too many welfare begging maggots in this nation, and the MSM has convinced half the non-beggars that not supporting the beggars is mean and/or racist.

[Happy Rain]

People who make a point of keeping up with the news are smarter and thus more likely to spot lies and less likely to tolerate such insults their intelligence.

The market will out and the Leftist MSM broadcasting arrogant disingenuous and mendacious propaganda to an audience brighter than they is a maladroit policy not conducive to financial advantage.

[TomGuy]

CNN is so biased, they are difficult to watch. They, like the network news, don’t even make an attempt at being objective. They all have become little more than propaganda organizations for the progressive/Leftist agenda.

However, for most ‘breaking news’ events, CNN does significantly better than either MSNBC or FoxNews.

[StevenFlorida]

There will be no changes at CNN until after the election. They have a President to re-elect.

[moovova]

“They want personalities they believe in, that are appealing.”

I’d settle for a little honesty.

[Spok]

The last time I weatched CNN was election night in November, 2004. I tuned in just to watch Wolf Blitzer clinging, like the doomed Captain Ahab, to the notion that W was going to lose the election. It was after I heard that every national news source had called the race except CNN. They are so out of touch it’s embarrassing.

[PJBankard]

So... CNN’s low rating prove how strong it is?
I don’t get it...

It will only make sense to a libtard. People who use their brain and aren't a part of the libtard philosophy will never understand.

[FatherofFive]

Anderson Cooper had a good segment with DWS a couple days ago. I saw the clip here on FR and then he got good exposure on Rush. If Cooper could grow a real pair and take on the liberal lies on a regular basis his ratings would grow.

There is so much material, and Rush and Levin do all his show prep!

[Grams A]

I seem to have in excess of 900 channels on my TV and none of them have just the news. One of our local channels broadcasts at 4, 5 and 6 p.m. for half an hour and it is all the same stories, including all the puff non-news bits. Hard to believe that there is nothing going on in a city the size of Houston.

My time is better spent and I learn a lot more about what is going on from FR.

[icwhatudo]

” CNN will continue to provide “objective, comprehensive, non-partisan coverage”

Which means there will be a former clinton official or homosexual as the host, an extreme liberal panelist, a current democrat government official panelist, a hollywood personality, and a token republican on every panel.

4 to 1 = balance in CNN eyes.

[ken5050]

CNN makes $$$..for NOW..because it charges cable systems a lot to carry the channel...based upon past dominance...with these recent ratings, as the agreements come up for renewal, they are going to get a lot LESS $$$...that profit will disappear very soon..

[Personal Responsibility]

You will see leftist legislation proposing a bailout of CNN If it ever goes bankrupt.

[Personal Responsibility]

CNN will continue to provide “objective, comprehensive, non-partisan coverage really covering all of the partisan views,” Bewkes said.

Non partisan coverage of partisan views....you’re kidding me right? The only thing missing from their coverage of liberals is Pom Pom waving cheerleaders.