posted on March 3, 2005 09:59:23 AM
Appears as though informed viewers are making their choice known..
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CNN tanking as Fox News surges
Double-digit declines reported for Larry King, Wolf Blitzer
The ratings are in for February, and the numbers are not good for CNN which saw steep losses in its viewership, while the Fox News Channel continued its rise.
According to Nielsen Media Research, CNN's ratings fell by 21 percent last month in primetime, and 16 percent overall, reports Variety.
Primetime big-name shows such as "Larry King Live," "Wolf Blitzer Reports," "Lou Dobbs Tonight," "Paula Zahn Now" and "Newsnight With Aaron Brown" all experienced double-digit declines.
Only "Anderson Cooper 360" had a slight increase of 2 percent.
During President Bush's State of the Union Address, CNN was soundly beaten by Fox, and even lost the key 25-54 demographic to third-place MSNBC.
In contrast, Fox News was the only news network on cable to see viewership increases in February, as it outpaced all other cable news companies combined for the sixth straight month.
"FNC averaged 1.57 million viewers in primetime, up 18 percent from the same period last year, while CNN fell 21 percent to 637,000 viewers from the same time period," Variety stated.
The growth appeared across the board at Fox News:
# "On the Record With Greta Van Susteren" up 37 percent;
# "Hannity & Colmes" up 19 percent;
# "Special Report With Brit Hume" up 20 percent;
# and "The O'Reilly Factor," up 9 percent.
Variety says the dismal performance by CNN's new president Jonathan Klein has led some at Fox to refer to him as "Jon De-cline."
CNN wasn't the only network to plunge last month. MSNBC dropped 15 percent overall and 14 percent in primetime. CNBC fell 23 percent overall and 42 percent in primetime.
Liberal talk radio
Clear Channel adopts liberal programming on a growing number of radio stations
By DEE-ANN DURBIN
The Associated Press
DETROIT — The day before President Bush’s inauguration, listeners tuning in to the Detroit sports station WXDX-AM were suddenly greeted by the sound of braying donkeys. By the time Bush was taking the oath of office, the radio station had new call letters and a full schedule of liberal talk shows.
WXDX-AM — now known as WDTW-AM — is one of 22 stations owned by Clear Channel Communications Inc. that have switched to a liberal talk format in the last year. This month, KTLK-AM in Los Angeles became the latest Clear Channel station to adopt the format.
Those who track broadcasting trends say there’s money to be made in liberal talk radio. Todd Webster, a consultant for Washington-based liberal talk show producer Democracy Radio, said Clear Channel is expected to introduce the left-leaning format on 20 more stations by the end of the year.
"There is a tremendous appetite out there for progressive talk," he said.
Webster said that even as recently a year ago, no one thought Texas-based Clear Channel, a media conglomerate that owns 1,200 stations, would ever become partners with upstart liberal talkers.
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"There has been a tectonic shift in the industry from all of the big brains and the head honchos saying, ‘Nobody wants to listen to a bunch of whiny liberals on the radio,’ " Webster said.
The partnership might seem surprising because of Texas-based Clear Channel’s conservative reputation. Clear Channel CEO Lowry Mays and his wife gave $65,000 to the Republican National Committee in the last election cycle, and two-thirds of the company’s federal donations went to Republicans, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
And last summer, a Berkeley, Calif.-based group sued Clear Channel, which also owns an outdoor advertising business, after it refused to run an anti-war billboard in Times Square during the Republican National Convention.
The company also isn’t seen as socially progressive. In December, Clear Channel stations in Tampa, Jacksonville, St. Louis and Detroit awarded breast enhancement surgeries to 13 women as part of the "Breast Christmas Ever" contest; at the time, the company said it had no oversight of the contests and didn’t sponsor them. Clear Channel also pulled talk show host Howard Stern off the air because of concerns over mounting indecency fines.
The company says politics aren’t involved in its decision to put liberal talk shows on the air.
"I’m trying to identify needs in our various communities, whether it’s German industrial music or punk rock or progressive talk," said Gabe Hobbs, vice president of news and talk programming for Clear Channel. "That happens to be good business."
Hobbs said Clear Channel began programming offerings from Air America Radio, which produces comedian Al Franken’s three-hour talk show, and Democracy Radio, which produces a popular show by liberal talker Ed Schultz, because listeners were demanding an alternative to conservative talkers like Rush Limbaugh during the 2004 election.
"The election dramatically raised everyone’s interest in hearing political talk," Hobbs said. "I think polarization is one of the facets of any talk radio format, regardless of orientation."
Hobbs said liberal radio is actually a return to the days before Limbaugh, when talk radio was dominated by left-leaning hosts like Alan Colmes, who is now seen on Fox News Channel’s "Hannity and Colmes."
Local station managers have the final say over the switch in programming. At WDTW, General Manager Dave Pugh was eager to give Detroiters a format they couldn’t find anywhere else.
"We are a blue state and a blue region and it just made sense," Pugh said.
In Portland, KPOJ-AM had less than 1 percent of the market share before it switched from oldies to progressive talk on March 31. By summer, that had jumped to 4 percent, according to Arbitron ratings. In Ann Arbor, Mich., WLBY-AM jumped from 0.7 percent of the market to 2.2 percent after liberal programming replaced oldies in August. Hobbs said the story is similar all over the country.
Jim Goss, who analyzes the radio industry for Barrington Research, said Clear Channel is making a good decision by adopting a new format that listeners can’t get elsewhere.
"I think it’s an experiment they feel is worth taking, and what is the risk if it doesn’t work out?" Goss said. "One might think that they’d like to be balanced, but their greatest interest is in being successful. They don’t want to put a format on just to prove a point."
posted on March 3, 2005 11:59:12 AM
What is Clear Channel the place where they let the porno jocks have their programs? Another radio station for the kids - NOT
posted on March 3, 2005 12:59:03 PM
Dear, dear lala, still can't read?
""Clear Channel also pulled talk show host Howard Stern off the air because of concerns over mounting indecency fines."
So put your head in the sand, don't listen, don't get any of your questions answered about Democrats, because you THINK ONE host (who was taken off) talks dirty. Yet you read the sleaze in here???????????THAT doesn't keep you out..
Libra, have you ever taken the time to think and reason out your thoughts?
posted on March 3, 2005 02:57:43 PM
crow, you said it yourself:
"...off the air because of concerns over mounting indecency fines.""
They were concerned about the fines, not the indecency. He'd still be spewing his filth today if there weren't financial reasons for getting rid of him.
Dumping Stern was a very clear financial decision. Don't blame the decision on the nonexistant high standards or morals of Clearchannel!
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posted on March 3, 2005 04:27:15 PM
Yep.....ain't it grand . Many articles have been written about their falling viewship....and the fact that one reason many are switching to Fox is they can't trust the other media.
ALSO mentioned was that the 'new media' AND the internet news is where most people are turning....rather than to the 'old media' and it's leftist propoganda.
And talk radio has been quite successful for the right, in addition to Fox Cable news. I believe Hannity is currently #1 on Radio too, beating out Rush. Then there's Laura Ingram who's ratings are growing....O'Reilly has a radio show now....and many more regional only righties getting the truth out to the public.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Four More Years....YES!!!
posted on March 3, 2005 04:41:45 PM
And linduh is still hoping O'Reilly will call....still waiting.....hoping.....that Mr. Conservative Family Values will call and whisper obcenities over the phone.........such nice "values" she has.
posted on March 3, 2005 04:47:13 PM
And linduh is still hoping O'Reilly will call....still waiting.....hoping.....that Mr. Conservative Family Values will call and whisper obcenities over the phone.........such nice "values" she has.
Thank you for caring, bear, but we call it husband swapping. Minnesota has a place called Hazelden...world renowned dry out center....try it....lots of other drunks there to keep you company.
And I said:
So that's where you met him?
So, who lied? It's your own words......Drunk detox center or dry out center, same thing....
A word to the wise ain't necessary, it's the stupid ones that need the advice."
- Bill Cosby
[ edited by Bear1949 on Mar 3, 2005 07:24 PM ]
. Many articles have been written about their falling viewship....and the fact that one reason many are switching to Fox is they can't trust the other media.