With voters turning out in record numbers for the presidential primaries and two Democrats still locked in a tight race for the nomination, cable news networks have seen their ratings soar over the past six months.
And it's coming as broadcast networks slip. Through the beginning of March, the most recent numbers available, ratings for the network nightly newscasts are all down year to year among the key adult demographics.
But even more worrisome for the networks, the sharpest declines have been among the very adults 18-34 who account for some of cable news' biggest gains since the primary season began two months ago.
Season to date, the “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric” is down the most among 18-34s, off 21 percent from a 0.86 rating last year, to a 0.68, according to Nielsen data analyzed by Carat. In the same span, Couric has fallen 14.6 percent in 25-54s and 16 percent among 35-64s.
ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” has slipped 13.5 percent among 18-34s, from a 0.96 to a 0.83, while falling 5.6 percent with 25-54s and 3.3 percent with 35-64s.
NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” has dipped the least in 18-34s, where it also leads, off 10.1 percent, from a 1.09 to a 0.98. That’s compared to dips of 7.7 percent among 25-54s and 5 percent with 35-64s.
Meanwhile, primetime ratings among 18-34s were up at least 31 percent for the cable news networks during January and February.
Nightly news ratings among 18-34s have been declining for some time, from an already low base. But that’s not because, as some believe, young people aren’t interested in the news. The soaring ratings for cable certainly nix that theory.
One reason is that the traditional newscasts air too early in the evening, when a lot of younger people are still working or on their way home. Others are in school. Or they're eating dinner or picking up kids from after-school activities.
They simply never got into the evening news habit. Their TV watching comes later in the evening.
But another reason is that young people are increasingly consuming their news on-demand.
Much of it takes place on the internet. A recent Zogby poll found that 55 percent of 18-29s cite the internet as their primary news source.
To get the dish on breaking news, such as yesterday's noontime resignation of New York governor Eliot Spitzer, they're jumping on the internet as it happens.
Or they're turning to cable news. By the time 6:30 rolls around, they've gotten the story, and there's little Gibson or Williams or Couric have to add.
***
Meanwhile, for the week ended March 2, NBC’s “Nightly News” was first among total viewers, averaging 9.54 million, and tied for first among 25-54s with a 2.3 average rating. ABC’s “World News” was second in viewers, averaging 8.99 million, and tied for first among 25-54s with a 2.3, while CBS’s “Evening News” was third for the week with 6.96 million total viewers and a 1.8 25-54 rating.
In other daypart ratings for the week ended March 2, NBC’s “Meet the Press” was first once again among the Sunday morning shows in total viewers with 4.56 million tuning in and was also first among viewers 25-54 with a 1.3 rating. ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” was second in viewers with 3.06 million and among 25-54s with a 1.0, with CBS’s “Face the Nation” pulling 2.65 million viewers and a 0.7 among 25-54s. “Fox News Sunday” averaged 1.66 million viewers and a 0.6 rating among 25-54s.
In late night, NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” finished first for the week, averaging 5.2 million total viewers and a 1.5 rating among adults 18-49. CBS’s “The Late Show with David Letterman” had 3.5 million viewers and a 1.0 rating in the demo, with ABC’s “Nightline” bringing in 3.4 million viewers and a 1.0 18-49 rating. In late-late night, NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” had 1.9 million total viewers and a 0.8 in 18-49s, with ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” at 1.7 million viewers and a 0.6, CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” at 1.6 million viewers and a 0.5, and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” bringing in 1.0 million viewers and a 0.4 among 18-49s.
In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first with 6.2 million total viewers and a 4.7 household rating and 16 share, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 5.0 million viewers and a 3.9/13. CBS’s “Early Show” was third with 2.9 million total viewers and a 2.3/8.
CBS again had the largest full daytime audience during the week, averaging 4.20 million viewers, but was tied for second among women 18-49 with a 1.4 rating. ABC had the second-largest audience, averaging 3.01 million viewers, and was also tied for second among women 18-49 with a 1.4 rating. NBC had a full daytime audience of 2.9 million but was first among women 18-49 with a 1.5 rating.
|
SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week ending March 2, 2008
Sunday averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
|
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Adults 25-54 |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Meet the Press |
NBC |
3.3 |
10 |
1.3 |
4.563 |
|
This Week With George Stephanopoulos |
ABC |
2.3 |
6 |
1.0 |
3.064 |
|
Face the Nation |
CBS |
2.0 |
5 |
0.7 |
2.646 |
|
News Sunday |
Fox |
1.2 |
3 |
0.6 |
1.663 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending March 2, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Rtg% |
|
Tonight Show with Jay Leno |
NBC |
5.2 |
1.5 |
|
Late Show with David Letterman |
CBS |
3.5 |
1.0 |
|
Nightline |
ABC |
3.4 |
1.0 |
|
Late Night with Conan O’Brien |
NBC |
1.9 |
0.8 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live |
ABC |
1.7 |
0.6 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson |
CBS |
1.6 |
0.5 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly |
NBC |
1.0 |
0.4 |
|
Source: NTI
|
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending March 2, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today |
NBC |
4.7 |
16 |
6.22 |
|
Good Morning
America |
ABC |
3.9 |
13 |
5.00 |
|
Early Show |
CBS |
2.3 |
8 |
2.91 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
DAYTIME RATINGS
Week Ending March 2, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
4.20 |
1.4 |
|
ABC |
3.01 |
1.4 |
|
NBC |
2.90 |
1.5 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending March 9, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams |
NBC |
2.3 |
9.541 |
|
ABC World News with Charles Gibson |
ABC |
2.3 |
8.988 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric |
CBS |
1.8 |
6.962 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending March 2, 2008
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
CTD
|
8.3
|
9394
|
|
2
|
JEOPARDY
|
CTD
|
6.7
|
7541
|
|
3
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
|
CTD
|
6.1
|
6895
|
|
4
|
TWO-HALF MEN-SYN (AT)
|
WB
|
5.6
|
6264
|
|
5
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
CTD
|
5.2
|
5891
|
|
6
|
DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.9
|
5534
|
|
7
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
CTD
|
4.7
|
5314
|
|
8
|
CENTURY PREMIERE
|
2/T
|
4.6
|
5222
|
|
8
|
FAMILY GUY-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
4.6
|
5140
|
|
10
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
4.3
|
4801
|
|
11
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE WKND
|
CTD
|
4.1
|
4597
|
|
12
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
4
|
4532
|
|
13
|
CSI MIAMI-SYN (AT)
|
CTD
|
3.8
|
4275
|
|
13
|
LAW & ORDER:SVU-SYN (AT)
|
NBU
|
3.8
|
4263
|
|
15
|
INSIDE EDITION
|
CTD
|
3.6
|
4060
|
|
16
|
SEINFELD-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.4
|
3803
|
|
17
|
GEORGE LOPEZ (AT)
|
WB
|
3.3
|
3673
|
|
18
|
KING OF QUEENS-SYN (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.2
|
3608
|
|
18
|
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
|
DAD
|
3.2
|
3561
|
|
20
|
MILLIONAIRE (AT)
|
DAD
|
3.1
|
3545
|
|
20
|
KING OF QUEENS-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.1
|
3468
|
|
22
|
FRIENDS (AT)
|
WB
|
2.9
|
3270
|
|
23
|
WARNER BROS. VOL 35
|
WB
|
2.8
|
3153
|
|
24
|
TWO-HALF MEN WKND B (AT)
|
WB
|
2.7
|
3093
|
|
24
|
JUDGE JOE BROWN (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.7
|
3076
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
