This post is part of our Battle of the Brands feature. Let us know which brand you prefer, and check out other Battle of the Brands posts.
The heads of CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC along with their corporate masters at Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX), News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) and General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) must be giggling with delight at the prospect of the Democratic presidential race continuing past the hotly contested race in Pennsylvania.
After all, controversy means more viewers, which of course means more advertising dollars. They probably wish that the Democrats would beat each other up in 30-second TV spots every year, but alas Americans elect a president every four years, which is probably a good thing for everybody. Still, the cable networks are going to ride this gravy train for as long as they can.
Like anything else in cable news, picking a winner in this battle of the brands depends on how you look at it. Fox, the home of Bill O'Reilly and Shepherd Smith, attracted 1.89 million viewers during Monday's prime time, the most of any network, according to Nielsen data cited by TVNewser. CNN attracted 1.03 million on its main network and 572,000 on its Headline News channel, while MSNBC was watched by 676,000.
Before conservatives start declaring Fox the top cable network yet again, remember that statistic does not represent the whole picture. Cable news advertisers are most interested in viewers aged 25 to 54 who are most likely to be interested in buying mutual funds and other products that they are shilling. That's where things get interesting.
Based on that demographic, Fox was seen by 377,000 people in prime time, which advertisers care the most about, fairly close to the 311,000 viewed by CNN. It is still ahead of the 245,000 who watched MSNBC and the 218,000 that saw Headline News. Sometimes CNN even manages to beat Fox in the ratings on certain shows in certain nights. Fox, though, rules the roost, much to the horror of some.
The presidential race is bringing out the best and worse of the cable networks. Every gaffe gets replayed over and over again to the point of silliness. They are one of the main drivers of the YouTube revolution. Clearly, they are enjoying their time in the sun.
I am not now nor have I ever been a fan of the politics of Fox News, with the exception of Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld, an amusing show with a Libertarian twinge that the network doesn't even promote on the home page of its website. Go figure.
But even this member of the "liberal media elite" finds CNN pompous and stuffy. MSNBC, which I watch regularly, can grate on my nerves as well, especially Chris Matthews. But every battle must have a winner and I am therefore choosing one -- National Public Radio -- an island of sanity in a sea of media noise.
Vote in our poll for CNN or Fox as your preferred brand, and let us know in the comments why you love it.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-29-2008 @ 3:00AM
RAY said...
CNN IS THE COMMUNIST NEWS NETWORK.THEY LIKE TO USE PROPAGANDA TO INFLUENCE PEOPLES THINKING LIKE THE OBAMA PASTOR STORY. I AM A WHITE MALE AND I HEARD THE WHOLE SERMON AND IT IS NOT RACIST AT ALL .MAMMAS BOY ANDERSON COOPER AND HIS JACKASS CO WORKERS ARE DISGUSTING WHY DIDN'T THEY PLAY THE WHOLE SERMON?
WHY DID THE JUST PLAY LITTLE BITS TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT? IS IT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO CREATE THIER OWN NEWS OR DO THEY WANT CONTROLL THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION? WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THIS COUNTRY?
4-30-2008 @ 1:31PM
Patrick said...
I watch both CNN & FOX everymorning , along with missions / journeys into /or sorties ,of local ABC,CBS,&NBC channels for well rounded news , I will include MSNBC also if there is time , as I am retired , the news is very importent ,sports & the stock market . Patrick
5-01-2008 @ 12:06PM
Bev said...
My husband and I used to watch FOX constantly but got tired of the Republican attitude. We switched to CNN and love it. It seems to be unbiased and for the simple people, like us. We love Lou Dobbs, although agree if he doesn't calm down he will have a heart attack. It seems to us that this station is for the ordinary folk. It seems to be more investigative. I just wish they wouldn't repeat the new news every other minute on all shows. It would be nice if each show had a different subject. Larry King is the best and has the best interviews.
5-01-2008 @ 7:24PM
Robert Rogan said...
1. If you hate Bush and want your daily fix of “blame it on Bush” , watch MSNBC
2. If you want the news, from a European (civilized”)” point of view, presented in a politically correct fashion, watches CNN.
3. If you want controversy and full coverage of the news, watch FOX news.
4. If you want to be told the news (i.e., “good old network news”), presented by ratings competing “beautiful people”, watch CBS, NBC, or ABC.
5. If you are a self appointed “intellectual” wannabe and must daily reassure yourself of membership in such an august group, read the NY Times.
5-01-2008 @ 9:24PM
russpoor said...
ENJOY YOUR TIME ON T.V. IN 10 YEARS YOU WON'T BE THEIR............................
5-01-2008 @ 11:23PM
Monty said...
I never watch CNN anymore, got tired of the constant liberal bias. I watch FOX mostly simply because they inherently will have two pundits on any given subject, and you can usually hear both sides of the arguement. I watch MSNBC rarely due to the fact they are about 1 or 2 days behind with the current stories. I never watch any of the Network news stations. If you want to see how the news is slanted, find out who the parent company is and what other holdings they have. Always, always , just follow the money. You're never getting real news, just entertainment.
5-02-2008 @ 8:05AM
HARRY said...
LEFTWING LOONS CAN'T STAND THE FACT FOX HAS MORE VIEWERS THAN CNN AND MSNBC COMBINED. AMERICA VOTES WITH THEIR REMOTES/// I TURNED CNN OFF ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO...FOX IS NO. 1 BECAUSE IT HAD THE UNIQUE IDEA TO SPOTLIGHT LEFT AND RIGHT. WHAT A CONCEPT...SOMETHING THE REST OF THE MEDIA DIDNT DO.
5-02-2008 @ 8:25AM
John Frick said...
NPR is probably the least balanced, least fact-oriented, and most liberal-biased news you can find. Even moderate Democrats find NPR a little "out there." While Fox tips a little to the conservative side, it offers a nice balance to CNN and MSNBC which tilt slightly to the left on most issues.
5-02-2008 @ 9:06AM
bermuda jim said...
i like shep smith. morning joe but cant stand mika
5-02-2008 @ 3:58PM
Carl said...
Foxnews, is fake news. I love to watch CNN. I really don't like Sean Hannity, he's a fake and a racist! This is Foxnews main audience, racist!!!
5-03-2008 @ 2:33AM
Josef said...
I used to watch Keith Oberman and Dan Abrams (MSNBC)every day. Since they jumped on the anti Hillary campaign with their lies and deceptions (even though I am a Republican) Dishonesty and Deception should not be foisted on us daily. They must think the American public are real jerks.
5-05-2008 @ 8:04AM
vintagepa said...
I prefer Fox. I used to watch CNN and still watch it occasionally for Larry King's interviews, but how much Anna Nicholl Smith can you watch? The Fox news shows are better balanced, but I can't stand listening to Hannity and Colmes. Hannity never lets anyone finish a thought and Colmes is in outer space with his opinions.
5-05-2008 @ 8:04AM
Linda said...
I USE TO WATCH MSNBC ALL THE TIME,,,I DON'T WATCH IT ANYMORE. CHRIS MATTHEWS HAS BEEN AN OBAMA MAN AND PUTS HILLARY CLINTON DOWN ,,,AND TO LISTEN TO HIS SILLY RANTINGS ABOUT HIS LEG GETTING GOOSEBUMPS QUITE FRANKLY MADE ME DISGUSTED. YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE BANKING ON TO WIN THE ELECTION WITH ALL THE OPINIONS RATHER THAN THE NEWS,,I LOVE LOU DOBBS,,HE TELLS IT LIKE IT IS SO I HAVE GONE TO CNN,,