Over the past few years, CNN has struggled to compete with cable news networks such as Fox News, which dominate the market. Recently, CNN received some more devastating news about its ratings. The leftist news network saw a 71% collapse in primetime ratings compared to last year. Meanwhile, Fox News is still on top of the cable news market with no sign of slowing down. According to TVNewser:
Fox News Channel marked its 100th consecutive week as the top cable news network in total day viewers and Adults 25-54.
According to Nielsen live plus same day data for the week of February 27, 2023, Fox News is also No. 1 among ad-supported basic cable networks in total primetime viewers, averaging 2.09 million this past week, down only -1,000 total viewers from the week before. FNC also moved up one spot to No. 4 among ad-supported basic cable networks in Adults 25-54 (253,000), only behind ESPN (579,000), TNT (327,000) and TBS (265,000).
Fox News was once again the most-watched basic cable network in total day, averaging 1.375 million viewers in the daypart this past week. The network remained second in A25-54 viewers with an average of 177,000 for the week. Only ESPN averaged more (253,000).
…..CNN traditionally sees the sharpest growth during major news event, and the steepest decline when the news cycle is quieter. Without a major breaking news event to cover this past week (ie. the early days of the Russia-Ukraine war/Biden’s SOTU), CNN saw steeper year-over-year losses than its competition. The network dropped -71% in total primetime viewers, -83% among A25-54 in primetime, -62% in total day total viewers and -75% among A25-54 watching across total day vs. the year-ago week.
Breitbart did not hold back when discussing the abysmal CNN ratings, explaining how their content and on-air personalities are so unappealing to average Americans:
…CNN has the most unappealing on-air staff in the history of television. The monsters at MSNBC are every bit the fascist liars as those at CNN. So what I’m talking about is something different, and that’s just basic personal appeal
Everyone who works at CNN is a joyless, smug prig. A perfect example is Jake Tapper. When Tapper first moved to CNN, he was still Jake Tapper, a youthful guy with a sense of humor and credibility. But now that Jeff Zucker holds Tapper’s soul in a Mason jar under his bed, Tapper has shriveled and aged into a smug, humorless gnome with smart glasses. Bottom line: you must want to spend time with the people who appear on your TV. Look at CNN’s morning lineup. Don Lemon? Poppy Harlow? Nurse Ratched? It seems impossible, but Licht found anchors less appealing than the hideous Joe and Mika.
However, this downward trend is nothing new for CNN, as the network has struggled for a while now. CNN has had to take drastic measures such as firing the previous CEO Jeff Zucker, massive cost-cutting campaigns which fire significant staff, selling expensive real estate, firing veteran anchors and on-air personalities, and much more. The timeless adage “go woke, go broke” can undoubtedly be applied to CNN.
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