CNN in Third Place in Prime Time Ratings Behind MSNBC, How the Mighty have Fallen

OUCH!!!

My how the mighty CNN has fallen. CNN was once the benchmark of all cable prime news stations and now finds itself in third place.  Behind even MSNBC in the prime time cable ratings, that’s going to leave a mark. CNN might think that they are the “Most Trusted Name in News,” it’s just that no one watches them.

CNN is poised to finish March third in the prime-time weeknight ratings behind Fox News Channel and MSNBC, the first time this has ever happened for the channel that pioneered the cable news genre nearly three decades ago.

CNN says its overall business is healthy and it is not straying from its straight news path. But it is suffering more audience erosion than its rivals since the peak days of the presidential election, further proof that the opinionated prime-time shows on Fox and MSNBC have greater audience loyalty.

Whether it be MSNBC or CNN, both trail badly in prime time ratings behind the Fox News as Fox boasts having the top 6 prime time cable news shows. How impressive is Fox News in the ratings? Look at where Glen Beck has risen to after having been on Fox for such a short period of time as compared to his previous CNN HLN ratings.

CABLE NEWS RACE
THU., MARCH 26, 2009

FOXNEWS O’REILLY 3,420,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY 2,987,000
FOXNEWS BECK 2,374,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 2,160,000
FOXNEWS BAIER 1,940,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 1,888,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,322,000
CNNHN GRACE 1,300,000
MSNBC MADDOW 1,208,000
CNN KING 1,144,000
CNN COOPER 1,118,000