Elephants For Fox, Donkeys For Msnbc

Last week, during the Republican National Convention, it was Fox News Channel's time to shine. On Thursday, only NBC's America's Got Talent was watched by more people than FNC's coverage of the convention, which featured Clint Eastwood conversing with an empty chair and Mitt Romney accepting the RNC's presidential nomination. Commented today's (Thursday) Washington Post "The political conventions might not be what they used to be, but in a summer of flatlining ratings, the RNC was, relatively speaking, Must See TV." But this week, it's MSNBC's turn to make waves. On the first night of the Democratic National Convention, the channel -- which tilts to the left during primetime while Fox tilts to the right -- drew 4.1 million viewers. That number exceeded CNN's 3.9 million viewers, CBS's 3.3 million, and ABC's 3.2 million. FNC turned out to be -- by far -- the lowest-rated news channel with just 2.4 million. The only broadcast or cable channel to beat MSNBC in convention coverage was corporate sibling NBC, which drew 5 million viewers. On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that MSNBC personalities were being treated like stars by convention-goers in Charlotte. "Sure, the events here in Charlotte are a national celebration of the Democratic Party and its presidential nominee," the Times commented. "But in many ways, it's the MSNBC Convention."

06/09/2012