News Nets Jockey in Demo Derby
By JIM FORKAN -- Multichannel News, 1/29/2001
NEW YORK -Rival news networks have been ganging up on Cable News Network in the Nielsen Media Research ratings race, so it's to be expected that CNN also would feel the impact on the demographics side.
According to TN Media Inc.'s research report on last fall's median-income data, MSNBC, Fox News Channel and business-news network CNBC outperformed CNN in the various Nielsen basic-cable groups.
For instance, MSNBC's No.1 average of $64,700 in median-household income among adults 18 to 49 for basic-cable networks in Nielsen's October-November full-day ratings breakout edged No. 2 CNN by $1,000. Following the news nets were Home & Garden Television ($57,900), ESPN ($57,000) and E! Entertainment Television ($56,100).
Looking at the primetime Nielsens for adults 18-plus, TN found that Fox News led with a median income of $62,800, followed by Bravo ($62,200), MSNBC ($59,700), ESPN ($58,800) and E! ($56,700). CNN averaged just $53,400 in this demo segment-lagging behind sister network CNN Headline News ($56,100) and a few others, such as HGTV ($56,600).
Among adults 18 and up for the full day, CNBC led the way with a $63,900 median income average, versus $59,400 for FNC. Those networks were trailed by MSNBC ($56,500), E! ($54,900), ESPN ($53,900) and Headline News ($53,400). CNN's median income among this group was $50,800.
The median incomes of viewers of all of those networks were higher than the population at large, said TN senior vice president of broadcast research Steve Sternberg. TN Media is the media-buying arm of True North Communications Inc.
Median incomes among cable networks "vary significantly" by network, daypart and demo, Sternberg added. Many basic networks' low ratings and small sample sizes also kept Nielsen from calculating their median incomes. (For example, no full-day data was offered for Headline News among adults 18 to 49 or full-day 18-plus, and 18-to-49 data for Bravo also was not available.)
According to Sternberg's analysis of Nielsen data, NBC enjoyed the highest media-income average in primetime among the six broadcast networks. The "Peacock Network" held the top spot in virtually every key adult segment.
NBC's median income among adults 18 to 49 was $60,100, compared to $64,300 among adults 25 to 54, $55,000 among adults 18-plus and $47,000 for adults 50 and older. ABC was the runner-up in the first two categories last fall; Fox in the others.
Primetime series like NBC's The West Wing and Will & Grace and Fox's Ally McBeal dominated in nearly all income demos last fall, according to TN's report.
NBC's West Wing and Law & Order led among upscale households averaging $70,000-plus in income, TN added. CBS' 60 Minutes and ABC's 20/20 were among 26 shows that scored among those with incomes $60,000 per year or greater.
ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire did well among households in the $50,000-to-$59,000 bracket.
