Split Decision: Networks Claim Presidential Debate Wins
Fox News Tops Cable With Total Viewers; CNN Best With Key Demos
By Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 9/29/2008 6:13:00 PM
Like the Republican and Democratic camps, Fox News Channel and CNN both claimed victory in the cable ratings for Friday night’s first presidential debate, which drew 16% fewer watchers than its equivalent in 2004.
Among the cable news networks, Fox News Channel was first among total viewers, averaging 8.21 million from 9 p.m. to 10:38 p.m. with the Sept. 26 debate between GOP candidate John McCain (Sen.-Ariz.) and his opponent Sen. Barack Obama (D.-Ill.) from the campus of the University of Mississippi. .
Fox News ranked second only to ABC with 10.2 million, according to Nielsen Media Research data, while NBC was third with 7.75 million, just ahead of the 7.44 million for CBS and 7.14 million for CNN. Fox had 4.14 million, while MSNBC was seventh with a 3.92 million average.
All told, Nielsen estimated that some 52.4 million Americans watched the debate on the aforementioned news networks, as well as BBC America, CNBC, and Spanish-language broadcasters Telemundo and Telefutura. Included in that total were 7.17 million African-American and 3.46 million Hispanic watchers,
Collectively, the 11 networks posted a 31.6 household rating and 36.2 million households, versus a 39.4 rating, 43 million households and 62.5 million viewers for ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News, CNN and MSNBC during the Sept. 30, 2004 debate between President George W. Bush and Democratic Presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry. That debate was held on a Thursday, a night that attracts far more viewers than Friday.
Among adults 25 to 54, CNN grabbed cable laurels with 3.27 million of those watchers. Fox News was second with the news demo, garnering 2.61 million, while MSNBC had 1.69 million.
CNN also set the cable pace with the advertiser-coveted adults 18-to-49 demo, averaging 3.12 million viewers, versus 2.84 million for Fox News and 1.35 million for MSNBC.
