9/11 Special Nets History 5.2 million Viewers

History’s Sept. 11 special revisiting the 2001 U.S. terrorist attacks, 102 Minutes That Changed America, drew 5.2 million viewers.

The commercial-free, special, which weaves without narration amateur and professional footage of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, generated a 3.8 household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research data. Both numbers were second only to History’s Jan. 21 special, Life After People, which earned a 3.9 rating/5.4 million viewers.

In History’s target 25 to 54 demo, the special drew a channel record 2.9 million viewers, according to network officials.

Due to overwhelming response from viewers, History on Sunday (Sept. 14) will repeat 109 Minutes That Changed America, along with a I-Witness  To 9/11, an 18-minute documentary short featuring interviews with some of the people who contributed their 9/11 footage to the project, according to History.

“We are proud and overwhelmed with the reaction to the special,” said History executive vice president and general manager Nancy Dubuc said in a statement. “At History, we believe it is our responsibility as archivists of history to create a lasting document, one that can be used in ten, twenty or fifty years to communicate what it was like to live through the morning of 9/11.”

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.