Network News Ratings for ABC and CBS B-A-D

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First quarter 2010 ratings for ABC World News & CBS Evening News hit record lows respectively, according to a report in today's New York Times.

ABC World News ratings numbers declined 3 percent from a year ago, which may or may not be related to Diane Sawyer replacing Charlie Gibson as anchor. NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams had its best 1st quarter ratings numbers in five years, benefitting from its Winter Olympics coverage. Overall, the viewer numbers were: NBC, 9.92 million; ABC, 8.27 million; and CBS, 6.45 million.

The numbers don't address a problem that plagues all three networks; namely, demographics.  The 25- to 53-year-old viewer group over whom advertisers salivate is not the bread-and-butter of  network news loyalists nowadays for a myriad of reasons, ranging from the Internet to the simple truth that many folks are still at the office at the hour when network news airs. As the accompanying commercials reflect, seniors make up a sizable percentage of  network news watchers, most likely pining for the days of Walter Cronkite, John Chancellor, Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings, Huntley & Brinkley, and Dan Rather.

As ad revenues continue to plummet at all three networks, one wonders whether news anchors will continue to command rock-star salaries such as those doled out to Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric and Brian Williams.

CNN Prime Time Ratings Continue to Plummet

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CNN ("Catastrophic News Numbers") has followed up its grim 4th quarter prime-time progamming ratings (see "TUOL" post 12/17/09) with an even more diminished audience, according to 1st quarter 2010 ratings figures reported in today's New York Times.

The Times story reports that in February, not only was CNN's prime time slate bested by MSNBC and Fox News, but also finished behind its own HLN network and CNBC, which received a boost from the Winter Olympics.  CNN personalities took it on the chin, with Larry King's audience down 43 percent for the quarter. King has a quarter of the viewership of Fox's Sean Hanity, routinely  loses to MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, and even is getting thumped by HLN's relative newcomer, Joy Behar.

The news isn't much brighter for Anderson Cooper, whose ratings dropped 42 percent in the first quarter, and more important, 46 percent among the 25- to 54-year-old viewer demographic that advertisers crave.  CNN's Campbell Brown's 8 p.m. program had its worst results ever in the 1st quarter among this viewer group.

Even CNN's previous morning dominance was overturned, with MSNBC's  caffeine-crazed "Morning Joe" beating CNN's "American Morning" telecast.  Meanwhile, Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck and Greta Van Susteren all enjoyed a substantial ratings boost compared to the previous year's figures.

Might be time for CNN to ship Larry King's suspenders to the Smithsonian and stop dazzling itself with computer graphics and refocus its attention on content and personalities who can deliver it.

PBS Enters Nielsen Ratings Race

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After years of being content with monthly reports regarding viewership, PBS has decided to go full-bore and is subscribing to full-time tv ratings from the Nielsen Co.

The subscription began with Ken Burns' documentary on National Parks, which aired in September and October, and drew 5.5 million viewers on average per episode. PBS is not looking at overnight ratings, but rather, weekly ratings of its programming.

"TUOL" hopes PBS is not tempted to resort to "Sweeps Week" gimmicks such as partial nudity on "Sesame Street" or a Charlie Rose lookalike contest, now that it has joined the Nielsen family.