Are Fox Ratings Fading with Tea Party Fails? Leslie Savan

[babylonsister]

http://www.thenation.com/blog/are-fox-ratings-fading-tea-party-fails

Are Fox Ratings Fading with Tea Party Fails?
Leslie Savan
June 5, 2010


Could it be that the nation’s infatuation with Fox News is slowly, slowly coming to an end? Looking at long-term cable ratings, you might surmise that on its way to the Tea Party, Fox has indeed jumped a shark or two.

Nothing is simple when it comes to stats or cable news, but consider: Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Greta Van Susteren have each hit their lowest point in a year or more with the key 25- to 54-year-old demo, according to the latest Nielsens. This 12- to 16-month measurement is more detailed than a “year to year” comparison, which can make a show look strong or weak depending on what particular month you start from. But as a CNN press release happily notes: “May represents The O’Reilly Factor’s worst performance since January 2009, Hannity’s lowest delivery to date since taking over the time period in January2009, and On the Record’s lowest since May 2009. Fox Report with Shep Smith had its lowest demo delivery since December 2008.”

snip//

Fox anchors and guests have been getting more irrelevant and picayune with each passing day. All those hyperventilating old standbys from the days of terror and fear, like Hannity, Rudy Giuliani, and Dick Morris, are arguing harder over ever more piddly issues: Investigate Obama over Sestak and Romanoff jobs! POTUS is wearing “fancy pants” in the Gulf! He won’t even gibber with rage and burst into tears on national TV! And their hysteria over such thin gruel usually comes with a pitch of daring exclusivity: Beck frothed that only he and Fox were brave enough to show the video of the peace flotilla activists clubbing Israeli commandos, when actually, as Jon Stewart shows, the clip was all over TV like tear gas on an anti-war rally.

Such predictable, pipsqueak fury will always work for a certain percentage of the population, whose dyspeptic anger can never get enough grist to mill. But folks with normally functioning thyroid glands appear to be wilting a bit under all the shouting.

Of course, if wingers begin toting guns into town halls again this summer, or if another Scott Brown-like upset takes place, Fox ratings could surge again. Each net has its strength: CNN’s ratings popped out of the doldrums last month with the BP oil spill, as they did in the weeks after the Haitian earthquake, because CNN is the place you go for major crises, just as Fox is the place you go to hear your prejudices and frustrations echoed.

But to hold its ratings, Fox needs to do more than that. It needs to win elections, too.

[monmouth]

1. And with Rachel Maddow, the only cable news person, nominated

for a Critics Award. No one from Fox or CNN. Wonder how Scar, Mika, Chuckie and Tweety feel about that one. Oh, and Andrea too. I'm lovin' it.

[Ikonoklast]

2. Outrage fatigue.

And unless they can enlist a batch of new, younger morons as watchers, their demographic is slowly sliding into the graveyard.

[LiberalLoner]

7. That thought makes me smile :) n/t

[calimary]

9. Good. Good riddance!

[krabigirl]

3. O'leilly et al are becoming irrelevant.

[Cha]

4. They do go hand in hand.. faux

distorts & teabaggers soak it in and regurgitate.

[lamp_shade]

5. "Fox is the place you go to hear your prejudices and frustrations echoed."

ohhh.. if I could fit that on a bumper sticker.

[MrScorpio]

6. They need to turn it way up

More bombast... And Clown make up!









And even a frequent guest like Newt can join in too

[greytdemocrat]

8. Cute!

Cute pics. It won't change the fact that Fox has a lock on the cable ratings but posting pics like that makes some feel better.

It might be more constructive for our side to find out exactly WHY people watch FOX over everyone else.

And talk radio is exactly the same. No one listens to our side, why is that? And don't say it's all
Clear Channels fault, that is an easy copout. If our side appealed to America, even CC would put us on since we would be making them money.

[babsbunny]

10. our side?

:shrug: :shrug: :shrug: :shrug: :shrug: :shrug: :shrug: :shrug:

[doc03]

11. You seem to be offended people are criticizing Fox? hmm?

People always slow down and gawk at a traffic accident too.

[greytdemocrat]

15. I'm not offended at all.

I'm annoyed people go for the easy crit of Fox and don't put any additional thought behind a simple attack.

"I hate Faux News!!!" "Who's with me??"

I see that alot here.

What I don't see is:

Why are people watching Fox News. Other than feeble minded posts that anyone who does
is feebleminded.

[MrScorpio]

18. It's quite obvious that Fox News' programming is tailored for people who hate America

And for morons that are easily taken in by their lies

Or do you feel differently about that?

[AnArmyVeteran]

20. A person has to be stupid to believe their idiocy.

Or so filled with hatred they are unable to see the truth. I'd feel sorry for them except they are wanting to destroy my country and me.

[doc03]

22. It's simple around 25 % of the American people are

prejudiced, narrow minded, selfish, bigots and Faux tells them what they want to hear. It is easy to appeal to them, scare them. Those other people are going to take over the govment and take us real muricans money, be afraid, be very afraid. It seems to me you are awfully concerned about people (on our side?) criticizing Faux News.

[noel711]

35. Why do people watch FOX news?

IT aims for the lowest common demoninator demographic:

The message is always simple, and blatantly opinionated,
no thinking required.
The 'newscasters' take an 'authoritative' perspective,
as if they are 'in the know,' but anyone with a brain
catches on. The difficulty is the lack of critical thinking
amongst most typical Americans.

FOX has positioned itself as 'THE News authority,' but
not because of anything remarkable it has done outside
of marketing, yep, good old-fashioned capitalistic marketing.

FOX shows up on every basic cable/satellite system.
Televisions that are positioned in bars, diners,
airports, hotel waiting rooms, nursing homes,
hospital waiting rooms.. you name it..
are automatically turned to FOX... simply because
they are 'THE news authority.' No questions asked.

SAdly, the public is a passive audience:
if their local barber shop, and the nursing home
broadcast FOX all day, most people take it as
'THE news authority.'

And you dare not ask why this is...
to question the wisdom of having any and every television
in public view space positioned to FOX is to pick a fight.

[JoeyT]

37. Well, I can't speak for everyone that watches Fox.

The ones that I do know (Which are a lot of my family and some co-workers.) don't want news. At ALL. They want an echo chamber.
The mere thought anyone might hold a different opinion sends them into a blind rage. The topic doesn't really matter. Neither do facts of any kind. Not even the independently verifiable ones. If they think the sky is green, they don't want to go outside and look in case they'll be proven wrong. They want to look at a magic box that will tell them they're right and the sky actually is green.

If there were a channel that were nothing more than a 24/7 looped tape of someone telling them "You're exactly right. Everyone else is wrong. You're a patriot and they all want to destroy America. They sympathize with terrorists. Global warming, evolution, and equal rights are all lies spread by devil worshipers." it would be the highest rated news channel in the country. Christ, that's practically what Rush Limbaugh IS.

Edited to add: Glenn Beck is pretty much that with a dumbass chalkboard.

[MrScorpio]

12. Does it make you feel better?

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. There is no our side in talk radio

At least not on the radios of most Americans.

[greytdemocrat]

17. And???

Doesn't that bother you?

Doesn't it bother you that a lot of people here think the gubmint has to
step in and FORCE people to listen to our side?? That doesn't bother you
even a tiny little bit???

[Raine]

16. The people on "our side" do not need constant

re-inforcement and indocrination the way the faux people do. :silly: That's one big reason that "our side" doesn't draw big ratings. If "our side" didn't appeal to America it would be President McCain instead of President Obama. :think:

[Oedipus W. Bush]

23. Exactly.

Most conservatives have a strong psychological need to have their beliefs validated. This is because many of them have some amount of cognitive dissonance concerning their beliefs in that they either know or strongly suspect that such beliefs are morally wrong. The reinforcement of their beliefs from conservative talk radio and Fox News resolves, or at least eases, that cognitive dissonance and validates the morally wrong belief.

Liberals do not suffer from such cognitive dissonance and thus do not have a need to have their beliefs validated.

[MrScorpio]

24. Welcome to DU, O.W.B

We need more of your keen insight around here

[pinboy3niner]

31. Welcome, OWB

I second MrScorpio--good insight (and cool username, LOL).

:hi:

[KharmaTrain]

21. Clear Channel Does...

KPOJ in Portland is the most profitable Progressive Talk station in the country...owned by Cheap Channel. It's cause its on one of the best signals in the market. The format would do well in other places if they were given such clearance, yet CC prefers to put their hate talk network (Premier) on the big signals and let Progressive talk struggle on weak ones that don't generate ratings and thus feeds into the meme that Progressive Talk doesn't work.

The corporate media dictates what we see and hear...not the other way around. Either you buy it or listen to a CD or watch NatGeo. They make their money off manipulation of stock prices and reshuffling their loans and debts.

It's pretty simple to understand why Faux and Hate Radio "work"...they appeal to the least common demoninator; those who have grown up with "big lies" of "less government" and the buzzwords and talking points of the right. Truth is those numbers are a distortion...at its best Faux will draw 3 million viewers...that out of a nation of 300 million people. In 2008 over 120 million people voted...that's less than 3% of the electorate.

As far as the "we"...there are many "us" out here and that's another problem...Democrats and Progressives tend to be far more diverse in opinions (as DU demonstrates) and tastes. While some are news junkies, most have more in their lives than to watch TV or listen to radio.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[KharmaTrain]

30. We The People???

:rofl:

Now whose got the pantload! :rofl:

Too bad I'm not "worthy" of your expectations. Life sucks. :rofl:

Yes, the corporate media dictates what we see and hear. They own the majority of the licenses and means of distribution (cable and satellites)...we get to pick and choose what they offer. Some is bought, others are loss leaders. Free market in a controlled environment. Those who try to compete are limited to the fringes as the costs of operating and marketing against large corporates means less resources for program development and production. But I won't bore you with market realities...you've got your axe to grind. Have fun.

[pinboy3niner]

32. + 100! Must have missed Beck, Hanity, Limbaugh etc. on my ballot

:rofl:

[tabasco]

25. LOL! That's all ya' got!

You still have your beloved propaganda - - but not the House, not the Senate and not the White House.

But keep on screeching, moron - it's comedy for "our side."

[Arugula Latte]

29. ha ha ha

You are cute. Enjoy your stay! :hi:

[roseBudd]

33. No one listens to liberal radio because our side is literate

I never listen to radio for anything other than music

[Mojorabbit]

36. Neither do I

I don't need anyone to tell me what to think.

[hwmnbn]

38. wrong on so many counts...

Fox's numbers are minuscule compared to the total population or even the broadcast networks' numbers. They fill a niche that is becoming electorally irrelevant. Proof being they've vilified all things from the democratic party 24-7 for their entire existence, but they couldn't stop us from capturing the WH and BOTH chambers of congress. So where exactly is their dominant "power?"

As far as talk radio is concerned, progressive talkers out perform conservatives in many markets but are not carried in as many markets because of the consolidation of ownership by conservative media conglomerates. Why would they give their liberal competition an outlet?

Besides "our side" does appeal to America, that's why YOU'RE here, no??

[AnArmyVeteran]

19. Brilliant MrScorpio!!! I love those pictures!!! All clowns thru and thru... Complete Jokes!

[craigmatic]

13. They've reached their peak. They found their audience and that's the only demographic that watches.

If it weren't for the southern states fox would be bankrupt. They're not growing the same people just watch them day in and day out. They're old white and deeply threatened by change. If fox doesn't moderate they'll become completely irrelevent.

[Richard Steele]

26. You can only keep the villagers waving torches and pitchforks in the town square for so long.

If you never actually LEAD them anywhere,
they eventually lose interest and wander off.

[emilyg]

27. Fox ratings

Posted on 04 June 2010 by Bill Gorman

Live + Same Day Cable News Daily Ratings for June 3, 2010

P2+ Total Day
FNC – 1,400,000 viewers
CNN – 493,000 viewers
MSNBC – 432,000 viewers
CNBC – 200,000 viewers
HLN – 371,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 3,009,000 viewers
CNN – 765,000 viewers
MSNBC – 905,000 viewers
CNBC – 201,000 viewers
HLN – 802,000 viewers

Read the full story

[jaysunb]

34. Your last sentence says a lot....

But to hold its ratings, Fox needs to do more than that. It needs to win elections, too

Are you implying that Fox is just an arm of a certain political party ? :shrug:

Cause if you are, you're right.....