What we now know happened to cable news viewership on Friday is telling because it gives us some insight into MSNBC viewers. When they want news instead of left-wing pablum, even lefties are smart enough to change the channel.
Yep, even liberals know NBC News is no longer reliable when the truth is suddenly less important than The Narrative:
The latest sign of trouble for NBC’s news division comes from MSNBC, which saw a ratings decline compared to previous weeks as news of the shootings in Colorado was unfolding last Friday.
Not only did MSNBC’s ratings significantly trail cable news competitors CNN and Fox News in the prime time period after the shooting, but they were also below the number of viewers the network got on recent Friday nights.
Nielsen ratings data for July 20–the day James Holmes went on a shooting rampage at a Colorado movie theater that killed 12 and injured 58 people–shows that MSNBC’s audience during the key prime time hours were below its own average for the previous four Fridays. …
Cable news networks generally see a spike in ratings during big breaking news stories such as natural disasters or political upheaval, as viewers seek out the latest developments. For viewers to be turning off MSNBC during a major news event is “disheartening” for NBC, said Horizon media analyst Brad Adgate.
MSNBC lost 17 percent of its audience during Friday night primetime with just 575,000 viewers. CNN, meanwhile, saw a 125% gain at 1.1 million viewers and Fox News saw a 11% gain at 2 million viewers.
And how funny is it that CNN gained 125% more viewers but still barely broke half the number at Fox News, which only picked up 11% more viewers?
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC
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