CNN Ratings Surge as Network Boss's Fate Is Uncertain
December 13 2020 - 3:14PM
Dow Jones News
By Benjamin Mullin
CNN is riding a ratings high in the aftermath of the election.
Whether the network boss who oversaw those gains will stick around
is an open question.
CNN averaged more total-day viewers than Fox News from Election
Day through Dec. 8, a 35-day span, the first time it has won such a
long stretch in that category in 19 years. CNN also bested the
competition over that period among viewers 25 to 54, a demographic
advertisers target on news channels. Fox News has retained the No.
1 spot in total prime-time ratings.
As CNN tries to maintain momentum, network parent WarnerMedia, a
unit of AT&T Inc., is in talks with CNN President Jeff Zucker
on whether to renew his contract, with those discussions expected
to heat up in coming weeks, people close to the situation say. Mr.
Zucker had signaled to associates internally that he wasn't sure
whether he wanted to stay on, and would weigh his options after the
election.
The contract negotiations are happening at the same time that
CNN has become a target of takeover interest in the private-equity
world. Recently, Mr. Zucker was made aware of investor interest in
taking the network private, according to people familiar with the
matter. One scenario floated was a management buyout that would see
Mr. Zucker lead the network under new ownership, some of the people
said. Mr. Zucker has indicated that would-be suitors should contact
AT&T.
WarnerMedia Chief Executive Jason Kilar said at a recent company
town hall that CNN wasn't for sale. People close to Mr. Kilar say
that he is hopeful Mr. Zucker will stay with the company.
Cable news viewership has declined across the board from the
peaks networks reached during the week of the election. CNN scored
the biggest gains in key categories during the run-up to the
election and its immediate aftermath, and has retained enough of
that audience to vault ahead of longtime leader Fox News in key
categories.
From the election through Dec. 8, CNN averaged about 1.7 million
viewers for the total day, compared with roughly 1.56 million for
Fox News. CNN was also first in prime-time among viewers 25 to 54,
averaging about 818,000, but Fox News was tops in total prime-time
viewers.
Like its competitors in the cable news sector, Fox News is on
track to deliver its highest-rated year ever. For the full year,
Fox News is pacing toward first place among cable news networks in
several key ratings categories, including total day viewership,
prime-time viewership and prime-time viewership in the key news
demographic.
Fox News, which has been the king of cable news ratings for
nearly two decades, has recently faced stepped-up competition from
pro- Trump networks Newsmax and One America News Network, which
have won over viewers loyal to President Trump by playing up his
unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in the election.
Newsmax has seen its ratings in the key news demographic surge
around the election, according to Nielsen. The network has averaged
about 372,000 prime-time viewers from Election Day through Dec. 8,
a more than 500% increase compared with its prime-time audience
during the week before the election. Still, Newsmax is far smaller
than Fox News, which averaged about 3.1 million prime-time viewers
during that period.
Fox News and Wall Street Journal parent News Corp share common
ownership.
MSNBC is in third place in several key ratings categories since
the election. The network has had some bright spots, drawing more
total viewers than its competitors on weekdays since the election
was called on Nov. 7, according to a spokeswoman. MSNBC said "The
Rachel Maddow Show" has drawn more viewers in its time slot than
competing shows in December. NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar
Conde recently tapped network executive Rashida Jones to be the
cable news channel's next president.
CNN's ratings victories could be temporary. The network
occasionally gains ground on its competitors in the short-run as
casual viewers tune into CNN during intense periods of breaking
news. CNN eclipsed Fox News among prime-time viewers in the key
demographic in August 2019, but Fox News won the most prime-time
viewers that month and ultimately won the quarter.
Write to Benjamin Mullin at Benjamin.Mullin@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 13, 2020 14:59 ET (19:59 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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