Anybody who's followed cable news rankings over the years knows that two things matter when considering a channel or program: who's watching you, and who's beating you.
Cable news, for that matter, has followed something of a trend since the departure of Donald Trump from the presidency. Firstly, viewers are more divided than ever; many see what they want to see (and tune out when they aren't getting it). Second, it can be difficult to parse through opinion versus fact.
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One channel that has struggled mightily in recent months has been CNN, which recently saw the departure of head Chris Licht after about a year on the job.
Licht had been initially optimistic but adamant about the future direction of CNN. The network needed to change its public perception as partisan and instead pivot to a more trustworthy, down the line centrist and instead report cold, hard news.
"Sadly too many people have lost trust in the news media," Licht wrote in a memo to employees on his first day. "I think we can be a beacon in regaining that trust by being an organization that exemplifies the best characteristics in journalism: fearlessly speaking truth to power, challenging the status quo, questioning ‘group-think’ and educating viewers and readers with straightforward facts and insightful commentary, while always being respectful of differing viewpoints. First and foremost, we should, and we will be advocates for truth."
That vow came to an abrupt end in June 2023 after it was revealed employees were unhappy with the direction Licht was taking CNN, and he was promptly ousted.
Chris Licht is out and, announced in August, former New York Times CEO Mark Thompson will be in. Thompson will officially begin at his post in early October. That takeover can't come soon enough, as CNN struggles in what Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) -) CEO David Zaslav is calling a "pivotal time."
CNN struggles in key demo ratings
No doubt CNN is being watched carefully by its competitors and stakeholders, but the same cannot be said about everyday viewers. The network just hit an all-time low in viewership among the key demographic in primetime ratings, according to the latest data released by Nielsen, a market and viewership gauge, on Tuesday.
CNN garnered just 55,000 viewers for its coveted weekend lineups, which include “State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash,” and “Fareed Zakaria GPS.”
Its Sunday primetime shows, which include “The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper” and “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy,” fared worse, bringing in just 43,000.
The key demo is considered viewers between the ages of 25-54 and is highly coveted by advertisers and network bosses.
The ratings, which were first recorded online in 1991, are CNN's worst since the ratings began being tracked in '91.
Here's how CNN stacked up during the weekend against its two biggest competitors, Fox News and MSNBC:
- Fox News: 75,000 viewers
- CNN: 55,000
- MSNBC: 47,000
Accounting for all viewers (not just the key demo) CNN's viewership finished last during the weekend among the three big networks.
- Fox News: 683,000
- MSNBC: 424,000
- CNN: 345,000
