I always enjoy reading the cable news stats on Drudge because of the window they give onto our culture. This week’s, as usual, show Fox comfortably in the lead. What depresses me, however, is that the one show I really like, Brit Hume, fares least well of the Fox lineup. Red meat wins apparently, except in the cases of Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann (red meat purveyors of a different sort) who continue to do miserably with the public. What astonishes me is that MSNBC has not fired them and started over. Maybe it’s all a big tax loss.
FOXNEWS O’REILLY 2,264,000
FNC HANNITY/COLMES 1,801,000
CNN LARRY KING 1,382,000
FNC GRETA 1,340,000
FNC SHEP SMITH 1,252,000
FNC HUME 1,197,000
CNN COOPER 1,132,000
CNN DOBBS 823,000
CNN PAULA ZAHN 679,000
MSNBC HARDBALL 360,000
CNNHN GRACE 354,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 349,000
Brit’s show is on at 6pm or midnight in the east; which may contribute to its slightly lower numbers. I record it on my xm radio and listen to it later usually.
The show is news and considered opinion, not just roaring opinion with a sprinkling of news. Fox must think it won’t do as well in prime time. Or maybe Brit likes the 6pm time.
Marshall McLuhan’s old adage, the medium is the message, dictates that even if Hume likes the early spot, the show should be re-broadcast later. His show is cooler, slower, more thoughtful regardless of the political bent.
The histrionics, shouting and blatter of the Matthews and Olbermann shows are too much for post dinner TV watching. No hot tamales for dessert.
If I want caliente, dial up Pardon the Interruption (Kornheiser/Wilbon) and
laugh at the freak show of American sports.
Or Jerry Seinfeld or Ray Romano but not Keith’s wise guy street corner visage, or, Matthews’ smart ass “no pardon the interruption, this is my show, buster.”
I agree–those two (Matthews & Olbermann) are just flat-out unpleasant human beings, regardless of politics. Hume is a great, has the star-power undertone of holding much of himself in reserve, as a courtesy to his viewers.
I agree that Hume is the best of all the cable talking heads while Olbermann and Matthews are almost unwatchable. Olbermann’s primary fan base is on the Democratic Underground so that tells you just how far out of the mainstream he is and why almost no one watches his show.
ìWhat astonishes me is that MSNBC has not fired them and started over.î
Ever hear of self preservation? Starting over would be suicidal for MSNBCís top executives. They are existentially incapable of making the transition.
Hume is the only one I watch with any regularity. He seems so sane.
I think the hour he is on hurts him however.
I’m not home in time to watch Hume, but isn’t 6pm the traditional hour for national news on the Big Three? I figured that’s why Fox scheduled him when they do.
Lately I’ve watched Glen Beck on CNN Headline News. He’s shockingly conservative for CNN, although he’s more talk show than news show. Maybe they’re using him to try to capture some of the Fox audience.
I just heard O’Reilley say some really stupid things about the Geneva Conventions. Can this man read?
Terrye, I don’t think he cares to bother.
(I noticed the same thing: “name rank and serial number”: no, that’s Common Article Four. The SCOTUS said we had to obey Common Article Three and treat captives as noncombatants. Plus the apparent assertion that obeying a Supreme Court decision is “giving in to popular opinion.” Gack.)
In any case, Matthews and Olbermann aren’t red meat.
matthews and Olbermann are fuzzy blue-green meat.
I’m assuming MSNBC is not firing Olbermann as his demographic numbers are on the rise, particularly in that group of folks who buy HD TVs and Lexus automobiles. The same group that has seen a falling off when it comes to O’Reilly — the average age of an O’Reilly viewer is something north of 60. Like 70. So that might be why. (And yes, Olbermann’s numbers are still teeny compared to the Great Bloviator. He just happens to be trending in a better direction.)
I agree with previous comments…Hume is on too early for many to watch. When I lived in the USA, I would only catch the last ten minutes.
My question is why did I read that Oberman was beating O’Reilly in the rating? then the small print said that it O’Reilly was a RERUN..link1
link
HUME/Special Report is the closest thing now on TV to what Walter Cronkite once was to the nation. Sane, thoughtful, and judicious.
In the Mountain time zone, the show repeats at 10pm – so re-watching is ideal where I am. But Roger’s worried observation rings true here, too. It’s much deeper than Shep’s fluffier show – why doesn’t it beat less worthy rivals? People do seem to prefer entertainment to hard news.
I also enjoy how Brit’s bottom of the hour “minute” often summarizes a few points bouncing around the blogosphere. Truly educational.