As many have noted in the weeks since the election there has been a notable flight from Fox News by the audience. Following a series of on-air incidents and editorial decisions by management the ratings at the annual leader in network news have been in a freefall.
The latest comes from the segment of the morning info-tainment programs. For the longest duration Fox & Friends has sat atop the ratings in the early day hours, but now we are seeing that the viewer-flight is affecting the network in numerous time slots. So much so that over at MSNBC they just experienced a rarity — Morning Joe took the ratings title last week.
TV RATINGS: MSNBC’s Morning Joe finished last week as the No. 1 cable news morning show for the first time since 2001:
1.6 million total viewers vs. Fox & Friends' 1.4 million.https://t.co/aasPslCnDs @morningmika @JoeNBC pic.twitter.com/Dkrca7fr9R
— TV News HQ (@TVNewsHQ) November 17, 2020
Of course, this led to some crowing over at Joe’s network
.@MSNBC dayside and @Morning_Joe overtake @FOXNews in total viewers last week – the 1st time since 2001. https://t.co/jy7MPRnrkn
— MSNBC Public Relations (@MSNBCPR) November 16, 2020
What is revealing there is what is NOT being touted, such as the fact that they have not held that position in nearly TWENTY YEARS. Also important, ”overtake” is a bit of a stretch here, when what is actually happening is Fox losing about 300K viewers, not Joe surging ahead with newfound popularity.
This is notable because what you are witnessing is true erosion of audience share. This is a case of Fox falling back to MSNBC than it is that network making gains. As off this summer, for example, Fox & Friends was drawing a larger crowd than CNN’s primetime schedule. While Morning Joe has benefitted slightly from those switching, the primary story here is the sheer drop off seen at Fox.
It is something seen across the daily schedule at Fox News. Most of the programs apart from the primetime pundits have experienced notable declines in the audience.
FOX NEWS PLUNGING RATINGS!
They'd better make amends soon! @OutnumberedFNC (w/out @MelissaAFrancis) could only manage 1.5M@FoxandFriends TOP HOUR only 1.6M
America's Newsroom top hour (with Trump hater Sandra) only 1.5Mhttps://t.co/CMFCsui4E1
— Cable News Watch (@CableNewsWatch) November 12, 2020
To say there are problems at the once dominant news outlet is trending towards understatement.
Sandra Smith grovels on @foxnews after getting caught on a hot mic trashing civilians for questioning the media’s authority on calling elections.
Save your breath, Sandra. Nothing can save your plummeting ratings now! pic.twitter.com/zaRhpcG1PG
— Lauren Witzke (@LaurenWitzkeDE) November 13, 2020
REPORT: FOX News Hires CRISIS MANAGEMENT TEAM to Handle PR Over Ratings Crisis…
Stats look to show a DISTANT THIRD PLACE to leader CNN and second place MSNBC…
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) November 12, 2020
This much is very true. Townhall Media has been contacted by said team, requesting/demanding we correct the record over ratings we had previously reported — which were completely accurate.
MASSIVE CROWD CHANTING "FOX NEWS SUCKS!"
If FOX news want's to report like CNN, they will get ratings like CNN. pic.twitter.com/enV336Rzu0
— Million Maga March (@MilionMagaMarch) November 14, 2020
And that is basically what we are seeing happen right now.
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