According to this, Fox News viewership has dropped 21% compared to third quarter 2009

[Dorian Gray]

http://www.politicususa.com/en/fox-msnbc-ratings

This article is completely objective up until it asks a question. Once it starts answering that question, it gets all biased and stuff.

However, the stats in the first part are accurate - verified here. So why do YOU think Fox News viewership has dropped 21% since the same (third) quarter of 2009?

 

[maxpower1227]

I don't know much about how ratings are calculated, but has there been a decrease in the number of cable subscribers in general, as a result of the economic/unemployment situation?

 

[steve s]

This article in New York Times Magazine says advertisers are avoiding Beck's show...

And as of Sept. 21, 296 advertisers have asked that their commercials not be shown on Beck’s show (up from 26 in August 2009). Fox also has a difficult time selling ads on “The O’Reilly Factor” and “Fox and Friends” when Beck appears on those shows as a guest. Beck’s show is known in the TV sales world as “empty calories,” meaning he draws great ratings but is toxic for ad sales. If nothing else, I sensed that people around Fox News have grown weary after months of “It’s all about Glenn.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/03/magazine/03beck-t.html?pagewanted=9


Steve S

 

[Beerina]

However, the stats in the first part are accurate - verified here. So why do YOU think Fox News viewership has dropped 21% since the same (third) quarter of 2009?

Fox is "down minus 21 percent". Shouldn't they be happy about a 21% increase?

 

[MattusMaximus]

Clearly, this is just a liberal conspiracy

Having made my snarky comment, I'd also be interested in knowing the answer to maxpower1227's question regarding cable subscriptions.

 

[Emet]

Clearly, this is just a liberal conspiracy

Having made my snarky comment, I'd also be interested in knowing the answer to maxpower1227's question regarding cable subscriptions.

I found this from August, 2010:

http://newteevee.com/2010/08/23/new-numbers-reveal-cord-cutting-is-real/

But it's hard to draw conclusions...

 

[Mister Earl]

Meh, I'm glad. I don't like flame-fanning political extremists from either side of the line. I disdain politics in general. Good. Hope they give him the boot.

 

[Fnord]

If it weren't for The Simpsons, I wouldn't watch anything on the Fox Network at all.

 

[uruk]

If it weren't for The Simpsons, I wouldn't watch anything on the Fox Network at all.

And even the Sipmson's mercilessly paordy Fox themselves.

(So does Futurama, after they got picked up by Comedy Central that is)

 

[MattusMaximus]

I found this from August, 2010:

http://newteevee.com/2010/08/23/new-numbers-reveal-cord-cutting-is-real/

But it's hard to draw conclusions...

Thanks for the link. If we have so many people "cutting the cord" then we would expect to see a decline in viewership on all networks, including MSNBC. But we don't see that, according to the OP; we see Fox News losing viewers disproportionately. So I don't think "cutting the cord" is it.

Interesting - perhaps Fox's even harder slant to the right post-Obama is turning off moderates?

 

[uruk]

Concerning the O.P. I think the American public can only take fear driven, sensationalistic, doomsday punditry for only so long before the neuro-transmitter for fear gets depleted in the brain and you have to switch to CNN for a pallete cleansing aperitif of mindless blather.

Or the brains just turned on in 21 percent of Fox's viewership's .

 

[MattusMaximus]

Well, another way I thought about it is that Fox News has hit their saturation point: they've probably got pretty much everyone on the conservative, right-wing side of politics tuning in to them, so they can't really get any more people from that side. And, as I said earlier, perhaps their attempt to move further to the right as a network has turned off many moderates who would have otherwise tuned in. The result is a net loss in viewers.

 

[uruk]

I'd say that is a more probable explination of the situation.

You always alienate some support when you make a shift of somesort.

 

[dudalb]

People, even a lot of conservatives, are simply growing bored with Fox's act.
And I also think that the shift from Mainstream Conservative views (O Reilly) to the Nut Cases (Glenn Beck) has turned off a lot of people.

 

[Policenaut]

MSNBC has been gaining a bit in viewers but CNN is in the dumper. They are down much more than Fox. CNN is really a mess. Larry King is 20 years past his prime, John King is boring, Anderson Cooper just waits for the next natural disaster so his show can be there live, and they have trained monkeys like Rick Sanchez on talking to people like he and they are in kindergarten. And to revitalize their image they hired a disgraced AG and a reality show judge. I think whoever said Fox is at its saturation point is probably right. They have attracted most of the people that are interested in watching that channel already and probably can't go much higher. But they are still on the top right now for cable news...by a lot.

 

[Beerina]

Well, I guess it's all in how you look at things.