USA Today
By Peter Johnson
The last Gulf War put CNN on the map.
This time CNN has competition, and the war is boosting CNN, Fox News and MSNBC: Average cable viewership has tripled. Network news is flat.
Significantly, young viewers (18 to 34) are watching cable: a sixfold increase for MSNBC, fivefold for CNN and nearly fivefold for Fox in the past three weeks. Network newscasts are either flat in that demographic or, as in the case of CBS’ Evening News, down 16%.
That young viewers are turning to cable bodes well for the industry, says Turner networks ratings chief Jack Wakshlag.
“Young people no longer have to wait for Rather, Brokaw and Jennings” on the Big Three evening news, he says. “They are used to getting what they want, when they want it. And cable news is providing that.”
While Fox, CNN and MSNBC all have something to brag about, the flag-waving Fox News Channel, viewed as in step with the Bush administration, has benefited the most in overall viewership. “The numbers speak for themselves,” Fox News spokeswoman Irena Steffen says.
(Link via IWantMedia.)
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For cable news, Iraq war is a clear victory
Tags: Coverage Diary, MediaWire
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