The rising crime rate, especially those incidents involving gun violence in the U.S., is one of the unfortunate consequences to come from the pandemic. During an event in the White House Rose Garden on the afternoon of Apr. 11, President Biden announced his policy to tackle this issue, focusing on the cracking down of “ghost guns,” the untraceable firearms assembled from kits that have been used in a rising number of shooting crimes.
Fox News Channel was the top cable outlet covering Biden’s address, attracting 1.52 million total viewers, including the 213,000 within the key 25-54 demographic from 2:46 PM to 3:02 PM Eastern, according to Nielsen Media Research. CNN was runner-up overall — for 2–3 PM ET, they drew 737,000 total viewers and 156,000 adults 25-54. MSNBC — from 2:42–3:03 PM ET — was close behind them with 615,000 total viewers and 97,000 in persons 25-54.
One day later (on Apr. 12), the breaking news of a disguised gunman who shot ten passengers amidst a smoke bomb he had unleashed inside a crowded subway train car during the morning rush hour in Brooklyn, NY, made national headlines. From 9 AM thru 1 PM Eastern, coverage of the incident averaged 1.98 million total viewers and 334,000 adults 25-54 for the Fox News Channel. MSNBC was clearly ahead of CNN in total viewership — 908,000 vs. 670,000 — within the first hour (9–10 AM), but it was CNN that eventually bested MSNBC in both key figures — total viewers (780,000 vs. 762,000) and persons 25-54 (186,000 vs. 74,000) — within the entire four-hour 9 AM-1 PM ET time frame. The suspect was apprehended in lower Manhattan on Apr. 13. Fortunately, no fatalities occurred from that incident.
In late-night, Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” returned to its Manhattan, NY studio with a live audience on Apr. 11 for the first time since Mar. 12, 2020 — the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In live plus same day, the first 31 minutes of the telecast drew 460,000 viewers and 191,000 adults 25-54; in total viewers, it was the “Daily Show’s” best figure since Feb. 1 (500,000 viewers); in the key demo, it matched its best performance from Mar. 16. Nielsen separately lists the latter 14 minutes of each “Daily Show” episode (usually, that time spent interviewing a guest) as its own telecast; Noah’s guest on the night was actor-director Ben Stiller (from Apple TV+’s “Severance”), which delivered 314,000 viewers and 136,000 adults 25-54.
Cable news averages for April 11-17, 2022:
Total Day (April 11-17 @ 6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)
- Fox News Channel: 1.535 million viewers; 251,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 0.671 million viewers; 78,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 0.592 million viewers; 134,000 adults 25-54
- HLN: 0.194 million viewers; 57,000 adults 25-54
- The Weather Channel: 0.132 million viewers; 25,000 adults 25-54
- CNBC: 0.120 million viewers; 30,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax: 0.117 million viewers; 15,000 adults 25-54
- Fox Business Network: 0.095 million viewers; 11,000 adults 25-54
Prime Time (April 11-16 @ 8-11 p.m.; April 17 @ 7-11 p.m.)
- Fox News Channel: 2.281 million viewers; 355,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 1.203 million viewers; 131,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 0.694 million viewers; 195,000 adults 25-54
- HLN: 0.227 million viewers; 70,000 adults 25-54
- CNBC: 0.180 million viewers; 65,000 adults 25-54
- The Weather Channel: 0.149 million viewers; 28,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax: 0.147 million viewers; 16,000 adults 25-54
- NewsNation: 0.049 million viewers; 8,000 adults 25-54
- Fox Business Network: 0.047 million viewers; 10,000 adults 25-54
Top 10 most-watched cable news programs (and the top MSNBC and CNN programs with their respective associated ranks) in total viewers:
1. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 4/12/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.708 million viewers
2. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 4/12/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.668 million viewers
3. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 4/13/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.596 million viewers
4. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 4/14/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.522 million viewers
5. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 4/11/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.412 million viewers
6. Hannity (FOXNC, Wed. 4/13/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.395 million viewers
7. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 4/13/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.308 million viewers
8. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 4/14/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.296 million viewers
9. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 4/11/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.293 million viewers
10. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 4/15/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.153 million viewers
27. Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, Wed. 4/13/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.169 million viewers
151. Erin Burnett Outfront (CNN, Tue. 4/12/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 1.001 million viewers
• Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 4/17/2022 11:01 PM, 35 min.) 0.662 million viewers
• The Daily Show (CMDY, Mon. 4/11/2022 11:00 PM, 31 min.) 0.460 million viewers
• Forensic Files “Fresh Heir” (HLN, late Fri. 4/15/2022 2:30 AM, 30 min.) 0.384 million viewers
• Full Frontal with Samantha Bee “Episode 7210” (TBS, Thu. 4/14/2022 10:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.229 million viewers
Top 10 cable news programs (and the top CNN, MSNBC, HBO, and HLN programs with their respective associated ranks) among adults 25-54
1. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 4/13/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.588 million adults 25-54
2. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 4/12/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.587 million adults 25-54
3. Hannity (FOXNC, Wed. 4/13/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.569 million adults 25-54
4. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 4/11/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.568 million adults 25-54
5. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 4/12/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.548 million adults 25-54
6. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 4/13/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.541 million adults 25-54
7. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 4/14/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.519 million adults 25-54
8. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 4/14/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.499 million adults 25-54
9. Hannity (FOXNC, Tue. 4/12/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.476 million adults 25-54
10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Mon. 4/11/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.469 million adults 25-54
39. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 4/17/2022 11:01 PM, 35 min.) 0.319 million adults 25-54
52. Erin Burnett Outfront (CNN, Tue. 4/12/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.296 million adults 25-54
70. Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, Thu. 4/14/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.266 million adults 25-54
142. The Daily Show (CMDY, Mon. 4/11/2022 11:00 PM, 31 min.) 0.191 million adults 25-54
149. Forensic Files “Fresh Heir” (HLN, late Fri. 4/15/2022 2:30 AM, 30 min.) 0.185 million adults 25-54
• Full Frontal with Samantha Bee “Episode 7210” (TBS, Thu. 4/14/2022 10:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.099 million adults 25-54
Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research
