The world of cable news entered the news cycle itself during the week ending Feb. 19, due to the Feb. 16 edition of CNN This Morning.
As part of her announcement of her candidacy for the Republican nomination for President earlier that week, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley recommended a “mental competency test” for those over the age of 75 holding or running for public office.
Commenting on this report with fellow anchors Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow, Don Lemon said, “All the talk about age makes me uncomfortable. I think it’s the wrong road to go down. [Haley] says politicians, or something, are not in their prime. Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime. Sorry, when is a woman is considered to be in her prime? In her twenties and thirties, maybe forties.”
Lemon was held off the air at CNN following those comments thru Feb. 22. While the hubbub made the news on other media outlets including the broadcast network evening news shows, did it translate into added viewers for the newly-formatted morning program formerly known as New Day?
The answer, unfortunately for CNN, was no.
On the morning of Feb. 16 (Thursday), within the 6-7 a.m. ET hour (when Lemon made his infamous remarks), CNN This Morning on CNN drew 307,000 viewers including 59,000 within the key 25-54 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research; an additional 103,000 viewers (with 22,000 adults 25-54) for its HLN simulcast. For its entire 6-9 a.m. slot, it posted 361,000 viewers (63,000 adults 25-54) on CNN plus 83,000 viewers (18,000 adults 25-54) on HLN.
This, by far, trailed their cable counterparts, which has put a damper on its reformat. Back on Feb. 16, Fox News Channel’s Fox and Friends was tops on cable news with an average of 1.23 million viewers (187,000 adults 25-54) from 6-9 a.m.; 835,000 viewers (123,000 adults 25-54) for solely the 6-7 a.m. hour. MSNBC’s Morning Joe delivered 930,000 viewers (109,000 adults 25-54) from 6-9 a.m. ET.
Lemon’s return to CNN on Feb. 22, which did not feature any on-air apology (he apologized on Twitter just prior to his return appearance), did not improve upon the CNN This Morning ratings. A mere 352,000 viewers (73,000 adults 25-54) for 6-9 a.m. on CNN, and another 88,000 viewers (21,000 adults 25-54) on HLN; 377,000 viewers (89,000 adults 25-54) for the 6-7 a m. hour only on CNN+HLN.
These results are on-par with its recent outputs. The combined figures for CNN This Morning on CNN and HLN were 454,000 viewers (97,000 adults 25-54) for Dec. 26, 2022 thru Jan. 27, 2023, and 436,000 viewers (95,000 adults 25-54) for Jan. 30 thru Feb. 24, 2023. Their morning competitors on cable also performed similarly as their aforementioned numbers within the same time frames:
Fox & Friends (FNC)
- Dec. 26, 2022 thru Jan. 27, 2023: 1.221 million viewers; 167,000 adults 25-54
- Jan. 30, 2023 thru Feb. 24, 2023: 1.241 million viewers; 170,000 adults 25-54
Morning Joe (MSNBC)
- Dec. 26, 2022 thru Jan. 27, 2023: 0.827 million viewers; 92,000 adults 25-54
- Jan. 30, 2023 thru Feb. 24, 2023: 0.895 million viewers; 107,000 adults 25-54
Bottom line: the extra publicity generated from Lemon’s controversial remarks did not spark a rise for CNN’s mornings nor siphon off from FNC and/or MSNBC.
Cable news averages for February 13-19, 2023:
Total Day (Feb. 13-19 @ 6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)
- Fox News Channel: 1.446 million viewers; 191,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 0.727 million viewers; 77,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 0.461 million viewers; 85,000 adults 25-54
- HLN: 0.153 million viewers; 37,000 adults 25-54
- CNBC: 0.127 million viewers; 30,000 adults 25-54
- Fox Business Network: 0.112 million viewers; 11,000 adults 25-54
- The Weather Channel: 0.084 million viewers; 15,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax: 0.081 million viewers; 8,000 adults 25-54
Prime Time (Feb. 13-18 @ 8-11 p.m.; Feb. 19 @ 7-11 p.m.)
- Fox News Channel: 2.183 million viewers; 280,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 1.171 million viewers; 110,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 0.544 million viewers; 111,000 adults 25-54
- HLN: 0.205 million viewers; 45,000 adults 25-54
- CNBC: 0.196 million viewers; 53,000 adults 25-54
- Fox Business Network: 0.112 million viewers; 11,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax: 0.109 million viewers; 16,000 adults 25-54
- NewsNation: 0.104 million viewers; 19,000 adults 25-54
- The Weather Channel: 0.103 million viewers; 19,000 adults 25-54
Top 10 most-watched cable news programs (and the top programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) in total viewers:
1. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 2/13/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.530 million viewers
2. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 2/13/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.488 million viewers
3. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 2/16/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.479 million viewers
4. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 2/14/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.373 million viewers
5. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 2/14/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.342 million viewers
6. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 2/15/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.242 million viewers
7. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 2/15/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.234 million viewers
8. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 2/17/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.158 million viewers
9. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 2/16/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.149 million viewers
10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Mon. 2/13/2023 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.082 million viewers
21. Rachel Maddow Show “Michigan State University Shooting 941P” (MSNBC, Mon. 2/13/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.494 million viewers
174. Real Time With Bill Maher “Episode 625” (HBO, Fri. 2/17/2023 10:01 PM, 57 min.) 0.775 million viewers
176. Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN, Mon. 2/13/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.764 million viewers
356. The Daily Show “Feb 14, 23 – Sarah Silverman” (CMDY, Tue. 2/14/2023 11:00 PM, 35 min.) 0.409 million viewers
384. Varney & Company (FBN, Fri. 2/17/2023 10:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.342 million viewers
402. Highway Thru Hell “(1106) Ripper Hill” (TWC, Sun. 2/19/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.316 million viewers
412. Forensic Files (HLN, late Fri. 2/17/2023 1:00 AM, 30 min.) 0.306 million viewers
453. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 1217” (CNBC, Thu. 2/16/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.258 million viewers
585. Newsnation Prime (NWSN, Sat. 2/18/2023 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.187 million viewers
Top 10 cable news programs (and the top programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) among adults 25-54:
1. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 2/13/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.536 million adults 25-54
2. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 2/15/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.451 million adults 25-54
3. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 2/14/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.444 million adults 25-54
4. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 2/16/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.430 million adults 25-54
5. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 2/16/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.418 million adults 25-54
6. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 2/17/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.403 million adults 25-54
7. Hannity (FOXNC, Mon. 2/13/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.402 million adults 25-54
8. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 2/13/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.401 million adults 25-54
9. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 2/14/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.390 million adults 25-54
10. Gutfeld! (FOXNC, Tue. 2/14/2023 11:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.376 million adults 25-54
28. Rachel Maddow Show “Michigan State University Shooting 941P” (MSNBC, Mon. 2/13/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.287 million adults 25-54
79. CNN Tonight (CNN, Mon. 2/13/2023 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.190 million adults 25-54
114. The Daily Show “Feb 14, 23 – Sarah Silverman” (CMDY, Tue. 2/14/2023 11:00 PM, 35 min.) 0.153 million adults 25-54
149. Real Time With Bill Maher “Episode 625” (HBO, Fri. 2/17/2023 10:01 PM, 57 min.) 0.126 million adults 25-54
241. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 1217” (CNBC, Thu. 2/16/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.098 million adults 25-54
268. Forensic Files (HLN, late Fri. 2/17/2023 1:00 AM, 30 min.) 0.089 million adults 25-54
409. Newsnation Prime (NWSN, Sat. 2/18/2023 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.061 million adults 25-54
501. Weird Earth “(306) Celestial Body And Imploding Mount” (TWC, Sun. 2/19/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.046 million adults 25-54
525. Cavuto Coast To Coast (FBN, Fri. 2/17/2023 12:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.042 million adults 25-54
Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research
