SiriusXM has added a new streaming service to its lineup. Freakonomics Radio Network is described as a network of podcasts dedicated to uncovering “the hidden side of everything.”
According to a news release, the Freakonomics Radio Network produced some of the most listened-to podcasts — for a combined reach of over 160 million listeners last year. They include No Stupid Questions, where Dubner and co-host psychologist Angela Duckworth explore the weird and wonderful ways in which humans behave.
“It’s exciting to be able to take a show as groundbreaking and successful as Freakonomics Radio and give listeners, new and old, an entirely unique way to experience it,” said Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM’s President, and Chief Content Officer.
Recently, SiriusXM has teamed up with various audio creators to produce multi-platform content that includes podcasts and call-in talk shows.
The hosts of the award-winning horror-comedy podcast Last Podcast on the Left launched Open Lines, a live weekly call-in show on SiriusXM’s Faction Talk (channel 103) after bringing their podcast back to wide distribution through Stitcher.
“The SiriusXM audience is amazingly large and diverse,” said Freakonomics Radio host Stephen Dubner, “and we can’t wait to get our stuff in their ears.”
Fox News contributor Joe Concha believes if a criminal investigation into Hunter Biden’s dealings with foreign powers intensifies, it will become more difficult to ignore the laptop story that was confirmed by the New York Times two weeks ago.
Concha joined “Fox & Friends First” to discuss how the mainstream media continues to ignore what could potentially be a bombshell story for the Biden Administration.
“This story will be impossible to ignore, especially if indictments start getting handed down, “said Concha. “It’s worth repeating if Donald Trump Jr. was under the same investigation for the same reasons, it’s guaranteed the coverage would be wall-to-wall.”
The Times reports that Hunter’s failure to pay all his taxes has been the focus of an ongoing Justice Department investigation. Last year, Twitter disabled the New York Post’s account for reporting on the Hunter Biden laptop story. In the story, the paper reported that President Joe Biden was directly involved with his son’s business dealings in Ukraine.
“Let’s see where this goes but at some point, these networks are going to have to start covering this story because this is absolutely a real story that could involve the President of the United States,” Concha said.
Creativity used to be a must in the radio business. It didn’t matter which department you worked in. If you worked in programming, your goal was to develop the most unique and interesting content. If you were in sales, you took big, interesting ideas to clients. If you were in promotions, you worked with concert venues, local teams, and maybe record labels to come up with prizes listeners would do anything to win.
Let’s focus on promotions today, because while people still love winning free crap from radio stations, what we give away and how we give it away is less interesting than ever. How many times have you heard the sentence “this is a national contest” run at the end of a promo advertising that listeners can win $1000 on their lunch break? Surely we can do better.
No one will ever bat an eye at big prizes. The cost of living in the United States was already exorbitant long before we started talking incessantly about gas prices and inflation. If you want to kick a listener a hundred bucks just for calling when they hear the phrase that pays, trust me, they won’t care how long it took you to come up with the idea.
I do think it is fair to ask what the long-term payoff is for the station though. Big cash prizes will certainly stick with your listeners, but you can’t give those amounts away with ease.
Next time you need a giveaway you can build a promotion around but don’t have the budget to give away something of monumental value, consider looking inward. This business is so unique and in the eyes of the people that do not work in radio, it is something between a playground and a dream. It costs nothing to give your listeners a little bit of what we do every day. Why not try it?
Creating unique experiences for listeners will create dedicated fans for you. Think about all of the cool promotions you have heard over the years.
It is something Ryan Hurley has done successfully many times before. Whether giving away in-studio experiences or exclusive virtual chats with station talent or other celebrities, the ESPN New York program director knows that those prizes make listeners feel good and create a sense of loyalty in them.
“They walk away feeling like part of the family, feeling like an insider,” he says. “Those intimate connections really help bring people back to the station on a regular basis, creating loyal listeners.”
93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh is giving the listener that wins the station’s bracket contest the chance to co-host with Poni and Mueller in afternoon drive. SiriusXM gave a fan the chance to call half an inning of MLB’s All-Star Futures Game. When the Covid-19 pandemic canceled plans for the Carolina Hurricanes’ outdoor game, the team’s flagship station, 99.9 The Fan gave two listeners the chance to play their own outdoor game of NHL 94 on the jumbotron at Raleigh’s Carter-Finley Stadium with afternoon hosts Joe Ovies and Joe Giglio.
NHL outdoor game at Carter-Finley didn’t happen this season. We know why. So @999TheFan decided to have an “NHL 94 Winter Classic” at Carter-Finley instead. We gave 2 listeners a chance to play the Sega Genesis classic on the stadium video board from the 50-yard line. pic.twitter.com/DKjijDXZ9i
“There is no question that giving the audience a chance to be up close and personal with a talent is the connective tissue for creating the greatest value of building a fan for life,” 99.9 The Fan program director Sammy Simpson told me. “As the old Chinese proverb says, tell me I forget, show me I may remember, involve me I understand.”
We’re always trying to build meaningful connections with the audience, right? Being able to interact through social media and texts made connections easier than ever to build, but in a certain sense, it also made them a little less meaningful. Our listeners assume we are always available to them now. They are more disappointed when a host doesn’t respond than excited when he or she does.
Meaning comes not from connection, but from experience. Game tickets and t-shirts are nice prizes, but what do they do for the station? Those are benefits that only go one way.
Let listeners compete to be a part of one of your shows, even just for a day, and you are creating memories for them with your branding all over it. Something like that may not guarantee you have created a P1, but it certainly gets you closer than a gift card from Buffalo Wild Wings does.
“Tangible memories and events are tangible to people like money,” Brad Carson, program director of Memphis’s 92.9 ESPN told me. “What do people do when they go meet a star? They take a picture and they post it on social media. They do the same thing with this. I’m not trying to say that we’re rock stars or anything, but we’re part of these people’s lives.”
No matter the business, there is nothing easier to give away inventory. It’s why some stores will only give you store credit when you make a return. No one wants to take money out of the cash register.
Giving away prizes based on experiences at the station costs you nothing. Rarely are there hoops to jump through or elements you are waiting to get in place. On top of that, you can give away the station in a myriad of different ways.
You can give away an hour in-studio with a listener’s favorite host. You can give away an ad campaign to a local business. You can give away the chance to keep stats during a game broadcast.
There are bigger ways to do it too. Look at 95.7 The Game in San Francisco. That station did a search to give a listener his or her own show and discovered Darryl “Guru” Johnson, who years later, is a lynchpin of the lineup. Every station in America is thinking about unique digital content they can offer. Why not do the same sort of search to find a podcast host?
Radio is the entertainment industry in the eyes of our listeners. A foot in the door is more valuable to many of them than a lot of the prizes you have lying around.
It is more valuable to you too. At some point, a thing just becomes something they choose to either get rid of or keep. Your station’s name and how that thing came into the listener’s life fades from memory.
The chance to be hands on with a hosts and brands the listener loves becomes a moment they reflect back on. If you provide a truly memorable experience, it is something that lives with them forever and they go to bat for you whenever they get the chance.
“The fans tune in every day to hear our hosts’ opinions, share their joy and feel their pain,” Danny Zederman, program director of ESPN 1000 in Chicago told me. “There is a connection. Anytime we can bring a fan closer to his/her favorite talent we can create a memory for that fan that will have a lasting effect.”
Being in a studio and being close to the action is our everyday. We can lose sight of the fact that this is a pretty cool world to have a foot in. Start giving listeners a chance to be part of that world and you will be reminded just how cool and valuable it is.
Iconic St. Louis radio personality Charlie Brennan will sign off for the final time in May. The Hall-of-Fame broadcaster told his KMOX listeners Monday that “it’s time” to retire.
Brennan said he met with his bosses recently right before his contract was set to expire and informed them of his decision.
“After 39 years I have decided to step away from my Monday – Thursday radio obligations,” Brennan said. “The last show will be May 12th.”
Brennan was elected to the St. Louis Radio Hall of Fame in 2009. His presence in the community has been well-documented, raising money $85,000 for Cardinal Children’s Hospital in 2020.
In 2012, Charlie helped lead a successful campaign to restore medical benefits to the blind in Missouri.Also in 2012, Brennan organized a group of volunteers to plant daffodils on area highways.
Brennan said his show will continue after his retirement. “It is in great hands. I have been honored to work with Chris Mihil, Amy Marxkors, James O’Sullivan, and the entire KMOX team at 1220 Olive.”
Brennan has also authored four books including his most recent one Only in St. Louis: The Most Incredible, Strange and Inspiring Tales. This April, he is partnering with Bank of America and the St. Louis Cardinals to recruit volunteers to pick up litter on the region’s streets.
“I want to thank the listeners for tuning in,” added Brennan. “You have always been so supportive of me than my wildest dreams.” — Ryan
WWL Newsradio in New Orleans will commemorate 100 years on the air this week; the station’s first broadcast was on March 31, 1922.
Longtime WWL personality Scoot penned an op-ed on the station’s website Monday reflecting on his first day at WWL in 1970.
“It was 5:30 in the morning and still dark when I pulled into the parking lot at WWL TV & Radio in 1970,” said Scoot reflecting on how he was stopped by two local police officers while waiting for his partner Bob Ruby to meet him and bring him to the studio.
“The two officers asked me to get out of the car and they began questioning me about why I was sitting in my car in the parking lot,” Scoot said. “I explained that I was starting a new job with Bob Ruby on WWL, and it was my first day and I was waiting for him to meet me.”
According to Nola.com, WWL was an outgrowth of physics experiments and wireless radio classes offered at Loyola University as early as 1907.”
Loyola operated the station until 1989 when it sold the station and its sister WLMG-FM to Keymarket Communications.
“I can vividly remember how my heart raced when I knew I was on the air and the power I felt realizing that a large audience was hearing my voice,” added Scoot. “There was no doubt in my mind that radio was my destiny.”
Chicago’s WBBM Newsradio 780 AM and 105.9 FM has announced the hiring of veteran news reporter Mai Martinez as morning co-anchor and reporter.
The Audacy-owned station said in a release that Martinez will spend much of her time in the field, covering the diverse communities of Chicago, while also teaming with Cisco Cotto each morning from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. CT.
“I’m honored to join such a talented team of hardworking and trusted journalists and continue the important work of informing and serving our community,” Martinez said.
Martinez spent 14 years as a general assignment reporter and weekend anchor at WBBM-TV in Chicago. Rachel Williamson, Regional President and Market Manager, Audacy Chicago called the pairing of Martinez and Cotto a “dream team of two experienced, talented journalists.”
I’ve been Feder’d so it’s officially, official!???? Thanks for the write up @RobertFeder. So excited to get back to work in Chicago with such a wonderful team of journalists including my new co-anchor @CiscoCotto! ???? https://t.co/t8AicNKjTQ
“Mai has a knack for uncovering the details that resonate with the people of this city,” Williamson added. Together, she and Cisco have a passion for news plus warm and inviting voices that will greet our listeners each and every morning.”
Martinez will make her debut on WBBM Newsradio 780 AM on April 4.
Listeners can tune into WBBM Newsradio (WCFS-FM/WBBM-AM) in Chicago on 105.9 FM and 780 AM, as well as nationwide on the Audacy app and website.
Football, basketball, baseball. Sports media in the United States is consistently dominated by these major sports, with storylines aplenty and talking points for debate posed to generate new content geared to bring auspicious ratings and steady revenue.
Throughout the month of March, NCAA March Madness has comprised the preponderance of sports media content, especially due to the fact that 15th seeded Saint Peter’s advanced to the Elite 8, and that Duke and North Carolina will meet in tournament play for the first time this weekend.
Sure, football, basketball and baseball are central to much of America’s sports consumption – but not all of it. Combat sports bring in formidable ratings and revenue for the athletes, leagues and media companies. Pay-per-view fights and large-scale events are quite popular among sports fans. Yet they are rarely spoken about on sports radio, meaning that their content needed to find a home, and that their fans needed to be driven there to find the kind of content they have been looking for.
Marissa Rives is the program director of SiriusXM Fight Nation, the satellite service’s home for combat sports, and she never thought she’d be doing this; that is, until she was exposed to what was possible.
Starting in this industry, according to Rives, often starts with a “frivolous idea,” and growing up as a New York Yankees fan, she became enamored with the idea of covering a professional sports team. Kim Jones, who was the YES Network reporter for Yankees games from 2005 to 2012, interviewed players in the clubhouse after games and followed the team, a job that excited Rives and got her thinking about sports broadcasting as a potential career path.
As a result, Rives attended the Connecticut School of Broadcasting, a 16-week trade school that she called a “crash course in broadcasting.” Shortly after at 19 years old, she began working as an intern at SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio with The B Team, hosted by Bruce Murray and Bill Pidto.
Working in this role allowed Rives to gain exposure to many parts of radio, including planning shows, interacting directly with on-air talent and editing audio. Up until that point, Rives had not decided whether she wanted to venture into radio or television; however, this experience clarified her stance on the two platforms.
“It just made me see that this is an industry I [could] see myself being in for a very long time, and it solidified that radio was the course I really wanted to go – and not television,” Rives said.
Interning at SiriusXM was not the only thing Rives was doing at the time though. For nearly two years, she worked in a part-time role for DeCheser Media as a legal videographer, driving to courthouses in the northeast to film depositions. The role paid well, but involved a routine point-and-shoot setup that had Rives monitoring video being taken by a camera on a tripod. Shortly after Rives was offered a part-time role at SiriusXM, her boss at DeCheser Media offered her a full-time job doing legal videography in an effort to retain her services, coercing her into making a decision that shaped the future of her career.
“When you’re interning at SiriusXM at the same time and you see what your life could be and the path you could go down in sports radio versus a kind of very sterile, non-creative field like point-and-shoot court depositions,” Rives explained, “I think if anything it taught me a lot and what I didn’t want long-term for my career.”
Once Rives began working part-time at SiriusXM, her goal was to get her foot into the door inside a live studio running a board any way she could. Declining a potential opportunity to expand her skillset and grow was simply not an option for her. In maintaining this attitude, Rives was afforded the chance to work with the show Fight Club on SiriusXM as a board operator, and eventually, as its producer.
“I knew I could get into MMA because I was a big pro wrestling fan growing up, [although] I hadn’t watched in a while,” said Rives. “People fighting and the theatrics of all of it is something I could dig, so I started running the board. [From] the moment I was involved with [a] show that had to do with combat sports, I just knew that if I was going to grow, I needed to absorb myself in it and learn everything I could. I really just fell in love with everything about it and never really looked back from there.”
Since that time, Rives has taken on various endeavors that led her to becoming program director of SiriusXM Fight Nation in 2018, including working as manager of SiriusXM Sports Zone and executive producer of SiriusXM Rush.
Rives has served as an architect for SiriusXM Fight Nation since its launch in 2015, inking former wrestling and MMA stars to contracts to host shows on the satellite radio channel. Whether it is Throwing Down with Renee and Miesha, featuring former UFC champion Miesha Tate and former WWE commentator Renee Paquette; At the Fights with the former commissioner of the New York State Athletic Commission and boxing journalist Randy Gordon and former professional boxer Gerry Cooney; or Busted Open with WWE Hall of Fame members Mark Henry and Bully Ray, along with former ECW wrestler Tommy Dreamer and wrestling commentator Dave LaGreca, Rives has overseen the channel to ensure it is putting out engaging content that appeals to fans of combat sports.
“For me, it’s exciting because I really have an opportunity to bring in high-class athletes that might not have the [same] opportunities as maybe a football player who can kind of go to all these different markets and potentially get a gig talking football,” said Rives. “You’re not going to find many pro wrestling shows like Busted Open…. You don’t get much of that, so it definitely helps you pave your way within a space as well and stand out, and I think that’s a little bit harder with some of the more mainstream sports to be able to do that.”
One aspect of SiriusXM Fight Nation that has been absent for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic is live remote broadcasts. Prior to the pandemic, Rives helped organize the Busted Open 10-year anniversary party. They filled all three floors of a New York City bar to capacity and welcomed various special guests to the broadcast.
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 06: SiriusXM’s Dave LaGreca and Marissa Rives host SiriusXM’s “Busted Open” celebrating 10th Anniversary In New York City on the eve of WrestleMania 35 on April 6, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Live remotes are slowly starting to return to many sectors of the media industry, and on this upcoming Saturday, April 2, Rives seeks to raise the bar with the two-hour Busted Open live special prior to WrestleMania 38 at Arlington Backyard at Texas Live! adjacent to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. Additionally, full-scale audiovisual production of a comedic roast of show creator and host Dave LaGreca is set to take place and will be available to watch afterward on the SiriusXM mobile app.
“I hired comedy writers, and all of a sudden I went from a sports program director to a comedy production person,” said Rives. “I live to be able to merge what we do in a studio every day with the fans…. We’re really excited; a lot of work has gone into this one.”
Rives enjoys taking on new challenges and recently has moved into the podcasting space by becoming the active director of sports podcasts at SiriusXM. In this role, Rives is leading the effort to grow the selection of sports podcasts across SiriusXM’s programming portfolio.
The broadcasting company recently released Hope Solo Speaks, a podcast featuring two-time Olympian and World Cup-winning goaltender Hope Solo discussing issues important to her, including women’s rights, family and the fight for gender equality. Additionally, she is now working directly with podcasts such as Inside the Green Room with Danny Green, and Let’s Go! with Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray, and is working on developing and releasing more projects in the future.
“I’m really lucky [to have had] an opportunity to develop Fight Nation over the last six-and-a-half years, and now I’m getting a chance to really be on the ground floor of the next effort at SiriusXM to continue to develop our podcast content and programming,” said Rives. “It’s really exciting to take more and kind of push yourself outside of [your] comfort zone. I’ve been a combat sports girl for a long time, so it’s nice to be able to work with some different types of talent beyond just what I’ve been doing.”
With such ferocious growth in the podcasting sector of media, some traditionalists have feared the cessation of terrestrial radio as more consumers opt for on-demand content available whenever, wherever and however they want. Working in both spaces, Rives knows that the two means of aural consumption can indeed coexist, utilizing the strengths of each to improve upon their current products to satisfy the “appetite for audio content.”
“Instead of looking at it as, ‘Okay, this is some other thing that younger people are into,’ it’s just saying, ‘Look at the great content we’re already creating in radio. How do we tap into this, maybe rework it a bit and attract a different audience potentially with this same talent?” said Rives. “I think radio is probably better off now that podcasts were hot than it was a decade ago.”
Aside from the growth of podcasts, Rives is also encouraged by more women seeking careers in sports media and having the ability to genuinely contribute their ideas and opinions to conversations shaping the next stage of media growth. She believes that hearing voices from both of these genders will only benefit media companies by allowing them to consider multiple perspectives and make cognizant decisions that will serve the public interest.
“I think companies are taking it seriously that having the diversity of thought of both men and women involved in an organization just makes it better,” said Rives. “I think it’s less about ticking a box and saying, ‘Hey, we filled a quota, and now we have a woman on staff.’ I feel [like] it’s more about finally appreciating the fact that women really add to the coverage, and that there are women sports fans out there [that] do appreciate seeing other women.”
Rives was recently named as one of Cynopsis Media’s 2021 Top Women in Media, an honor that she hopes will inspire other women to seek careers in sports media, just as she was inspired to do in her youth. She knows that the future is bright for women in sports media and looks to lead by example through the work that she has already done and that she will do as her career progresses.
“It meant a lot, and it continues to mean a lot to me and I think I wear it with a point of pride as I look to continue to inspire other young women to come forth in sports media or any sort of media for that matter, and to be behind the scenes as producers and directors,” Rives said. “It just helps me continue with the goals I’ve always had for myself.”
Rives would not have made it to where she is today without persistence, hard work and the willingness to try new things. From going to the Connecticut School of Broadcasting; to interning at SiriusXM at 19 years old; to turning down a full-time legal videography job; to learning about combat sports on the job; to working in radio and podcasting simultaneously, Rives versatility and poise to succeed and elevate SiriusXM is undeniable. Making the most of your opportunities helps everyone from novices to seasoned professionals adapt and find their place in the media industry – and all of it is possible by saying just one word: “Yes.”
By saying “Yes” to opportunities, you allow yourself to augment your versatility by being open to learning, and you show your superiors that you are ready and willing to adapt, Rives says. If making the most of these opportunities requires working longer hours and expending more effort, so be it; after all, if one wishes to succeed, they will do whatever it takes to attain success.
“If you have big aspirations, you have to put in the time and the effort,” Rives expressed. “This isn’t an easy industry, and there’s perks that come with it [but] there’s also hurdles that you have to overcome. If this is what you want to do, put the time in and it can really work out. I’m kind of proof of that.”
Westwood One has a new deal with the NFL. It is one that keeps a lot of the broadcasts affiliates know in place while also introducing new ways for fans to find the games.
Under the terms of the new deal, Westwood One will continue to be the distributor of play-by-play for Monday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, Thursday Night Football, plus Thanksgiving Day, select international games, the entire postseason including the Wild Card and Divisional Playoffs, AFC and NFC Championship games, and the Super Bowl. Now, stations that carry the games on air will also be able to provide them on their streams.
The NFL will allow affiliates to stream the game on their primary digital platform. The games will also stream on the NFL app.
Westwood One is also creating new content. The company will provide more coverage of some of the league’s biggest off-the-field events including the draft, combine, and NFL Honors ceremony. It will also now be able to create alternate broadcast feeds of some of its top games.
“What an honor it is for Westwood One to continue our multi-decade programming relationship with our iconic NFL partners by extending our exclusive network audio broadcast rights,” Suzanne Grimes, President of Westwood One and EVP of Corporate Marketing for Cumulus Media said in a press release. “Equally exciting is the opportunity to further grow our NFL fan base by expanding our relationship to include digital distribution rights as well as innovative, new content opportunities.”
NFL coverage on Westwood One is heard on more than 500 stations across the country.
“We’re pleased to continue our valued, long-term partnership with Westwood One,” added Brent Lawton, VP Media Strategy and Business Development. “Audio is an important platform for the NFL, and Westwood One has a long history of delivering excellent game broadcasts and other content. We’re excited to expand with Westwood One on to digital platforms, providing our fans even more ways to follow the sport they love.”
“Today” show host Craig Melvin drew criticism Monday for comments about the smack heard around the world, which happened during the 94th annual Academy Awards between entertainment heavyweights Chris Rock and Will Smith.
Smith struck Rock on the Oscars telecast after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Chris said that Jada would appear in the next “G.I. Jane” movie, an apparent reference to her haircut. She suffers from an autoimmune disease that attacks the hair follicles resulting in hair loss.
According to the New York Post, Melvin said Smith’s behavior reinforces “this long-held perception … that men of color can’t control their rage and anger.”
“If you’re raising a boy, especially in this country, you spend so much time talking to our kids about keeping your hands to yourself, controlling your emotions, and then there’s also this long-held perception in this country that men of color, especially, can’t control their rage and their anger, and to see someone who’s been that beloved for decades.”
Media members like Rolands Martin took to Twitter, expressing their disagreement with the remarks made by Melvin.
“We’ve got stop advancing this notion that of one Black man does something it’s on all of us. Nope. We don’t say that about white men. Right @AlecBaldwin?”
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences issued a concise statement after the Oscars last night.
“The Academy does not condone violence of any form.” It then added, “Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.”
During the week ending Mar. 20, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (on Mar. 16) provided a live address, on streaming video, to all members of the U.S. Congress. Although his speech was brief and most of its purpose — requesting a no-fly zone over his country to stop Russian attacks — was not new, he singled out U.S. President Biden by telling him, “You are the leader of your great nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.”
From 9–10 AM Eastern on Mar. 16 for Zelensky’s address, Fox News led cable news with 2.72 million total viewers, including 404,000 within the key 25-54 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research. MSNBC (1.32 million total viewers / 132,000 adults 25-54 for 9-9:37 a.m. ET) and CNN (1.21 million total viewers / 293,000 adults 25-54 for 9-10 a.m. ET) were well behind FNC but each still potent.
Zelensky later appeared in a two-part interview with NBC’s Lester Holt. Part one aired on the Mar. 16 edition of “NBC Nightly News,” which drew 6.56 million total viewers, including 1.23 million adults 25-54, approximately 2.5 million total viewers (and 500,000 adults 25-54) less than ABC’s “World News Tonight” from Mar. 7 – the first time Zelensky appeared in an interview at evening news time.
The second part aired on the Mar. 17 edition of NBC’s “Today,” which attracted 2.83 million total viewers, including 0.77 million adults 25-54; in total viewers, it was this morning news program’s top edition of the week (Mar. 14-18).
As documented here last week (https://barrettmedia.com/2022/03/21/volodymyr-zelenskyy-interview-with-david-muir-delivers-for-abc-news/ ), CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” had continued to top late night in total viewers while it featured guests that provided insight into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But for the period of Mar. 14-16, a new occupant held the reign atop all of television: Fox News Channel’s “Gutfeld!” Its 2.23 million-viewer average for those three nights eked by Colbert’s 2.22 million (there were no “Late Show” editions on Mar. 17-18 due to NCAA March Madness).
For its weeknight slot during Mar. 14-18, “Gutfeld!” delivered its second-highest-rated week since its Apr. 5, 2021 launch with 2.11 million total viewers and 397,000 in the 25-54 demo.
Cable news averages for March 14-20, 2022:
Total Day (March 14-20 @ 6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)
Fox News Channel: 1.691 million viewers; 300,000 adults 25-54
CNN: 0.771 million viewers; 187,000 adults 25-54
MSNBC: 0.683 million viewers; 85,000 adults 25-54
HLN: 0.212 million viewers; 63,000 adults 25-54
CNBC: 0.130 million viewers; 33,000 adults 25-54
Newsmax: 0.127 million viewers; 17,000 adults 25-54
The Weather Channel: 0.110 million viewers; 19,000 adults 25-54
Fox Business Network: 0.102 million viewers; 11,000 adults 25-54
Prime Time (March 14-19 @ 8-11 p.m.; March 20 @ 7-11 p.m.)
Fox News Channel: 2.572 million viewers; 436,000 adults 25-54
MSNBC: 1.078 million viewers; 144,000 adults 25-54
CNN: 1.014 million viewers; 280,000 adults 25-54
HLN: 0.238 million viewers; 69,000 adults 25-54
Newsmax: 0.162 million viewers; 26,000 adults 25-54
CNBC: 0.159 million viewers; 57,000 adults 25-54
The Weather Channel: 0.153 million viewers; 25,000 adults 25-54
Fox Business Network: 0.043 million viewers; 7,000 adults 25-54
Top 10 most-watched cable news programs (and the top MSNBC program with their respective associated ranks) in total viewers:
