In recent times, we have observed the disheartening crumbling of giants in the cable television industry. This landscape has been marked by a substantial degeneration of the audience’s trust and a notable decline in viewership. CNN and Disney, once deemed the paragons of informative and entertaining programming, can now only be described as struggling Goliaths on the precipice of insignificance. In a surreal turn of events reminiscent of cinematic spectacles, the disintegration of these former powerhouses is engendering feelings of vindication in the minds of many libertarians.
In the fast-paced world of television ratings, the threshold of 100,000 viewers from the 25 to 54-year-old demographic has been universally accepted as the bare minimum for success. This demographic is notably sought-after due to its influence on advertising rates. However, these ratings for CNN have taken a massive hit recently, underlining the widespread disillusionment with their content.
For the week under review, the primetime viewership of CNN was reported to be 89,000—a stark contrast to MSNBC’s 105,000 and Fox News’ substantial lead with 130,000 viewers. In a worrisome trend, the weekly ratings for CNN stood at 72,000, toe-to-toe with MSNBC, while Fox News registered a figure of 120,000 viewers.
Significantly alarming is CNN’s dismal year-on-year performance. When placed side-by-side with values from the same week last year, the faltering giant has lost 39% of its primetime viewers from the desirable demographic category and 36% from the total day demographic viewers category.
When we exclude Tucker Carlson from the ratings comparison, a shocking drop of 58% (not a typo) is unveiled among primetime demo viewers for Fox. Concurrently, Fox News saw a considerable slash in its total viewership numbers too. We observed a 32% decline in total primetime viewers and a 21% drop in total viewers throughout the day for Fox News.
Nolte: Fox News and CNN Suffer Brutal Ratings Collapse
GOOD RIDDANCE!!🖕 https://t.co/wyT6I5iUgq— Fred Johnson (@FredJoh26842729) July 20, 2023
Even though CNN has suffered a 24% dip in total primetime viewers and a 27% decline in total day viewers, MSNBC seems to be faring slightly better. The network recorded a 20% decrement in its primetime demo viewers, 11% dip in total primetime viewers, and a 19% decline in its total day demographic viewers.
In an era characterized by thriving news stories, it is indeed shocking to find all significant cable news outlets hemorrhaging viewers. The current climate is replete with riveting narratives, from the forthcoming presidential campaigns to the perceived culture wars. However, the declining numbers indicate a noticeable distancing of the audience from these traditional cable platforms.
The contentious actions undertaken by Fox News, such as prematurely predicting the 2020 presidential race outcomes and dropping Tucker Carlson, have led to significant disappointment among its core audience. Simultaneously, CNN is steadily losing viewers that it direly needs to retain, given its precarious situation.
Ultimately, the cable TV industry is on its last legs, and the crumble of cable news giants is a symptomatic reflection of that decline. The tectonic shift to cheaper and more accessible streaming platforms is causing seismic disruptions in traditional television viewing habits. Without the safety net of carriage fees, the survival of these cable channels seems doubtful.
As our gaze moves to the horizon, it is clear that the death knell has rung for the era of cable news.
