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FOX News Leads Ratings Race in Vice Presidential Debate Week

It’s the second most-watched vice presidential debate in TV history, surpassing the previous runner-up mark of 56.7 million for George H.W. Bush-Geraldine Ferraro from 1984

Doug Pucci

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The highly-charged political season (and news cycle) continues to deliver big audiences as nearly 58 million viewers in households tuned in to the Mike Pence-Kamala Harris vice presidential debate on Oct. 7 on the linear networks. It’s the second most-watched vice presidential debate in TV history, surpassing the previous runner-up mark of 56.7 million for George H.W. Bush-Geraldine Ferraro from 1984; the all-time record was 69.6 million for Joe Biden-Sarah Palin in 2008. Pence-Harris drew an audience 55 percent larger than Pence’s first veep debate in 2016 (37.2 million) versus Hillary Clinton’s running mate Tim Kaine.

Fox News Channel, projected to lead all cable networks in average total viewers for the week ending Oct. 11, was the debate’s top outlet with 11.5 million viewers. CNN was runner-up on cable with 7.4 million viewers; MSNBC (6.7 million) close behind. 

ABC led the broadcast networks in debate coverage with 9.5 million viewers, followed by NBC (6.5 million), CBS (5.2 million), and the Fox broadcast network (4.1 million).

Telemundo (1.10 million) bested Univision (1.03 million) among the Spanish-language outlets.

The biggest breaking news story from last week (Sep. 28-Oct. 4) occurred in the overnight of Thursday, Oct. 2 when Donald Trump and his wife Melania admitted they had tested positive for the coronavirus. From the moment the news broke (at about 1 a.m. ET on late Oct. 1/early Oct. 2) until 6 a.m. ET Oct. 2, ratings for the three cable news outlets rose considerably from the same time period one week earlier (late Sep. 24/early Sep. 25, 2020) — of course, those networks regularly air reruns of their prime time programs during the overnight:

  • CNN: 1.18 million viewers (+129%); 308,000 adults 25-54 (+148%)
  • MSNBC: 974,000 viewers (+94%); 214,000 adults 25-54 (+152%)
  • Fox News Channel: 947,000 viewers (+28%); 213,000 adults 25-54 (+16%)

Cable news was a continued attraction throughout the day on Friday, Oct. 2 as word came that several more prominent officials who had attended the Sep. 26th Rose Garden ceremony at the White House announcing Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court had also tested positive for COVID-19. The most notable ratings were for prime time (8-11 p.m.) where Fox News, CNN and MSNBC combined for 10.78 million viewers and 2.27 million adults 25-54 — increases of 46 percent and 81 percent, respectively, from Sep. 25 prime time; up 30 percent and 42 percent, respectively, from the special Sep. 18 prime time that featured the news of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s sudden passing.

A combined 11.71 million tuned in to cable news from 9-10 p.m. ET: Fox News’ “Hannity” (4.44 million), MSNBC’s “Rachel Maddow Show” (4.12 million) and CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time” (3.15 million); this topped the combined three most-watched broadcast network telecasts (11.04 million) within that same hour: ABC’s NBA Finals Game 2: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat (5.9 million from 9-10 p.m.), CBS’ “Undercover Boss” season premiere (3.07 million) and Fox’s “WWE Friday Night SmackDown” (2.06 million from 9-10 p.m.)

CNBC saw a 23 percent jump in total viewers from the previous Friday (279,000 on Oct. 2 6 a.m.-8 p.m. vs. 228,000 on Sep. 25 6 a.m.-7 p.m.) as stocks took a brief but significant dip that day due to Trump’s COVID-19 announcement. On a related note, former Fox News anchor Shepard Smith’s new nightly CNBC program “The News” (in the 7-8 p.m. hour) debuted on Sep. 30 to 373,000 viewers. It posted 321,000 viewers on Oct. 1; 331,000 in Oct. 2 — all things considered, “The News with Shepard Smith” is an immediate modest success for the business network based on its aforementioned average viewer figures.

For the week ending Oct. 4, 2020 in total day data (from 6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m. each day), Fox News Channel led the cable news networks in viewers (2.3 million) and adults 25-54 (456,000).

CNN moved in to the runner-up position during the historic news week in both key figures — 1.59 million viewers; 425,000 adults 25-54 (more than doubling its demo output from last week)

MSNBC rose about 50 percent from last week in both key figures: 1.57 million viewers; 279,000 adults 25-54

Top 10 most-watched cable news programs in total viewers:

1. Presidential Debate (FOXNC, Tue. 9/29/2020 9:03 PM, 96 min.) 17.812 million viewers

2. Presidential Debate Coverage (FOXNC, Tue. 9/29/2020 8:50 PM, 13 min.) 12.918 million viewers

3. Presidential Debate/Analysis (FOXNC, Tue. 9/29/2020 10:39 PM, 21 min.) 12.548 million viewers

4. 1st Presidential Debate (CNN, Tue. 9/29/2020 9:04 PM, 95 min.) 8.287 million viewers

5. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 9/29/2020 8:00 PM, 50 min.) 8.266 million viewers

6. Debate Night In America (CNN, Tue. 9/29/2020 10:39 PM, 21 min.) 8.085 million viewers

7. Debate (MSNBC, Tue. 9/29/2020 9:03 PM, 97 min.) 7.189 million viewers

8. Hannity (FOXNC, Tue. 9/29/2020 11:00 PM, 60 min.) 7.139 million viewers

9. MSNBC Debate Analysis (MSNBC, Tue. 9/29/2020 10:40 PM, 20 min.) 6.954 million viewers

10. Debate Night In America (CNN, Tue. 9/29/2020 11:00 PM, 60 min.) 6.731 million viewers

Top 10 cable news programs among adults 25-54:

1. Presidential Debate (FOXNC, Tue. 9/29/2020 9:03 PM, 96 min.) 5.308 million adults 25-54

2. Presidential Debate/Analysis (FOXNC, Tue. 9/29/2020 10:39 PM, 21 min.) 3.776 million adults 25-54

3. Presidential Debate Coverage (FOXNC, Tue. 9/29/2020 8:50 PM, 13 min.) 3.547 million adults 25-54

4. 1st Presidential Debate (CNN, Tue. 9/29/2020 9:04 PM, 95 min.) 3.524 million adults 25-54

5. Debate Night In America (CNN, Tue. 9/29/2020 10:39 PM, 21 min.) 3.231 million adults 25-54

6. Debate Night In America (CNN, Tue. 9/29/2020 11:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.511 million adults 25-54

7. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 9/29/2020 8:00 PM, 50 min.) 2.121 million adults 25-54

8. Hannity (FOXNC, Tue. 9/29/2020 11:00 PM, 60 min.) 1.994 million adults 25-54

9. Debate (MSNBC, Tue. 9/29/2020 9:03 PM, 97 min.) 1.726 million adults 25-54

10. MSNBC Debate Analysis (MSNBC, Tue. 9/29/2020 10:40 PM, 20 min.) 1.654 million adults 25-54

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News Television

Joe Scarborough: I Was a Conservative When Women at Fox News ‘Were Still Playing With Their Barbies’

“I’ve got a 95% (American Conservative Union) rating. I’m more conservative than any of them.”

Barrett News Media

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A photo of Joe Scarborough
(Photo: MSNBC)

MSNBC Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough spent time in Congress as a Republican. Despite his current position on a liberal cable news network, he argues he’s still a conservative and has been one since before his detractors on Fox News knew what the word means.

On Thursday morning, Scarborough called the Fox News hosts criticizing him for his role in the removal of former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel from NBC News “little idiots,” adding that he’s not a “left-winger.”

 “First of all, I’ve got a 95% (American Conservative Union) rating. I’m more conservative than any of them. I was part of Congress, and a big part of the reason if anybody was around, they’ll tell you that we balanced the budget for four years in a row for the first time, and the only time in 100 years,” the former Republican Congressman said.

He continued by adding that Liz Cheney, who also has a similar rating from the conservative think-tank was chastised for her failure to support former President Donald Trump.

While speaking with George Conway, Scarborough took a shot at the females from Fox News — without naming names — who have been critical of him in recent days.

“George, you and I were conservatives — and are conservatives — but we were conservatives when some of these women on Fox News who call us liberals were still playing with their Barbies,” Scarborough said confidently.

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News Television

NBC News Chair Cesar Conde: I Made Decision to Sever Ties With Ronna McDaniel

“I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down. While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it.”

Barrett News Media

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A photo of Cesar Conde
(Photo: Jeffery Salter/ Fortune)

On Tuesday, NBC News ended its relationship with former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel after just five days due to intense internal backlash over the hire. The network’s News chairman, Cesar Conde, is taking responsibility.

In a memo sent to employees Tuesday, Conde says he approved McDaniel’s hiring, and ultimately made the decision to remove her from the outlet’s list of contributors.

“After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor. No organization, particularly a newsroom, can succeed unless it is cohesive and aligned. Over the last few days, it has become clear that this appointment undermines that goal,” Conde wrote. “I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down. While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it.”

McDaniel — who has also been dropped by the CAA talent agency — has reportedly been seeking legal representation to explore potential breach of contract litigation with the network.

NBC News announced the hiring of the former Republican leader on Friday, which led to scrutiny from staffers angered by McDaniel’s previous comments about the press and her role in attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

However, in her first paid appearance for the network, she told Meet the Press‘ Kristen Welker that Donald Trump did not win the election in 2020, and that the process was not rigged against him. It was the first time she publicly admitted those sentiments. She inferred that she felt a duty to back the former President’s claims as RNC chair, and will have more freedom as a political analyst at NBC News.

“Now, I get to be a little bit more myself,” she told Welker, before being lambasted by former moderator Chuck Todd for her lack of credibility.

After the appearance, several MSNBC hosts — including Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Nicolle Wallace, Rachel Maddow, and Lawrence O’Donnell — shared their extreme displeasure with the hiring, which ultimately led Cesar Conde to reverse course.

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News Television

NBC News to Drop Ronna McDaniel After Backlash From Network Staffers

Ronna McDaniel is reportedly “seeking legal representation” should NBC News attempt to exit its contract that reportedly was set to pay her $300,000.

Barrett News Media

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A photo of Ronna McDaniel

NBC News has made plans to sever its ties to political analyst Ronna McDaniel after near unanimous pushback from employees inside the outlet.

A report from Puck’s Dylan Byers claims the network is making preparations to end its short, but tumultuous, relationship with the former RNC chair.

On Friday, NBC News announced it had inked a deal for McDaniel to join the network as a political analyst.

Subsequently, MSNBC President Rashida Jones informed network staffers that the former Republican leader would not appear on the cable network after intense backlash from employees over past comments from McDaniel.

During her first appearance on Meet the Press Sunday, McDaniel admitted — for the first time — that the 2020 presidential election that was won by President Joe Biden was not “rigged” against former President Donald Trump, and shared her belief that Biden did in fact win the vote.

Former moderator Chuck Todd blasted the network for its decision to hire someone who had been involved in the “character assassination” of not only journalists and the media as a whole, but specific members of the staff at NBC News and MSNBC.

Todd’s comments were backed by those of Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Nicolle Wallace, Jen Psaki, Rachel Maddow, and Lawrence O’Donnell who all shared their opinions about the situation on-air Monday.

According to the report from Byers, Ronna McDaniel is “seeking legal representation” should NBC News attempt to exit its contract that reportedly was set to pay her $300,000.

McDaniel joined NBC News after resigning her position as RNC chair, which she had previously held since 2017.

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