Half Hour News Hour Ratings Smash
posted at 12:12 pm on February 21, 2007 by Bryan
TV Newser says its premiere landed just a couple bricks shy of Jon Stewart numbers.
The heavily-promoted premiere delivered 499,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo and 1,478,000 total viewers.
—
SF Chronicle, Feb. 16: “If 1.5 million viewers watched — slightly less than Stewart’s nightly 1.6 million audience and more than Colbert’s 1.2 million — Surnow said, ‘it would be a huge number.’”
It also did well with the TiVo demo, reminding me to set my Media Center to catch the next one. It beat Colbert and Olbermann. I missed the premiere, but I like it just for clobbering them.
Update (AP): A few things to bear in mind. Stewart’s and Colbert’s shows are late-night (11 p.m. or later); THHNH was primetime (10 p.m.). THHNH also had a strong lead-in in “Hannity’s America.” Except for “The Sarah Silverman Program” on Thursdays, Stewart’s lead in is almost always weak. And finally, this was the pilot of THHNH and had been heavily promoted by Rush on his show, so it was bound to attract plenty of drive-by curiosity seekers. Let’s see where it settles in a few weeks.
Update (Bryan): Those shows have also been around for years and have established audiences by now. Obviously the long haul is important in any ratings chase.
Blowback
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Hehehe.
What is that smell in the air? Must be Kucinich fuming and plotting…
Theworldisnotenough on February 21, 2007 at 12:16 PM
The real question now is whether or not the show can hang on to its viewers and grow the audience.
.
GT on February 21, 2007 at 12:18 PM
Can anyone explain how they come up with these numbers, other than just guessing?
They can just throw out a claim that 1,478,000 total viewers watched a particular show, but if you ask 1000 people, they’ll all tell you they were never called by the pollsters.
Just who are these pollsters and who do they actually call? Are they like the gas company meter readers, where they sleep all day and turn in fake readings?
In my entire life, I’ve never been called a single time.
Gregor on February 21, 2007 at 12:19 PM
Imagine if it became as “influential” as little Jonny Stewart.
That would be frickin hilarious.
benrand on February 21, 2007 at 12:19 PM
RE: Gregor.
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/question433.htm
Theworldisnotenough on February 21, 2007 at 12:22 PM
I really hope that the Half Hour News Hour is a continuing series, continually improves, and becomes the icon of conservative comedy. It feels exhilirating to see a counter to the Left’s domination of the Mainstream Media.
Perhaps they will even include Dennis Miller in their presentation. I look foward to improved content, greater emphasis on comedy, and improved presentation.
Go Fox Go!
omegaram on February 21, 2007 at 12:24 PM
What that tells me is it would have done twice that if it was any good.
triple on February 21, 2007 at 12:26 PM
Katie Couric’s opening night ratings were through the roof too….and Studio 60…..
Limerick on February 21, 2007 at 12:27 PM
Off topic, but dang! Obama is absolutely ready for anything Hillary throws at him. It’s like he has someone on the inside of her campaign. Looking at the Drudge Report stories on the gathering storm between the two candidates, Obama is scoring early and often.
The political season is upon us, and it’s looking like the Dems are going to give a great show. You know Hillary’s looking to fire someone over this exchange.
Matticus Finch on February 21, 2007 at 12:27 PM
Still unfunny. Loved the ACLU skits, but they need more comedic writers.
budorob on February 21, 2007 at 12:29 PM
They know who you are. They see you when you’re sleeping, they know when you’re awake, they know if you been…. HEY!
Sorry, I had a Reynolds Wrap moment.
Kini on February 21, 2007 at 12:31 PM
Democratic implosion on Drudge.
It’s a good thing!
Kini on February 21, 2007 at 12:33 PM
Imagine the numbers when they have a decent show with less canned laughter.
Olberdunce questions the timing.
JammieWearingFool on February 21, 2007 at 12:39 PM
Thank you. Pretty much what I expected. Just like the gas guy. They take 5 readings, skip the rest of the neighborhood, and just guess that everyone else used pretty much the same amount.
This would explain why some of the best shows seem to get canceled, and the worst seem to keep going on and on. Does anyone really watch Will and Grace?
It almost seems like they’re that confident. They report the numbers as if they have no doubt.
Gregor on February 21, 2007 at 12:45 PM
I loved the ACLU skits and the Che t-shirt segment. However, I hope it does get better because I would love for it to catch on.
Catie96706 on February 21, 2007 at 12:46 PM
Now if they can only make it funny….
RW Wacko on February 21, 2007 at 12:47 PM
Its just like Foxnews, this is a huge market that is greatly underserved. The demand is there, plus conservatives have a much better sense of humor than libs, and Libs are very easy to make fun of if you know the issues.
I would like to see Newsbusters get its on TV show or channel for that matter. Just spend the whole hour going through examples of media bias.
jp on February 21, 2007 at 12:47 PM
they need to make it a little more serious and a little less cartoonish, more like the daily show I guess and less SNL.
jp on February 21, 2007 at 12:48 PM
Heh, I’d be interested in knowing what the initial numbers were and how they faded by the end of the program. There were several posters in the thread about the show here that turned it off about halfway like I did because it was so bad.
Benaiah on February 21, 2007 at 12:48 PM
Agreed. I also agree that the show needs to hire more writers than just Rice and Frank to grow that audience.
ScottMcC on February 21, 2007 at 1:05 PM
EAT THAT MSM!!!!!!!!!
seejanemom on February 21, 2007 at 1:07 PM
The TV picture tube works both ways they just never tell you that. Someone in India has to count everyone who is watching, they have someone counting for each show. The nelson rating boxes are just for show to help keep the secret.
Gwillie on February 21, 2007 at 1:12 PM
Dear Bryan:
We hope you like us, too, then.
Best Regards,
Test Patterns, and screeching EMS tests.
Kid from Brooklyn on February 21, 2007 at 1:26 PM
Good on ‘em.
see-dubya on February 21, 2007 at 1:26 PM
Maybe if HA threads were scolled at the bottom of the screen throughout the show……… some of the comedians on this site are pretty funny………..
PinkyBigglesworth on February 21, 2007 at 1:30 PM
Aw man, does this mean I have to keep recording it?
No, it wasn’t really that bad. It certainly wasn’t as bad as 3/4 of prime time sit-coms. Which I guess isn’t saying much. Pinky’s comment reminded me that the “Countries that still hate us” crawl made me laugh.
Tanya on February 21, 2007 at 1:41 PM
Could someone enlighten me? Does Tivoing the show add me to the viewers number?
I am with AP. This was a heavily hyped premier so who knows what it will do in the future. However, it does bode well if they can polish the show up. Even Ace has stopped hating on it.
Bill C on February 21, 2007 at 2:03 PM
I noticed that the show did have alive audience. I think it would be hilarious to show the audiences reaction to the jokes. I imagine some of them were liberals who wandered into the wrong studio.
Which leads me to another idea. How long do you think it will be before they get protesters in the audience?
Bill C on February 21, 2007 at 2:05 PM
Rush did a good job of promoting it as a ‘mission’. I kind of agree, provided the show gets money for more writers and a real audience. Winning permission to record it from the authorities (kids) is going to be tough though, since it’s up against Battlestar SoapOpera.
Kevin M on February 21, 2007 at 2:06 PM
Go FOX!
One Angry Christian on February 21, 2007 at 2:23 PM
Wow, imagine if the whole show were as funny as the ACLU commercials!
Side note- the Sarah Silverman show blows. I can see what she’s trying to do, but it just comes off stupid.
NTWR on February 21, 2007 at 2:23 PM
Anyone know where can I find a crow-b-que?
Dread Pirate Roberts VI on February 21, 2007 at 3:07 PM
Here you go. :o)
Tanya on February 21, 2007 at 3:31 PM
I think a lot of cable access shows could probably beat Olbermann.
RightWinged on February 21, 2007 at 3:49 PM
I stood on a soapbox in Lafayette park and ranted about socialism and I beat Olberman.
Tantor on February 21, 2007 at 5:08 PM
Yes, Tivo keeps tabs on what you record using their service for marketing research purposes. They then sell the data (like Nielsen) for lots of money.
Link to source.
Looking for an alternative? MythTV. MythTV is free software, reports to no one and automatically zaps the commercials for you. However, it does require some “geek quotient” to get set up.
In the interest of staying on topic, I watched the first 10 minutes of the THHNH, turned it off and went back to reading HA. I didn’t find it particularly funny. It just felt too much like SNL, and the “humor” was forced. I only saw the first ACLU “ad,” and that was definitely the best content in the first 10 minutes.
mojojojo on February 21, 2007 at 5:11 PM
Fool me once…
mesablue on February 21, 2007 at 5:17 PM
heh.
lan astaslem on February 21, 2007 at 5:39 PM
Well, here’s hoping I’m wrong about the show. The clip with the global warming dude is funny, fo sure. But please. Please. PLEASE kill the laff track. Or at least make it part of the joke.
spmat on February 21, 2007 at 6:36 PM
I think the problem comes from the fact that most liberals get their news from the daily show and olbermann. they think that’s reality.
didn’t hotair even have a ratings graph that showed that at some point?
lorien1973 on February 21, 2007 at 7:06 PM
Dude, Fox’s streaming fish cam beats Olby
- The Cat
MirCat on February 21, 2007 at 8:32 PM
Update (Bryan): Those shows have also been around for years and have established audiences by now. Obviously the long haul is important in any ratings chase.
Love your posts Bryan!!!
angryamerican on February 21, 2007 at 10:00 PM