Ratings blowout: Fox News scores big with tea-party coverage
posted at 5:45 pm on April 16, 2009 by Allahpundit
How big? Glenn Beck’s audience at 5 p.m. was bigger than the combined audiences for Olbermann’s and Maddow’s primetime “teabagging” jamboree. And he was still only the fourth-biggest show on FNC yesterday.
Note that the 11 p.m. rerun of O’Reilly topped Olby’s show by more than half a million viewers.
Follow the link for an equally brutal breakout in the 25-54 demo. One might suggest there’s a lesson in this for certain parties, but that lesson surely will go unlearned: Does anyone think CNN or MSNBC would betray The Cause and tack right even if it was guaranteed to bring them bigger numbers? Why, poor Susan Roesgen would have to quit. On principle.
Via Johnny Dollar, here’s the Red Eye gang paying a very Red Eye-ish tribute to Fox’s competitors on last night’s show. How long before they’re beating Olby at 3 a.m.?
Update: An even more amazing stat from the table above: The only hour in which Fox didn’t beat all three other networks combined was 7 p.m., and even then it barely missed.
Blowback
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This has to really make the left happy.
carbon_footprint on April 16, 2009 at 5:47 PM
The message uis getting out and that bugs the crap out of the left.
The Huffington Post was blovating yesterday that the tea parties are proof that the Fairness Doctrine is needed because conservatives were able to “Bypass” the MSM Obama ass-kiss-a-thon.
William Amos on April 16, 2009 at 5:48 PM
I’m not great with math but didn’t Fox almost do better than the other three networks combined?
carbon_footprint on April 16, 2009 at 5:49 PM
I’ll repeat what I said in the Headline section. It is being assumed by the media that these rallies were organized by Fox and those who attended were Fox viewers. If that were so than who are these people who were at home watching the rallies on Fox?
Rose on April 16, 2009 at 5:50 PM
But the tea parties are stupid and don’t mean anything.
Dude.
BadgerHawk on April 16, 2009 at 5:50 PM
Now that’s just piling on, already. Fox should have to run public service announcements, instead of reruns of shows they that have already been seen, to give the other channels a chance. This is unfair competition.
/dangerous libtard
progressoverpeace on April 16, 2009 at 5:50 PM
But, but, but, I thought the country had moved Left??
/sarc
I remember a libtard telling me the day after Obama won the election: “The whole country has moved left, Fox News and Talk Radio will no longer be relevant”….
How wrong can someone be?? LMAO
Norwegian on April 16, 2009 at 5:50 PM
That was a freaking riot. The only thing they forgot to mention was Rachel Maddow spending several minutes doing “teabagging” jokes. While I thought Fox was a bit over the top in terms of promoting the tea party events (I mean, Fox should be promoting itself as objectively as possible, to keep its credibility), the MSM was downright derisive and once again showed themselves to be biased jackasses.
Outlander on April 16, 2009 at 5:50 PM
I’m concerned that Maddow & Olberman will actually start a “tea bagging” party and have a
grassrootsnutroots display of this.portlandon on April 16, 2009 at 5:51 PM
Atlanta Tea Party was GREAT!
Hey. Hey. Ho. Ho. Harry Reid and Arlen Spector have to go!
Branch Rickey on April 16, 2009 at 5:52 PM
Meanwhile Keith Ofellatiomann was trashing Michelle Malkin and others for talking about the DHS report yesterday
William Amos on April 16, 2009 at 5:52 PM
carbon_footprint on April 16, 2009 at 5:49 PM
Yep. Looks that way to me, too. Gosh, could it be that America doesn’t want to hear the propaganda anymore? And the Tea Parties were actually a success? Quel surprise!
kingsjester on April 16, 2009 at 5:52 PM
That would entail logic; something our friends on the left lack.
carbon_footprint on April 16, 2009 at 5:52 PM
AllahP this is just another head fake.
All this proves is disproportionately more republicans watch cable news.
Afterall, most of the rest of the country get our news from Steven Colbert, John Stewart, SNL and NPR. ;)
strangelet on April 16, 2009 at 5:54 PM
I think the popular description, now, is “has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive”. The Precedent said so.
progressoverpeace on April 16, 2009 at 5:55 PM
Did rolling stone really call them peasants?
I guess they really are into fuedalism.
lorien1973 on April 16, 2009 at 5:55 PM
So when exactly will GE and CNN be asking for their bailouts?
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on April 16, 2009 at 5:55 PM
They’d never be able to catch up, so they simply won’t try. In fact this is why MSNBC is basically an openly left-wing network now… They have been failing so miserably that they figured at least this way they would have a core audience. And it’s actually worked, because CNN is losing viewers all of the time. You’ve got Americans watching Fox and the commies that live in this country watching BSNBC, and no one watching CNN.
RightWinged on April 16, 2009 at 5:56 PM
It’s working ladies and gentlemen. We have convinced one of them to tell the truth.
carbon_footprint on April 16, 2009 at 5:56 PM
So the adults really are in charge…of the TV remote control.
kingsjester on April 16, 2009 at 5:57 PM
Beck outdraws all the other Fox starts on a % of audience basis.
But no need to point that out, AP.
We can see for ourselves.
notagool on April 16, 2009 at 5:57 PM
So how did PBS do? Just curious as to what I’m paying for.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on April 16, 2009 at 5:57 PM
Why don’t you pull the foreskin back just far enough to uncover your eyes and ears, then you will be able to see what’s going on around you D!3k^$@d!!
thomasaur on April 16, 2009 at 5:58 PM
C’mon people… move along… nothing to see here…
Hunt035 on April 16, 2009 at 5:58 PM
Suck on it, MSM.
pseudonominus on April 16, 2009 at 5:58 PM
getaclue, crapitulus, et. al. to call us “selfish drones” in 5…4…3…2…1….
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on April 16, 2009 at 5:58 PM
Uh, uh, well, that, that, just makes too much sense! You just can’t go around making sense!
petunia on April 16, 2009 at 5:59 PM
Where is capitulus today?
I’m beginning to get concerned.
carbon_footprint on April 16, 2009 at 5:59 PM
The honesty there is refreshing. Keep it up and we might stop calling you troll and start calling you ‘lefty who contributes to valuable debate’. You wouldn’t want that, would you?
BadgerHawk on April 16, 2009 at 5:59 PM
So when exactly will GE and CNN be asking for their bailouts?
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on April 16, 2009 at 5:55 PM
You’re a little late to the party on that.
GE is in for 137 billion. GE Capital, you know…
TexasJew on April 16, 2009 at 6:00 PM
My post on Houston’s Tea Party here:
youngO on April 16, 2009 at 6:00 PM
I think this tea party business is going to end up making conservatives look good, only because liberals are acting like such tremendous d-bags.
However, measuring the success of conservatives by the ratings success of Glenn Beck and Fox News is stupid in my opinion.
Fox News had better ratings than CNN and MSNBC in 2006 and 2008 as well, you know? Limbaugh pulled more listeners than liberal radio host and zombie Ozzie Osbourne bandmate Randy Rhoades then as well.
Proud Rino on April 16, 2009 at 6:00 PM
myschpill.blogpsot.com
youngO on April 16, 2009 at 6:00 PM
Fox News Channel always dominates the competition.
therightwinger on April 16, 2009 at 6:00 PM
don’t underestimate the power of the hottest news babes on the planet!
lorien1973 on April 16, 2009 at 6:02 PM
Fox News is the only network I watch daily. Very entertaining, informative, and great TV.
Fox & Friends, America’s Newsroom, Cavuto, Beck, Baier, O’Reilly, Hannity, Greta, Red Eye, and Huckabee, and Fox News Report. All good shows. Great work Fox News!
jencab on April 16, 2009 at 6:02 PM
Imagine that! Oh how that must anger the likes of CNN, MSNBC, et al.
And we did it all w/o burning an effigy, w/o fake death squads, & w/o trashing the public property.
But we’re just wingnuts.
JoeAvg on April 16, 2009 at 6:02 PM
Let CNN & MSNBC fight over a million libtard viewers. They and the print media are making themselves more irrelevent everyday. They are all competing for the same demographic, while FOX, the internet and other credible news outlets all compete for the moderates, independents and rightside of the spectrum. The MUCH larger market share. You’d think CNN & MSNBC would figure this out? Wouldn’t you?
JAM on April 16, 2009 at 6:02 PM
Was the wink for including NPR with the comedy shows?
I would think if you can appreciate John Stewart you would be able to get Glen Beck. Perhaps not.
petunia on April 16, 2009 at 6:03 PM
Also, I had no idea Nancy Grace’s “Where’s Caylee?” coverage still draws so many viewers. WTF, America?
Proud Rino on April 16, 2009 at 6:04 PM
The tea parties are clearly, for good or bad, the start of some currently inchoate political movement that will only gather more supporters as this debt and spending must be paid off.
Whether they become a third party (my guess) or merge with the Republicans or, less likely, the Democrats, it’s going to be a force.
That much of our press doesn’t see this is really a damning indictment on them.
There, I tried to be as apolitical as possible.
SteveMG on April 16, 2009 at 6:04 PM
FOX scores big whenever there is a significant story happening live.
It wasn’t the tea parties necessarily. People knew they were happening – people were interested – and when that happens they tune into Fox news.
Though Fox is no doubt a bit of a lean to the right – they are still miles more objective than the Leg Thriller networks with their Obama Dolls.
Pretty easy to understand really.
HondaV65 on April 16, 2009 at 6:04 PM
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on April 16, 2009 at 5:55 PM
TexasJew on April 16, 2009 at 6:00 PM
my bad.
It is 139 Billion, not a measly 137.
Read it and weep — from the NY Slimes:
F.D.I.C. to Back $139 Billion in GE Capital Debt
General Electric said Wednesday that the federal government had agreed to insure as much as $139 billion in debt for its lending subsidiary, GE Capital. This is the second time in a month that G.E. has turned to a federal program aimed at helping companies during the global credit crisis.
GE Capital is not a bank, but granting it access to a new program from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation may reassure investors and help the lender compete with banks that already have government-protected debt, a G.E. spokesman, Russell Wilkerson, told Bloomberg News.
TexasJew on April 16, 2009 at 6:05 PM
Is Bill’s job to make the liberal argument? Or does he really believe anything he’s saying there?
lorien1973 on April 16, 2009 at 6:06 PM
Yet the MSM and Obama are too stupid to understand. They will continue to press their agenda – and in the end they are going to receive a tremendous whipping.
HondaV65 on April 16, 2009 at 6:06 PM
Please, don’t post a bunch of stuff we already know.
hawkdriver on April 16, 2009 at 6:06 PM
I wonder if MSNBC and CNN have a Plan B. The bashing of conservatives is obviously not working. Should be fun to watch them flounder trying to figure it out.
sherry on April 16, 2009 at 6:06 PM
If that were true then why are they so hip to shut it down? Shouldn’t they just be sitting there, pointing and laughing at the blowhards?
Libtards call my local station daily shrieking that any day now they will be SILENCED!!!
BTW – that Red Eye (never saw it before!) was hilarious!
vapig on April 16, 2009 at 6:07 PM
That’s very true. The numbers from Drudge include some of the lib news sources:
FOXNEWS O’REILLY 3,980,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY 3,239,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 2,947,000
FOXNEWS BECK 2,740,000
FOXNEWS BAIER 2,401,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 2,185,000
COMEDY DAILY SHOW 1,777,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,499,000
COMEDY COLBERT 1,446,000
Olby’s just hanging on.
progressoverpeace on April 16, 2009 at 6:07 PM
That and also, somewhere down the line, it’ll be a larger middle-class movement.
There is no way that the Democrats will be able to pay for all of these initiative simply by taxing the rich. The middle class will have to be hit – and hit hard.
And they’ll (probably, who knows?) be a backlash.
It’s brewing and the liberal/left can mock them all they want. The press too.
Again, I’m not sure whether it’ll be a “good” movement or a “bad” one (the “Man on Horseback” or “Caesarism” type of concern). But it’s coming.
SteveMG on April 16, 2009 at 6:08 PM
Yet Fox is still called a “far-right” news source.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on April 16, 2009 at 5:55 PM
Yeah they might as well make it official. “Todays talking points brought to you by the paid spokesmen of the democratic party”
Mord on April 16, 2009 at 6:09 PM
FOX is where people go when they want the news.
When they want jokes about “teabagging”, they flip on MSNBC.
The numbers tell the story of who the losers are.
cruadin on April 16, 2009 at 6:09 PM
Boy, is Drudge ever hyping this! It is now his HEADLINE!
JAM on April 16, 2009 at 6:09 PM
Actually, I think they have a Plan 9…..
vapig on April 16, 2009 at 6:10 PM
cons like their gop news.
getalife on April 16, 2009 at 6:10 PM
That’s all ya got?
BadgerHawk on April 16, 2009 at 6:11 PM
Don’t choke on your jealousy, H8er!
Branch Rickey on April 16, 2009 at 6:12 PM
Tea Parties will mean nothing unless those folks get out and drag other people to vote in 2010. Meanwhile we should have Tea Parties at every major date, holiday, etc…..
izoneguy on April 16, 2009 at 6:15 PM
seroiusly, only a freaky jerk with no life would even know what ‘teabagging’ means.
david shuster, take a bow.
DrW on April 16, 2009 at 6:15 PM
Yes we do, now go getteabagged
izoneguy on April 16, 2009 at 6:16 PM
You gotta wonder how much money a company is willing to loose before they take their blinders off. Do they not realize that half the country doesn’t subscribe to their views?
Fortunately for FOX I don’t see CNNMSNBCABCCBSNBCCNBC doing that anytime soon.
I guess they figure Obama will bail them out too. Heck didn’t he already bailout GE (NBC’s parent)?
Iblis on April 16, 2009 at 6:17 PM
Do you know what it means?
Proud Rino on April 16, 2009 at 6:17 PM
That just says everything you need to say about how far Olbermann has sunk now doesn’t it.
How do the hits on Huffington Post and DailyKos stand? Are they still as high as they used to be?
I know those folks are the most dedicated of the dedicated but still have some of the numbers cooled?
Also– doesn’t’ this put the lie to what Nancy had to say? Who are you going to believe your lying eyes or the Speaker of the House?
Let them eat cake! And she looked so pretty as she said it. Surely more people will be able to see through the facade the MSM is presenting now.
petunia on April 16, 2009 at 6:17 PM
‘Adults are in Charge’…
There, now she can go lay some greasy turds on a different thread…
BigWyo on April 16, 2009 at 6:17 PM
We don’t have until 2010. There’s an insane budget making its way through Congress right now. There’s more TARP insanity coming. They’re going to be pushing amnesty. 2010 is too late.
progressoverpeace on April 16, 2009 at 6:17 PM
Nice! Those are some eye-popping numbers. I was feeling a bit resentful last night and this morning, when it became obvious that the msm was going to marginalize the Tea Parties. Useless fishwrap, the LA Times, sneeringly spun it:
califcon on April 16, 2009 at 6:18 PM
Did Jim Norton steal Fidel Castro’s shirt?
Mark1971 on April 16, 2009 at 6:18 PM
Shep is just bringing down Fox – give Beck that time slot, and lock Shep in a broom closet.
Those numbers are so sad – I wonder how they compare to network news. I know quite a few people who, even with cable/satellite, only watch one of the alphabet stations.
Anna on April 16, 2009 at 6:18 PM
I’m a right wing extremist with no cable.
Weirdo, I know.
Mommypundit on April 16, 2009 at 6:19 PM
And that was Shep. Plus, Headline News is another CNN anyway.
Esthier on April 16, 2009 at 6:19 PM
Hee. Hee. You know what would be wizard……protesting again, in front of NBC/ABC/CBS in huge numbers in NY. Protesting their elitism, their ignorance, or sending Monica Lewinsky knee pads to them….Olbermann has bruises on his knees, help him out guys. Maddow has a callous from all the teabagging, help her out.
HornetSting on April 16, 2009 at 6:19 PM
I know.
And, Hannity just had this dude on talking about EMP attacks. Gosh.
We’re just going all die out, aren’t we?
Totally depressed.
Mommypundit on April 16, 2009 at 6:20 PM
Unfortunately we do now. I used to at least value the opinion of Vanderbilt’s son… what’s his name… but I will never be able to watch him again. He has lost all credibility as a journalist after that (excuse the pun) orgy of witless wit. I really can’t think of his name. Oh yeah Cooper.
petunia on April 16, 2009 at 6:20 PM
“Fox News is getting testy over their rival’s coverage of relief-seeking taxpayers:”
.
Teabagging.LOL.
getalife on April 16, 2009 at 6:21 PM
Please! Everybody knows what it means now! Granted, some of us have to google it, but it’s out there now! I mean, I guess I could have waited! The fella in the clip explained what it was!
vapig on April 16, 2009 at 6:21 PM
So Sheps SECOND show of the day didn’t beat the other three networks combined… He must be embarrassed….
And what’s so important about the 25-54 demo when the rest of the viewership is 3 times as big?
It’s total asses watching, not just the advertising demo when you talk about viewership.
originalpechanga on April 16, 2009 at 6:22 PM
lol! Jimmy rules though. One of the best comics out there, and with a good brain on him, it would seem.
madne0 on April 16, 2009 at 6:23 PM
I wish Fox News would give Neal Boortz his own show…
therightwinger on April 16, 2009 at 6:23 PM
The left realizes that they have crossed the rubicon. Not only that, but they understand that others realize this.
I do get a kick out of the look of the cable numbers – conservative news on top, all Fox, and liberal news bringing up the rear, all MSNBC, CNN, CNNHN, and the COMEDY channel leading their pack. It’s too funny, in a morbid way.
As to Nancy, she is all-in on this. She’s not constrained by logic or reason, so there’s no telling how far she’ll go, but they are just saying anything they want now. It’s worse than Baghdad Bob with the US coming up behind him while he gushes about how the US has been defeated. The American left will show how low humans can sink. We’ll all be amazed, even know what despicable, lying scum they are, at how insane they’re going to get.
progressoverpeace on April 16, 2009 at 6:23 PM
I have no doubt that you already knew what that meant.
……not that’s there’s anything wrong with that.
vapig on April 16, 2009 at 6:23 PM
Sweet!
I was at a fair tax rally in Columbia SC. It was Great. We had 1700 or so show up in Augusta GA for the Tea Party along the Savannah River.
mindhacker on April 16, 2009 at 6:23 PM
Hehe. You said “tea bag.” Hehe.
patriette on April 16, 2009 at 6:23 PM
Noooo I love Shep! Maybe they could trade. I really do like Shep who I watch for more news content and Beck for entertainment and grievance satisfaction!
petunia on April 16, 2009 at 6:23 PM
If Olbermann & Maddow seem a bit tongue-tied tonight, it’s because Beck just teabagged them into submission.
Jim Treacher on April 16, 2009 at 6:23 PM
All FoxNews had to do was pay attention. They weren’t behind the Tea Party protests. They just recognized how big the movement was getting on its own and glommed on to it.
I’m not totally thrilled that they did but the opportunity was hung out there and they took it. The same opportunity was available to every other media outlet but the rest of them failed to take advantage.
Interesting that when it comes to crude teabagging jokes the rest of the media will happily “go there” but when it comes to covering a really big story, well, that’s just beneath them.
Gilda on April 16, 2009 at 6:24 PM
I don’t think we needed any further proof that liberals are stuck in permanent adolescense than by their reaction to tea bag parties…
therightwinger on April 16, 2009 at 6:24 PM
Yikes! Now there’s a mental image I could do without!
petunia on April 16, 2009 at 6:24 PM
That is a joke right?
Stewart is a clever intellectually competant comedian.
Beck is an insane clown.
And you are obviously a Juggalette.
strangelet on April 16, 2009 at 6:25 PM
That’s true. That was true in 2008 and 2006 as well. How did those elections go?
Proud Rino on April 16, 2009 at 6:26 PM
It’s going to be a close call, I think. Very close. I have faith that America will make it through, but it’s going to be a nail biter.
progressoverpeace on April 16, 2009 at 6:26 PM
progressoverpeace on April 16, 2009 at 6:23 PM
Bagdad Nancy!
petunia on April 16, 2009 at 6:27 PM
Then you’re not watching FOX.
strangelet on April 16, 2009 at 6:27 PM
Well that explains a lot.
Talon on April 16, 2009 at 6:28 PM
Those ratings will be tough for Andy Vanderbilt to swallow.
JammieWearingFool on April 16, 2009 at 6:28 PM
I don’t know why, but I cannot stand him. Or O’Reilly, for that matter – although I used to watch both. But O’Reilly has his claws in so deep, they’re never going to get rid of him. : )
Anna on April 16, 2009 at 6:29 PM
BagdadFoggybottom Nancy!petunia on April 16, 2009 at 6:27 PM
FTFY….
vapig on April 16, 2009 at 6:29 PM
Teabagging.LOL.
getalife on April 16, 2009 at 6:21 PM
You can’t fool me with your faux fixation on teabagging.Bad girls like you go more for the Dirty Sanchez. Ole’
Libs like dirty sanchez
John D on April 16, 2009 at 6:30 PM
Just found my new diet plan. Posting this quote on my fridge right now.
Anna on April 16, 2009 at 6:30 PM
I didn’t even get the teabagging joke till I saw this video. I’m sorry I watched, in this case ignorance IS bliss! Anyway, thank God for Fox News. Now when they pass ABC+NBC+CBS news combined, then maybe we’ve got a real counter to the MSM.
Christian Conservative on April 16, 2009 at 6:30 PM
Liberals got a fever , and the only cure is more teabagging..
the_nile on April 16, 2009 at 6:30 PM
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