CNN Hits 20-Year Weekday Primetime Low

CNN Ratings Drop 2012The only ratings news CNN is getting lately is bad news. Last week, the cable news network had its lowest-rated weekday primetime in 20 years in terms of total viewers. From May 14-18, CNN averaged 395,000 viewers in primetime with Anderson Cooper’s AC360 and Piers Morgan Tonight. The full seven days of last week was the third-lowest-rated full week in primetime since March 1997. Additionally, last Monday to Friday was also the network’s fourth-lowest-rated weekday primetime week among adults 25-54. CNN scored just 111,000 viewers in the demo. CNN’s previous worst weekly weekday primetime among adults 25-54 was May 15-21, 2000, when the network recorded 91,000 viewers among adults 25-54.

This ratings news comes less than a week after the network hit its lowest primetime among adults 25-54 in 15 years on May 15 with Pier Morgan Tonight. That followed a terrible April where CNN had its lowest-rated month in a decade.

Comments (174)

  • CNN still makes a profit from bundled cable subscriptions. Drop bundled cable and stop subsidizing CNN!

    Comment by Steve — Tuesday May 22, 2012 @ 11:02am PDT  Reply to this post
  • When does CNN do the best job? Breaking news! Other than that.. it’s like watching liberals sit at Starbucks with inside snarky jokes – From trying endless programming changes , to the ‘walk and talks’ — then the panels of “conservatives” (who are really liberals) and liberals who are truly full blown Obama boot lickers is painful to watch. What they should do is concentrate on what the others do not, more international news, more breaking news.. play to the strengths stop competing with the big boys.

    **this is a word of warning for Fox (and let’s please keep politics out of it ** Fox, or as I know call them Foxy News and MSNBC (as I call them MS.NBC) would do well to notice the above statement. Not every burp is a ‘alert’ and news celebrities are not journalists.

    Comment by rachelw — Tuesday May 22, 2012 @ 11:10am PDT  Reply to this post
  • The only thing I don’t want to see change is the iconic logo. CNN can still mean something, if they stop trying to go viral with “Ridiculist” giggling fits.

    Comment by Sorry — Tuesday May 22, 2012 @ 11:12am PDT  Reply to this post
    • Clinton News Network

      Comment by Anonymous — Friday June 1, 2012 @ 7:58pm PDT  Reply to this post
  • They need to re-vamp their “Democrats good, Republicans bad” strategy.

    Comment by Steve — Tuesday May 22, 2012 @ 11:13am PDT  Reply to this post
  • But CNN is the ONLY ‘unbiased’ network covering politics today..

    Seriously, they have gotten their just desserts.What do you expect when you hire disgraced politicians and whoa mongers; bad English tabloid reporters; and the offspring of a makeup queen?

    Comment by stosh126 — Tuesday May 22, 2012 @ 11:14am PDT  Reply to this post
  • They should get Oprah to take over CNN, merge it with Oprah’s network. Have a grand ole’ time talking up what a great job Obama is doing.

    Comment by AngelaE — Tuesday May 22, 2012 @ 11:15am PDT  Reply to this post
  • I don’t know, I found Peirs Morgan’s interview with the kid who bags his groceries riveting. “So, Bobby, do you find it easier to use paper or plastic, and do you double bag items such as milk?”

    Comment by Yawnfest — Tuesday May 22, 2012 @ 11:21am PDT  Reply to this post
  • Look at who runs CNN. That will tell you why it’s rating are falling.

    Comment by OBG — Tuesday May 22, 2012 @ 11:22am PDT  Reply to this post
  • Maybe they need to get Glen Beck and Lou Dobbs back. At least they could generate some thought provoking discussions. Now, the whole network looks like it is being broadcast straight from DNC headquarters with Axelrod holding the cue cards.

    Comment by joedoe — Tuesday May 22, 2012 @ 11:22am PDT  Reply to this post
  • I do agree that a “hard news” channel would be refreshing. Even Headline News has gone away from that format. Please don’t tell me what to think about the news. Just report it all, and do it honestly, fairly, and with integrity. No ideologies on either side. I promise we will watch.

    Comment by Bobby Campbell — Tuesday May 22, 2012 @ 11:27am PDT  Reply to this post

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