Obama drives record Fox News ratings, bumps MSNBC by CNN

President Barack Obama may be obsessed with the critical coverage of Fox News, as often reported. But the cable news channel sure must love him.

Latest ratings out for the second quarter of 2009 show the top-rated FNC having one of the best quarters in its entire history with prime-time ratings jumping an astounding 34%, not all of them Obama fans. That 8-11 p.m. slot is crucial for viewers -- and ad dollars -- which includes Fox's showcase "The O'Reilly Factor."

Throughout the viewing day, Fox News did even better with its 1.2 million viewers, on average, more than doubling CNN's 598,000 and more than tripling third-place trailer MSNBC's average audience of 392,000.

Loyal Ticket readers will recall back in May White House official Kareem Dale revealed in a speech that MSNBC was the Obama administration's favorite TV channel. (Also see C-SPAN video below, at the 1:51 mark.)

And that liberal affection seems to have rubbed off on Obama backers, helping the NBC outlet to barely squeak past CNN in weekday prime-time average audience, 946,000 to 939,000.

Our blogging colleague Scott Collins has more on these numbers over at Show Tracker.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Comments

[JenBee]

When is the clueless liberal media going to finally recognize and accept that Fox News is surging in popularity the more left the rest of the media goes. You've come up with lame excuse after lame excuse in an attempt to explain away the popular ratings for Fox News, and time and again, your excuses are proven to fall flat. It's time to wake up and accept that this country - especially now, when it's being systematically disassembled by Mr Obama - does not buy into your far-left positions and ideas, and we are migrating to more moderate and conservative news sources.

However, you can always keep up your leftist, Marxist dribble, continue to fawn over our president instead of accurately and honestly reporting on the damage he is doing to this country, and we will continue to smirk and laugh as we watch the proud, old, liberal media continue to hang itself and die a slow, painful death.

[MrCubbins]

Of course MSNBC and CNN trail FNC. Fox asks the questions most Americans would like answers to. Clearly the media and journalists alike have lost their integrity, fair and balance reporting, in the shadow of their self-inflated ego.

[sand]

yeah fox asks questions conservative right wingers want. Fox, msnbc, CNN should stop dividing our nation even further. Especially fox news the right wing television network.

[Stephen S.]

The truth is, Fox reports stories that people care about that the other networks gloss over because it doesn't fit what they politcally desire. Fox is the only network to give anyone of any religion any kind of say at all. ABC giving air time to Obama and paying for it is ridiculous, and CNN allowed Democratic operatives at a supposedly Republican debate to ask questions.

[john]

My house has switched from CNN to strictly Fox News! I was getting tired of the fawning by CNN and other news media. I happen to like Fox News now...

[steve rodriguez]

Who is this chump who works in the White House talking about MSNBC being the White Houses favorite station?

[Wake Up]

Fox News is and has been pulling the same slow creeping coup that the Fox Network did. It's just more obvious now that there's an administration so far out of touch with reality that they're hemorrhaging viewers and ratings. I mean constituents and poll numbers.

[Mary]

For me, listening to Fox News balances out the left wing bias of so many news channels. It is now my main news source.
But, I would like to know if there is any news source that offers completely unbiased reporting that is neither to the the left or the right. Isn't that what the news should be?

[Arvin]

This is truly disturbing news that Fox news' ratings has soared this 2009 quarter. I think people should take a step back and actual exam not only Fox but also CNN and MSNBC and ask themselves, are these mainstream media outlets really looking out for America's best interest? Are they truly representing us? If you go beyond the infintile debate about socialist this, Marxist this, left-wing, right-wing, you will find that the MAINSTREAM MEDIA is PRO WAR, PRO CORPORATION, ANTI HUMAN RIGHTS and basically, ANTI AMERICAN. MAINSTREAM NEWS is INFO NEWS with no substance, no journalistic responsibility or integrity. It's unfortunate that these news networks do a successful job in convincing the American public to go against their best interest. The solution is to turn off these networks. Look to alternative media news outlets like Democracy Now, Propublica, MotherJones, New York Times and other hosts of non TV reporting. Go beyond TV and delve into print and online. America is intelligent enough to read, to make intelligent decision than being told how to think. Question TV. DON'T TOLERATE MEDIOCRITY.

[Allen]

I used to watch NBC news exclusively but was left wondering about why only positive President Obama news was aired which was dramatically different when Bush was President. After checking out the cable channels, it is obvious that Fox News is the most obective and the only place to get all the news..both bad and good for the President.

[CeCalTerr]

Fox attracts viewers for the same reason people pick up the supermarket tabloids for stories about alien abductions and which celebrities are splitting up - it's sensationalist crap.

Murdoch knows that his bottom line will grow if he foments 'birthers,' 'socialism' and other lies. Faux News exists to relay right-wing Republican talking points. It appeals to simple-minded sheep who want their prejudices reinforced rather than have to think through the issues.

[Will]

Mary,

You asked if there was a news source that was unbiased. I personally don't watch any of the majors, but have found "The Newshour with Jim Lehrer" to be the less biased of all. Well-balanced commentators (not the best of one side and weak ones from the other) on each subject are invited to present their positions with artfully moderation by Leher. Try it for two weeks and see what you think. It's not glitsy or flashy, but more importantly it has the content that truly allows one to achieve a thoughtful position on a subject. To any who say that anything to do with public TV is inherently biased, I would challenge you to reassess that urban myth and watch it for a minimum of two weeks before making a judgement.

[Sean Tracy]

I just watched a youtube video of Peter Schiff debating Lawrence Odonnell on MSNBC. He didn't even let Schiff Talk, he spent the entire time explaining what Peter Schiff's position is, but didn't let him have a chance to explain himself. It might have been the worst interview I've ever seen. It was worse than O'reilly and Hannity when they would argue with anti-bush supporters about the war in Iraq. Both sides resort to smear tactics when they find themselves on the wrong side of the argument. Maybe Fox will learn from all this that people will be more apt to tune into their programs if they avoid doing such things in the future.

[Kristi]

I love Fox news.

I never watch anything else. I gave up years ago with CNN ....and MSNBC has always been a joke.

[Wolfman]

I have no use for fox news.. Hannity calling obama heir bama, a fascist nazi.. Think for a second, are these fair and balanced statements?? Fox news on satellite radio sells heir bama tea shirts!! Wake up people!! If you dont like obama for whatever reason, fine its your choice but do not insult others by calling fox news fair and balanced.. You hate obama fox news hates obama.. Of COURSE fox news is going to be your favorite station.. Just have the balls to admit ... its fixed news..

[intel]

FOX and Rush feed the hate on the right. Conservatives have always been followers and they need someone to follow. FOX news and AM radio (Rush) are perfect for conservatives. Liberals like MSNBC because they can get the truth and argue with the angry people who voted for Bush.

[Charles Stanton]

I have never seen such blatant news bias as with Lawrence ODonnell and Keith Obermann. They are the worst of the worst! At least Rachael Maddow is somewhat civil,although very misguided! MSNBC ought to be ashamed to have two of the most obnoxious people ever to be seen on any TV show! Right minded people shoud boycot their shows and MSNBC should apologize to the American public to have these losers on their station. Charles Stanton

[Jim Courtney]

The fact that Fox news is gaining critical market share does not surprise me. I was watching meet the press this morning, it had Rachael Maddow and Dick Army as guest. Every time a critical question needed to answered Ms. Maddow referred to her talking points in front of her and Dick Army referred to a cup of coffeee in front of him. I like to keep well balanced with information. I also like real opinions not talking points from either side. One has to believe in what they are trying to sell the American people

[mark]

Anyone who insults or is critical of foxnew or people who watch foxsnews are clearly uneducated or just stupid. The role of the media in a free society is to be watch dogs for the public NOT lap dogs. If fox was not around we would basically end up like China, Russia or other totalitarian states.

[Lupin]

Some of the posters here must be joking. 1.2 million is nothing.

NBC: 7,960,000 / ABC: 7,150,000 / CBS: 5,180,000

Since presumably no one watches all three simultaneously, this means 20.3 million people don't watch Fox News.

Fox is still a marginal network, catering to a fringe audience.

[BuckoBell]

Cable news, left and right, is a stormy sea of retarded spirituality, unethical behavior, biased reporting and toxic opinions from egomaniacal personalities. I boycott all that nonsense and diversify my news. Network news around the world and a growing number of internet outlets employ educated, trained ethical JOURNALISTS. If you don't hear who, what when, where and why, then you're listening to opinion. Any info other than the 5 W's is conjecture, speculation and opinion designed to garner favor.

[BuckoBell]

I'd also like to point out that Fox news can brag all they want about their ratings, but 1.5 million viewers a day is half of one percent of the population, making their arguments about a 'Revolution" ludicrous.
Elvis got 60 million viewers in one hour back in 1956.

[nat]

Mary, I couldn't agree with you more. I think that we need an unbiased source of news. Every time that I tune to Fox News I only hear negative things about the Democrat Party and how Obama is the root of all evil. I get the sense that they distortion the news tremendously, that goes to the NBC and MSNBC too.
Jim Courtney, when Bush was president Fox News was a major lap dogs. They idolized everything that the president did and even call all those the opposed him anti democratic. The only difference between Fox News and the other two is that Fox News leans to the right.

[Mr McGruff]

Jim Courtney, news is not an opinion. News is cold hard facts. 1+1=2, that's all I need to know, not if some so called "journalist" thinks that it would look better to the world if the United States made it equal 3. FACTS! Who, what, when, where, why and how. And that means all of the facts, not cutting and pasting crap that fox news does to make things say what they want them to say.

[Big Scary Neocon]

Liberals are only interested in ratings and polls when they can use them to support their leftist arguments. Now that Fox is kicking the pants off of pmsnbc ad nauseam, and now that Obama and the Democrats are going down in flames, according to the numbers, the libs are crying foul. Hypocrisy, to say the least.