NYT: Viewers Flee MSNBC

[TheBigA]

New York Times reports that post-election, viewers are leaving MSNBC, while ratings rise for Fox News:

Viewers Flee MSNBC, and Flock to Fox News, in Wake of Election

Prime-time viewership at MSNBC has fallen 53 percent from October, and jumped 21 percent on Fox News.

www.nytimes.com

I doubt they mean the former MSNBC viewers are becoming Fox Viewers. Here's more reporting on this story:

MSNBC Ratings Plummet as Democrats Grow Weary

The left-of-center network had only a fraction of the viewers that Fox News has been able to pull in since Donald Trump’s victory.

www.thedailybeast.com

Here Comes the Karma Bus! CNN, MSNBC Get Brutal Reality Check After Donald Trump Destroys Kamala Harris

Trump broke them.

conservativebrief.com

 

[Deleted member 108832]

New York Times reports that post-election, viewers are leaving MSNBC, while ratings rise for Fox News:

Viewers Flee MSNBC, and Flock to Fox News, in Wake of Election

Prime-time viewership at MSNBC has fallen 53 percent from October, and jumped 21 percent on Fox News.

www.nytimes.com

I doubt they mean the former MSNBC viewers are becoming Fox Viewers. Here's more reporting on this story:

MSNBC Ratings Plummet as Democrats Grow Weary

The left-of-center network had only a fraction of the viewers that Fox News has been able to pull in since Donald Trump’s victory.

www.thedailybeast.com

Here Comes the Karma Bus! CNN, MSNBC Get Brutal Reality Check After Donald Trump Destroys Kamala Harris

Trump broke them.

conservativebrief.com

When you sit there for hours on end and continually tell your audience that the race was close, the race was tight, when it was quickly becoming obvious that she didn't stand a chance, you tend to lose credibility. Blue wave, my redneck keister. Fox is no better, of course. The pendulum just swings the opposite way over there.

NewsNation, if we're being honest, presented Election Night about as fairly and accurately as one could have wanted. They really deserve a tip of the hat for how they handled themselves throughout the proceedings.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Agreed and also Wait until 2026 when the Mid-term elections pop and expect Cable News and political podcasts to ramp up. Since we are heading to an odd number year expect Cable news and political podcasts to be down. It does not shock me to see MSNBC down given its post election.

 

[TheBigA]

When you sit there for hours on end and continually tell your audience that the race was close, the race was tight, when it was quickly becoming obvious that she didn't stand a chance, you tend to lose credibility.

I don't think credibility is the problem. I don't recall them ever talking about a blue wave. Kornacki was pretty spot on with his predictions.

I agree with the view that most people are just worn out and want to think about something else.

 

[radiofan2023]

KCJJ will break in to run CNN segments, but I usually just turn it down when that happens. I just listen to the top of the hour CBS News reports for national news.

 

[gr8oldies]

When you sit there for hours on end and continually tell your audience that the race was close, the race was tight, when it was quickly becoming obvious that she didn't stand a chance, you tend to lose credibility. Blue wave, my redneck keister. Fox is no better, of course. The pendulum just swings the opposite way over there.

NewsNation, if we're being honest, presented Election Night about as fairly and accurately as one could have wanted. They really deserve a tip of the hat for how they handled themselves throughout the proceedings.

It didn't help that CNN and even "sanewashed" Trump's most unhinged and most dark and deranged rants. I don't know that the polling could have anticipated the last minute rush of young male voters voters who only voted the top of the ticket.

 

[Gregg.]

According to this NY Times article, MSNBC lost viewers when Trump was elected in 2016. Then Fox lost viewers when Biden was elected in 2020. Now MSNBC has lost viewers again with Trump's reelection.

I'm sure it's temporary. People who were rooting for a candidate are taken aback when that person doesn't win. Gradually, they will reengage as the new administration takes power.

 

[TheBigA]

The bigger problem here is less viewers means less money. We already know news on TV is in trouble, with two news channels shutting down.

Could we see a big change at either CNN or MSNBC? There's a lot of pressure at CNN given the problems at WBD.

 

[PTBoardOp93]

Could we see a big change at either CNN or MSNBC?

Would anyone cry if they went away completely?

 

[TheBigA]

Would anyone cry if they went away completely?

Would anyone cry if most of the cable channels went away?

 

[TheRob]

I agree it is simply self-care. Touch grass, as they say. MSNBC viewers will return, but probably slowly.

 

[Fighting Irish]

The election's over. Makes sense that people are turning off the news for now. The media is over-spinning this.

 

[Larry]

As a news junkie I can completely understand. CNN has been my main source of television news but since the election I have gotten my news from radio, reading (newspapers online), local tv news and half hour broadcast nightly newscast. I have not watched any cable news since Election Day. I’m sure this will change in time but right now I don’t need the analysis and over analysis from cable news.

 

[AM-FM-DXer]

I don't think credibility is the problem. I don't recall them ever talking about a blue wave. Kornacki was pretty spot on with his predictions.

I agree with the view that most people are just worn out and want to think about something else.

With the shock of the results for many of us, I agree that avoidance seems to be the strategy.

To that end, there was not nearly as much "freak out" on MSNBC this year compared to 2016 - particularly on Morning Joe. I am wondering if the network execs dictated the more measured response or the hosts fear reprisals from the Trump Administration.

 

[kevtronics]

I am wondering if the network execs dictated the more measured response or the hosts fear reprisals from the Trump Administration.

No need to fear. It has already come true:

Steve Bannon Threatens Ari Melber, Says Matt Gaetz’s DOJ Is Coming For Him And ‘All The Producers of MSNBC’

Steve Bannon told MSNBC's Ari Melber and “all you hosts” at the network they had better “lawyer up” because Matt Gaetz’s Justice Department is coming for them.

www.mediaite.com

 

[formerradio]

While fewer viewers will translate to lower ad revenue. I think the main drop in revenue is the continuing cutting of the cord. I would expect MSNBC and CNN to get most of their revenue from carriage fees. And as home across America keep cutting the cord, those fees received just keep going down. Like the old saying goes, you can't control your revenue, but you can control your expenses.

 

[TheBigA]

While fewer viewers will translate to lower ad revenue. I think the main drop in revenue is the continuing cutting of the cord. I would expect MSNBC and CNN to get most of their revenue from carriage fees. And as home across America keep cutting the cord, those fees received just keep going down. Like the old saying goes, you can't control your revenue, but you can control your expenses.

Which may be why Comcast is talking about spinning off its cable networks:

https://radiodiscussions.com/threads/comcast-exploring-spinoff-of-nbcu-cable-networks-into-new-company.773775/#post-6767254

There is no future growth in linear channels. Just like there's no future growth in linear radio.

 

[bigdonho]

Wasn't there a move at one time to allow you to select your cable channels ala carte? There are so many I have never watched and probably never will watch. (Fox News, ESPN, OAN, Home Shopping, etc.) It sort of galls me to be supporting these channels I never watch and have a moral problem with what they broadcast.

As for MSNBC and CNN viewership dropping, I think many people are like me and are avoiding news as much as possible for a while.

 

[gr8oldies]

Wasn't there a move at one time to allow you to select your cable channels ala carte? There are so many I have never watched and probably never will watch. (Fox News, ESPN, OAN, Home Shopping, etc.) It sort of galls me to be supporting these channels I never watch and have a moral problem with what they broadcast.

As for MSNBC and CNN viewership dropping, I think many people are like me and are avoiding news as much as possible for a while.

That's kind of where we are with streaming.

 

[Gregg.]

I think this story is being a bit overblown. MSNBC and CNN are still quite profitable. CNN is seen worldwide. MSNBC has plenty of viewers. They don't have the viewership of Fox but few cable networks do. The point is, viewership is down after the election. But as with the last time Trump won, it will dip and come back.

Are all linear TV and radio operations someday going to change? Yes. Is that day here? Not yet.

I think it's interesting that all the major news operations have streaming services as well. NBC News Now, CBS News 24/7, ABC News Live, Live NOW from FOX, they all stream for free and are on Pluto, You Tube, Roku and other streaming services. The real cable channels are better. But if you don't want to pay, this is available to you instead.