CNN Records Lowest Primetime Viewership Since 1991

Declining Ratings for CNN

According to recent reports, CNN has seen its lowest primetime ratings in more than three decades. This is a clear sign of the dwindling audience for traditional television news and increasingly left-leaning media outlets. The New York Post reported that during the week of May 13th to May 19th, CNN's primetime programming between 8 PM and 11 PM only attracted 83,000 viewers in the key demographic of 25 to 54-year-olds.

Comparative Ratings

During the same time period, Fox News attracted over 186,000 viewers from the same demographic, while MSNBC managed to pull in 111,000 viewers. The primetime lineup for CNN includes Anderson Cooper’s “AC360” at 8 PM, “The Source with Kaitlan Collins” at 9 PM, and “CNN NewsNight,” hosted by Abby Phillip, at 10 PM. The overall weekly performance for the channel was a mere 494,000 viewers. In contrast, Fox News had over 2 million viewers and MSNBC had 1.1 million viewers in the same week, as per Nielsen Ratings.

Management Under Scrutiny

The poor performance has placed CNN's new boss, Mark Thompson, and the CEO of CNN’s parent company Discovery, David Zaslav, under intense scrutiny. An anonymous TV news producer commented, "Thompson better get his act together before he completely destroys CNN. It seems like he’s thrown in the towel regarding cable." Zaslav, after becoming CEO of Discovery, tried to reverse CNN's decline by hiring Chris Licht to run the network. However, Licht left after just 13 months, and was replaced by Thompson, who left the primetime lineup unchanged, focusing instead on revamping the morning lineup.

Attempts to Spin the Numbers

Despite the dismal figures, a CNN spokesperson attempted to present a positive spin, claiming that the channel’s primetime ratings are "all growing year over year" among the 25-54 age group. The spokesperson further claimed that if the 7 PM program “Erin Burnett Outfront” and the midnight rebroadcast of Anderson Cooper’s show were included in the primetime lineup, CNN would be "registering double-digit, year-over-year growth" in its ratings. However, an anonymous media insider commented, "CNN’s new name is Canceled Network Now. Young people are as interested in Anderson Cooper as they are in Liza Minnelli."

Final Thoughts

It's interesting to see how traditional news outlets are struggling to maintain their viewership in the face of changing media consumption habits. Is this a sign of the times, or is there more to it? What are your thoughts on this decline in viewership for CNN? Do you think they can turn it around? Share this article with your friends and let's get a conversation going. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is delivered every day at 6pm.