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| Catch Jeff Crouere at Ringside Politics |
In a country of 330 million Americans, only 11, 000 people in the key 25-54 year old demographic were watching the afternoon programming on the disaster known as MSNBC in the last rating period. These horrific ratings were the lowest registered by the network in a decade. It was not much better at the other time periods for the early January ratings for the broadcast day on MSNBC averaged only 55,000 viewers.
Compared to last year, total viewership on MSNBC is down 20 percent in the daytime and 23 percent in prime time. The yearly declines are even greater in the key 25-54 year old demographic, the one coveted by advertisers.
While the MSNBC audience is tanking, the viewership on Fox News is strong. In the afternoon, 20 times more people are watching Fox News than MSNBC. This means that Fox is the unquestioned cable news giant.
It is so bad for MSNBC that even the controversial start-up network Al-Jazeera had twice as many afternoon viewers. When a network is bested by a competitor known for providing sympathetic coverage to radical Islamists it is time for a programming change.
With plummeting ratings, it was no surprise that MSNBC announced this week the cancellation of two afternoon programs. The shows airing from 1-3 pm Eastern, “Ronan Farrow Daily” and “The Reid Report,” will be cancelled at the end of the month.
The changes are part of MSNBC President Phil Griffin’s plan to move toward a “more news focused line-up.” However, such promises ring hollow as the network features a prime time line-up composed exclusively of liberals.
If Griffin wants to grow his audience he should try more balanced programming. The two cancelled programs were hosted by hard core liberals Ronan Farrow and Joy Ann Reid. They will be replaced by Thomas Roberts who will host a two hour program. Unfortunately, Roberts is another liberal who had previously failed in an earlier attempt to host a show.
Currently, MSNBC is officially irrelevant with ratings so low that local community access programs undoubtedly have better audience numbers. Clearly, viewers are shunning the inexperienced and liberal hosts offered by the network.
For example, Ronan Farrow was a youngster hired due to his celebrity status. His mother is Mia Farrow, an actress, and his biological father is reportedly Frank Sinatra. Sadly for Farrow his blue eyes were not enough to keep his program on the air.
Farrow had no business hosting any serious show, but MSNBC is the same network that has given programs to the likes of Andrea Mitchell, Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow, and Al Sharpton. In America today, few people want to watch leftists apologize for an unpopular President. It should be no surprise that MSNBC is suffering the same fate as Air America, the doomed liberal talk radio network.
Viewers who want liberal programming have options. They can watch CNN, which is not so obvious, or watch a variety of left wing commentators on Fox or tune in to evening news programs on the broadcast networks. News bulletin: Brian Williams and his evening news colleagues are card carrying liberals.
The demise of MSNBC proves again that America is not a liberal nation. The country is not clamoring for liberal anchors pontificating for more government programs, higher taxes, and climate change legislation. Americans want fair and balanced journalism, which is provided by Fox News, and why they are the cable news leader.
To be relevant again, MSNBC should cancel its entire programming schedule. The network should start fresh with a clean slate of hosts. Such a move is not a gamble for anyone who can read a teleprompter can do a better job than Al Sharpton.
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Jeff Crouere is a native of New Orleans, LA and he is the host of a Louisiana based program, “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 10:00 p.m. Sunday on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 7 till 11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore.
For more information, visit his web site at www.ringsidepolitics.com or email Jeff at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com.
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