Ratings are in for the major cable stations covering the Boston tragedy and subsequent manhunt between Monday and Thursday. In the midst of tragedy, numerous deaths, and property destruction, we can take comfort in the fact that the news networks, at least, were not suffering. On a more serious note, news network ratings across the board benefited from the breaking news story, and the next few paragraphs will outline which network triumphed and which faltered.
Fox News Channel averaged 2.78 million total viewers during primetime this week. That’s better than the numbers CNN and MSNBC did during the same slot. Additionally, Fox News led the charge when it came to total day averages. According to THR, the network averaged 1.65 million total viewers between Monday and Thursday. Elsewhere on the other networks, CNN averaged 1.05 million total viewers up until Thursday and poor MSNBC rounded out the bottom, avering just 515,000 total viewers, despite some major flubs on CNN's end.
Ratings were at a peak during the attacks toward the end of the Boston Marathon on Monday. Of course, Friday’s breaking news update numbers are bound to increase those ratings somewhat, at least during the daytime and early evening hours before the second suspect in the case, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was apprehended in a boat in Watertown, Massachusetts.
I’ve honestly been sticking with Brian Williams and NBC whenever possible, but that hasn’t always been a possibility, with local feeds and original programming sometimes taking over. However, in the ratings war, Fox News Channel was clearly king, and whether or not you are a fan of the network, kudos to the network’s anchors, including Shepard Smith, for putting in the hours and the work to bring up-to-date information into homes.
Photo Credit@ Fox News Insider
