The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney

29 June 2006

Glenn Beck, Ratings, CNN - Headline News

SINKING FAST

Beck's TV Ratings Trend Not Promising





Has CNN's decision to hire "conservative" host Glenn Beck for the Headline News Channel proven to be a disaster? Based on recent ratings data, the answer appears to be a big yes.

According to TVNewser, a left- leaning cable news blog, the numbers don't look good:


When he premiered in May, he averaged 81,000 demo and 167,000 total viewers. In June, he sagged a bit, averaging 76,000 demo and 163,000 total viewers.

Now his show airs several times a night -- at 7, 9, and midnight -- so Headline News will point out that he actually gets three times as many viewers. But let's look at his individual time slots. At 7pm, Beck averaged 79,000 demo viewers in June. Showbiz Tonight averaged just a few thousand less last June. And he's actually down 19 percent among total viewers for the hour.

At 9pm, Beck is losing viewers for Headline News. In June 2005, Prime News Tonight averaged 110,000 demo and 317,000 total viewers. In June 2006, Beck averaged 82,000 demo and 196,000 total viewers -- declines of 25 and 38 percent respectively. Maybe Beck's premiere poll, "When Will the TV Show Get Cancelled," wasn't a joke...


From the beginning, the Radio Equalizer has questioned CNN's motives in hiring the cartoonish Beck, who has a history of making foolish statements that damage the conservative cause. We've argued that the right shouldn't be held accountable for either his crazy statements or professional failings.

Beck also lacks a history of working with the right on important issues in a constructive manner. In fact, even now, many Republicans have still likely never heard of him. So where's his built-in cable audience base?

While his radio show does perform well in certain cities, Beck is largely the creation of a particular corporate radio executive. As a result, when it comes to this syndicated talker, we're in the awkward and rare position of agreement with several lefty websites.


Why does Beck so frequently provide fodder for leftist critics? We have no idea, but here's the latest example, from Media Matters:


From the June 28 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Glenn Beck Program:

BECK: Everybody always thinks if you're in the press, you just -- you have to believe that the government is evil, don't you think? I think that's the first thing in Journalism 101 they teach you -- the government is evil and you must take them down at all costs. Or, how is it that they all have that attitude? That's what I'd like to know. That's, you know -- that's the number-one thing on the declaration of principles that I would like to see The New York Times print. Because, you know, we're always saying, "Aw, they don't understand us." Well, I don't understand them. I don't know who these people are.

How can you be fighting for the same things that Al Qaeda wants, you know? Can you imagine -- can you imagine The New York Times coming out and saying "Hey, the ovens aren't so bad," back in World War II? Can you imagine that? I don't know; sure, there are some Jews in there, but I bet they might make some good pizzas in there too. What are you -- what? The New York Times is just -- I don't get it. I don't understand it. Except that I really truly believe that they believe that we're a bad nation, or at least our government is bad and has always been bad. "You know, we've been passing out those smallpox blankets to Indians."


With this sort of irresponsible language, why does Beck consistently sabotage otherwise sound viewpoints? We have no idea, but it couldn't be more harmful to the cause, if it's one he actually subscribes to.


UPDATE: sure enough, Beck is providing fodder for the likes of Olbermann tonight. This situation stinks.

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Some images: GlennBeck.com

12 Comments:

  • It's not unusual for CNN to hire not-so-bright Conservatives in order to present them as typical of the Conservative movement. Think Tucker Carlson.

    By Blogger Jim Rose, at 29 June, 2006 17:07  

  • Of course Beck is going to sink at CNN. The cable station is to the left of Castro so it's inevidable.

    By Blogger Capitalist Infidel, at 29 June, 2006 17:12  

  • I think that the Beck fiasco is yet another example of the fact that television and radio (and the movies) are very different mediums, and success in one does not tell anything about the ability to perform in another.

    The list of people who have tried to move from Radio to TV unsuccessfully is a long one - and about to grow by one.

    By Blogger Lokki, at 29 June, 2006 17:38  

  • Samseder:

    Part two was pushed back because of other breaking news (Rush), my radio schedule, and additional research that is underway.

    Other breaking news will be dealt with first, so the rest of the Randi story will appear well after the 4th holiday.

    By Blogger Brian Maloney, at 29 June, 2006 22:14  

  • Hey Rightwingwanker and SemenSeeder,

    Just wanted to let you know that your vitriolic diatribes are occasionally amusing. Even though you've (and the other crackpots) have had a real tough month in June, I'm sure you'll come up with some clever new psychotic ideas in July.

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 30 June, 2006 00:30  

  • rightwingwhiner said...

    "Call me a "loon" all you want..."


    Loon.

    By Blogger Lokki, at 30 June, 2006 17:35  

  • Summer ratings suck for everyone except a wet t-shirt reality show.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 03 July, 2006 07:34  

  • You are completely missing the point, not about the ratings but about Beck himself. He is TRYING to be different from Limbaugh, Hannity, etc. He says stupid stuff... well if you actually listened to him once in a while, you might realise that he is totally aware of that, and is TRYING to do that! Saying that he hurts the conservative cause is as absurd as saying that Chris Rock hurts the liberal cause. Hello? He's an entertainer. He says so himself. He does get very serious at times, but even then he usually does so in a sarcastic or comical fashion, and pretty much everything he says needs to be taken with about 2 pounds of salt.

    By Blogger Justin, at 06 October, 2006 10:35  

  • I'm just going to ignore the insane rantings found in the comments above from the far-too-Left and too-far-Right (didn't bother to read enough to know if there are any too-Right people, but there were definitely too-far-Leftists) :

    FACT: Glenn Beck's special on CNN Headline News, Exposed: The Radical Agenda, November 15 2006, received:
    - Not just the highest ratings for its slot, but THE HIGHEST RATINGS FOR THE NIGHT ACROSS ALL CABLE NEWS PROGRAMS
    - THE SECOND HIGHEST RATINGS HEADLINES NEWS HAS EVER RECEIVED.

    By Blogger Glynth, at 17 November, 2006 20:32  

  • Too bad you must either toe the line for the left or toe the line for the right to be accepted by some people. Glenn Beck is a Conservative who is not bound by party politics. It is refreshing. His opinions are Frank, to the point and utterly devoid of Political Correctness. Again refreshing. The world needs less Rush Limbaughs and Al Frankins and more Glenn Becks!

    By Blogger conservativevirginian, at 23 May, 2007 11:29  

  • Lol !!! Boy were you wrong!!! His ratings have sky rocketed since, and currently has a new york times Best seller! I am willing to bet the ratings were terrible early on because lets face it, CNN & CNN Headline News isn't exactly where you go to find conservative points of view .!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 17 December, 2007 06:01  

  • THIS IS THE ONLY SHOW I WATCH EACH AND EVERY NIGHT! I KNOW IT WOULD APPEAR TO BE BORING WHEN VIEWED BY A LOW I.Q. LEMMING WITH NO THOUGHT PROCESSES CURRENTLY ENABLED BUT TO ME, I MUST CHALLENGE MY BRAIN A LITTLE AT LEAST AND NOT MARCH IN LINE LIKE A "NICE LITTLE MORON SOLDIER FOR THE MASSES". I HATE DEMOCRATS (LEMMINGS), I HATE REPUBLICANS (DEMOCRATS) AND I LIKE GLENN BECK, A NONCONFORMIST THINKING HUMANOID!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 29 May, 2008 21:27  

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