CNN Shows Primetime Gains in September; Has Significant Growth from Last Quarter

HIGHLIGHTS:

• CNN showed primetime gains in September vs. a year ago;
• Erin Burnett OutFront has best month ever;
• AC 360 (10pm) is highest rated show on the network in the key demo;
• Piers Morgan Tonight is highest rated show on the network in total viewers;
• September represents CNN’s 4th month of growth in both total viewers and demo in total day since May 2012 lows;
• CNN has significant growth this quarter vs. last quarter (Q3 2012 vs. Q2 2012);
• FNC is down the most in primetime in Q3 vs. a year ago.

September 2012 vs. a Year Ago:

Prime (M-F): up +37% in total viewers (1.058m vs. 773k)/up +35% (345k vs. 255k)

Total Day: up +5% in total viewers (473k vs. 449k)

September Show Highlights:

OutFront with Erin Burnett is up +6% in total viewers (528k vs. 498k). September represents Burnett’s best showing ever since her October launch a year ago among total viewers (528k).
AC 360 at 8pm is posting its best delivery in total viewers (606k) since November 2011 and its best since February of this year in the key demo 25-54 (179k).
Piers Morgan Tonight is up +3% in total viewers (651k vs. 629k). This month also represents Morgan’s best month in both total viewers (651k) and demo (186k) since February this year.
State of the Union with Candy Crowley (9 am) is up +18% in total viewers (385k vs. 325k).
Fareed Zakaria: GPS (10 am) is up +15% in total viewers (509k vs. 443k).

Piers Morgan Tonight remains the top program on CNN in total viewers during the month of September (651k) and AC 360 at 10 pm is the network’s top rated show in the key demo 25-54 (187k).

During the month of September, CNN reached a cumulative audience of 94.4million, FNC followed with 83.2m and MSNBC had 81.4m.

Third Quarter 2012 vs. Last Quarter:

All CNN programs are up Q3 vs. last quarter (Q2 2012) in both total viewers and key demo 25-54

CNN grew the most in primetime (3Q vs. 2Q 2012)

Prime (M-F): up +46% in total viewers (686k vs. 470k)/up +52% in demo (216k vs. 142k)

Total Day: up +22% in total viewers (388k vs. 319k)/up +23% in demo (118k vs. 96k)

Show Highlights:

Starting Point with Soledad O’Brien is up +16% in total viewers (263k vs. 227k)/up +15% in demo (99k vs. 86k)
Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer (6 pm) is up +26% in total viewers (469k vs. 371k)/up +45% in demo (128k vs. 88k)
OutFront with Erin Burnett is up +19% in total viewers (429k vs. 362k)/up +20% in demo (125k vs. 104k)
Anderson Cooper 360 (8pm) is up +20% in total viewers (532k vs. 444k)/up +21% in demo (156k vs. 129k)
Piers Morgan Tonight is up +11% in total viewers (553k vs. 496k)/up +12% in demo (154k vs. 138k)
AC 360 (10pm) is up +5% in total viewers (495k vs. 473k)/up +6% in demo (167k vs. 158k)

Piers Morgan had the highest rated show on the network in total viewers during the third quarter (553k).

Anderson Cooper had the highest rated show on the network in the key demo 25-54 during the third quarter (167k).

Compared to a year ago, Fox News in primetime is down the most in the key demo 25-54 Q3 vs. a year ago (Q3 2011) – declining -10% (487k vs. 539k), CNN is off -7% (216k vs. 233k) and MSNBC is up +34% (341k vs. 254k).

During the third quarter of 2012, more Americans watched the presidential conventions on CNN than any other cable news channel. In primetime (8-11p), CNN reached a cumulative audience of 30.3 million total viewers and 11.9 million among the key demo A25-54 during the RNC/DNC 6- day rollup. Fox News followed with 30.2m total viewers and 10.6m in adults 25-54, while MSNBC garnered 21.1m total viewers and 8.3m in the key demo adults 25-54.

For the third quarter, CNN reached an average monthly cumulative audience of 86.6million, FNC had 76.8m and MSNBC (excluding Olympics programming) averaged 76.7m.

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