CNN falls to last place in ratings for prime-time programs

By Kristi E. Swartz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

At one time Anderson Cooper was the key to pulling CNN ahead of Fox News in the key prime time demographic.

Now, the Atlanta-based network's signature show, as well as the rest of its prime-time lineup, has fallen. Not just behind Fox News, but behind MSNBC and sister network Headline News.

In Nielsen Media Research figures released by the networks  Monday, CNN's prime-time programs fell to fourth place. It's the first time since the network launched more than 20 years ago that it finished last in prime time -- the area all networks rely on the heaviest for advertising.

Buoyed by a tight Obama-Clinton Democratic presidential primary, which led to prime-time shows such as "CNN Election Center," the network enjoyed high ratings prior to President Barack Obama taking office. But media analysts were left wondering if the network had enough in its programming vault to stay at or near the top.

In a statement released Monday, the network said its ratings "are always going to be more dependent on the news environment, much more so than opinion-based programming, especially in prime time."

For October, CNN averaged 202,000 viewers between the ages of 25 and 54, according to Nielsen Media numbers. Bitter rival Fox News continued to dominate the prime-time category, capturing an average 689,000 viewers, the figures showed.

CNN, however, touted its ability to capture more viewers than the other cable networks using a cumulative number. CNN's had an October audience of 98 million viewers, the network said in a release.

Some of the viewers may have simply gone digital. CNN.com, which has always boasted No. 1 in the ratings, got a makeover Monday, one that executives said made it "uncluttered" and "easier to navigate." The site added additional outlets for video and photos as well as an opinion section that tries to play to a spectrum of political views.