Categories: OLD Media Moves

Fox Business bests CNBC during convention

For the first time ever, Fox Business Network beat its competition in total viewers tuning in for the week, according to Nielsen ratings released late Friday, reports Joe Concha of The Hill.

Concha writes, “While Fox News has been number one in cable news since 2001, Fox Business had never before beaten CNBC in both total day and prime-time in the network’s nine-year history.

“Overall for the four days of the Republican National Convention this week, Fox Business topped CNBC 178,000 to 162,000 in total day and 363,000 to 290,000 in primetime.

“CNBC, however, still beat Fox Business in the ages 25-54 demographic overall for the week, including a 107,000 to 76,000 advantage in primetime.

“For the final night of coverage, which featured Republican nominee Donald Trump’s acceptance speech, Fox Business — anchored by Trish Regan and Lou Dobbs — won in both total viewers (398,000 to 250,000) and the demographic (96,000 to 80,000). Regan is a former anchor and reporter for CNBC.

“In 2012, Fox Business beat CNBC in primetime as well, but lost in total day.”

Read more here. Nielsen does not measure audiences who watch on trading floors and in offices.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.