Increased viewers with economic crisis

Richard Huff of the New York Daily News writes Saturday about the increased number of viewers for cable network shows due to the economic crisis.

Huff writes, “And with the general cable news networks, where the news is spread between the economy and politics, the audiences are up by double digits during the daytime hours, according to Nielsen Media Research statistics.

“‘This situation needs no heightened hyperbole; it speaks for itself,’ said Fox Business Network anchor Liz Claman. ‘We’re trying really hard to be calm, considered and thoughtful. We’re trying to rise above the fray.’

“‘So many Americans are invested in one way or another in the market,’ CNBC anchor Melissa Francis said yesterday. ‘More and more people are realizing how much of that spills over into other areas of in the market.’

“Audience levels from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. are up for all of the news networks, ranging from 12% for CNN Headline News to 73% for CNBC.”

Read more here.