Beck hits ratings low, Maddow tops Morgan

[kpete]

Beck hits ratings low, Maddow tops Morgan

The January ratings are in and Glenn Beck had his worst performance since his Fox show started in January of 2009, drawing just 397,000 viewers in the 25-54 demographic and 1.762 total viewers. He still wins the 5 p.m. time slot, though, with MSNBC’s “Hardball” coming in second.

Despite the fanfare surrounding the rollout of CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight” at 9 p.m. and some strong ratings out of the gate, it came in third place during its first two weeks, behind “Hannity” and “The Rachel Maddow Show.”

UPDATE: While “Piers Morgan Tonight” lost in the more traditional measures, CNN points out that it did beat Maddow in the younger 18-49 demographic, averaging 217,000 viewers vs. Maddow’s 198,000 for those two weeks.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/0211/Beck_hits_ratings_low_Maddow_tops_Morgan.html?showall

[grasswire]

1. keep in mind that Keith was still on air during most of that time.

So in order to get a true comparison, we will have to wait til Feb ratings.

Of course ratings this week might be skewed by Egypt coverage -- more people watching CNN than would normally do so, perhaps.

[RamboLiberal]

12. Last Feb/March KO was off because of his late Father's Illness

So even then comparison is not going to be valid since KO was off for an extended period straddling Feb/March & O' Donnell was sitting in for most of those nights.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

2. I know educated right wingers who actually take Beck seriously.

I can understand uneducated rubes falling for Beck's act. But people who have been to top colleges and grad schools? What this clown who didn't even go to school past high school puts on reading glasses and now he's going to be America's wingnut professor of crazy-ass conspiracy theories?

[Uben]

4. You can have a hundred college degrees but they are worthless..

...if you have no common sense. I know lots of people like that. They do their time in college, get their little piece of paper, and are still just as stupid as they were before college. If you don't have intelligence before college, you're not going to have it afterwards. They don't sell intelligence, they sell degrees.

[Erose999]

13. I know "educated" people who have never even entered a library. It doesn't take much to get a degree

anymore. Some of my former schoolmates supplement their income by writing research papers for other people. Most of the core classes are just a repetition of what was learned in High School, or are like a survey of non-specific knowledge. And with courses like PE and basketweaving for electives, a student can pretty much breeze through college without much intellectual challenge.

[SoCalDem]

3. Morgan will flop

most people don't know who he is, and his guests are pretty much the same ole same ole.

probably people "watched" LK, because they were too lazy to change the channel anyway.

[Dappleganger]

5. I know who he is which is why I won't watch him.

[immoderate]

8. Yeah, it's marketing to people who are not me.

Piers Morgan! Oh goody. Is there anything on TV?

--imm

[Raine]

10. Same here, I've never been able to stomach him. nt

[Leithan]

6. Po' wittle Glenny

:cry:

[lpbk2713]

7. I really don't think BecKKK's ratings matter much to Ailes and Murdoch.

They keep him on because he's a good propagandist in their estimation.

[Erose999]

14. He's probably always gonna win that 5pm timeslot. Theres pretty much nothing else on cable at that

time for the Teabag set to watch. If a competing network were to put something else the old codgers like to watch like reruns of "Matlock" or "Walker Texas Ranger" on in that timeslot, Beck's audience would shrink a LOT.

[du_da]

9. Beck's appeal factor is very easy to understand

when you put aside content and look purely at method.
* First he speaks very plainly and doesn't speak down to the audience. Note he speaks down to us, we are not his intended audience. Although pretty much everyone in that industry acknowledges the importance of this presentation skill, it is still a trait that is rare in that industry's top talent. Maddow has a similar appeal but I would argue less so to the centrists as her jokes sometimes hit across the spectrum which is a little putting off to the casual viewer. Beck purposely tries to avoid that. Other than those two, pretty much the rest of the opinion shows on either side of the opinion spectrum, speak down to the audience and listeners/viewers aren't really fond of that and it shows when they have an alternative that doesn't do it.
* Secondly, he spends a lot of time taking shots at himself, that is a very humanizing technique.
* Lastly, although he presents information with a twist to reflect his opinion and a heavy twist at that, he also spends a great deal of time presenting historical information, even if often leaving out context or making many questionable correlations. He then turns around and tells the viewer not to take his word for it but to do their own homework. That is very engaging format especially for someone that is already leaning that direction. Not to mention the later technique comes with the added benefit of creating trust without any real threat of the people actually going to do the research. He is not the first person to use it, politicians often do this as well.

If Beck could learn not to be melodramatic and cut down heavily on the conspiracy topics then his format would be much more effective as a ratings builder especially considering how well he did ratings wise in what is not a great time slot to begin with. However, I don't think his TV show would do so well though without the radio show to back him up and advertise his upcoming TV content. If memory serves isn't he on first thing in the morning thus covering some of the morning drive. Business wise he is holding himself back. I think we would all question if he is capable of doing otherwise.

[Jokinomx]

11. Channel surfed to see Beck and O'rielly ... it reminded me of All Star Wrestling.. the stories

they were spinning would make Hulk Hogan proud.

Beck had fear in his eyes ... I think he realizes that more and more people are waking up to his rambling like followers of a cult slowly wake up to the fact that their beloved leader was using them.

Bill did his best to prop him up but even Bill had a tough time staying in tune with him.

Peace