Tuesday, December 31, 2019

CNN’s ‘Reliable Sources’ Hits Rock Bottom

CNN’s beleaguered media show “Reliable Sources” with Brian Stelter hit an embarrassing new low on Dec. 22, when it averaged only 85,000 viewers among a key age group, reports Fox News.

Stelter regularly touts the significance of the news demographic of adults age 25-54 but the dismal performance marked his lowest viewership of 2019 in the category.

The dismal performance from Stelter came as Fox News’ “Media Buzz,” a direct timeslot competitor, thumped CNN’s “Reliable Sources” across the board in 2019.

Stelter’s “Reliable Sources” averaged only 748,000 total viewers for the year prior to its 2019 finale on Dec. 29, while “Media Buzz” averaged 1.3 million over the same time period. In addition, CNN’s Sunday morning media show lost 12 percent of its viewers compared to 2018, while “Media Buzz” kept its audience with nearly identical year-to-year averages.

Among the demo, “Reliable Sources” averaged only 167,000 viewers during 2019 compared to 227,000 for “Media Buzz” prior to the Dec. 29 episodes.

The 2019 demo low of “Reliable Sources” on Dec. 22 occurred on the same day that “Media Buzz” topped its yearly demo viewership, averaging 298,000 age 25-54 viewers for its third-best performance of the year, indicating the holiday season is not what kept viewers away from CNN.

Stelter, the “Reliable Sources” host who also pens a media newsletter by the same name, has pivoted from straight news about journalism to focusing on President Trump. Earlier this month, Stelter was mocked for tweeting “journalists shouldn't advocate for an outcome” when it comes to impeachment, as he has been among the outspoken media members who openly criticize Trump on a regular basis.

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