CableTV News Ratings: Fox News Again Most Watched Cable Channel

October 2016 was the most-watched month for Fox News in prime time since October 2012. According to TV Newser, the network also set a new record as the most-watched basic cable network for the 5th month this year, both in prime time and in total day.

FNC was up +74 percent in total prime time viewers and up +126 percent in the 25-54 demo vs. the same month last year, marking its top month in both measurements since October 2012.

Megyn Kelly

Fox News edged CNN by 5,000 A25-54 viewers in weekday prime time (Mon-Fri, 8 – 11 p.m.), but fell to its rival in the demo during the standard Monday – Sunday prime time daypart. While Fox News continues to win weekdays, weekends are proving a bit more problematic, particularly when it comes to capturing viewers in the demo.

The Kelly File finished October as the No. 1 cable news program in the demo, delivering 641,000 viewers (+71 percent) and 2,984,000 total viewers (+34 percent).

TV Newser also reports CNN had a record-setting October. The network grew from its October 2015 averages by triple digit percentages with significant year-over-year growth in prime time viewers (+100 percent), total day viewers (+100 percent), prime time viewers from the A25-54 demo (+140 percent) and total day viewers from the demo (+134 percent.)

Perhaps the cable news ratings story of the month is CNN’s victory in the key news demo across multiple dayparts. The network won the prime time demo in February, April and July this year, but it hasn’t won a month in the demo in both the prime time and total day dayparts since 2001.

As for MSNBC, TV Newser reports in October 2016, MSNBC drew its most total viewers ever in both weekday prime (Mon – Fri, 8-11 p.m.) and total day (Mon-Sun 6 a.m. – 6 a.m.). MSNBC also drew its largest total day and weekday prime audiences in the key A25-54 demo since the last presidential election (since November 2012).