TV Ratings: CNN Tanks In Key Demo

Ratings-challenged CNN hit rock bottom in a key viewership demographic last weekend — another sign of the difficulties facing incoming boss Mark Thompson.

The NY Post reports the cable news network logged its worst weekend ratings on record in the all important 25- to 54-year-old demo, according to the latest Nielsen data released Tuesday.

CNN — which launched in 1980 and bills itself as “the most trusted name in news” — totaled just 55,000 viewers for its weekend slate of shows that include Sunday political programs “State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash,” and “Fareed Zakaria GPS.”

The network’s Sunday primetime lineup, which featured “The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper” and “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy,” drew 43,000 in the demo.

The ratings are the network’s worst since 1991 — the earliest TV data is readily available. Data prior to 1991 is largely not digitized.

CNN’s overall viewership wasn’t much better.

The network logged 345,000 total viewers, trailing Fox News’ 683,000 and MSNBC’s 424,000. Fox won the battle in the key demo as well, drawing 75,000 viewers to top MSNBC’s 47,000, which finished behind CNN.

“CNN is a ratings embarrassment,” an industry insider said. “At least with Thompson they will have a direction.”