CNN, one of the most popular American cable news networks since it debuted in the 1980s, has encountered a ratings decline during 2010’s first quarter. The NY Times is reporting that even the network’s headline and most popular shows, including ‘Larry King Live’ and ‘Anderson Cooper 360,’ have seen as much as a 50 percent decrease in viewers recently.
Larry King’s infamous talk show had its worst quarter ever, only drawing a little less than three quarters of a million viewers. This decline comes after the show, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary in June, averaged 1.34 million viewers last year. Comedienne Joy Behar’s new show on HLN beat the talk show legend 21 times during the 9PM time slot so far this year.
Anderson Cooper’s show also saw a sag in the ratings, but not as drastically as King’s show. Cooper’s show, on at 10PM, saw a 42 percent decrease in viewers, which CNN finds troubling. He is one of the network’s most recognized, favorite and high-paid anchors. This news comes after recent rumors that CBS was considering hiring Cooper to take over Katie Couric’s position after her current contract expires.
Meanwhile, CNN’s biggest rival, Fox News Channel, has seen an impressive increase in its ratings. Two of its biggest stars, Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck, saw a 28 and 50 percent increase in their shows, respectively.
Written by: Karen Benardello