Speaking of lies and propaganda:
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/cable-tv/e3i833e3d242e7686abaeccf90c3f6cd881
Big Swings for Cable Ratings in Q1
March 31, 2009
-By Anthony Crupi
Thirteen of ad-supported cable’s top 40 networks notched double-digit ratings gains in the first quarter of 2009, a period that was also marked by a few violent shifts in the other direction.
According to Nielsen ratings data for the three months ended March 29, while the first- and second-tier nets accounted for an aggregate 5.2 percent increase in nightly deliveries, a handful of networks sustained declines of 10 percent or more in prime.
As expected, USA Network swept all three demos and total viewers, averaging 1.54 million adults 25-54 (an increase of 18 percent versus the first quarter of 2008), 1.46 million viewers 18-49 (up 15 percent year-over-year) and 665,000 18-34s (up 16 percent). All told, USA drew an average nightly audience of 3.26 million total viewers, an improvement of 12 percent versus the year-ago period.
Second place on the quarter went to Fox News Channel, which has been on a tear, averaging 2.26 million viewers, representing 25 percent year-over-year growth. The news net boosted its standing among the core news demo by 20 percent, averaging 515,000 adults 25-54.
TNT closed out the quarter in third place, averaging 2.15 million viewers, a 2 percent uptick. The Turner net grabbed second among adults 25-54 (1.08 million, up 5 percent), while taking third among viewers 18-49 (1.02 million, up 1 percent) and 18-34 (455,000, up 2 percent).
Fourth place went to TBS, which slipped 7 percent in prime with an average delivery of 1.86 million viewers. After TBS won the 18-34 demo outright in 2008, the net slipped 10 percent, averaging 635,000. TBS also finished second among 18-49s (1.11 million, down 6 percent) and claimed third with the 25-54 set (961,000, a drop of 5 percent versus Q1 ‘08).
