How low (in the ratings) can Glenn Beck go?

[NNN0LHI]

http://mediamatters.org/columns/200707310005

Looks like the CNN news team threw the wrong anchor overboard last week.

Instead of unceremoniously dumping Paula Zahn for her soft prime-time ratings, the CNN brain trust should have axed Glenn Beck, whose viewership is far smaller than Zahn's. In fact, on the night that Zahn announced she was leaving CNN, Paula Zahn Now easily bested Glenn Beck in the ratings, as it had often done for months.

Truth is, Beck's show has been in a ratings slump for most of this year. (The show's audience peaked 10 months ago.) Yet the right-wing talker who bashes progressives, Muslims, immigrants, and environmentalists when he's not pimping for the John Birch Society remains a CNN favorite among his television bosses. If CNN were a meritocracy, it would be Beck out looking for a job, not Zahn. Instead, CNN appears to be sponsoring some sort of affirmative action program for an audience-challenged conservative who is allowed to drive his ratings into the ground without fear of being ousted.

Here's how Zahn and Beck shaped up during the second quarter this year. Beck's weeknight show on CNN Headline News attracted, on average, 305,000 viewers, 111,000 of which were among the crucial 25-54 viewer demographic that advertisers prefer. By comparison, Zahn during the second quarter grabbed 557,000 viewers each night, 190,000 between the ages of 25-54. Yet it's Zahn, and her comparatively solid nightly newscast, who gets pushed out the door.

To recap CNN's strange affection for the unpopular right-wing TV host, Beck was hired by CNN Headline News in January 2006 as part of the channel's effort to open up its prime-time schedule and move beyond simply looping the latest headlines. The previous year, CNN Headline News welcomed tabloid crime chaser Nancy Grace. Phase two was to be the arrival of the radio talk-show host Beck, whom CNN suits famously described as being "cordial" and "not confrontational." An avowed non-journalist, hardcore conservative, and self-described rodeo clown who has fantasized on-air about killing Michael Moore, Beck has proven to be anything but "cordial."

[MADem]

1. Well, it's the corporate media, after all. What else do you expect?

Paula's CNN's version of Phil Donohue, apparently.

Old Phil drew a much larger share than Tweety when he was on MSNBC, but Tweety stayed on message, and Phil just couldn't stay on Jack Welch's GOP reservation.

So Tweety, with his shitty ratings, stayed, and Phil had to go...

Nahn Wun Wun Changed Ever-Thang, ya see? The corporate media knew they could make billions off of war, so they tailored their media arms to sell that product.

GE, We Bring Good Wars to Life!

[NewJeffCT]

4. I don't think Paula was CNN's Donahue

Her ratings were better than Beck, but they still sucked.

[MADem]

9. Well, certainly not in terms of political views, but maybe in terms of numbers

Back when Jerry Nachman was running MSNBC, their ratings were frickin MINESCULE. They had no idea where they wanted to go with that network arm. It was under a percentage point, really awful.

For awhile there, they toyed with challenging Faux. Then Nachman got sick, so they stuck to this lame "middle of the right side of the road" stance. Now, they're moving to the center, which in Mediaspeak, is the left...because that's where the national appetite is.

If they need to put the word out to the center-left, more people will believe it if it comes from the Station Of Olbermann...or at least that's what they hope...they just might underestimate (or 'misunderestimate') the intelligence of their viewers, though.

[BlueManDude]

2. Doesn't matter he's an Affirmative Action hire - like the always dismally-rated Tucker Carlson.

[Exiled in America]

7. I don't like calling it affirmative action.

Because you are talking about it like conversations talk about actual affirmative action. The comparison only "works" when you think of affirmative action as something illegitimate, inappropriate and to be mocked.

I don't think that way about actual affirmative action, do you?

[MADem]

11. Well, in some contexts, the opposite of AFFIRMATIVE is NEGATIVE

So he's a NEGATIVE Action hire, then...sounds about right, eh?

The guy is an incredibly NEGATIVE asshole, who urges like-minded nitwits to take action against reasonable people with logical viewpoints.

[Exiled in America]

16. lol indeed. :) The guy is an asshole, no question.

[SoCalDem]

3. Beck is their "bone" they throw to the "Fauxies"

Poor CNN, they still think that if they lean far enough to the right, they can chip into Fox's numbers..:eyes:

If they only realized that 50% of the population (or MORE) would gladly watch an anti-Fox.

Hyper conservative nutjobs have NEVER been over 30%, yet they scream the loudest, so they get all the attention..

Intelligent, thoughtful people just go elsewhere...the remaining 70% WOULD watch more CNN if it would go back to the format they started with..

[Mr. Ected]

8. Just Look at KO's Success

I agree with you wholeheartedly.

[judaspriestess]

5. glenn beck makes a fine douche nozzle

or is it an enema nozzle?

[KharmaTrain]

6. Ya Pay 'Em, Ya Might As Well Play 'Em...

In the conveluted world of the corporate media we see constant change-over in management, but only a shuffing of the deck chairs on the air. A lot of this has to do with the sweetheart contracts many of these "performers" have that all but will bankrupt a CNN if they try to break a contract. Some of these contracts stipulate the time slot or other restrictions that put the networks in the position of sticking with a Zahn or Beck or other loser since they're locked into a contract that penalizes them more for not having them on the air than the money they're losing in ratings and revenues.

What we're seeing is a "hangover" from the heavy right wing tilt many cable networks took a couple years ago...trying to "out fox" Faux. MSNBC brought in Tucker and Rita Cosby and Joey Scarborough...and when Abrams came in he had to "play or pay" all these right wingers. He could ease Cosby out, but still is stuck with bowtie boy...buried and playing out the string...and Joey is now struggling to be the "next Imus". Countdown has been a surprise success, but the network is still weighed down with hours dedicated to contract players and a network bottom line that counts its coin above all.

Cheers...

[bbgrunt]

15. I'd go along with your suggestion that there is a certain

amount of hangover of the right-wing schick due to contracts, but Beck is a relatively recent addition and he was untried as a tv entity, so I find it hard to fathom that they granted him long term guarantees in his contract. Rather, I think they, like most of the media are basically bought and paid for.

[madrchsod]

10. beck was arguing with billy ray cryus

about the fact he does`t discipline his kids..he lets his wife do it because he just does`t think he should. beck hounded him about this for several minutes and billy woould`t back down. note--hanna montana tv show...i guess i`m an idiot also cause i have`t disciplined my daughter and sh`s a well adjusted young lady that is our pride and joy.

[Horse with no Name]

12. They are fixated on making themselves an alternative to Fox

Undoubtedly Zahn didn't kiss Republican ass good enough.

[electprogdems]

13. it it obviously because right wingers are so

market driven .

Unless it applies to them of course, same reasoning behind million dollar salaries for CEO's who companies lose money.

[JacquesMolay]

14. Glenn Beck - never has conformity seemed so edgy.

He's got the best tricks out there to make himself sound 'impartial'. He keeps talking about how Americans are fed up with both parties, but when he starts talking about why, it's always some mealy-mouthed s*** about how they've abandoned "American Values. My values, your values." What it comes down to is that neither party is right-wing enough. He goes off the chain talking about Muslims.

[UTUSN]

17. It can't go low enough, FAST enough for me!!1

& this is coming from somebody who can put up with monitoring LIMBOsevic occasionally, and O'LOOFAH only infrequently and HANNITY and Matt PUDGE even more infrequently.

I can put up with a lot. But this BECK crap is in my category, with Faux & Friends, of UNWATCHABLE/UNLISTENable.

My local radio talkshow wingnut was an institution for over 20 years. He's a rare wingnut, more of an old school Conservative, well read, able to talk to anybody, willing to air opposing views to his, blah blah. He had the A.M. slot from 9 A.M. to 11, with a solid audience of older people. Well, a few months ago he was bumped off by the station's airing this BECK a-hole. Despite my bombarding the pet wingnut with my e-mails for years, I contacted the parent radio station to protest. Lotta good it did, as with all such things. The local guy was put into the "drive home" slot in the rush hour slot, which caters to sports talk.

The total 15 minutes or so I've heard/seen this BECK dude, he's a RAVING MANIAC!!1 Perhaps CNN canNOT get rid of him, like in the movie "What about Bob?"