{"id":1143107,"date":"2021-12-22T17:34:47","date_gmt":"2021-12-22T22:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1143107"},"modified":"2021-12-22T17:34:49","modified_gmt":"2021-12-22T22:34:49","slug":"1-fox-news-celebrates-sixth-year-as-the-top-channel-on-basic-cable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/1-fox-news-celebrates-sixth-year-as-the-top-channel-on-basic-cable\/","title":{"rendered":"#1: Fox News Celebrates Sixth Year As The Top Channel On Basic Cable"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2F1-fox-news-celebrates-sixth-year-as-the-top-channel-on-basic-cable%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1143107&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Nielsen ratings brought <a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.com\/\">Fox News<\/a> an early Christmas present.<\/p>\n<p>Fox News Channel will close out 2021 as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/fox-news-channel-closes-2021-most-watched-cable-network-sixth-straight-year\">most-watched channel<\/a>, not merely in cable news, but on all of basic cable. Viewers have made the conservative cable news network the top channel on basic cable for the last six of the network\u2019s 25 years on the air. FNC \u2014 which debuted on October 7, 1996 \u2014 has also outpaced its liberal competitors MSNBC and CNN to become the number one choice in cable news for two decades.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs we embark on our 20th year as the leader in cable news, the last six of which as number one in all of cable, I am incredibly proud of the unrivaled success we\u2019ve had at FOX News Channel,\u201d said FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott.<\/p>\n<p>The network owned 10 of the top 15 programs in cable news, and nine of the top 15 shows among advertisers\u2019 most-coveted demographic: viewers aged 25 to 54.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTucker Carlson Tonight\u201d ended the year as the most-watched program on cable news with an average audience of 3.2 million viewers. Carlson\u2019s populist conservative show, which interviewed figures ranging from Kyle Rittenhouse to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, proved such a ratings blockbuster that Carlson spun off a daytime show. \u201cTucker Carlson Today\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/media\/545443-tucker-carlson-streaming-show-debuts-monday-on-fox-nation\">began streaming<\/a> on FoxNation in March.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Five\u201d came in second with 2.9 million viewers, followed closely by \u201cHannity\u201d with a 2.88 million-strong audience.<\/p>\n<p>Scott also pointed with pride to the way Greg Gutfeld\u2019s emphatically eponymous late-night show \u201cGutfeld!\u201d consistently ranks as the number-two show in late night and beat number-one-ranked Stephen Colbert in a number of weeks. Gutfeld spent the year \u201ctransforming the entire late-night television landscape in the process, ensuring our continued momentum for many years to come,\u201d said Scott.<\/p>\n<p>In all, Fox News attracted an average audience of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/fox-news-channel-closes-2021-most-watched-cable-network-sixth-straight-year\">1.3 million<\/a> viewers through December 13; no other channel on basic cable exceeded one million viewers on average.<\/p>\n<p>Fox News showed its continued dominance of cable news in its primetime schedule. FNC\u2019s 2021 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/now\/124-cable-channels-ranked-average-193000903.html\">primetime<\/a> ratings were&nbsp;nearly as high as rivals CNN and MSNBC <em>combined<\/em>. Fox News rated first in primetime, followed by sports giant ESPN, MSNBC, and CNN.<\/p>\n<p>CNN barely broke one million viewers in primetime, in large part a reflection of the tumultuous year suffered by the network\u2019s number one host, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/opinion-one-cuomo-down-one-to-go\">Chris Cuomo<\/a>. CNN executives stood by Cuomo as revelations surfaced that he had advised his brother, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/the-fall-of-andrew-cuomo-how-an-empire-built-on-fear-came-crashing-down\">former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D)<\/a>, on media strategy to combat a string of sexual harassment allegations. As New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) released documents showing the CNN host had been more deeply involved in his brother\u2019s defense than he publicly admitted, ratings for \u201cCuomo Prime Time\u201d began to sink. The network placed him on leave pending an investigation, then <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/breaking-cnn-terminates-chris-cuomo-effective-immediately-over-scandal\">fired him<\/a> in early December as an allegation of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/chris-cuomos-former-producer-felt-threatened-by-host-report\">sexual harassment<\/a> surfaced against the younger Cuomo brother; his SiriusXM Radio show also abruptly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/chris-cuomo-out-at-siriusxm-radio-show\">came to an end<\/a>. Presently, the network has renamed his series \u201cCNN Prime Time\u201d and had Michael Smerconish serve as guest host.<\/p>\n<p>The network also concerned some of its core viewers in May when Don Lemon seemingly&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/don-lemon-reports-fake-news-about-himself\">implied his show had been canceled<\/a>; it had instead been rebranded \u201cDon Lemon Tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fox News prolonged its ratings success this year after significantly reshaping its programming lineup. In 2021:<\/p>\n<p>Dana Perino joined Bill Hemmer as co-anchor of \u201cAmerica\u2019s Newsroom\u201d at 9 a.m. Eastern;Harris Faulkner\u2019s \u201cThe Faulkner Focus\u201d began airing at 11 a.m.;John Roberts and Sandra Smith became co-anchors of \u201cAmerica Reports\u201d at 1 p.m.;\u201cThe Story with Martha MacCallum\u201d moved to 3 p.m.;\u201cFox News Primetime\u201d debuted at 7 p.m. The network announced its roster of rotating guest hosts would be temporary, with a permanent host named \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/press.foxnews.com\/2021\/01\/fox-news-channel-to-launch-new-daytime-programming-lineup\">at a later date<\/a>,\u201d which has not yet arrived;The late-night comedy smash \u201cGutfeld!\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/press.foxnews.com\/2021\/03\/fox-news-channels-gutfeld-to-debut-on-monday-april-5-at-11-pmet\">debuted<\/a> on April 5;\u201cFOX News @ Night with Shannon Bream\u201d moved to the midnight slot; andIn June, Fox News added two new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/trey-gowdy-dan-bongino-fox-news-weekend-shows\">weekend programs<\/a>: \u201cUnfiltered\u201d with Dan Bongino and \u201cSunday Night in America\u201d with former Congressman Trey Gowdy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSpecial Report with Bret Baier\u201d also saw a shake-up, as longtime panelists Jonah Goldberg and Stephen Hayes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/anti-trump-republicans-say-they-quit-fox-news-over-tucker-carlsons-january-6-content\">departed<\/a> the network in November. The show\u2019s ratings <a href=\"https:\/\/ctv.kwayisi.org\/networks\/fox\/special-report-with-bret-baier\/\">increased sharply<\/a> that month.<\/p>\n<p>Nielsen ratings show 2021 proved a good year for centrist and conservative alternatives to CNN and MSNBC, in general. FNC\u2019s most successful conservative challenger, <a href=\"https:\/\/newsmax.com\/\">Newsmax TV<\/a>, also significantly increased its audience in 2020, due in part to controversies over FNC\u2019s coverage of the 2020 presidential election. Newsmax grew its primetime audience by a whopping 38%, surging from <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2020\/tv\/news\/network-ratings-2020-top-channels-fox-news-cnn-msnbc-cbs-1234866801\/\">88th place<\/a> among basic cable networks in 2020 to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/now\/124-cable-channels-ranked-average-193000903.html\">60th place<\/a> in 2021.<\/p>\n<p>WGN America\u2019s upstart cable news channel <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsnationnow.com\/\">NewsNation<\/a>, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fourstateshomepage.com\/news\/wgn-america-news-nation-premiering-september-1st-2020\/\">debuted<\/a> in September 2020 and significantly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/now\/newsnation-debuts-expanded-programming-monday-120000085.html\">expanded its news programming<\/a> this September, made its debut on the list as well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Takeaways<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p>Tucker Carlson\u2019s success shows that middle-class conservatism represents America\u2019s true national disposition.Greg Gutfeld continues to show<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Nielsen ratings brought Fox News an early Christmas present. Fox News Channel will close out 2021 as the most-watched channel, not merely in cable news, but on all of basic cable. Viewers have made the conservative cable news network the top channel on basic cable for the last six of the network\u2019s 25 years &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1143107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1143107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/76"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1143107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1143107\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1143107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1143107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1143107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}