In January’s cable news ratings, Fox News Channel’s The Faulkner Focus beat ABC’s long-running The View for the first time ever, with host Harris Faulkner delivering an average total audience of 2.552 million viewers, just ahead of The View’s 2.508 million. The win is even more notable given the larger reach of broadcast television, available to anyone without cable.
“I could not grab this big win without my wonderful team,” said Faulkner. "It’s a testament to the hard work and passion we put into bringing Americans the latest news and analysis on what matters most to them. The Faulkner Focus is a place where audiences can tune in and know their questions about the day’s headlines will be answered with respect for all sides and we are proud viewers continue to choose us at 11 a.m."
The Faulkner Focus was one of several Fox shows--including America’s Newsroom, Outnumbered, and America Reports--that posted all-time ratings records in January, as the network cruised to the highest-rated January in cable news history, with an average audience in prime time of 2.8 million viewers and 353,000 viewers in the key demographic of adults 25-54--the demo most valued by advertisers.
Compared to the same month one year ago, Fox News was up 40% in prime and 61% in the key demo. January also marked FNC’s 23rd consecutive year as the top-rated network in cable news.
“As we mark 23 years as America’s most-watched cable news network, I would like to thank our incredible team both on and off the camera for their dedication to delivering the best product in news," said Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott in a statement provided by the network. "Each year, we surpass new milestones, continue to innovate, and outperform the competition due to their tireless efforts and I could not be prouder.”
Fox News Channel’s coverage of the second inauguration of Donald Trump drove huge viewership for the network, with a peak audience at 12 noon ET of 12 million total viewers and 2.6 million viewers in the key demo--making it the highest-rated telecast to air outside prime time in history.
The most-watched show on the month was FNC’s The Five, which drew 4.8 million viewers and 531,000 viewers in the key demo. The rest of the top five shows were Jesse Watters Primetime (4.122 million viewers), Hannity (3.769 million viewers), Special Report with Bret Baier (3.489 million viewers), and The Ingraham Angle (3.462 million viewers)--all airing on Fox.
In the key demo, The Five was first with 531,000 viewers, followed by Jesse Watters Primetime (527,000 viewers), Hannity (506,000 viewers), The Ingraham Angle (452,000 viewers), and Gutfeld! (446,000 viewers)--all on FNC.
CNN--which announced hundreds of layoffs and a reorganization of its lineup in January--saw all-time low viewership for the month, delivering an average total audience in prime time of just 118,000 viewers.
CNN’s CEO Mark Thompson said of the layoffs “the changes we’re announcing today are part of an ongoing response by this great news organization to profound and irreversible shifts in the way audiences in America and around the world consume news.”
“Our objective is a simple one: to shift CNN’s gravity towards the platforms and products where the audience themselves are shifting and, by doing that, to secure CNN’s future as one of the world’s greatest news organizations. America and the world need high quality, fair-minded, trustworthy sources of news more than ever. This difficult and sometimes painful process of change is the only way to make sure we can still provide it.”