BOYCOTTED AND CRITICIZED, FOX NEWS LEADS THE PACK IN PRIME TIME
In one sense, this has been a difficult period for Fox News: a star anchor fired after being accused of sexual harassment, a lawsuit depicting a misogynist workplace, a top writer exposed as a racist internet troll, advertiser boycotts and outrage after Tucker Carlson called protesters “criminal mobs” and questioned the patriotism of a senator who lost her legs in Iraq.
In another sense, business has never been better.
In June and July, Fox News was the highest-rated television channel in the prime-time hours of 8 to 11 p.m. EST. Not just on cable, but all of television. The average live Fox News viewership in those hours outstripped cable rivals such as CNN, MSNBC and ESPN as well as broadcast networks ABC, CBS and NBC, according to Nielsen.
That three-hour slot is a significant slice of TV real estate, and it is rare for a basic cable channel to outrank the Big Three broadcasters, which are available in more households and offer a wider variety of programming.
Even the return of live sports did little to stop the momentum: The Fox News programs hosted by Carlson and Sean Hannity drew more live viewers than competing baseball and basketball games, including a New York Yankees and Washington Nationals matchup on opening day.
Fox News’ big summer has been boosted by a rise in audience for news programming in general, an increase driven by interest in the pandemic, civil rights protests and the presidential election. ABC,
CBS and NBC, meanwhile, have more reruns on the summer schedule; the coronavirus has suspended most TV productions; and viewers are being lured away by streaming services and on-demand Hollywood movies.
But the Fox News ratings also demonstrate the size and resilience of America’s audience for what is seen as pro-Donald Trump opinion and the loyalty of Fox News viewers who shrug off the controversies that routinely swirl around the network.
“Massive news events that conservatives view through a highly partisan lens are driving the ratings, and none of the controversies really land with loyal Fox News viewers,” said Nicole Hemmer, a scholar at Columbia University and a historian of U.S. conservative media.
Lachlan Murdoch, executive chair of Fox News’ parent company, bragged on an earnings call last week about the network’s “astronomical” ratings. He also said its ad revenue was up from a year ago — a reminder that Fox News, for all the flak it takes from critics, politicians and the advertisers that fled Carlson, remains an unrivaled profit engine for the Murdoch empire.