Fox News Channel Smashes the Competition

With everything that has happened in the United States so far this year ($800 million bailout, passage of a health care bill, etc.), millions of Americans have been tuning in to national news channels. Now, I know that when I watch the news, I want to watch a news network that is fair and balanced. Which news network is that? That's right; it's none other than the Fox News Channel.

I am proud to announce that the Fox News Channel has claimed the top spot in total viewers. As a matter of fact, Fox News Channel blew away every other single news channel in existence. CNN, MSNBC, HLN, and CNBC could not even come anywhere close to Fox News when it came to the number of people who were tuning in daily. According to the Orlando Sentinel, here is how the numbers stack up:

Prime time Averages:

Fox News: 2.3 million

MSNBC: 805,000

CNN: 690,000

HLN: 496,000

CNBC: 337,000

So just how significant are these numbers? These numbers, it turns out, are very significant. To put it into perspective, Fox News was up 3% in the 1^st quarter while CNN was down by almost 40%.

So what exactly is the appeal of Fox News? Perhaps it is that they are fair and balanced in their coverage of politics. Anyone can argue otherwise, but I stand my ground. Fox News Channel has some great programs, many of which have become the most watched programs in prime time. The top five most watched programs for the quarter were as follows:

The O' Reilly Factor: 3.6 million

Glenn Beck: 2.8 million

Hannity: 2.6 million

Special Report with Bret Baier: 2.4 million

On the Rocord with Greta Van Susteren: 2.12 million

Each and every one of these shows are alike in that they give facts. There is no cover up and there is no spin put on the facts (as Bill O' Rielly's show always points out). On Fox News Channel, you get the most accurate and up-to-date reporting on cable television. Some people may believe that there is more opinion than actual news reporting, but this is far from the truth. Also, Fox News brings on people from all different backgrounds. For instance, while Bill O' Rielly may attack liberals from time to time (ok, maybe a little more than that), he is not afraid to have them come on his show. As a matter of fact, he invites them to come on his show so that they can give their points of view. Of course, since he gives them a chance to express their beliefs, he in turn has the right to do the same. This is what fair and balanced is all about.

I have watched The O' Rielly Factor and Hannity on a number of occasions and while they may bash all of the liberal policies of the current administration, they have said on a number of occasions that President Obama appears to be a good family man and that he just happens to have radical policies. I should also mention that both hosts have invited Obama to talk with them on their programs. Even so, Obama and senior White House officials tried to quash Fox News not too long ago by saying that they were not a news organization. Also, they tried to convince the other news organizations to go along with the Obama administration and declare that Fox News is not a news organization (read more about this at FOXNews.com here). I think many people are realizing that the other news organizations are not being fair and balanced like Fox News is and that is probably one of the reasons why their ratings are suffering.

Sources:

"White House Urges Other Networks to Disregard Fox News," FOXNews.com.

"Fox News Channel Easily Wins First Quarter; 'The O'Rielly Factor' Atop Cable News Rankings," Orlando Sentinel.com.