Last night’s primetime press conference to mark Barack Obama’s 100th day in office was viewed by 28.8 million people in the U.S., according to The Nielsen Company. The event pulled an 18.8 household rating on 10 TV networks.
Viewership for the presser was 29% less than the President’s last press conference on March 24, which was seen on 11 networks. President Obama’s first primetime press conference was watched by 49.5 million U.S. viewers on eight networks.
PRESIDENT OBAMA’S PRIMETIME PRESS CONFERENCE RATINGS

DATE
# OF NETWORKS
HH RATING
HH SHARE
# OF VIEWERS P2+ (in millions)

4/29/2009
10
18.8
27
28.8

3/24/2009
11
25.9
45
40.4

2/9/2009
8
30.8
47
49.5

source: The Nielsen Company, 2009

Networks airing …

Karen Watson,  Managing Director, Government & Public Sector Sales, The Nielsen Company
One hundred days is scarcely enough time to draw any firm conclusions about a new president’s capabilities. Even so, Barack Obama has garnered considerable respect for his media skills. Pundits have dubbed him the “new media president;” while some of the most cynical among them believe his underlying strategy is to end run traditional Washington gatekeepers by communicating more directly with constituents sympathetic to his agenda. But his fans and critics alike may be missing the bigger picture.
“As audiences …

Maya Swedowsky
President Barack Obama’s inauguration marked the beginning of a new era, which included the launch of a dramatically overhauled White House Web site. President Obama wasted no time ensuring that the official site, WhiteHouse.gov, represented a continuation of his campaign’s masterful use of the Internet and social media.
During President Obama’s first month in office, it seemed like the overhaul had paid off with unique visitors to WhiteHouse.gov reaching an all-time high. However, as the novelty of having an Internet-savvy administration seemed to wear off, so did the visitation rate, …

President Obama marks his 100th day in office tonight with his third primetime press conference since January. The President’s request for air time adds a strain not only to each network’s news resources, but also to their overall bottom line.
It’s no secret that the 8pm hour generates much-needed ad dollars for broadcast TV networks. In February, ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC combined to average $21.5 million in revenue on Wednesdays from 8pm to 9pm ET. With that kind of money in play, networks are forced to balance their public service duties with financial obligations.
So …

Valerie Bogus, Nielsen Online
President Barack Obama has reached his 100th day in office amid generally positive sentiment according to a Nielsen Online analysis of online “buzz” surrounding the 44th President. Using our Brand Association Map to plot keywords and phrases, we demonstrate visually how the conversations have shifted between his first 100 days in office, compared to the 100 days before his swearing in.
The economy and the economic stimulus package are the isues most closely associated with President Obama’s tenure, as words like “crisis,” “trillion,” “banks,” and “tax” are nested …

From the moment President Obama began his race for the White House, he became known as the candidate who understood and knew how to use the Web.  Since being elected, he has continued to use the Internet as a vehicle for connecting with people. One of the first acts of the new administration was to create a revamped Web site to help them stay engaged with the public. Knowledge and interest in the “new” WhiteHouse.gov has continued to grow since its inception in January, and video viewing has been an …

Jennifer Volz, Nielsen Online
Consumer reactions to recent government moves toward U.S. automakers GM and Chrysler range from skeptical to supportive, based on Nielsen Online’s analysis of Internet consumer buzz.
The Obama Administration’s weekend request for GM CEO Rick Wagoner’s resignation is merely “symbolic” for some consumers, contributing to their belief that Wagoner is being made a “scapegoat.”
Despite the President’s assurances that the federal government has no intention of running an automotive company, consumers remain concerned about the future of American capitalism and what some perceive as a shift toward socialism. Yet, …

President Barack Obama capped off a week of television appearances with a prime time press conference on Tuesday March 24, 2009. The event was carried live from 8:00 to approximately 9:00PM on 11 networks. The sum of average audience for those networks was 40,354,000 and had a combined household rating of 25.9. The networks carrying the press conference were ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Telemundo, Univision, CNBC, CNN, FOX News Channel, MSNBC, mun2.

Networks
Households
Viewers P2+

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC,
Telemundo, Univision, CNBC,
CNN, FOX News Channel,
MSNBC, mun2
29,799,000
40,354,000

source: The Nielsen …

Using dial meters to track their approval in real time, a group of self-identified Democrats, Republicans, and Independents rated President Barack Obama’s March 24, primetime press conference. Responses were generally split down party lines on major themes and interestingly on the AIG exchange between CNN’s Ed Henry. Those who identified as Republicans spiked with the question and dropped at the President’s response, Democrats dropped at the question and spiked at the President’s terse “I like to know what I’m taking about…” response.
Video: Obama And CNN’s Ed Henry

Other Findings

Based on …

At a time when financial institutions are pulling back on their advertising, a new study from Nielsen IAG shows that consumer confidence in the long-term health of these companies is dramatically influenced by advertising and marketing efforts.
When asked about their own banks, insurance companies and investment firms, 55% of respondents who said they had seen more advertising for their financial institution reported having “complete confidence” in the financial health and soundness of their financial company and only 18% said they had “little or no confidence” in their company. However, among those …