RANK
PROGRAM
NETWORK
DAYS
VIEWERS (P2+)

1
NFL REGULAR SEASON – L (VIKINGS/SAINTS)
ESPN
MONDAY
10,975,000

2
SR/PRES DEBATE 2 2008(S)-10/07/2008
CNN
TUESDAY
9,228,000

3
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE(S)-10/07/2008
FOXNC
TUESDAY
8,773,000

4
ON THE RECORD W/GRETA
FOXNC
TUESDAY
7,645,000

5
ANDERSON COOPER 360
CNN
TUESDAY
7,633,000

6
MLB ALCS (RED SOX-RAYS 1)
TBSC
FRIDAY
6,689,000

7
MLB ALCS (RED SOX-RAYS 2)
TBSC
SATURDAY
6,089,000

8
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE CVG(S)-10/07/2008
FOXNC
TUESDAY
5,773,000

9
MLB DIVISION SERIES (ANGELS-RED SOX 4)
TBSC
MONDAY
5,720,000

10
PRES DEBATE/ANALYSIS(S)-10/07/2008
FOXNC
TUESDAY
5,432,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (October 6, 2008 – October 12, 2008).

RANK
NAME
NETWORK
DAYS
VIEWERS (P2+)

1
NFL REGULAR SEASON L (RAVENS/STEELERS)
ESPN
MONDAY
11,783,000

2
VP DEBATE(S)-10/02/2008
FOXNC
THURSDAY
11,098,000

3
SR/VICE PRES DEBATE 2008(S)-10/02/2008
CNN
THURSDAY
10,685,000

4
ON THE RECORD W/GRETA
FOXNC
THURSDAY
9,801,000

5
ANDERSON COOPER 360
CNN
THURSDAY
7,961,000

6
VP DEBATE CVG(S)-10/02/2008
FOXNC
THURSDAY
7,372,000

7
VP DEBATE ANALYSIS(S)-10/02/2008
FOXNC
THURSDAY
6,977,000

8
MLB DIVISION SERIES (ANGELS-RED SOX 3)
TBSC
SUNDAY
6,199,000

9
THE OREILLY FACTOR
FOXNC
THURSDAY
5,624,000

10
MLB DIVISION SERIES (DODGERS-CUBS 1)
TBSC
WEDNESDAY
5,381,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (September 29, 2008 – October 5, 2008).

Television audiences for four U.S. news networks spiked Monday afternoon after the House of Representatives voted to defeat Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s Wall Street bailout bill, Nielsen reported Wednesday. 
During the 2pm to 3pm (EST) daypart on Monday, the combined audiences for CNN, CNBC, FOX News, and MSNBC jumped by 71% over the average daily audience for that daypart between Sept. 1 and Sept. 28, according to Nielsen.  The 3pm to 4pm daypart saw an even larger jump (103%) over the average audience for the prior portion of September. 

Daypart
CNN, CNBC, FOX News, and MSNBC Combined TV Audience:
Sept. 1 – 28
(in 000s)
CNN, CNBC, FOX …

RANK
NAME
NETWORK
DAYS
VIEWERS (P2+)

1
NFL REGULAR SEASON L (JETS/CHARGERS)
ESPN
MONDAY
11,881,000

2
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE(S)-09/26/2008
FOXNC
FRIDAY
8,211,000

3
ON THE RECORD W/GRETA
FOXNC
FRIDAY
7,413,000

4
SR/PRES DEBATE 1 2008(S)-09/26/2008
CNN
FRIDAY
7,140,000

5
COLL FTBALL-SAT PRIME L (ALABAMA/GEORGIA)
ESPN
SATURDAY
6,683,000

6
ANDERSON COOPER 360
CNN
FRIDAY
6,502,000

7
COLL FTBALL-THUR NIGHT L (USC/OREGON STATE)
ESPN
THURSDAY
6,456,000

8
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE CVG(S)-09/26/2008
FOXNC
FRIDAY
5,850,000

9
SUITE LIFE ON DECK
DSNY
FRIDAY
5,666,000

10
SUITE LIFE ON DECK
DSNY
SATURDAY
5,129,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (September 22, 2008 – September 28, 2008)

RANK
NAME
NETWORK
VIEWERS (P2+)

1
SR/DNC 2008(S)-08/28/2008
CNN
8,056,000

2
CLOSER, THE
TNT
7,415,000

3
NASCAR SPRINT CUP L (PEPSI 500 AT CALIFORNIA)
ESPN
5,638,000

4
SR/DNC 2008(S)-08/28/2008
CNN
5,529,000

5
SR/DNC 2008(S)-08/27/2008
CNN
5,375,000

6
SR/DNC 2008(S)-08/27/2008
CNN
4,926,000

7
SR/DNC 2008(S)-08/26/2008
CNN
4,802,000

8
SR/DNC 2008(S)-08/25/2008
CNN
4,525,000

9
SR/DNC 2008(S)-08/28/2008
CNN
4,319,000

10
SAVING GRACE
TNT
4,268,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (August 25, 2008 – August 31, 2008)

In a year of historic political firsts, cable news networks have devoted a larger-than-normal portion of news airtime to the 2008 presidential campaign, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday. 
That strategy seems to be paying off, the L.A. Times noted.  According to Nielsen, Fox News has averaged 1.66 million weekday primetime viewers this year — up 14% from 2007.  Meanwhile CNN’s audience has grown by 40% to 1.06 million in 2008, and MSNBC’s viewership has increased 41% to 713,000.
The current cable news ratings increases extend a trend that began in 2004, …