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, …