THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2025
We'd say there was one surprise: We hadn't looked at cable news ratings of late. Today, we took a look at the numbers from last week.
Let's start with viewership at 10 p.m. Eastern:
Total viewers: Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Gutfeld! (Fox News Channel): 3.05 million
Lawrence O'Donnell (MSNBC): 1.127 million
CNN Newsnight (CNN): 0.49 million
For all the numbers from last Wednesday, click here.
Intriguing! In terms of viewership, the gruesome Gutfeld! program blew the other two programs away. Despite that fact, the correspondents at Mediaite quite literally never comment on the constant stream of prehuman work which emanates, on a nightly basis, from that Fox News Channel vehicle.
Similarly, The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell is almost never mentioned at Mediaite. By way of contrast, the cynical CNN Newsnight with Abby Phillip—a show which virtually no one watches—gets excerpted at Mediaite on a regular basis.
The reason for those anomalies seems obvious. CNN Newsnight is cynically constructed to produce a great deal of loud partisan conflict. It's a return to Crossfire, this time on a healthy dose of steroids—and the program gets rewarded for its constant bursts of mud wrestling by its constant mentions at Mediaite.
Why is Gutfeld! quite literally never mentioned? In an otherwise fascinating new post, Mediaite's Colby Hall glancingly refers to the Gutfeld! program as "satire."
We expect to review Hall's report at some future date. That said:
In our view, it's crazy to think that the Gutfeld! program is some sort of "political satire." However, that almost surely explains why its endlessly gruesome pseudo-journalistic behavior is never excerpted or critiqued at Mediaite, let alone at the New York Times or by anyone else.
Regarding overall cable news viewership, let's extend our look at last Wednesday night's programs. These were the three most-watched programs at each of the three major cable news channels:
Total viewers: Wednesday, July 9, 2025
The Five: 3.52 million
Jesse Watters: 3.35 million
Gutfeld!: 3.051 million
Lawrence O'Donnell: 1.27 million
Jen Psaki: 1.00 million
Deadline White House: 0.98 million
Anderson Cooper: 0.64 million
Kaitlan Collins: 0.56 million
Jake Tapper: 0.54 million
In short, the Fox News Channel more than tripled the numbers for MSNBC, with MSNBC basically doubling the numbers at CNN.
We'll close with one last observation, one we found surprising:
The biggest shows on the Fox News Channel were the three "comedy" infested programs. The more traditional bombast shows of Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity came in substantially behind the newer, more insidious, fully loaded propaganda-tainment models.
That said, the Gutfeld! program isn't "political satire." It's an ugly, stupid propaganda vehicle, with its corporate messaging shoved along by use of astounding doses of wholly undisguised misogynist "humor."
Beyond that, it's d*ck jokes all the way down; that's pretty much all its performers seem to have. At present, the program's body waste-infested sensibility is being transferred to The Five through the work of its (60-year-old!) teenager host, who serves as a co-host on the earlier show.
Its host is one of the most peculiar beings ever loosed on the world of broadcast news. Like Mediaite, the New York Times is quite convinced of one key point:
What happens on the Fox News Channel needs to stay on the Fox News Channel! There's absolutely nothing to look at:
Please move right along!
For extra credit only: For last Tuesday night's numbers, just click here.
For last Thursday night, click this.
ReplyDelete"That said, the Gutfeld! program isn't "political satire.""
Everything, every political show, every political text is political satire, Bob. If it isn't, that would have to be some extremely boring bullshit. But Gutfeld! definitely is political satire.
The fact that you're stubbornly refusing to admit it only means that something is seriously wrong with you. And we all know what it is: T.D.S.
Satire exposes or criticizes someone's vices. What vice is exposed or criticized when Gutfeld & Co. joke about Hunter diddling his stepmother? Take as much time as you need.
DeleteIf you can't figure it out, Soros-bot, you're probably dumber than most Democrats.
DeleteOr, are you unaware of Biden Crime Family's customs? How long were you in a coma?
Some people would say your media fixation with icky judgement by the Biden's is to keep you distracted from the real criming going down. Not me of course...
DeleteI love how the people who think I have TDS refuse to believe Daddy is a child rapist. Now that is some real TDS! Even a blind man knows when he is walking in the sun.
Delete3:23,
DeleteNone of the alleged Biden Crime Family customs remotely involve half-incestuous relationships, so there's simply no satire afoot. But then you're too stupid to comprehend that.
Somerby's focus on Gutfeld is a major strawman because no one on the left watches Gutfeld and none of us cares whether the show is satire or not. Gutfeld has free speech rights just like any other commentator on TV. We can argue that no one should watch Gutfeld, but beyond that, he is irrelevant to any meaningful discussion of politics. Why then does Somerby spend so much time talking about Gutfeld, and what would the NY Times possibly have to say about that show? Gutfeld is an opinion show that expresses no interesting ideas. It should be ignored.
ReplyDeleteWhen Somerby spends so much time on Gutfeld, it decreases the time he has to address other more important issues, and there are so many things that Somerby doesn't talk about.
I think the hardy har har those wacky Dembots is very effective propaganda as evidenced by the morans posting here.
Delete???
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt's an indicator of a coarseness and a lowering of intellect in the country.
Delete3 million Americans watch Gutman. 337 million don't. Gutman is important relative to CNN and MSNBC, but he's not a significant impact on the country
ReplyDelete“Gutman?” [sic]
DeleteDavid never forgets the children.
DeleteThese viewership numbers suggest that cable news viewers skew right wing. We knew that before Gutfeld came along.
ReplyDelete"On average last year, 37% of Americans described their political views as moderate, 36% as conservative and 25% as liberal."
Given that liberals are the smallest group among the American population, why would anyone expect liberal shows to attract more viewers?
Lately CNN and MSNBC have shifted right after Trump's re-election. So have other media. That may push more liberals off of cable entirely, in favor of independent media and podcasts. The cable news hosts are now offering their own podcasts in competition with their own shows.
Steven Pinker is innocent.
ReplyDeleteHe is not innocent of being a bad scholar.
DeleteYou can disagree with his professional work, but he’s innocent of that Epstein crap.
DeletePinker paid for pubescent girls golden showers. I have tape.
Delete@7:00 you wouldn't think this was a big joke if you were one of the girls forced to have sex with a blubbery old man like Trump. Meanwhile, we don't know whether Pinker is innocent or not.
DeletePinker is innocent.
Deletelike hell he is
DeleteThe evidence against him is garbage. It wouldn’t even be laughed out of court.
DeleteHow do you know when the evidence is not public?
DeleteI mean the evidence presented by the anti-Pinker troll in the comments on this blog.
DeleteIf Pam Bondi had any evidence against a Harvard professor, she would use it.
DeleteWhy would the NY Times want to piss off Trumpian Republicans when it has been so busily kowtowing to the right wing? They are already pleasuring the right with numerous stories -- why would Somerby demand more?
ReplyDeleteBut wouldn't criticizing Gutfeld hurt his show? Of course not. It would give Gutfeld more exposure and increase Fox viewership. Given that the NYT is perceived as being lefty, it would enhance Fox/Gutfeld victim status and make them appear truly right wingers persecuted by the left.
People who watch Gutfeld like his humor. No New York Times article will convince them not to. This seems to be Somerby working hard to promote Gutfeld's show once again, while saying nothing useful to any Democratic cause, much less making any defense of democracy. What a useless old fool Somerby has become.
"This seems to be Somerby working hard to promote Gutfeld's show once again"
DeletePromoting the show by calling it 'gruesome', 'endlessly gruesome', and 'an ugly, stupid propaganda vehicle'.
You're an idiot.
Yes, that appeals to a segment of assholes who would support Trump.
Delete"WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Stating that “enough is enough,” on Thursday Donald J. Trump signed an executive order banning the use of the word “Epstein.”
ReplyDeleteAlthough he provided few details as to how the order would be enforced, Trump hinted that anyone found using the word “Epstein” could be deported to South Sudan.
“We’re looking into that very strongly,” he said.
“Epstein” was just one of over a hundred words banned by the executive order, including “inflation,” “dementia,” and “moron.”
For the trolls: moron = moran
Remember the good old days of nascent anti gulf war bloggers like Eschaton's/Black's site. Think that is what led me here.
DeleteEschaton Blog is still a fine site.
DeleteAgree a fine site, have not been around too much lately, but have not seen the Moran photo for awhile. What was it, let 'em eat Turkeez?
Delete"What happens on the Fox News Channel needs to stay on the Fox News Channel! There's absolutely nothing to look at:
ReplyDeletePlease move right along!"
Is the New York Times supposed to be reporting that one of the ladies on The View is overweight? How is that news, or anyone's business?
Somerby doesn't like dick jokes? He's an old prude./
ReplyDeleteDicks are funny.
DeleteThere was like this bachelorette party in like twenty some movies and they had dick shaped lipstick. SO FUNNY!!!
DeleteWas Trump wrong about his uncle teaching Ted Kaczynski at MIT? Trump's comment is being criticized because Fred Trump taught at Harvard and because it was not known that Kaczynski was the Unabomber until later.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Karoline Leavitt, Fred Trump also taught at MIT. In fact, Donald Trump has a letter from his uncle on the MIT letterhead. The second point is based on a misunderstanding of what Trump said. It's quite possible that Kaczynski might have taken a course from Fred Trump before he was known to be the Unabomber.
Stay on topic with the felon child rapist destroying the economy while he lines his pockets David.
DeleteJohn G Trump was an MIT professor.
DeleteFred Trump is Daddy's Daddy you dimwitted nitwit. Get help.
DeleteYes it is wrong because what the fuck does it have to do with anything, let alone the price of tea in China?
DeleteFred Trump likely taught my father. Isn't that fucking crazy man" What are the chances. Fucking amazing. So what?
DeleteThere is no way to bend things to make Trump's falsehoods true.
DeleteDiC: you are truly an idiot.
Deletehttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/fact-check-trump-tells-fictional-story-about-his-uncle-and-the-unabomber/ar-AA1IJWnc?ocid=BingNewsSerp
The State Department has an office that fights human trafficking. Marco Rubio just cut it.
ReplyDeleteThat is perfect. The only thing left is to either pardon Ghislaine Maxwell or turn off the cameras again and have her commit suicide. That should get the loser conspiracy MAGGOTs that Trump wants no part of spinning like tops.
DeleteTrump has threatened to sue the Wall Street Journal. They reported that he sent a pervy birthday greeting to Epstein in 2003.
ReplyDeleteTrump just told the Justice Dept to release whatever they can on Epstein.
ReplyDelete“President Donald Trump said he asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release grand jury testimony related to the criminal prosecution of notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.”
DeleteThis is not what people want.
DeleteNice try, DiC. At this point nothing that comes out of this administration relating to Jeffrey Epstein can be considered unedited. Pam Bondi passed on her chance to nail Epstein when she was AG in Florida, and now she is Trump's puppet. Selectively making public whatever Trump deems acceptable will not quiet the masses in this case. And to be clear, the ones with their hair on fire over this are die hard MAGA cultists, not Democrats. They don't mind being lied to when it fits their narrative, an example being how readily you accepted Trump's damage assessment after the Iran strike. But unlike you, many MAGA cultists are not on board with promising to out the pedophiles and then reneging on that.
DeleteA snarling wind was then produced and, subsequently, released from the fanny.
ReplyDelete