Latest news with #AndersonCooper
New York Post
7 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
MSNBC, CNN see dramatic declines in viewership — while Fox News continues to dominate: Nielsen
MSNBC and CNN suffered staggering losses in viewership over the past year — while Donald Trump's ascendancy supercharged Fox News in the cable news ratings war. The left-leaning networks — which will both be spun off by their respective parent companies — suffered year-over-year declines in all major metrics for the second quarter compared to the same period last year, according to the latest Nielsen data, which was reported by AdWeek. Comcast-owned MSNBC, with its rabid anti-Trump lineup of anchors, drew an average 1.008 million primetime viewers from April to June, a year-over-year decline of 15%, Nielsen figures show. Advertisement 4 Fox News Channel boasts an audience that rivals that of broadcast networks, according to Nielsen data. Ralf – In the the advertiser-covered 25-to-54 demographic, primetime viewership plunged 20%, to 91,000 compared to last year — despite star anchor Rachel Maddow returning to full-time duty during the first 100 days of the Trump administration. Jen Psaki took over her 9 p.m. primetime slot Tuersdays through Fridays midway through the second quarter ratings period. The exodus of eyeballs was even worse during the day, with total viewership plummeting 26%, to an average of 596,000, and 31%, to 57,000, in the key demo compared to the same quarter last year. Advertisement CNN, which has languished in last place despite paying anchor Anderson Cooper a reported $18 million in salary, averaged 538,000 total viewers in primetime for the three-month period and 105,000 in the demo, according to Nielsen Year-over-year, the network saw declines of 13% in total viewers in primetime and a 15% drop in the 25-54 demo compared to the second quarter of last year. The cable news pioneer, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, dropped 14% in total viewers during the day, to an average of 406,000, and 16% in the demo, to 71,000, year-over-year, according to Nielsen. Advertisement 4 Anderson Cooper's recent move to change agents has sparked speculation about his future at CNN. CNN CNN attempted to put a positive spin on its shrinking viewership, touting strong June numbers as well as its robust digital and streaming audience worldwide. CNN's total viewership in June rose 26% over May, with notable gains in key demos during all day parts, the company said. 'June was the highest month of 2025 for CNN television in the US among both P25-54 and [total viewers], with CNN being a top 5 network in all of cable,' a spokesperson told The Post on Wednesday. 'Stories like these are an outdated view of the media landscape and do not reflect how audiences today actually consume news.' Advertisement The Post reached out to MSNBC for comment. 4 CNN shed viewers in the second quarter of this year — though it did have a strong month in June. LightRocket via Getty Images 4 MSNBC posted an average of 1.008 million primetime viewers and 91,000 in the 25-54 demo in the second quarter. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Fox News, meanwhile, continued to dominate its rivals — extend its winning streak to 94 consecutive quarters as the top-rated cable news network. The conservative network's total primetime viewership spiked 25%, averaging 2.633 million, and 34%, to 304,000, in the demo compared to the second quarter of last year. During total day, it climbed 25% in total viewers, to 1.632 million viewers, and drew 202,000 in the demo, a 31% increase, compared to last year. It was the second-highest-rated second quarter in network history with weekday total day viewers, trailing its coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, according to AdWeek. Fox News is owned by Fox Corp — sister company to The Post's owner News Corp.
CNN
a day ago
- CNN
Jury Reaches Partial Verdict In Sean
Jury Reaches Partial Verdict In Sean "Diddy" Combs Trial Anderson Cooper 360 47 mins Jurors agree on some, but not all, of the counts in the Sean Combs sex trafficking trial. The judge has asked jurors to continue deliberating after they said they are unable to reach a verdict on one of the five counts. What their partial verdict may say about what their final decision will be. Plus, inside President Trump's newest migrant detention center, who it will house, and the opposition to it.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Media expert reveals the huge CNN star whose job is at risk...and colleague who's likely safe
A media insider has named the huge CNN star whose job could now be on the line, as well as who is most likely to be spared as the network barrels toward another brutal round of cost-cutting. Veteran media reporter Dylan Byers sounded the alarm in Puck that Anderson Cooper, the face of CNN for more than two decades and one of its highest-paid anchors could be on the chopping block. Byers, who has covered the network from its Jeff Zucker glory days through its Mark Thompson malaise, says Cooper's massive $18 million annual paycheck will make him a prime target as incoming CNN overseer Gunnar Wiedenfels prepares to transform the network into a lean, cheaper, less-ambitious operation. The slimmed down operation will no longer be able to support million-dollar salaries, extensive international bureaus, or flashy special-event coverage. But there is one bright spot with Byers predicting that anchor Erin Burnett, another big name but with a somewhat lower salary of $3 million, is likely safe for now. Byers' thinking is that CNN will try to keep a few familiar faces on the air while ripping up its business model. 'There will be a transitional period where CNN will hold on to a few bold-faced names through their contracts,' Byers explained. 'My guess is Erin falls into that camp.' The revelations have sent tremors through CNN's embattled ranks, where fears of more layoffs, pay cuts, and even an outright sale are now gripping staff from its New York studios to its Atlanta headquarters. Anderson Cooper , the face of CNN for more than two decades and one of its highest-paid anchors, could soon be forced out as new corporate bosses slash salaries and gut budgets according to Byers 'CNN will begin to look more like HLN: smaller salaries, smaller budgets, less ambitious programming,' Byers revealed in an insightful new analysis. Byers suggests the days of eight-figure paychecks and globe-trotting correspondents are drawing to a dramatic close. Cooper's sudden move to sign with powerhouse agency CAA has only fueled speculation that he is preparing to jump before being pushed, after more than two decades as CNN's star anchor. Byers hinted that Cooper, tired of sagging ratings, growing internal turmoil, and a shrinking audience, may be eyeing a graceful exit rather than wait for Wiedenfels to wield the axe. Inside CNN's embattled halls, the atmosphere is toxic with dread. One staffer described it to Fox News as 'grim,' while others confessed they no longer trust leadership after endless layoffs, deepening revenue declines, and an uncertain future. The brutal shake-up comes as Warner Bros. Discovery finalizes plans to spin off CNN into a new division stuffed with other cable properties including HGTV, TBS, TNT, and the Food Network. Sources inside the network have taken to calling it the 'Sh*t Co.' fearing their days of luxury expense accounts and lavish perks are gone for good. As Wiedenfels, the no-nonsense former CFO, prepares to take the helm of the spin-off, he has already signaled that no one is guaranteed safety. The revelations have sent tremors through CNN's embattled ranks from its New York studios to its Atlanta headquarters CNN's top stars, costly correspondents, and even entire bureaus are all under review as WBD's corporate bosses try to wring profitability from a dying cable ecosystem. 'Anchors raking in millions of dollars per year have targets on their backs,' one insider told Status. In a staff memo titled 'Excitement for the Future,' Wiedenfels promised to preserve CNN's editorial independence while essentially gutting its cost structure and making it clear that major cuts are non-negotiable. 'Anchors raking in millions of dollars per year have targets on their backs,' one insider told Status. 'He killed it,' one longtime staffer said about WBD CEO David Zaslav, who orchestrated the split. 'The last few years under Zas has been a disaster.' Analysts remain deeply skeptical, worried that CNN's streaming efforts, even with a $100 million infusion and some CNN+ veterans returning, are too little, too late. CNN and new boss Gunnar Wiedenfels are set to unleash a flurry of cost-cutting measures while enforcing new rules to curb staffers' lavish spending Byers, for his part, sees no miraculous comeback. 'Sure, CNN remains a powerful global brand,' he wrote, 'but t he decline of its core linear business has accelerated rapidly.' Meanwhile, nervous employees are left clinging to the only certainties they have: ever-tighter expense policies, mandatory receipts for every meal, and the knowledge that their once-mighty brand is under siege. Wiedenfels warned staffers that there was no limit to a possible sale. Any buyer with cash could snap up CNN at any moment, further ratcheting up the chaos. 'People are hoping CNN will be sold,' a staffer told Fox News bluntly, echoing a sense of resignation spreading through the network's offices.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Report: 60 Minutes stars' insubordination against CBS News
The A-List stars of flagship CBS News program 60 Minutes have demanded the company appoint their pick for the show's next executive producer amid ongoing turmoil at the network. Correspondents Lesley Stahl, Scott Pelley, Bill Whitaker, Anderson Cooper , Sharyn Alfonsi, Jon Wertheim, and Cecilia Vega all signed a letter addressed to the co-chief executive of CBS parent company Paramount requesting that longtime 60 Minutes staffer Tanya Simon get the job. The journalists' request, sent last month, has so far go unanswered by Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks, Status reported. One staffer insisted that the high-profile correspondents' are deadly serious. 'There will be a revolt if it's not her,' the source told Status. Simon, described as a 'beloved leader' in the newsroom, has worked as 60 Minutes' interim executive producer since Bill Owens left back in April. She has spent her entire 26-year career at 60 Minutes, and all seven of the show's correspondents stand behind her. Owens - as well as former CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon - resigned after coming out against Paramount's bid to settle a $20 billion lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump claiming that an October 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris was 'deceptively edited.'60 Minutes Paramount has been pursuing a multibillion-dollar media merger with Skydance that would require approval by the Trump administration. Paramount brass believes any large settlement between the company and Trump could be considered a bribe to get the Skydance deal approved. Paramount heiress Shari Redstone doesn't appear to be supportive of Simon's appointment, Status reported. She remains frustrated with the show's coverage of Donald Trump and the Israel-Gaza war. Another 'likely' reason for Redstone's alleged hesitance is the looming deal with Skydance, staffers said. Simon's appointment could convince them to stay with 60 Minutes, while bringing in an outsider would make their exits 'appear far more likely,' Statues reported. On Wednesday, sources told the New York Post that David Ellison, 41, had become confident the $8 billion deal would close by the end of the summer.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
A-List 60 Minutes stars' shocking insubordination against CBS News bosses
The A-List stars of flagship CBS News program 60 Minutes have demanded the company appoint their pick for the show's next executive producer amid ongoing turmoil at the network. Correspondents Lesley Stahl, Scott Pelley, Bill Whitaker, Anderson Cooper, Sharyn Alfonsi, Jon Wertheim, and Cecilia Vega all signed a letter addressed to the co-chief executive of CBS parent company Paramount requesting that longtime 60 Minutes staffer Tanya Simon get the job. The journalists' request, sent last month, has so far go unanswered by Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks, Status reported. One staffer insisted that the high-profile correspondents' are deadly serious. 'There will be a revolt if it's not her,' the source told Status. Simon, described as a 'beloved leader' in the newsroom, has worked as 60 Minutes' interim executive producer since Bill Owens left back in April. She has spent her entire 26-year career at 60 Minutes, and all seven of the show's correspondents stand behind her. Owens - as well as former CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon - resigned after coming out against Paramount's bid to settle a $20 billion lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump claiming that an October 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris was 'deceptively edited.'60 Minutes 60 Minutes correspondents (from left to right) Sharyn Alfonsi, Jon Wertheim, Bill Whitaker, Lesley Stahl, Scott Pelley, Cecilia Vega, and Anderson Cooper all signed a letter addressed to the co-chief executive of CBS parent Paramount requesting that longtime 60 Minutes editor Tanya Simon get the job as executive producer Paramount has been pursuing a multibillion-dollar media merger with Skydance that would require approval by the Trump administration. Paramount brass believes any large settlement between the company and Trump could be considered a bribe to get the Skydance deal approved. Paramount heiress Shari Redstone doesn't appear to be supportive of Simon's appointment, Status reported. She remains frustrated with the show's coverage of Donald Trump and the Israel-Gaza war. Another 'likely' reason for Redstone's alleged hesitance is the looming deal with Skydance, staffers said. If approved, Skydance CEO David Ellison - the son of GOP backer Larry Ellison - may move the show in a different direction. The decision could determine the fate of stars like Stahl and Pelley, who are said to be weighing whether to stick around for another season. Simon's appointment could convince them to stay with 60 Minutes, while bringing in an outsider would make their exits 'appear far more likely,' Statues reported. Former 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens and ex-CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon (pictured) resigned after coming out against Paramount's bid to settle a $20 billion lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump claiming that an October 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris was 'deceptively edited' On Wednesday, sources told the New York Post that David Ellison, 41, had become confident the $8 billion deal would close by the end of the summer. His vision for 60 Minutes - still CBS News' ratings crown jewel - remains a concern for staffers, after he reportedly reached out to former New York Times editor and Free Press founder Bari Weiss for a potential high-profile gig with the network.
