Hey, get your mind out of the gutter, pal. We’re talking about the latest cable news ratings here.
Here’s how Business Insider tells the tale of Cooper’s precipitous decline:
The respected CNN anchor has seen his numbers slip significantly through the past year. His 10 p.m. show, “Anderson Cooper 360,” has declined 62% in total viewers and 70% in adults 25-54 from November 2008, according to Nielsen figures.
Last month, in Cooper’s time slot, Fox News’ “On the Record” attracted an average viewership of 1.9 million while “360” averaged 672,000; repeats of MSNBC’s “Countdown” and HLN’s Nancy Grace show averaged 655,000 and 458,000, respectively.
What’s the cause of Cooper’s decline? The Business Insider speculates:
So what happened? Let’s see: There’s no presidential election to ramp up ratings; there’s heavy competition from centrist CNN’s noisier rivals (see: Fox News, the No. 1 cable news channel); there’s people catching up on DVR-ed TV shows in the late evening; then there’s the loss of Lou Dobbs in the 7 p.m. anchor chair, among other possible factors.
Oddly enough, the Business Insider concludes with a decidedly unbusinesslike recommendation:
Work those blue eyes, Coop!
Our recommendation would be slightly different:
Wear a short skirt, Coop. It seems to work over at Fox.
Source: Business Insider
