When you look at various cable news personalities, some have a large presence outside of their shows. Take Sean Hannity, for example: His radio show is on 3 hours a day M-F, compared to the one hour a day for his TV show (not counting repeats). Both shows point the audience to the same Twitter account, @SeanHannity; as a result it’s nearly impossible to distinguish Twitter chat about the radio show vs. the TV show. That’s why Hannity often wins the best-in-day rating (as he did yesterday), given the 4 hours of fresh content he generates each day.
Other personalities don’t have so much of a secondary venue as a general topic they dominate. Piers Morgan may have one hour a day on TV (in the USA), but his constant tweeting about UK football generates a huge volume of responses; a couple of days ago about 15% of all tweets using the hashtag of the Arsenal team also mentioned Piers.
So it’s always interesting when a TV personality gets mentioned extensively outside of the time slots for their shows. The Melissa Harris-Perry show wasn’t on TV yesterday, but her live on the web discussion with author bell hooks generated nearly 3000 #nerdland tweets. This is on a par with a slow day for her show — all from the web!
Cable executives take note: you can grow the value of your brands significantly through programming distributed via secondary channels. If MSNBC or CNN want to move up in the TV ratings (Nielsens), providing additional content outside of broadcast hours may be powerful tool.
Note that all times are US Eastern Time. See notes at end for further explanations. For earlier articles on cable news twitter ratings, please see this.
Cable News Ratings for 2013-11-08
Top Shows for the day:
| Category | Mentions | Show |
| Most Mentions During Hour | 1611 | MSNBC: The Ed Show |
| Most Mentions During day | 5281 | Fox News: Hannity |
Overall ratings by network
| Network | Tweet Count | Unique Tweeters | Reach | Male | Female |
| MSNBC | 34052 | 12982 | 152555379 | 48 % | 52 % |
| Fox News | 27404 | 15392 | 93701835 | 62 % | 38 % |
| CNN | 26277 | 18754 | 171647763 | 56 % | 44 % |
| E | 5128 | 2769 | 57258697 | 32 % | 68 % |
| Comedy Central | 4066 | 2840 | 28505469 | 64 % | 36 % |
| HBO | 2182 | 1360 | 7140244 | 54 % | 46 % |
| HLN | 1851 | 980 | 8565919 | 34 % | 66 % |
| FXX | 116 | 102 | 3067013 | 58 % | 42 % |
For networks that are not predominantly news, only news(-like) shows are included. See the detailed listings below for precise shows
Most popular hastags
| Hashtag | Count |
| #tcot | 3187 |
| #nerdland | 2982 |
| #lnyhbt | 2934 |
| #blackfish | 2627 |
| #inners | 2405 |
| #maddow | 2176 |
| #obamacare | 1953 |
| #hottieoftheweek | 1781 |
| #edshow | 1671 |
| #freethe7 | 1573 |
Ratings for individual time slots
Ratings for Weekdays 12am
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | Piers Morgan Live | 129 | 5067 | 81% | 19% |
| Fox News | The Kelly File | 552 | 3315 | 60% | 40% |
| HLN | Dr Drew On Call | 24 | 119 | 39% | 61% |
| MSNBC | The Rachel Maddow Show | 251 | 4231 | 52% | 48% |
Ratings for Weekdays 1am
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | Anderson Cooper 360 | 34 | 1516 | 49% | 51% |
| HLN | Nancy Grace | 31 | 542 | 15% | 85% |
| MSNBC | The Last Word w/Lawrence O’Donnell | 21 | 464 | 62% | 38% |
Ratings for Weekends 1am
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| Fox News | Hannity | 124 | 5281 | 62% | 38% |
Ratings for Weekdays 2am
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | AC360 Later | 65 | 1516 | 49% | 51% |
| Fox News | On The Record w/Greta Van Susteren | 15 | 1794 | 58% | 42% |
| HLN | ShowBiz Tonight | 1 | 19 | 63% | 38% |
| MSNBC | Hardball w/Chris Matthews | 5 | 1082 | 57% | 43% |
Ratings for Weekdays 3am
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | Piers Morgan Live | 218 | 5067 | 81% | 19% |
| Fox News | RedEye | 21 | 717 | 70% | 30% |
| MSNBC | All In w/Chris Hayes | 18 | 3579 | 49% | 51% |
Ratings for Weekdays 4am
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | Anderson Cooper 360 | 15 | 1516 | 49% | 51% |
| Fox News | The Five | 4 | 752 | 67% | 33% |
| HLN | ShowBiz Tonight | 0 | 19 | 63% | 38% |
| MSNBC | The Rachel Maddow Show | 29 | 4231 | 52% | 48% |
Ratings for Weekdays 5am
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | EarlyStartCNN | 49 | 88 | 38% | 62% |
| Fox News | FoxFriendsFirst | 70 | 204 | 64% | 36% |
| HLN | Dr Drew On Call | 9 | 119 | 39% | 61% |
| MSNBC | First Look (5-5:30) | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% |
| MSNBC | Way Too Early (5:30-6) | 11 | 20 | 38% | 62% |
Ratings for Weekdays 6am
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | New Day | 343 | 1678 | 49% | 51% |
| Fox News | Fox And Friends | 254 | 1024 | 64% | 36% |
| HLN | Morning Express w/Robin Meade | 27 | 259 | 65% | 35% |
| MSNBC | Morning Joe | 657 | 4075 | 57% | 43% |
Ratings for Weekdays 7am
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | New Day | 302 | 1678 | 49% | 51% |
| Fox News | Fox And Friends | 266 | 1024 | 64% | 36% |
| HLN | Morning Express w/Robin Meade | 31 | 259 | 65% | 35% |
| MSNBC | Morning Joe | 1311 | 4075 | 57% | 43% |
Ratings for Weekdays 8am
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | New Day | 208 | 1678 | 49% | 51% |
| Fox News | Fox And Friends | 216 | 1024 | 64% | 36% |
| HLN | Morning Express w/Robin Meade | 34 | 259 | 65% | 35% |
| MSNBC | Morning Joe | 612 | 4075 | 57% | 43% |
Ratings for Weekdays 9am
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | News Room | 7 | 94 | 75% | 25% |
| Fox News | America’s Newsroom | 106 | 268 | 63% | 37% |
| HLN | Morning Express w/Robin Meade | 30 | 259 | 65% | 35% |
| MSNBC | The Daily Run Down | 1065 | 4468 | 52% | 48% |
Ratings for Weekdays 10am
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | News Room | 4 | 94 | 75% | 25% |
| Fox News | America’s Newsroom | 34 | 268 | 63% | 37% |
| HLN | Morning Express w/Robin Meade | 29 | 259 | 65% | 35% |
| MSNBC | Jansing & Co. | 92 | 190 | 71% | 29% |
Ratings for Weekdays 11am
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | Legal View w/Banfield | 1 | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Fox News | Happening Now | 49 | 87 | 59% | 41% |
| HLN | Morning Express w/Robin Meade | 21 | 259 | 65% | 35% |
| MSNBC | MSNBC Live w/ Thomas Roberts | 43 | 186 | 57% | 43% |
Ratings for Weekdays 12pm
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | Around the World (News Room) | 1 | 94 | 75% | 25% |
| Fox News | Happening Now | 21 | 87 | 59% | 41% |
| HLN | Raising America | 7 | 72 | 50% | 50% |
| MSNBC | Now w/Alex Wagner | 458 | 1293 | 56% | 44% |
Ratings for Weekdays 1pm
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | News Room | 9 | 94 | 75% | 25% |
| Fox News | America’s News HQ | 22 | 44 | 75% | 25% |
| HLN | News Now | 1 | 3 | 50% | 50% |
| MSNBC | Andrea Mitchell Reports | 33 | 71 | 52% | 48% |
Ratings for Weekdays 2pm
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | News Room | 52 | 94 | 75% | 25% |
| Fox News | The Real Story w/Gretchen Carlson | 236 | 489 | 56% | 44% |
| HLN | News Now | 1 | 3 | 50% | 50% |
| MSNBC | News Nation w/ Tamron Hall | 24 | 79 | 63% | 38% |
Ratings for Weekdays 3pm
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | News Room | 5 | 94 | 75% | 25% |
| Fox News | Shepard Smith Reporting | 41 | 66 | 51% | 49% |
| HLN | News Now | 1 | 3 | 50% | 50% |
| MSNBC | The Cycle | 118 | 321 | 59% | 41% |
| MSNBC | The Cycle (w/ Host Accounts) | 153 | 1220 | 57% | 43% |
Ratings for Weekdays 4pm
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | The Lead w/Jake Tapper | 87 | 897 | 62% | 38% |
| Fox News | Your World | 114 | 598 | 62% | 38% |
| HLN | Now In America | 1 | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| MSNBC | Martin Bashir | 527 | 973 | 54% | 46% |
Ratings for Weekdays 5pm
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | The Situation Room | 18 | 202 | 59% | 41% |
| Fox News | The Five | 450 | 752 | 67% | 33% |
| Fox News | The Five w/Hosts | 869 | 2984 | 68% | 32% |
| HLN | Evening Express | 3 | 24 | 70% | 30% |
| MSNBC | The Ed Show | 1611 | 3637 | 47% | 53% |
Ratings for Weekdays 6pm
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | Crossfire (6:30 – 7) | 4 | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| CNN | The Situation Room (6 – 6:30) | 17 | 202 | 59% | 41% |
| CNN | Crossfire With Hosts (6:30 – 7) | 386 | 1756 | 62% | 38% |
| Fox News | Special Report w/Bret Baier | 173 | 718 | 57% | 43% |
| HLN | Evening Express | 4 | 24 | 70% | 30% |
| MSNBC | PoliticsNation w/ Al Sharpton | 461 | 1059 | 55% | 45% |
Ratings for Weekdays 7pm
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | Out Front w/Erin Burnett | 102 | 262 | 77% | 23% |
| E | E! News | 260 | 5128 | 32% | 68% |
| Fox News | On The Record w/Greta Van Susteren | 506 | 1794 | 58% | 42% |
| HLN | Jane Velez-Mitchell | 43 | 320 | 25% | 75% |
| MSNBC | Hardball w/ Chris Matthews | 415 | 1082 | 57% | 43% |
Ratings for Weekdays 8pm
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | Anderson Cooper 360 | 299 | 1516 | 49% | 51% |
| Fox News | The O’Reilly Factor | 242 | 906 | 60% | 40% |
| MSNBC | All In w/ Chris Hayes | 1580 | 3579 | 49% | 51% |
Ratings for Weekdays 9pm
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | Piers Morgan Live | 193 | 5067 | 81% | 19% |
| Fox News | The Kelly File | 852 | 3315 | 60% | 40% |
| MSNBC | The Rachel Maddow Show | 1341 | 4231 | 52% | 48% |
Ratings for Weekdays 10pm
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | Unguarded with Rachel Nichols (10:30pm) | 70 | 382 | 87% | 13% |
| CNN | Crossfire (Repeat 10-10:30) | 2 | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Fox News | Hannity | 947 | 5281 | 62% | 38% |
| HBO | Real Time w/Bill Maher | 803 | 1693 | 54% | 46% |
| MSNBC | Up Late w/ Alec Baldwin | 585 | 976 | 32% | 68% |
Ratings for Weekdays 11pm
| Network | Show | Tweets Hour | Tweets Day | Male | Female |
| CNN | Outfront w/Burnett (11-11:30pm) | 11 | 262 | 77% | 23% |
| CNN | Crossfire (11:30p – 12a) | 0 | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| CNN | Crossfire With Hosts (11:30p – 12a) | 31 | 1756 | 62% | 38% |
| Fox News | The O’Reilly Factor | 76 | 906 | 60% | 40% |
| HBO | Real Time w/Bill Maher (Rerun) | 374 | 1693 | 54% | 46% |
| HLN | ShowBiz Tonight | 0 | 19 | 63% | 38% |
Definition of terms used in this report:
- Network: For the purposes of total network mentions, the count is the total unique tweets that mention any of the shows tracked on the network or the network’s general Twitter account (e.g., @CNN).
- Mentions During Hour or Tweets Hour: The number of tweets that mention the show during the hour specified. For shows that are repeat later in the day, the first (and often live) showing usually garners the most mentions by a significant margin.
- Mentions During day or Tweets Day: The total number of mentions a show received from midnight to midnight, eastern time.
- Tweet Count: The number of tweets (including retweets) that mention a show.
- Unique Tweeters: The number of Twitter users who have sent one or more tweets mentioning a show. If a user sends more than one tweet, they still only count once.
- Reach: A measure of the number of impressions a collection of tweets will make. For each tweet that is sent, it adds up how many people follow the person tweeting it — how many timelines that tweet will show up in. Thus, if network A has 10,000 mentions from people with an average of 10 followers, the reach will be 100,000. On the other hand, if network B has 10,000 mentions from people with an average of 100 followers, the reach will be 1,000,000. So network B has much greater reach: tweets mentioning network B will potentially be seen 10 times as often as tweets about network A.
- Male / Female: An estimate of the demographics of a show’s audience. Note that this number is an imprecise estimate.
Cable News Twitter Ratings are still experimental. If you have any suggestions, find any errors, or have any questions, please feel free to contact me at admin@socialseer.com
For further discussion of how these stats are calculated, please see this blog post. Especially the part about how I determine the gender of Twitter users.