Fox News Channel Celebrates a Decade as Top News Network

Fox News Channel (FNC) achieved a rare television milestone today in clinching ten years as the number one news network in cable television. 

Having surpassed CNN in January 2002, FNC has now reigned over the cable news universe for an entire decade while continuing to outpace both CNN and MSNBC combined in total viewership, according to Nielsen Media Research.
 
Remarking on the feat, FOX News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes said, “We are extremely proud of the phenomenal achievement created by the hard work and talent of the FOX News Channel employees and recognize how difficult it is for a cable network to sustain this level of dominance for a decade. America has clearly embraced fair and balanced news.”
 
Ten years since becoming number one, FNC has sustained a 147% advantage over CNN and a 144% advantage over MSNBC in Total Day viewership.  In Adults 25-54, FNC beat CNN by 92% and MSNBC by 101%.  Meanwhile, in Primetime, FNC has surpassed CNN by 131% in total viewers and 58% in A25-54 while overtaking MSNBC by 142% in total viewers and 105% in A25-54, according to the Nielsen averages for January 2012.
 
In Primetime for January 2012, FNC averaged 1,942,000 viewers, an increase of 78% since January 2002 when the network averaged 1,091,000.  In fact, the Primetime ratings FNC achieved in 2002 after becoming number one eclipse what CNN and MSNBC are currently averaging today in 2012 (841,000 and 801,000 viewers respectively).  Additionally, FNC’s current 2012-to-date Primetime average beat CNN and MSNBC combined.
 
During the January Nielsen month, FNC had a clean sweep of the top 13 programs based on total viewers with each of its programs besting its timeslot cable news competitors.  The network also claimed nine out of the top ten programs based on Adults 25-54 in cable news.  Furthermore, while having dominated the cable news landscape for the past decade, FNC ranked overall fifth this past month, according to Nielsen, only behind ESPN, USA, History and TBS (CNN and MSNBC ranked 23rd and 27th respectively).