Fox News top of cable ratings
By Allison Romano -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/30/2003 4:00:00 AM
Although news viewing is trailing off, Fox News Channel still managed to emerge as the top-rated cable network for April.
Fox recorded a 3.3 prime-time average rating, up a blistering 175 percent from last year.
Cable News Network claimed the second spot with a 2.1, a 133 percent improvement from a year ago.
MSNBC also enjoyed growth, increasing ratings 200 percent to a 1.2 average in prime time, according to Nielsen Media Research data from ABC Cable Networks.
Fox attracted 3.5 million viewers and CNN registered 2.3 million. MSNBC trailed with about 1.1 million.
Turner Network Television was the top-rated entertainment channel with a 2.1 rating, up 24 percent from last year.
A sign of a shift, though: TNT beat out Fox News to claim the top spot in the final week of April (A 2.4 average for TNT compared with 2.2 for Fox News). TNT averaged about 2.4 million viewers.
Other general-entertainment networks, however, slipped in April.
Lifetime Television's ratings woes continued, falling 23 percent to a 1.7 average.
USA Network was off 18 percent to a 1.4, and TBS Superation fell 24 percent to a 1.3 prime-time average.
A few cablers enjoyed robust year-to-year growth.
ESPN's ratings jumped nearly 40 percent to a 1.1 rating and Hallmark Channel increased viewership 60 percent to a 0.8 average.
MTV Networks seems to have stopped the bleeding at VH1.
The music network notched a 0.5 rating, up 67 percent.
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