Trump has given a big boost to cable news, and not just the network he likes

Trump is juicing CNN ratings
(Image credit: Darren Hauck/Getty Images)

When it comes to cable news, President Trump is a rising tide that lifts all boats. "Beneficiaries include both the network he likes (Fox News Channel) and those he hates/threatens (everyone else)," Deadline reports. CNN, one of Trump's favorite targets, posted its highest ratings ever in total and total day viewership and notched its second-most-watched primetime year since 2008. For the first time since 1995, the original cable news network cracked the Top 10 of all basic cable channels, ranking No. 7 overall, No. 10 in primetime, and No. 5 in total day viewership.

If it was a good year for CNN, it was a great one for MSNBC. Its primetime viewership jumped by 51 percent in Trump's first year, including 37 percent in the key 25-54 demographic. MSNBC ranked No. 3 in primetime among cable networks and also in total day viewership. Rachel Maddow was the network's biggest ratings draw, though with an average of 2.5 million viewers she was still more than a million behind Fox News' Sean Hannity, with nearly 3.2 million viewers (Hannity and Maddow tied in the 18-49 demographic). Fox News was, for a second year running, the No. 1 basic cable network in primetime and total day viewers.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.