Murdoch Attributes Fox News Ratings Decline to Viewer Fatigue

Fox Corp. Chief Executive Lachlan Murdoch attributed October’s year-over-year decline in Fox News viewership to viewer fatigue, saying the network’s audience was watching less television rather than switching to competing news channels. Nielsen-based figures show Fox News remained the most-watched cable news network, despite losing viewers as CNN and MS NOW gained. Murdoch discussed the ratings on a company earnings call Monday, November 2, ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. He compared the current cycle in part to the 2006 midterms, when a president was midway through his second term, and said Fox had seen similar viewing patterns before. His explanation was a company executive’s assessment; the audience data does not establish why viewers watched less. October figures reported from Nielsen showed Fox News’ total-day audience fell 27% from a year earlier, while its audience among adults ages 25 to 54 declined 32%. The network averaged 1.1 million total-day viewers and 98,000 viewers in that age group, according to preliminary figures. The 25-to-54 audience was reported as the network’s lowest for that demographic since August 2001. The losses came as CNN and MS NOW gained...