Data from Nielsen Co. for 2008 shows that Fox has maintained its first-place position among cable news networks with an average of 1.83 million total viewers in prime time, a 14% increase from the comparable period in 2007. An average 440,000 of Fox’s prime-time viewers are in the key news demo of 25-54, a year-to-year increase of 11%.

CNN has averaged 1.33 million viewers (a year-to-year increase of 70%), and can claim more of them, 475,000 viewers, in the 25-54 demo (an increase of 94%). It beat Fox for the month of February in the young demo for the first time since 2001.

MSNBC has averaged 805,000 viewers (an increase of 61%), 339,000 of them in the key news demo (a year-to-year increase of 70%).

For the year to date, the three cable news networks can point to quantifiable improvements among 18- to 34-year-old viewers as well. Fox is averaging 98,000 in the young demo in prime time (an increase of 44%), while CNN is averaging 154,000 (up 152%) and MSNBC 111,000 (up 85%).

— Michele Greppi