Fox News losing out in prime time ratings race amid Trump turmoil

Fox News and MSNBC both find themselves in unusual positions right now: Fox is losing and MSNBC is winning.

And there seems to be a striking similarity between the ratings race and President Trump’s political fortunes.

Fox, which has a pro-Trump vibe in prime time, usually ranks No. 1 among cable news channels with 25 to 54 year olds, a key demographic for advertisers.

But for the past week, with Trump mired in scandal, MSNBC has out-rated Fox News in prime time in the so-called “demo.”

Both MSNBC and CNN have seen ratings spikes related to FBI Director James Comey’s firing and the fallout ever since. The Nielsen ratings data suggests that Fox viewers are less interested.

Fox still has a loyal base of viewers who watch the network throughout the day. It remains No. 1 in total viewers, with CNN and MSNBC far behind.

But with the White House in crisis mode, and Fox sometimes downplaying the seriousness of the situation, channel surfers are opting for MSNBC and CNN instead.

So far this week, Fox has ranked No. 3 in prime time behind both CNN and MSNBC, which almost never happens.

After this story was published, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough commented on it via Twitter. He wrote, “FNC has been in 3rd place because: 1. Conservative intensity has plummeted. 2. They’re not covering THE story.”

He said the GOP should be concerned about the decline in “conservative intensity.”

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