In the least shocking news of all time, we have pinpointed why the media love Republican frontrunner Donald J. Trump: The Donald brings The Ratings. And we’re talking yuge ratings, not “Little Marco” or “Lyin’ Ted” Ratings.
On what is referred to as the second Super Tuesday of the primary season, Trump’s QVC-esque victory speech brought in a resounding 700,000 additional viewers to Fox News’ coverage of the ShamWow, Trump Steak &Trump Water Edition spectacle.
Politico reports:
Trump’s presser dominated cable news coverage on Fox News, CNN and MSNBC during the 9 p.m. hour, and the ratings reflect that. All told, an average of 8.8 million viewers were watching one of those three channels during the 9 p.m. hour. Compare that to an average of 7.4 million people watching during the 8 p.m. hour and 7.3 million people watching during the 10 p.m. hour.
Fox News added 700,000 viewers in the 9 p.m. hour (for a total of 4.24 million viewers) compared to 8 p.m. and lost more than 1 million viewers in the 10 p.m. hour. CNN added 500,000 viewers from 8 to 9 p.m. (2.97 million viewers) and lost more than 300,000 at 10 p.m. MSNBC gained more than 100,000 viewers in the 9 p.m. hour (1.65 million viewers) compared to 8 p.m., and lost 100,000 in the 10 p.m. hour.
Further, the CEO of CBS News, Les Moonves, has admitted that Trump’s rise “may not be good for America, but it’s damn good for CBS.”
“Man, who would have expected the ride we’re all having right now? The money’s rolling in and this is fun. I’ve never seen anything like this, and this going to be a very good year for us. Sorry. It’s a terrible thing to say. But, bring it on, Donald. Keep going,” said Moonves, shamelessly.
The real estate mogul also helped to bring in a recorded-shattering 24 million viewers with his first ever showing at a Republican presidential debate. Fox News was lucky enough to cover that ratings windfall. And just last Thursday, Fox raked in their second highest ratings ever, hosting the train wreck Republican debate where The Donald not-so-subtly assured Americans that his manhood has “no problem“–which Melania Trump sheepishly corroborated when CNN’s Dana Bash ask for her “thoughts.”
Trump knows his appeal, his power, so he has the media eating out of his short-fingered hands. The frontrunner has skipped debates and often calls into shows instead of showing up in suit and tie like his respective presidential candidates. But the most telling fruit of this reality is Trump’s own campaign manager Corey Lewandowski allegedly “manhandling” Breitbart reporter and Fox News contributor Michelle Fields at a recent Trump event she was covering, leaving her reportedly bruised. Besides some notable conservatives in the media such as The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro calling for Lewandowski to be fired, the media have stayed relevantly quite on the issue. They know where their bread is buttered, perhaps.