Fox News rules GOP primary roost

Because the primary season gets hotter, Fox News Funnel is constantly on the rule the rankings roost. On Tuesday, the net's special 8-10 p.m. coverage averaged 2.74 million audiences, based on Nielsen, a lot more than the combined shipping of CNN (1.21 million) and MSNBC (1.06 million). FNC also held a substantial lead within the key news demo of grown ups 25-54, drawing 684,000 to 443,000 for CNN and 266,000 for MSNBC. Possibly because of the uneven character from the Florida primary -- Mitt Romney won with a landslide -- viewership on Tuesday was a little underneath the Sc primary of Jan. 21 (2.75 million), but it is obvious that audiences have become more involved in the race for that Republican presidential nominee. FNC was no. 3 cable network around the evening as a whole audiences, close behind The best spinner's and USA. Fox News Funnel can also be coming off a simple victory over CNN and MSNBC for The month of january. In primetime recently, FNC averaged 1.94 million audiences, a 78% increase over its The month of january 2002 average of just one.09 million -- that was really a lot more than either CNN (841,000) or MSNBC (801,000) came recently. The The month of january victory does mean that Fox News continues to be the cable news rankings leader for ten years (120 straight several weeks), getting first surpassed CNN at the begining of 2002. "The O'Reilly Factor" continues to be flagship program for Fox News Funnel, because it has for that network's entire decade of rankings leadership. On Monday of the week it accomplished another milestone if this outdrew NBC's 10 p.m. newsmag "Rock Center" (3.42 million versus. 3.29 million) being primetime's most-viewed news program. Contact Ron Kissell at ron.kissell@variety.com