CNN leads Jackson cable news coverage
CNN once again jumped to the ratings foreground during a national news event last night, easily dominating the primetime cable news audience.
CNN averaged 3.9 million viewers in primetime with its coverage of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, compared to 2.9 million for Fox News and 1.4 million for MSNBC. Nielsen measurements starting at 6 p.m. show a similar spread.
Sunday's annual BET Awards will be filled with tributes to Jackson. Hosted by Jamie Foxx, the show airs live at 8 p.m.
The numbers represent an enormous boost on the networks' average performance, with CNN gaining the most, rising about 381% from its second quarter average.