"The Republican Party is composed of a few smart people, and a whole lot of dumb ones." - Anonymous...AND we seem to be losing a few of them over at Fox News. At Mediabistro.com, their story by Alex Weprin, "January 2013 Ratings: Fox News Down Compared To Last Year," is a welcome relief to those who are bothered by the apparent stupidity of Conservative followers. (See the 29 essays - to date - on Conservative Stupidity at http://www.criminalizeconservatism.com/search/label/conservatives_are_stupid.):
"With January complete, Fox News has completed 11 straight years of being number one in cable news in both primetime and total day. That said, the network saw significant ratings declines in January–particularly in the pivotal adults 25-54 demographic–though its perch remains unthreatened for now.
"The ratings for January, 2013:
"Primetime (Mon-Sun): 1.617 million total viewers / 267,000 A25-54"Fox News was down -6% in total viewers and -22% in the key adults 25-54 demo in total day in January, the lowest demo numbers since July 2008. In primetime, the network was down -17% in total viewers and -40% in the demo, posting its lowest demo numbers since May 2006. It is worth noting that January 2012 was a big one in the Republican primary race and FNC hosted two primary debates, but this month was no slouch either, with the inauguration and a number of big political stories.
"Total Day Mon-Sun): 1.029 million total viewers / 209,000 A25-54
"In primetime, 8 PM’s 'The O’Reilly factor' was down only -2% in total viewers, though it was down -25% in the demo. At 9 PM “Hannity” was down -3% in total viewers, and down -19% in the demo. At 10 PM, “On the Record” was down -18% in total viewers and -38% in the demo.
"The highlight for the network was 5 PM’s “The Five,” which was up +21% in total viewers and up +5% in the demo, easily the strongest performance of any show on the channel. Just about every hour of dayside programming was close to flat in total viewers, and down in the demo.
"In the morning, 'Fox & Friends' was up +5% in total viewers, but down -17% in the demo. It has been number one on cable news for 135 straight months, drawing more viewers than MSNBC, CNN and HLN combined."
And several years ago we found that the "Median Age of Fox News Viewers is 65 – Average Dittohead Is a 67 Year Old Man," from a report by Jon Ponder at Pensito Review:
"Only dinosaurs listen to radio these days, and it’s doubtful many people under 50 even know AM radio exists, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the average age of right-wing radio listeners is 67. It’s also truly not shocking that this demographic is also predominantly male. According to a Pew study in February, 72 percent of Limbaugh’s elderly listeners are men and thus are statistically likely to 'stroke out' sometime in Pres. Obama’s second term, assuming he wins one.
"However, television viewership trounces radio audiences in every demographic, so the fact that the average age of FNC viewers is, well, retired could have huge ramifications on the political playing field over the next decade.
"It took some googling but I found a reliable source that confirms that during the 2007-2008 television season, the most recent season for which figures are available, the average age of Fox News viewers was 65:
"According to a study released by Magna Global’s Steve Sternberg, the five broadcast nets’ average live median age (in other words, not including delayed DVR viewing) was 50 last season. That’s the oldest ever since Sternberg started analyzing median age more than a decade ago — and the first time the nets’ median age was outside of the vaunted 18-49 demo…
"Among ad-supported cable nets, the news nets (along with older-skewing Hallmark Channel, Golf Channel and GSN’s daytime sked) sport the most gray, with Fox News Channel’s daytime and primetime skeds the absolute oldest, clocking in with a median age above 65. (Emphasis added.)
"Update: Hollywood Reporter, August 10, 2010:
"In a survey released by analyst Steve Sternberg, Fox News has the oldest audience among fully distributed cable networks. The network’s average viewer last season was 65 years old, according to Nielsen. Heck, it’s viewers are even older than viewers of Hallmark Channel, Military Channel and Golf Channel."
Old and stupid, it doesn't get any worse - unless you count racism, sexism, and homophobia. And as David Hunter at the Knoxville News Sentinel pointed out in his essay, "David Hunter: The demographics, they are a-changin'," people tend to hang out with those who think alike:
"One of the most interesting events of the 2012 presidential election occurred when Fox news anchor Megyn Kelly left her post to visit the war room to check for herself if the number-crunchers had really just called the election in favor of President Barack Obama.
"The disbelief of the Fox election panel — including, Bret Baier, Chris Wallace and Karl Rove — was unmistakable. They had convinced themselves and millions of others that Obama would be swept from the White House in an overwhelming Republican victory.
"This is what happens when people begin to believe their own hype. Most Obama supporters and objective journalists went into the election believing that the outcome was too close to call, based on the polls and other information available.
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"In our own Knox County, where Mitt Romney received more than 60 percent of the votes to Obama's less than 35 percent, the shock was even greater. When the majority of those with whom we surround ourselves are like-minded people — in church, at family gatherings and other social events — it begins to appear that everyone believes the same way we do.
"The disbelief of the Fox election panel — including, Bret Baier, Chris Wallace and Karl Rove — was unmistakable. They had convinced themselves and millions of others that Obama would be swept from the White House in an overwhelming Republican victory.
"This is what happens when people begin to believe their own hype. Most Obama supporters and objective journalists went into the election believing that the outcome was too close to call, based on the polls and other information available.
"In our own Knox County, where Mitt Romney received more than 60 percent of the votes to Obama's less than 35 percent, the shock was even greater. When the majority of those with whom we surround ourselves are like-minded people — in church, at family gatherings and other social events — it begins to appear that everyone believes the same way we do.
"There was supreme confidence among local Romney supporters that the election was only a formality. After all, when nearly two out of three friends and neighbors believe a thing so passionately, it must be true.
"The reality of the situation became evident only after the votes were tallied. The 47 percent of the population that Romney painted as parasites — especially retirees and out-of-work veterans and students — had been inspired to get out the vote.
"Romney banked on white voters, and roughly 88 percent of his were white — with 2 percent black, 6 percent Latino, 2 percent Asian and 2 percent 'other.' Obama's voters, on the other hand, were 56 percent white, 24 percent black, 14 percent Latino, 4 percent Asian and 2 percent "other." The election proved what had become increasingly obvious to most outside the Republican fantasy Romney was selling — this country is becoming more diverse, and those who refuse to accept it will no longer decide the presidency.
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"Despite his conciliatory concession speech election night, the real Romney was back with no change in attitude. He told his followers that Obama won the election by giving 'free stuff' to women, blacks, Latinos and young people. Not a word about how he himself alienated those very people in order to please the people who failed to elect him.
"Not for a minute do I believe most Republicans are racist, sexist homophobes, but extremist voices are always the loudest. In the words of Bob Dylan, 'Your old road is rapidly aging/ Please get out of the new one/ If you can't lend your hand/ For the times they are a-changin'.'
"America is a nation of immigrants, and those who can't compromise are already a minority."
"The reality of the situation became evident only after the votes were tallied. The 47 percent of the population that Romney painted as parasites — especially retirees and out-of-work veterans and students — had been inspired to get out the vote.
"Romney banked on white voters, and roughly 88 percent of his were white — with 2 percent black, 6 percent Latino, 2 percent Asian and 2 percent 'other.' Obama's voters, on the other hand, were 56 percent white, 24 percent black, 14 percent Latino, 4 percent Asian and 2 percent "other." The election proved what had become increasingly obvious to most outside the Republican fantasy Romney was selling — this country is becoming more diverse, and those who refuse to accept it will no longer decide the presidency.
"Despite his conciliatory concession speech election night, the real Romney was back with no change in attitude. He told his followers that Obama won the election by giving 'free stuff' to women, blacks, Latinos and young people. Not a word about how he himself alienated those very people in order to please the people who failed to elect him.
"Not for a minute do I believe most Republicans are racist, sexist homophobes, but extremist voices are always the loudest. In the words of Bob Dylan, 'Your old road is rapidly aging/ Please get out of the new one/ If you can't lend your hand/ For the times they are a-changin'.'
"America is a nation of immigrants, and those who can't compromise are already a minority."
And America is rapidly discovering the real agenda of the Conservative Republican Party - to return us to the Age of Feudalism, with no concern for the criminality of their actions when it comes time to do the bidding of the Conservative leadership and their wealthy benefactors.
The Conservative world of old, white males is disappearing. And the time will soon come when America realizes that Conservatism must be exposed for the criminal enterprise that it is, and always was, and that as the Conservative capos' biggest propaganda arm, Fox News should be stripped of all rights to broadcast under the "News" banner.
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"There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship."
Thomas Aquinas
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"There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship."
Thomas Aquinas
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