London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 02, 2026

CNN goes first two weeks of October without any program reaching 1 million viewers

The network once known as the “most trusted name in news” started to lose public trust after its massive fake news about Iraq's alleged nuclear weapons, that actually never existed. This fake news cost the lives of thousands American soldiers (and countless Iraqis) and billions of dollars lost on a fake war against nothing. CNN continues to lose trust for its biased news against whoever did not vote for Biden, and its promotion of an extremist hate-culture against "the other" 84 million American voters. The result of dividing USA is that the fanatical network has gone 21 days without averaging a 7-digit viewership.
CNN's struggle to maintain relevance following the departure of President Donald Trump has never been more glaring. The news channel is suffering from an unprecedented drought in viewership, going the first two weeks of October without any program averaging 1 million viewers, an astonishing 21-day streak that began in September.

CNN's total day viewer average has plummeted to 484,000, a distant third behind Fox News' 1.4 million and MSNBC's 685,000 from Oct. 1 through Oct. 15, according to Nielsen data. CNN's weekday primetime average reached just 729,000 while Fox News topped with 2.6 million versus MSNBC's 1.5 million.

The last time CNN had at least one program averaging 1 million viewers was Sept. 24.

"AC:360" anchor Anderson Cooper, who had the most-watched CNN program in September averaging 916,000 viewers, has been capped at the knees so far this month, falling a whopping 17% to an average of 759,000 viewers. Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" averaged 3 million viewers, quadrupling CNN's viewership. MSNBC's "All In with Chris Hayes" averaged 1.3 million in the same time period.

"Cuomo Prime Time" anchor Chris Cuomo nabbed Cooper's leading status from last month averaging 818,000 viewers, a 6% drop from September. Fox News' "Hannity" continues to trounce Cuomo, averaging 2.76 million viewers while MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" averaged 2.17 million so far this month.

Don Lemon continues to suffer in the 10 pm ET primetime slot, averaging just 619,000 viewers two weeks into October, a 15% drop from his 724,000 average last month. Meanwhile, Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle" has averaged 2.2 million viewers, more than tripling Lemon's audience, in the first two weeks of October while MSNBC's "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell" reached 1.3 million viewers.

As bad as CNN's primetime lineup is doing, the network's daytime programming continues to hemorrhage viewers as well.

"The Lead" anchor Jake Tapper has failed to reach 700,000 viewers so far this month, averaging just 671,000 after previously averaging 737,000 in September.

CNN's left-wing media guru Brian Stelter also had a great fall below the 700,000 threshold, reaching only a 665,000 average between his first two October installments of his Sunday program "Reliable Sources."

Stelter has only exceeded 1 million viewers twice since March, one of them being the breaking news coverage of billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space flight in July, the other in August amid the Biden administration's chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The network's flagship morning program "New Day" continues to hit new lows, averaging a devastating 386,000 viewers after losing 10% of its audience since last month so far. The John Berman-Brianna Keilar duo remains as some of CNN's least-watched talent in all of the network's weekday programming.

Even William Shatner's adventure into space couldn't give CNN the boost it needed, topping at just 986,000 viewers during the 11 am ET timeslot when the Blue Origin crew launched and returned to Earth.

CNN's evaporating viewership comes as the network continues to be plagued by scandals and controversies. Embattled anchor Chris Cuomo was accused of sexual harassment by veteran TV producer Shelley Ross last month after the primetime star spent much of 2021 being engulfed in the scandals of his brother, ousted Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Last week, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta was forced to admit by podcast superstar Joe Rogan that his colleagues should not have characterized the use of ivermectin as a COVID treatment as the equivalent of taking "horse dewormer."
Comments

J.A 5 year ago
The trust problem with the “mainstream” media is real, and it’s not only about CNN.

When we -the anti Trump and pro Biden- cannot rely on our favorite home-based news outlet, it is a problem.

CNN -just our other favorite news sources- became the mirror of FOX news. The other side of the same. They are on our side but what we need from news outlet is to tell us the true, not only what we want to hear.

We better admit the problem so we can fix it before losing it all.
N.U. 5 year ago
J.O., the role of REAL news is not to keep everybody happy, but informed. Such an article is a wake up call. Not against CNN but for making CNN great again…
J.O. 5 year ago
People over there at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28977156 are not happy about your article, and that's comprehensible, 90% of them still being Deep Asleep...

Happy Awakening, news.ycombinator.com crowd! It would be about time!!
I don't know your name 5 year ago
This article is so biased. Blaming CNN for "fake news" for what the Republican government under George W. Bush and his military advisors provided all the "intel" about Iraq's "nuclear weapons". They were reporting what the Republican government lied about. Then goes on to talk about "biased news against whoever did not vote for Biden", sounds like blatant bias right here. Not even providing an example of what they are talking about. What's London Daily? The British version of Fox News?
YouKnowMyName 5 year ago
Hey.. it's none of that... It's the stolen election and BS lies about covid. People are not stupid..... politicians and 'main stream media' only think we are stupid....
Claire Sheppard 5 year ago
Well, well...are people finally waking up? (Not "woke," WAKING UP!)

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Business Confidence Improves but Remains Deeply Negative
Aberdeen Hydrogen Bus Sale Recovers Just Six Pence for Every Pound Invested
Which? Exposes Booking.com Verification Failures With Fake 10 Downing Street Listing
British Business Bank Invests Up to £46 Million in Deep-Tech Startup Fund
Scottish Government Puts Violence Against Women at Center of Legislative Program
FCA Eases UK IPO Rules to Strengthen London’s Listing Market
UK Likely to Avoid Next US Tariff Measures as Washington Targets EU
Macron Visits UK for Bayeux Tapestry Exhibition and Border Security Talks
British Chambers of Commerce Cuts UK Growth Outlook to 1% for 2026 and 2027
Keir Starmer Resigns as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, Triggering By-Election
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Unveils Devolution and Cost-of-Living Agenda
UK Borrowing Costs Surge as 30-Year Gilt Yield Reaches 5.88%
Cleveland Police Receive £2 Million to Tackle Serious Crime in Middlesbrough
Number of Young People in England Without a Close Friend Reaches Record Level
Five Arrested After Newborn Baby Dies From Stab Wounds in Sheffield
Nigel Farage Faces Questions Over Reported Second Parliamentary Standards Investigation
UK Retirement Funding Requirement Rises by £64,000 Compared With 2021
UK House Prices Rise for First Time Since April, Nationwide Says
FCA Chief Faces Allegations of Intimidating Consumer Group Over £9 Billion Car Loan Inquiry
Scottish Government Presses Ahead With Cap on Essential Food Prices
Burnham Government Moves to Overhaul Early Prison Release Scheme
UK Records Hottest Summer on Record in 2026, Met Office Says
UK Government Announces Major Reset of Diplomatic Policy Towards Israel
UK Pushes Back After Trump Reopens Falkland Islands Sovereignty Dispute
Keir Starmer Resigns as MP, Triggering Holborn and St Pancras By-Election
Andy Burnham Blames Brexit for UK’s Decade of Weak Growth in First Commons Address
England Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over Sewage Discharges and Water Quality
Victoria Beckham Business Reports First Operating Profit Since Launch
BT Expects £2 Billion From Copper Sales During Full-Fibre Rollout
UK Train Drivers Secure 3.6% Pay Rise and Avert Strike Action
FCA Chief Faces Scrutiny Over Alleged Pressure on Consumer Group in Car Finance Case
Kemi Badenoch Names Andrew Griffith Shadow Chancellor in Conservative Reshuffle
UK House Prices Rise for First Time Since April
UK Shop-Price Inflation Accelerates to 1.5% in August
Met Office Data Point to Hottest UK Summer on Record
UK Announces Emergency Prison Release Measures and £110 Million Capacity Expansion
UK Launches Expanded Free School Meals and 1,400 Breakfast Clubs
Bank of England Governor Warns G20 of AI-Related Economic and Cyber Risks
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Calls for Greater Public Control of Water, Energy and Transport
UK Gains Full Access to £13 Trillion Trans-Pacific Trade Bloc
UK Long-Term Borrowing Costs Hit 28-Year High as Oil Shock Drives Global Bond Selloff
Royal Mail Keeps First-Class Stamps at £1.80 and Second-Class at 91p
Church of England Prepares Formal Apology Over Historical Forced Adoptions
UK Competition Regulator Caps Veterinary Prescription Fees at £21
UK Aviation Authorities Roll Out Airspace Changes to Reduce Flight Delays
England Makes School Allergy Policies Mandatory Under Benedict’s Law
England and Wales Tighten Child Safeguarding Checks by Removing Supervision Exemption
Cornwall Geothermal Plant Begins Commercial Power and Lithium Operations
UK Inflation Holds Near 2.9% as Energy Costs Remain a Risk
UK Productivity Growth Averages 1.1% Over Two Years, Resolution Foundation Says
×