FOX News Channel's (FNC's) The O'Reilly Factor has marked a major milestone this month as the program has been number one in cable news for 100 consecutive months, according to Nielsen Media Research.
The O'Reilly Factorled all programs with an average of 3,434,000 viewers in March, commanding the 8PM time slot and beat all the competition combined in that hour. The program posted a 29% year to year growth in viewership and a 43% increase in the 25-54 demo with an average of 755,000. For the First Quarter in 2009, the program again beat all other cable news shows combined in that hour, dominating with 3,387,000 viewers, up 27% over last year. In the 25-54 demo, The O'Reilly Factor averaged 727,000, up 36% over 2008. The repeat hour of The O'Reilly Factor averaged 1,394,000, up 20% over last year, with an average of 452,000 (up 18%) in the 25-54 demo.
Anchor Bill O'Reilly remarked, "I think it's because we give stuff away or maybe folks just find the hour honest and fun to watch."
Bill Shine, Senior Vice President of Programming, added, "Bill has achieved a remarkable milestone of 100 consecutive months of ratings dominance - his success in the cable news landscape is extraordinary."
The O'Reilly Factor eclipsed Larry King Live in 2000 to become the number one cable news program and since has dominated every single contender in the cable news genre. Throughout his reign, O'Reilly continues to be one of the most controversial and frequently discussed television news commentators today. Over the course of 100 months, O'Reilly's major interviews include: former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama, former President George W. Bush, Howard Stern, Rosie O'Donnell, Bono, Stephen Colbert and Michael Moore. The Factor has also taken on numerous issues including the mismanagement of the Red Cross funds following the attacks on September 11 and Jessica's Law, in which O'Reilly has led the crusade in calling on every state to pass a version of the law to protect children from sexual predators.
Prior to joining FNC in 1996, O'Reilly anchored the nationally syndicated program, Inside Edition for six years. His seasoned career in broadcast journalism also includes stints at CBS News, where he was awarded with an EMMY, as well as ABC News' World News Tonight, where his work was recognized with two National Headliner Awards for excellence in reporting. Throughout the past 10 years, O'Reilly has authored five New York Times bestsellers, including the most recent, A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity, as well as Culture Warrior, The O'Reilly Factor and The No Spin Zone, which were both number one on the bestseller list, and The O'Reilly Factor for Kids.
FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour general news service covering breaking news as well as political, entertainment and business news. For more than seven years, FNC has been the most watched cable news channel in the nation and currently presents nine of the top ten shows in the genre. Owned by News Corp., FNC is available in more than 90 million homes.
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