Debate Sets Record for Fox
The first debate among the Republican presidential contenders attracted an estimated 1.6 million viewers--a record for Fox News Channel, which televised the event.
Viewership Thursday night was still relatively low, although on par with the audience for an October town meeting that featured the GOP field without front-runner George W. Bush. That forum was televised by CNN, which is available in more than 70 million U.S. homes, compared with 43 million for Fox.
Prime-time programs airing Thursday on the major broadcast networks--which are received in 100 million homes--drew far larger audiences. A rerun of NBC’s “Friends” was seen by more than 18 million, and 8.8 million people watched ABC’s “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
