DRUDGE REPORT 2002®
XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX TUESDAY JULY 16, 2002 16:02:37 ET XXXXX
DONAH-WHO?: TV VETERAN TRAILS O'REILLY TWO-TO-ONE IN CABLE VIEWERS
**Exclusive**
MSNBC's DONAHUE pulled in 1,108,000 viewers with its opening episode, industry sources tell the DRUDGE REPORT, less than half of FOX NEWS CHANNEL's O'REILLY FACTOR [2,329,000].
The redhot summershowdown during the 8 PM prime hour on the East Coast showed O'REILLY with a 2.1 rating to DONAHUE's .9 to CNN's CONNIE CHUNG's .8.
Chung's recent on-air performance has raised mild concern inside of CNN, say sources. The news veteran has been stumbling over words and has been asking incomplete questions to guests, causing confusion. The camera has captured Chung making awkward gestures. The host has appeared lost during story transitions. "Her concentration has been off," noted one top CNN insider late Tuesday. Chung's personal shift to a live, full hour program [from pre-taped segments at ABC] is still in progress. "She reaching back to when she was a news anchor... getting her chops back up," notes the CNN source.
MSNBC's other new additions registered little bounce at the NIELSEN box.
Editor-in-Chief NACHMAN scored a .3 rating [221,000 households -- off 34% from MSNBC's year-to-date average at 7 pm]; BUCHANAN/PRESS hit a .2 rating in its opener [182,000 households] from 2 to 4 PM. The net's talkers CURTIS AND KUBY earned a .2 rating [179,000] in its Monday run.
MORE
FOX's HANNITY AND COLMES [1.3] top CNN's KING [1.2] at 9 pm, with MSNBC's HARDBALL, in its new slot, dusting with a .5.
HARDBALL host Chris Matthews caused internal heartburn when he asked a guest on Monday if President Bush would continue to be influenced by "Cheney, Rumsfeld and the corporate pigs."
"I hope Chris understands who advertises on MSNBC. Corporations!" joked a suit.
GRETA DOES BETTA
FOX NEWS CHANNEL's GRETA topped 10 pm with a .9 [736,000 households] to CNN's BROWN [.7; 562,000] and MNBC'S BANFIELD [.4; 272,000].
Impacting...
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Filed By Matt Drudge
Reports are moved when circumstances warrant
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(c)DRUDGE REPORT 2002
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