Even though Fox News has been loading up Sean Hannity’s show to boost its ratings at 9 PM, viewers age 18-49 are powering MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show.
According to a statement from MSNBC provided to PoliticusUSA, “The Rachel Maddow Show†was the top cable news show in A25-54 for the week of Oct. 16th. “Maddow†was also #1 in the time period in A18-49. “Maddow†beat FOX News’ “Hannity†in A25-54 (587,000 vs. FOX News’ 554,000) and A18-49 (424,000 vs. FOX News’ 355,000).”
Fox has been pulling out all the stops to boost Sean Hannity’s viewership totals and take back the top spot at 9 PM. For example, the Hannity show has become a nearly nightly Trump family showcase, as Hannity is using his close connections with the Trumps to boost his ratings, but it is Maddow who is pulling in the critical audience that has gotten engaged and is watching cable news in bigger numbers than at any time outside of a presidential election.
The people who will decide which party controls Congress in 2018 aren’t Sean Hannity’s audience, even though they may have a key role if they decide to follow Trump’s lead and reject Republican incumbents. The voters who will swing seats to Democrats are those younger people who have gotten a wake-up call after sleeping through the 2016 election. Younger voters who are tuned in to Rachel Maddow are the ones who are likely to get out and vote. They hold the key to swinging Republican-held House seats in states California, New York, and Illinois.
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Rachel Maddow is showing that the path to the future isn’t dinosaur TV that acts as presidential propaganda, but in-depth storytelling that educates a wave of voters for the future.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
