CNN Ratings Take a Dip for 2012 First Quarter

CNN made three big programming changes to their weekday schedule in the past half year - Soledad O’Brien as the morning host, Erin Burnett as the 7 p.m. host, and Piers Morgan in the 9 p.m. hosting chair, but the hoped for ratings lift has not materialized

CNN's new morning shows Early Start and Starting Point had the lowest quarterly average demographic (for adults 25-54) ratings viewership and total viewership in the first quarter of 2012 for any CNN morning shows in the 5-7am and 7-9am (Starting Point) slots in more than a decade.

CNN was knocked out of the #1 position in cable news channels by Fox News awhile ago, but in the coveted advertising prime time, CNN has had fewer viewers than MSNBC for 22 of the last 24 months. CNN generally still brings in more viewers than MSNBC during the day.