The Five marks 15th anniversary with cake; CNN and MS NOW eat it

BS BRIEF

Fox News’ The Five marked its 15th anniversary Tuesday while celebrating new audience data showing it has become the No. 1 daily cable news program among Democratic viewers, according to MRI Fusion audience research cited by Fox News.
The panel show continues to dominate cable news overall, remaining the highest-rated cable news program while also leading among independent voters, underscoring Fox News’ continued ratings advantage over CNN and MS NOW.
The Five has now spent four consecutive years atop the cable news rankings, with Fox executives crediting its mix of conservative and liberal panelists for attracting viewers across the political spectrum.

FOX’S THE FIVE CELEBRATES 15 YEARS AS EVEN DEMOCRATS TUNE IN

For years, critics have dismissed Fox News as an echo chamber for conservatives.

The ratings tell a different story.

As The Five celebrated its 15th anniversary Tuesday, newly released audience data showed the network’s flagship panel program isn’t just dominating Republicans—it has also become the most-watched daily cable news program among Democratic viewers.

According to MRI Fusion audience data cited by Fox News and obtained by Mediaite, The Five now averages approximately 765,000 Democratic viewers each day. That’s more Democratic viewers than the average combined total-day audiences of CNN and MS NOW, according to the reported figures.

The program also continues to lead among independent voters, averaging roughly one million viewers from that voting bloc while remaining cable news’ highest-rated daily show.

Originally launched on July 11, 2011, as a temporary summer replacement following Glenn Beck’s departure from Fox News, The Five quickly developed into a permanent fixture after posting strong ratings.

Today, the panel features Jesse Watters, Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld, Jessica Tarlov, Harold Ford Jr. and a rotating group of guest co-hosts.

Only Perino and Gutfeld remain from the original lineup.

Speaking recently about the program’s success, Gutfeld credited the chemistry among the hosts.

“On The Five, of course, I needle Dana, and Jesse, they needle me, I go after Jessica, she makes fun of us all—we all do it, and I think that’s really the secret sauce to the success.”

Dana Perino also suggested the show’s willingness to air disagreements has helped attract a broader audience.

“I think that we have helped show Americans how they can have these fun conversations at the dinner table.”

Jessica Tarlov, the show’s liberal co-host, argued that viewers appreciate hearing competing viewpoints on one set.

“I have the coolest job in media for a liberal, just hands down.”

She added that many viewers who initially sampled the program discovered “this is something I can actually jam with.”

The latest audience figures come as Fox News continues widening its lead over the competition.

Second-quarter Nielsen data showed Fox once again finishing as the highest-rated cable news network in both total day and primetime, with The Five extending its streak as the most-watched program on cable news.

MY TAKE:

If The Five were truly the right-wing bubble its critics constantly describe, it wouldn’t be attracting three-quarters of a million Democrats every day. People don’t keep watching a program they hate unless they’re hearing something they can’t get somewhere else.

Maybe that’s because The Five actually allows disagreement instead of staging four-on-one ideological therapy sessions.

Think about the lineup. You have conservatives who aren’t afraid to argue their case, Jessica Tarlov representing the left, Harold Ford Jr. offering another Democratic perspective, and everyone taking shots at everyone else. Sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes it’s funny. But it’s rarely boring.

Compare that with much of cable news, where audiences can practically predict every opinion before the opening music ends.

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