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Is CNN bigger than the BBC? (1 Viewer)

TheoGB

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Does it matter? I'm intrigued.
Personally I'd say not, but that's going by the assumption that most of the Commonwealth countries know the BBC. More importantly the BBC world service radio reaches a great many more places than TV so in that sense the corporation is very well-known indeed.
CNN is bound to triumph in the end as it has loads more money.
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Larry Schneider

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The BBC has a worldwide reputation for reliability and relative even-handedness...CNN is watched often, but clearly has a point of view that one suspects may affect coverage.
 

Aurel Savin

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Larry ...
I couldn't agree more.
CNN always leans on one side ... BBC on the other hand tells it like it is, I feel.
I think the BBC is definetelly bigger everywhere in the world except the US.
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Cees Alons

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I think generally the BBC is bigger - just not when an international conflict is at hand: then the generals are big on CNN
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SteveA

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Oh THAT BBC! Thanks for clearing that up! Now, what is this "CNN" you mention...
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Soon, Fox News will be bigger than both the BBC and CNN combined!
 

BrianB

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Soon, Fox News will be bigger than both the BBC and CNN combined!
It may be 'bigger', but it won't be better.
I despise US TV news generally. Local news coverage is pathetic & international coverage is a joke. I don't like CNN, I don't like Fox News etc either.
When I need real hard news, I switch to BBC America or C-Span.
Failing that, NPR.
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MikeM

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I heard from an interview with Ted Koppell that at any give time, CNN only has 300,000 viewers. That makes then smaller than any other network out there.
They do, however, have peak viewship which hits an all-time high during any major crisis. But in actuality, on a normal "day" they have very few viewers.
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CharlesD

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CNN only has 300,000 viewers.
This is true about cable in general, and CNN is one of the bigger cable channels. It always amuses me when Fox News supporters (and you know who you are) boast about their channel getting more viewers than CNN, guess what folks if you add up all the Fox News viewers, CNN viewers, MSNB/CNBC etc. viewers they all total less than the number of people watching Dan Rather alone, and I'm sure the Fox people will just love that.
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Kevin Coleman

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Compared to the broadcast networks yes they don't have many viewers. But they are not a broadcast network they are a cable network. They continue to be one of the highest rated cable channels. They blow MSNBC out of the water and also beat Fox News by plenty also. Although Fox News has been gaining market share the last couple of years. That is what is driving alot of the changes we have seen at CNN lately. Including Aaron Brown from ABC and Paula Zahn (spelling) from Fox. The popularity of Fox news is quite scary considering their obvious right wing slant.
Edit for Charles post above mine:
CNN still beats fox in raw viewers in most all time slots.
Kevin C. :)
[Edited last by Kevin Coleman on October 25, 2001 at 09:30 PM]
 

McPaul

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Here in Canada the only BBC programming we see is on CNN late night when that annoying BBC financial guy comes on. I can't stand him. During the crisis, I watched CNN almost exclusively. Even tune in periodically to see the latest army and anthrax attacks. I've got access to just about everything. CNN, FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, as well as the canadian local news stations. We have CBC newsworld here but I dont think anyone watches it. If we had CNN Canada or something I'd probably watch that more than anything.
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andrew markworthy

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Curiously enough, CNN tends to be pretty well regarded in the UK. We have a 24 hour BBC news channel (available on satellite and cable) which is pretty dimly regarded (largely because it is a huge money loser and remember that TV-owning Brits must by law pay a licence to the BBC, and thus it's viewers' money which is being lost).
I think the reason for folks liking CNN is that it's seen as dynamic. BBC coverage is typically seen as fairly bland (a side-product of trying to be impartial, I guess). Fringe political groups occasionally accuse it of massaging the facts, but can anyone think of a fringe organisation of any sort that didn't think the mainstream media were deliberately ignoring them?
I think a good thing about the BBC is that it does try to tell people what's going on outside Britain. We know a fair amount about American affairs, but also the Commonwealth countries (with the curious exception of New Zealand) and then the other big players like Japan, China and Russia. In this respect, I've always found the American media incredibly insular.
 

Ugo Scarlata

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By "bigger" I assume you meant reaching the widest audience throughout the world? If that is the question, I'm afraid that CNN is the clear winner here. I have traveled quite literally to every corner of the world, and CNN International has been in virtually every hotel room: Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, Holland, Japan, Tunisia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Israel, Australia, Canada, Mexico -- even Cuba! And those are just a few that come to mind...
On the other hand, very few of those hotels carried BBC World -- the BBC's 24-hour news channel and the equivalent to CNN International. Clearly, CNN is the most recognizable name when it comes to news organizations, so DBS and cable providers with limited space will favor CNN when facing a choice between the two channels.
Having said that, I prefer BBC World because they tend to offer far more in-depth reports. They also seem to live up to their name by covering a wider variety of issues worldwide, while CNN International tends to focus too much on the West (current crisis notwithstanding, obviously.)
The quality of CNN's programming has also been decreasing steadily over the last few years -- ever since it was acquired from Turner by Time Warner. The huge AOL-Time-Warner merger only worsened the situation.
It should also be mentioned that both BBC World and CNN International are available on dozens of Ku and C-band satellites, in-the-clear and commercial-free, throughout the world. Anyone equipped with a dish and the right type of receiver can receive either channel, without paying any kind of subscription fee.
Of course some of the countries I mentioned above actually ban private citizens from owning satellite dishes -- but that doesn't seem to be stopping people!
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P.S.: CNN International often does not carry the same programming as CNN Domestic (known simply as CNN.) The latter is only available to viewers in North America.
Cheers,
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[Edited last by Ugo Scarlata on October 26, 2001 at 05:26 AM]
 

Larry Schneider

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I hadn't realized that the content of CNN International was significantly different than the domestic version. I tend to think of CNN as left-wing, Fox as right-wing, and BBC neutral.
 

TheoGB

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CNN is left wing? Dunno. The U.S. view of left wing is still pretty right over here in Britain from what I know. Over here the BBC is always considered by the current government to be biased against them.
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I've not heard much against BBC News 24 actually. In fact it seems to have found it's feet recently.
Ugo, you are still failing to take into account the vast numbers of radio listeners for whom the BBC is important, making them a well-known item. The Afghani world service is very important to the people over there.
SteveA was obviously taking the piss. Odd how no-one else noticed.
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