Note: All times are in ET.
Last night’s coverage of Robin Williams’s death caused CNN to top Fox News several hours in the important 25-54 demo. While total viewers are also measured, the demo is the one used by advertisers. Fox News won in total viewers, however CNN’s total viewers was also up and went over a million for several shows. At 7 PM, when the news was beginning to get coverage on the networks, CNN’s Don Lemon, who was in for Erin Burnett, won his timeslot in the demo with 504,000 viewers. Fox’s Greta van Susteren had 445,000 viewers. At 8 PM, Wolf Blitzer, filling in for Anderson Cooper, won against Fox’s Bill O’Reilly. Wolf had 735,000 viewers in the demo, the highest of the night. Bill O’Reilly, whose show was taped, had 688,000 in 25-54. At nine, Wolf Blitzer’s continuing coverage placed second to The Kelly File on Fox News. Martha MacCallum, who was in for Megyn Kelly, beat Wolf by 55,000 viewers. This would be the last time Fox News beat CNN in the demo that night. At 10, CNN Tonight with Don Lemon and Alisyn Camerota beat Shepard Smith’s special on Robin Williams, 445,000 to 441,000. Usually, Hannity airs at this timeslot, however Smith is breaking news anchor at the channel and does anchor live coverage in primetime when needed. CNN Tonight with Lemon and Camerota, a former Fox News anchor who joined CNN last month, continued live coverage into the 11 o’clock hour as Fox News and MSNBC went into reruns. CNN’s live coverage beat the O’Reilly Factor rerun, 363,000 to 323,000. Finally at midnight, CNN US began simulcasting CNN International’s live coverage, as they have been doing since MH17 was shot down. CNN International’s CNN Newsroom anchored by Errol Barnett and Rosemary Church beat a rerun of The Kelly File, 238,000 to 202,000. The duo broadcast four hours of coverage during the wee hours of the morning until Early Start took over for viewers around the world.