Bari Weiss' much-hyped CBS News town hall with Erika Kirk was a massive ratings flop

[demmiblue]

According to Nielsen, the Saturday night town hall saw a 41 percent decline in in the key 25-54 advertising demographic compared to the network’s standard programming in that time slot year to date

At the end of her heavily promoted Saturday night town hall with Erika Kirk, CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss promised viewers that there would be “many more conversations like this in the weeks and months ahead” on the network.

“So stay tuned. More town halls, more debates, more talking about the things that matter,” the anti-woke former New York Times op-ed writer declared.

However, based on the soft ratings from the Kirk event, one wonders just how much appetite the network’s leadership will continue to have for Weiss-led television specials.

According to early numbers from Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel measurement, the one-hour CBS News town hall – which aired on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET – drew 1.548 million total viewers and 237,000 in the coveted advertising demographic of viewers aged 25 to 54. Those numbers rose to 1.867 million viewers overall 265,000 in the advertising demo when Nielsen released its final numbers Tuesday afternoon.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/bari-weiss-erika-kirk-cbs-news-ratings-b2885768.html

[marble falls]

1. My only regret is that I didn't miss it on purpose. Her 15 minute clock is winding down.

[genxlib]

2. Is it just me

Or is it a super arrogant 'Dick Cheney' style move to put yourself on the air. Pretty self-serving if you ask me when you have a stable full of actual on air talent to assign.

I am not sure that is how being an editor is supposed to work.

[pfitz59]

3. I foresee a golden parachute departure

she'll leave a broken news department bereft any credibility. Just as the Ellison's planned.

[Klarkashton]

4. That must have been boring.

[Raine]

18. IT WAS ... I tried watching just for the hell of it

but fell asleep, sleep thru all except for about the last 7 minutes.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. No matter how ideologically slanted the new mngmnt is, they still have to make money.

Ratings losers lead to job losers.


ETA: I forgot to say "good!".

[BaronChocula]

28. They probably achieved their goal of attracting magas

while alienating a larger swath of viewers. Be careful what you wish for Paramount/CBS.

What metrics told them America's dying for a town hall with the widow of a slain ersatz Limbaugh?

[Nasruddin]

31. Given her history

Probably sore losers too

[MagickMuffin]

6. I read where they used 2nd tier advertising

Sham-woes!

[underpants]

13. Yep. Posted yesterday. Big advertisers saw it coming and stayed away.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220868064



The news special aired at 8 p.m. on Saturday, one of the least-watched hours in broadcast TV. And that may have contributed to a relative dearth of top advertisers appearing to support the show. During the hour, commercial breaks were largely filled with spots from direct-response advertisers, including the dietary supplement SuperBeets; the home-repair service HomeServe.com; and CarFax, a supplier of auto ownership data. Viewers of the telecast on WCBS, CBS’ flagship station in New York, even saw a commercial for Chia Pet, the terra-cotta figure that sprouts plant life after a few weeks.

Direct-response advertisers typically pay lower prices in exchange for allowing TV networks to put their commercials on air when convenience allows. A flurry of the ads appearing in one program usually offers a signal that the network could not line up more mainstream support for the content it chose to air.

A more monied class of sponsors was evident during the first commercial break appearing in the 9 p.m. hour on CBS, a rebroadcast of a 2024 episode of “48 Hours.” Marketers appearing included Amazon, Ferrero Group, and Procter & Gamble. One direct-response marketer, Operation Smile, a nonprofit medical service organization, also appeared.

[GoCubsGo]

7. Wow. Who saw that coming?

I mean, besides just about everyone not in the "Turning Point" cult.

[Initech]

12. I did!

Which is why I went out of my way to *NOT* watch it. Fuck TPUSA. Fuck Bari Weiss.

[durablend]

17. Could. Not. Have. Predicted.

[GoodRaisin]

8. Who would want to watch that?

I mean, other than magats?

I think they probably knew it wouldn’t draw a large audience, but they just wanted to get some propaganda on a major network and see what it would draw.

[C_U_L8R]

9. Rightwing nonsense is bad for business

No ratings means no advertisers which will mean no more Bari Weiss. They should have known better.

[NewHendoLib]

10. It's simple. MAGA are losers.

[Initech]

11. Sorry, CBS, but making things more fascist isn't going to win you new fans or converts.

[underpants]

14. 😂😂😂😂

[not fooled]

15. No one wants to watch their sh*t

except for Nazis and the Nazi-adjacent.

I realize weiss is supposed to be running "news", but expect slop infotainment where no one with a functioning brain is informed OR entertained.

]


https://www.filmportal.de/en/topic/cinema-and-filmmakers-under-the-nazis]

[Prairie Gates]

16. Who wants to watch this garbage?

Seriously.

[Initech]

25. I would rather watch that video that's 10 hours of paint drying!

[flvegan]

19. MAGA isn't going to watch two women talk. Especially not when

the WWE and/or college football is on. Or whatever shit rerun is on FoxNews that night.

On top of that, nobody knows (or cares) who Erika Kirk is. Charlie was soooo 4 months ago. And if Turning Point is for the yoots, they aren't watching fucking CBS unless it's replayed in pieces on TikTok as some sort of stupid challenge.

And Bari Weiss has the perfect face for radio.

[wolfie001]

21. Fuentes and his army of incels hate women

Dude's like a real-life 40-year-old virgin. No wonder he's so mad. Can't get a date.

[wolfie001]

20. Her next guest should be a one-on-one with JK Rowling and they can mock transpeople

BW is trash. Sucking up to the powers that be.

[Escurumbele]

22. A couple of things I have noticed about Erika Kirk, one is that she is trying to milk the tragedy of her husband,

and two, I don't think she was a submissive wife, she comes around like a strong woman, and not one that would take orders easily...She is fake, and not very likeable, but definitely not a submissive woman. Who knows, maybe the real Erika is coming out since her husband left.

[BadgerMom]

23. I'm not gonna watch DJT's ugly mug either.

I refuse to give him the thrill of good Nielsen ratings. I can read his lies later. I’ve heard them all before anyway.

[maxsolomon]

24. Who would want to watch that on Saturday night?

A little Trumpist Agita with your dinner? No thanks!

[Scrivener7]

26. I just love this for her. For both of them!

[Wounded Bear]

27. Maybe all the Charlie Kirk love was mostly RW hype and smoke...

Just sayin' That and maybe the target demographic doesn't watch TV much any more.

[Kaleva]

33. I think a majority of Americans don't know who Charlie Kirk is

Just that he was some guy who got shot.

[Mike Nelson]

29. What's next?

... At home with Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Rittenhouse? Could not watch this garbage. I know she dabbed her eyes and smiled. Don't need to see any more, because I'm not interested in her business. Also, any Bari show is a turn off.

[flashman13]

30. They had low ratings. Could that be because no one outside of MAGA gives a damn about Charlie Kirk?

The whole thing was pure propaganda. No amount of white wash is going to make Kirk anything other than a grifting right wing blogger.

According to Trump there is no greater sin than low ratings.

[mdbl]

32. Morons on parade!

I wouldn't watch either.

[Deminpenn]

34. Bet they thought they'd hold the audience who

tuned in to watch the Army-Navy football game.
Bad calculation.

[Rebl2]

35. 👏👏👏👏👏

[somsai]

36. There isn't much overlap from the Free Press to CBS

It's a different demographic. I'd think the Charlie Kirk assassination etc had a very limited interest for most news viewers of the major networks. The FP itself has had an interesting trajectory with a very high free to paid conversion rate and the highest substack subscription.

[B.See]

37. Seems their presentation of white supremacy a la fireside

didn't have quite the same panache as, say, pointy hoods and burning crosses. Maybe because it's uglier looking under glare of light, or maybe because more people are catching on to the CON.

[Iggo]

38. You mean 8 o'clock on a Saturday night on the channel only old people watch...

…and it wasn’t a hit?