• New York Observer, Thursday, May 7, 2009 9:30 AM

Over the past two months, MSNBC scored narrow prime-time victories over CNN among 25-54-year-olds -- the first time in MSNBC's 13-year history. It touched off celebrations at 30 Rock and a flurry of articles and blog posts questioning CNN's programming strategy.

The uptick in MSNBC ratings started with audience research done months ago. The network found it did particularly well among optimists and enterprisers--an upwardly mobile, highly educated, cosmopolitan TV news consumer, with a penchant for activism, gadgetry and Rachel Maddow. The net also found that being associated with the Obama movement was likely to be good for business.

This week, MSNBC launched a trade ad campaign trying to build on its ratings momentum, and seeking to unseat CNN. In meetings with advertisers the network now makes indirect references to the president. "We talk about how MSNBC is the pulse of the nation," says NBC exec John Kelly. "It's an intuitive, subliminal sort of messaging that lines up nicely with President Obama, who is younger, progressive, affluent, well-educated and a man of color. The country voted for change. It doesn't surprise us that our numbers are growing."

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