• B&C, Friday, December 18, 2009 12:12 AM

Fox News will finish 2009 as the top-rated cable news network, a status it has held for eight years. But 2009 also marks the networks highest rated year in the channel's 13-year-history -- and the first year of the Obama presidency.

FNC topped the competition in all dayparts: morning (1 million total viewers, 340,000 viewers in news' target demographic of 25-54-year-olds); total day (1.2 million viewers, 323,000 in the demo); prime time (2.2 million viewers, 551,000 in the demo). Those numbers mark year-to-year demo gains of 14% in the morning, 16% in total day and 10% in prime time (Mon-Sun), according to Nielsen.

MSNBC can also mark a milestone, as it will finish 2009 ahead of CNN in the prime time demo (8-11 p.m. Mon-Sun) for the first time, though CNN remains the second most-watched cable news network in total day averaging 614,000 total viewers.

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