• by Wayne Friedman , April 4, 2018

Fox News Channel still commands the top spot among all cable networks, but is down in viewers for the first quarter of this year -- along with CNN -- versus the same period a year ago. MSNBC, a competitor to both, is much higher.

Fox is at a Nielsen 2.5 million prime-time 8-11 p.m. viewers -- down 13%; MSNBC is up a massive 30% higher in prime time to a 1.9 million prime-time viewers. CNN is 17% lower to 985,000 prime-time viewers.

Other dayparts and demographics show results that are much the same.

Fox News declined 16% in total average daytime viewing to 1.4 million, and is down 16% in the key TV news demo -- 25-54 viewers -- to 300,000. MSNBC improved 30% to 1.0 million total day viewers -- and also gained 21% in 25-54 viewers, averaging 221,000.

Top cable news shows are Fox’s “Hannity,” tops at (3,196,000); MSNBC “The Rachel Maddow Show” (2,993,000); Fox’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (2,908,000); Fox’s “The Ingraham Angle” (2,487,000); and Fox’s “Special Report with Bret Baier” (2,361,000).

Rachel Maddow” leads with (664,000), followed by “Hannity” (662,000); “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (586,000); “The Ingraham Angle” (505,000); and MSNBC's “The Last Word with O’Donnell (492,000).”