Fox News had the top three highest rated cable news shows for 2019’s third quarter, while MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow had her worst quarter in years.
Sean Hannity had the highest rated news show for the third quarter, averaging 3,276,000 viewers, followed by Tucker Carlson with 3,082,000 viewers, Laura Ingraham with 2,629,000 viewers, and finally Rachel Maddow who averaged 2,518,000 viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. It was Maddow’s lowest-rated quarter since the second quarter of 2016. (RELATED: Rachel Maddow Falls To Fifth In July Ratings, As Hannity, Carlson Dominate Cable News)
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Maddow’s September ratings were slightly higher than her third quarter average, bringing in 2,688,000 viewers during the past month, finishing in third place behind Hannity and Carlson, respectively. (RELATED: Maddow’s TV Ratings Fall Again As Hannity, Carlson Remain On Top)
Maddow’s third quarter numbers come after Democrats have spent months pursuing an impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump. House Democrats made the impeachment inquiry official last week, following a whistleblower complaint concerning Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Maddow’s numbers began to drop in late March following the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report and have not recovered since.