Media Matters for America found that FOX News Channel aired four hours and 28 minutes of live speech coverage from the Republican National Convention (RNC), 48 minutes more (that's 20 percent more) than the three hours and 40 minutes the network aired of Democratic National Convention (DNC) speeches. CNN showed just two minutes more of RNC speeches than DNC speeches (a 0.7 percent discrepancy), and MSNBC aired 20 minutes fewer of RNC speeches than those at the DNC (a 6 percent discrepancy).
Prior to the RNC, FOX News Channel host Cal Thomas said that, in order to be “fair and balanced,” RNC coverage should not differ from DNC coverage.
| LIVE DNC SPEECH AIRTIME |
|
FOX |
CNN |
MSNBC |
| Day 1 |
0:41 |
1:10 |
1:07 |
| Day 2 |
1:05 |
1:23 |
1:39 |
| Day 3 |
0:42 |
1:08 |
1:05 |
| Day 4 |
1:12 |
1:15 |
1:36 |
| Total |
Three hours and 40 minutes |
Four hours and 56 minutes |
Five hours and 27 minutes |
| LIVE RNC SPEECH AIRTIME |
|
FOX |
CNN |
MSNBC |
| Day 1 |
1:14 |
1:15 |
1:24 |
| Day 2 |
0:55 |
1:15 |
1:03 |
| Day 3 |
0:58 |
0:59 |
1:04 |
| Day 4 |
1:21 |
1:29 |
1:36 |
| Subtotal |
Four hours and 28 minutes |
Four hours and 58 minutes |
Five hours and 7 minutes |
