On second night at RNC, FOX aired less than at DNC -- but still more overall

Written by Katie Barge, Michelle Jeung & Avi Zollman

Published

Halfway through the Republican National Convention (RNC), Media Matters for America found that FOX News Channel has aired 23 minutes more of live speech coverage of the first two nights of the RNC than it aired of the first two nights of the Democratic National Convention (DNC). While FOX News Channel did air ten fewer minutes of speeches on the second night of the RNC (55 minutes) than it aired of speeches on the second night of the DNC (65 minutes), the cumulative disparity still remains. In comparison with other cable news networks, FOX News Channel has aired 21 minutes fewer than CNN and 18 minutes fewer than MSNBC of live speech coverage from the RNC. There was a much greater disparity in coverage after two nights of DNC coverage: Halfway through the DNC, FOX News Channel had aired 44 minutes fewer than CNN and 57 minutes fewer than MSNBC of live speech 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
Day 4
Subtotal Two hours and 9 minutes Two hours and 30 minutes Two hours and 27 minutes