ELEVEN SECTION: Scescke

TV Ratings Drop; Major News Shows Viewership Falls

Nielsen Media Research has determined that viewership for three major American news programs has declined significantly in 2009. According to their data, FOX News' audience share decreased by 17%, ABC News' share decreased by 20%, and NBC News' share decreased by 26%. These sudden, relatively steep falls in viewers come as a disturbing shock to the networks.

A representative from "Good Morning America", the morning news show on ABC News, weighs in on the issue: "I think that this is really sad, not just for the networks but for the nation. People just don't care about current events anymore, and how is an uninformed population going to be able to make good decisions for our future? I'm just worried that, without knowing important new events such as the results of the most recent seasons of 'American Idol' and 'Dancing with the Stars', Americans will become the ignorant people that they are stereotyped to be."

An anchor from FOX News agrees on this stance, saying: "I mean, we do our best to make watching the news fun, but the bottom line is that it is essential to watch the news in order to become a conscientious citizen. We need to know what our celebrities are doing because otherwise, they would cease to be celebrities. I find it tragic that people are losing interest in the lives of those who they themselves made famous. If movie ratings are not decreasing suddenly, why aren't Americans more interested in the current events of the movie stars' lives?"

These concerns are echoed throughout the three networks as results of the research are circulated. All stations fear an America that is uninformed of the most recent results of an array of reality shows, the most recent celebrity hookups, and groundbreaking news about how what people eat may be correlated to their weight.

"Last Tuesday, we did a segment on the dangers of wearing high heels for the elderly. If people weren't watching that, I am worried about the health and future of our nation." -Steve Capus, president of NBC News