Fox News earns top ratings spot with Afghanistan coverage

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In this representation provided by the U.S. Air Force, a U.S. Air Force Airman guides evacuees aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III astatine Hamid Karzai International Airport successful Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021. (Senior Airman Taylor Crul/U.S. Air Force via AP)

LOS ANGELES – Fox News Channel, bolstered by viewers' rapt attraction to the U.S.-led evacuation from Afghanistan, was past week's most-watched TV outlet connected broadcast oregon cable, according to Nielsen institution figures retired Tuesday.

The transmission averaged conscionable nether 3 cardinal viewers. Fox News Channel outpaced some its cablegram quality contention and the broadcast networks that typically jockey for the apical spot.

The channel, which is fashionable with conservative-leaning viewers, surged pursuing the Taliban's abrupt conquest of Afghanistan this period and arsenic the Biden medication directed the chaotic removal of U.S. citizens and Afghans astatine hazard aft the astir 20-year war's end.

The past clip the transmission claimed the No. 1 spot was successful September 2020, erstwhile “Fox News Sunday” anchor Chris Wallace moderated the statement betwixt then-President Donald Trump and his yet palmy challenger Joe Biden.

MSNBC, which tends to pull liberal-leaning viewers, saw a flimsy ratings dip from the erstwhile week, averaging conscionable nether 1.2 cardinal viewers compared to 1.29 million. CNN roseate 20.6%, averaging 943,00 viewers vs. the anterior week's 782,000.

Fox News Channel, which averaged 2.94 cardinal viewers, was followed by broadcaster CBS with 2.57 million. NBC had 2.53 million, ABC had 2.39 million, Fox had 1.38 million, Univision had 1.28 million, Ion Television had 1.12 cardinal and Telemundo had 1.04 million.

Other apical cablegram performers included HGTV with 1.11 cardinal and TLC with 1.04 million.

ABC’s “World News Tonight” led the evening quality ratings race, with an mean of 8 cardinal viewers past week. NBC’s “Nightly News” was 2nd with 6.5 cardinal and the “CBS Evening News” had 4.8 million.

For the week of Aug. 16-22, the 20 most-watched programs, their networks and viewerships:

1. “America’s Got Talent” (Tuesday), NBC, 6.9 million.

2. “60 Minutes Presents,” CBS, 5.98 million.

3. “America’s Got Talent” (Wednesday), NBC, 5.74 million.

4. “Hannity” (Tuesday), Fox News Channel, 4.82 million.

5. “Celebrity Family Feud,” ABC, 4.75 million.

6. “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” ABC, 4.3 million.

7. “Big Brother” (Thursday), CBS, 4.05 million.

8. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Monday), Fox News Channel, 4.04 million.

9. “Big Brother” (Sunday), CBS, 3.9 million.

10. “The Chase,” ABC, 3.86 million.

11. “Big Brother” (Wednesday), CBS, 3.8 million.