CNN Gets Low Ratings for Bullock and DeBlasio Town Hall

The CNN sign is seen outside its headquarters in New York City, N.Y., on Nov. 12, 2002. Mario Tama/Getty Images

A low number of viewers tuned in Sunday night for a CNN town hall featuring 2020 democratic presidential underdogs Steve Bullock and Bill de Blasio.

According to the Hill, The Nielsen Media Research showed that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio registered at 402,000 total viewers on Aug. 25, including 82,000 in the voter age bracket, the 25-54 demographic.

The Bullock-de Blasio episode came in at an all-time rating low for town hall events on the network in 2019. Viewership was down 25 percent overall and 38 percent in the younger demographic compared to CNN’s 2019 average for Sundays evening time slot.

In first place was Fox News during the 6 to 8 p.m. time slot, averaging 873,000 total viewers. MSNBC came in second with 664,000 viewers.

For the most desirable 25-54 demographic, Fox News took in 121,000, followed by MSNBC with 84,000.

De Blasio, who is behind in all of the polls, averaging just 0.5 percent on RealClearPolitics (RCP), appeared on Fox’s “Hannity” for a longer interview on Aug. 7, which attracted 3.3. million total viewers and 546,000 in the younger demographic.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock is averaging just 0.7 percent in the RCP index. He appeared on Fox News yesterday and said that he feels he can still breakthrough to become a presidential contender in 2020. He told the Fox News host that he is focused on meeting voters not soliciting donations.

“These DNC debate rules have turned this primary into the ‘The Hunger Games,'” Bullock said on CNN. “Each step of this seems to be all about getting donors. I’ve made 10 trips to Iowa, I’ve been to New Hampshire a couple of times—I’m actually talking to voters, not just chasing $1 donors.”

De Blasio thinks that he still has a good chance of making it to the White House. “Oh yeah, I would absolutely say that,” he told NY1 when asked if he might stay in the race, regardless of whether he makes it onto the stage. “I’m going to look at all the pieces and look—again, six months until anyone votes.”

Candidates need to get donations from 130,000 donors and at least two percent support in four different polls to be allowed into the next round of debates, with only certain polling organizations and national polls or surveys in early primary states allowed.

The next debate will feature former and current politicians, including the front runners in the polls: former vice president Joe Biden and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas), former Obama administration cabinet secretary Julian Castro, and Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) make up the rest of the 10.

Three contenders have dropped out recently after struggling to gain traction: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.). The rest of the field that hasn’t qualified for the debate are Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), liberal activist Tom Steyer, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio); Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.); author Marianne Williamson; former Maryland Rep. John Delaney; New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio; former Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak; Rep. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.); and Mayor Wayne Messam of Miramar, Florida.