CNN BEATS FOX NEWS (THANKS TO THE GOP)

Wednesday night’s debate between the GOP presidential candidates in Arizona gave CNN a rare win over Fox News during primetime — despite the fact that it was the lowest-rated debate on cable TV since a Nov. 22 debate, also on CNN, that attracted 3.60 million viewers. Wednesday’s debate averaged 4.75 million viewers in primetime between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. versus 1.74 million for the Fox News commentators. Among viewers 25-54, the key demographic for news programs, CNN drew 1.16 million viewers to FNC’s 0.37 million. Writing on New York magazine’s blog, liberal columnist Frank Rich said that the debate was “so tedious that it likely shed viewers faster than an episode of Smash (NBC’s highly touted show whose ratings are in a tailspin).”