@pezzza: The point is they're spending more than twice as much as their next competitor and still get surpassed by that competitor in ratings. They didn't even make the Top 5 in Prime Time.
yes seriously. fox news is benefiting from the 'trump bump', through savvy programming and advertising attracting more viewers.
by striking a balance and finding a softer middle ground to report on the trump events - fox news garners both supporters and protestors alike (content aside - business is about revenue not facts.) another way, you can catch more fish if you cast a wider net.
cnn and msnbc lean more towards the critical leaner end of the spectrum - catering to a relatively smaller audience, and achieving predictably lower performance.
the punchline here is: trumps criticism of the mainstream media is actually strengthening their presence and increasing their revenue.
actual article here: http://www.economist.com/news/business/21717107-making-americas-august-news-groups-great-again-traditional-media-firms-are-enjoying-trump-bump
