The target demographic of CNBC (GE) has found the up and down movement of the stock market and the credit crisis a reason to check in with the channel, as numbers show the 25-54 year old audience has increased to the highest August viewership in five years. It's a 50 percent increase over last years' August numbers.
Concerning the coverage of the volatile economy, senior vice president Jonathan Wald said: “This is a really big story. This is when we should shine.”
Nielsen Media Research said the network averaged 87,000 viewers during its business day running from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the 25 to 54 demo.
Two shows especially shined for CNBC as Erin Burnett's "Street Signs," had its best August numbers in the 2 p.m. time slot in nine years, and Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" received its best August numbers in its history.
While the evening numbers were nowhere near as strong as the daytime numbers, the 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. slot grew by 10 percent in its 25-54 demo. It averaged 64,000 viewers in that time frame.
Any surge is good news for the company in the short term, as advertisers are willing to pay a premium to reach the core audience the network serves.
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