---
title: "Cable: Audience vs. Economics"
description: "Two paths diverging would be one way of putting it. A glance at the finances of cable news in 2010 would leave one feeling outright bullish. All three major news channels were projected to have increases in operating profits — Fox News by 27%, CNN (and HLN) by 7% and MSNBC by 8%, according to the market research firm SNL Kagan.1"
date: "2011-03-19"
authors:
  - name: "Jesse Holcomb"
    job_title: "Former Associate Director"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/jesse-holcomb/"
  - name: "Amy Mitchell"
    job_title: "Former Director, Journalism Research"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/amy-mitchell/"
  - name: "Tom Rosenstiel"
    job_title: "Guest Contributor"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2011/03/19/cable-audience-vs-economics/"
categories:
  - "State of the News Media (Project)"
---

# Cable: Audience vs. Economics