NEW YORK (AP) – Thank you, Oprah!
For the first time in history, CBS’s morning news on Monday had a larger audience than ABC’s “Good Morning America” and NBC’s “Today”, Nielsen said.
The show featured Winfrey talking about his explosive interview with Prince Harry and Meghan that aired the night before on CBS, along with some episodes that did not air.
Nielsen’s records dating back to 1991 reveal that there has never been a single day when “CBS This Morning”, nor any of its predecessors, defeated its two rivals.
“Let it fall for a moment,” said CBS News President Susan Zirinsky, in a memo to her team on Wednesday.
“CBS This Morning” had 4.79 million viewers on Monday, or more than 2 million more than the show receives on a normal day, said Nielsen. “Good Morning America” had 3.35 million and “Today” had 3.18 million.
Although Nielsen’s accurate records date back only to 1991, there is a strong likelihood that CBS never won, period. Beginning in 1982, the chain tried a succession of different morning and personal formats in an attempt to be competitive with its more established competitors.
More than 50 million people around the world viewed Winfrey’s interview, expecting more. CBS is replaying the show on Friday night.