Presidential Health-Care Address Nets 32 Million Viewers

NEW YORK: President Obama detailed his vision for health insurance reform in his second address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday Sept. 9, 2009. The address was carried live from 8 to shortly after 9 p.m. on 10 TV networks. Nielsen said the combined average audience was 32,111,596 viewers.

The networks that carried the speech included ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, Telemundo, BET, CNBC, CNN, FOX News Channel, and MSNBC.

Viewership was down 38.6 percent from President Obama’s first address to a joint session of Congress on Feb. 24, which aired from approximately 9 to 10:30 p.m.
-- Deborah D. McAdams

More from TVB on presidential presser ratings:
July 27, 2009: “Latest Presidential Presser Nets 16.3 Rating”
Nearly 18.7 million households tuned in for President Obama's mid-week press conference on health-care reform. The July 22 telecast was watched by around 24.7 million people across 11 broadcast and cable networks.

May 1, 2009
: “Obama’s Press Conference Draws 28.8 Million”
Nielsen said the president’s Wednesday prime-time press conference drew an audience of 28.8 million people. The event marked his 100th day in office and pulled in an 18.8 household rating on 10 TV networks at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

February 11, 2009: “President’s First Press Conference Nets 30.8 Rating”
resident Barack Obama’s first post-confirmation press conference drew more than 49 million viewers and logged a rating of 30.8, according to Nielsen. The Monday prime-time broadcast during was carried on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Univision, CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC.