Roger Ailes‘ assertion that one of FNC’s competitors has spent “$20 million marketing a single star” was widely seen as a barb toward CNN’s Anderson Cooper. But the network says Ailes’ figure was dramatically off the mark.

In an e-mail to TVNewser, a CNN spokesperson said: “We have no idea where Mr. Ailes came up with that number, but here are some numbers that are accurate. So far in July 2006, Anderson Cooper 360 is up double digits in both total viewers and the key advertiser demo (up +45% in P2+ and up +57% in P25-54 [compared to July 2005]), while On the Record is down double digits versus a year ago (down -32% in P2+ and down -33% in P25-54).”