CNN's press release on their Q3 ratings highlights their reach. "CNN continues to dominate the cable news competition in reach." Reach, or cumulative audience, is a number representing someone tuning in to a particular channel for no particular amount of time for a specific time period. The figure is generally not used for advertising sales purposes. As one insider tells me it is used "as a talking point" to tell a story of the audience. Update: another executive says cume/reach is more than a talking point.

Here is the Q3 2007 average monthly reach:

P2+ Reach
CNN: 66,485,000
FNC: 55,570,000
HLN: 53,790,000
MSNBC: 53,578,000

P25-54 Reach
CNN: 30,917,000
MSNBC: 26,063,000
HLN: 25,645,000
FNC: 24,636,000

>More from an emailers: "FNC is reaching 16% fewer households and yet they still consistently beat CNN in ratings" ... "CNN is touting that they had eyeballs tuning in trying to find something, then tuning out when they couldn't find it."