CNN Headline News “dropped about a third of its primetime audience compared with July of last year,” today’s Variety notes. In the demo, HLN went from 151,000 in primetime to 106,000. Most of the prime decline can be attributed to Nancy Grace: Her 8pm show was down 32 percent from July 2005, and her 10pm repeat was down 34 percent.

But Glenn Beck and Showbiz Tonight have improved on HLN’s year-ago numbers. Beck replaced Showbiz at 7pm in May, and he’s starting to show some traction. In July, Beck averaged 100,000 demo viewers at 7 — a significant boost from 67,000 in June, and an improvement on the 64,000 demo viewers the time slot attracted last July. More than half his total audience (184,000) is in the demo. The show is occasionally beating MSNBC’s Hardball in the demo.

Beck’s 9pm reair hasn’t fared quite so well. it averaged 87,000 demo in July, down 21 percent from the 110,000 delivered by Prime News Tonight last July. (“I think that everyone can appreciate that it is a re-run,” an insider says.)

In addition, Showbiz Tonight, now airing solely at 11pm, is HLN’s #2 show in the demo. It averaged 112,000 demo in July, up 22 percent from the 92,000 that watched last July…

> June 28: Poor Glenn Beck…