MSNBC topped CNN the A25-54 demo during prime time (8p-11p, M-F) finishing second for the month behind FNC. Compared to last year, MSNBC is up 44% in Total Viewers and up 18% in the demo during prime.

Countdown with Keith Olbermann finished ahead of "No Bias, No Bull" at 8pmET by 89% in the demo and 57% in Total Viewers (but finishing 3rd in the demo, behind #1 FNC and #2 HLN). Countdown is up 12% in the demo and up 30% in Total Viewers year-over-year.

The Rachel Maddow Show topped CNN in the demo and was edged out by CNN's Larry King in Total Viewers. MSNBC's 9pmET time slot is up 98% in Total Viewers and up 62% in the demo compared to April '08.

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For the second month in a row, MSNBC beat CNN in weekday primetime for the month of April among Adults 25-54, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. MSNBC was also the number one cable news network among younger viewers, Adults 18-34, in primetime in April. Additionally, MSNBC beat CNN at 8 p.m. in both total viewers and A25-54 with "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" and at 9 p.m. in A25-54 with "The Rachel Maddow Show." Following are MSNBC ratings highlights for April:

MSNBC beat CNN in weekday primetime (M-F, 8-11 p.m. ET) in
Adults 25-54 (298,000 vs. 265,000). In total viewers, the month ended in a virtual tie between MSNBC and CNN (992,000 vs. 994,000). MSNBC is up a huge 44 percent in total viewers vs. April 2008 (992,000 vs. 689,000) and up 18 percent in A25-54 (298,000 vs. 253,000) while CNN is down -8 percent in the demo and up 1 percent in total viewers.

MSNBC also beat CNN in Monday- Sunday Primetime (8-11 p.m. ET)
in A25-54 (271,000 vs. 248,000).

MSNBC was the number one cable news network among younger
viewers, Adults 18-34, in April, in M-F and M-Su primetime and in sales prime (7 p.m.-2 a.m. ET). MSNBC was also number one in A18-34 at 8 p.m. with "Countdown," and 10 p.m. with the re-broadcast of "Countdown."

"Countdown with Keith Olbermann" continues to drive MSNBC
primetime, out-rating "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull" by a huge 89 percent among A25-54 (380,000 vs. 201,000) and by 57 percent in total viewers (1,237,000 vs. 786,000). "Countdown" is up 12 percent in A25-54 versus April 2008 (380,000 vs. 338,000) and up 30 percent in total viewers (1,237,000 vs. 948,000), while "Campbell Brown" is down -8 percent in A25-54 and up 6 percent in total viewers.

"The Rachel Maddow Show," again, out-rated CNN's "Larry King
Live" among A25-54 in April (297,000 vs. 288,000), and finished closely behind in total viewers (1,042,000 vs. 1,135,000). "The Rachel Maddow Show" was up 98 percent in total viewers compared to April 2008 (1,042,000 vs. 527,000) and up 62 percent in A25-54 (297,000 vs. 183,000). "Larry King Live" was up 6% in total viewers and down -3% in A25-54.