In weekday prime time (8-11pmET M-F), MSNBC was up 31% in Total Viewers and up 4% in the A25-54 demo. In total day (6a-6a), MSNBC was up 17% in Total Viewers and up 7% in the demo.

"Morning Joe" continues to be the fastest growing morning cable news show — up 74% in the demo and up 41% in Total Viewers.

In prime time, Countdown with Keith Olbermann is up 32% in Total Viewers and up 15% in the demo. (Olbermann had a 44% advantage in the demo/29% advantage in Total Viewers over CNN's "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull.") At 9pmET, "The Rachel Maddow Show" is up 115% in the demo and up 127% in Total Viewers.

More highlights in the press release after the jump...

MSNBC HAS BEST FEBRUARY EVER

MSNBC Up 31% in Primetime Vs. Feb. 2008, CNN Drops a Huge 33%

NEW YORK – Feb. 24, 2008 – MSNBC had its best February ever in 2009, with increases over 2008 across all key dayparts. In weekday primetime (M-F, 8-11 pm), MSNBC saw a tremendous 31 percent jump in total viewers (1,150,000 vs. 878,000) and a 4 percent increase among Adults 25-54 (376,000 vs. 362,000) versus Feb. 2008, while CNN dropped a precipitous -46 percent in the key demo and -33 percent in total viewers.

Following are other MSNBC ratings highlights for February:

• "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" was up 32 percent in total viewers vs. Feb. 2008 (1,358,000 vs. 1,025,000) and up 15 percent in A25-54 (445,000 vs. 386,000). "Countdown" outrated CNN's "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull" by a huge 44 percent among A25-54 and by 29 percent in total viewers. Versus Feb. 2008, "Campbell Brown" is down -21 percent among A25-54 (310,000 vs. 392,000), and down -6 percent in total viewers (1,052,000 vs. 1, 123,000).

• "The Rachel Maddow Show" is up a tremendous 115 percent among A25-54 vs. MSNBC at 9 p.m. in Feb. 2008 (383,000 vs. 178,000) and up 127 percent in total viewers (1,223,000 vs. 539,000).

• "Hardball with Chris Matthews" at 7 p.m. is up 25 percent in A25-54 vs. Feb. 2008 (254,000 vs. 203,000) and up 40 percent in total viewers (866,000 vs. 619,000), while CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight" fell a steep -23 percent in A25-54 (288,000 vs. 374,000) and 15 percent in total viewers (994,000 vs. 1,169,000).

• "Morning Joe" continues to be the fastest growing cable news morning show, up a big 74 percent in A25-54 vs. Feb. 2008 (172,000 vs. 99,000) and up 41 percent in total viewers (436,000 vs. 310,000).

• "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" was up 31 percent in A25-54 (157,000 vs. 120,000) and up 49 percent in total viewers (571,000 vs. 383,000) vs. Feb. 2008, and was the fastest growing cable news show in the hour.

• In total day (6a-6a), MSNBC also had its best February ever, delivering 177,000 A25-54 and 471,000 total viewers. MSNBC was up 17 percent in total viewers and up 7 percent in A25-54 vs. Feb. 2008, while CNN dropped 14 percent in A25-54 and was basically flat in total viewers (up 1 percent).