The Boston bombing and subsequent manhunt, as well as the horrific Texas fire led to a huge news month in April, and Fox News led the pack among the cable news channels.

The ratings for April, 2013 (Nielsen Live + Same Day data):

• Primetime (Mon-Sun): 2,016,000 Total Viewers / 389,000 A25-54
• Total Day Mon-Sun): 1,233,000 Total Viewers / 278,000 A25-54

Compared to the same month last year, Fox News was up +9% in total viewers and down -2% in adults 25-54. In total day FNC was up +14% in total viewers and +2% in the demo. April 2012 saw a number of GOP primaries, which led to slightly than higher average numbers for FNC. That said, the bombing in Boston was clearly the bigger story, and every hour of the day was up for FNC in total viewers, even as some hours were down in the key demo.

For the month, Fox News was the number two channel among all ad-supported cable networks (more on that later), the first time that happened in a non-election month since the tsunami in japan in March, 2011.

In primetime: “The O’Reilly Factor” was up +7% in total viewers and down -4% in the demo at 8 PM, while “Hannity” was up +14% in total viewers and +5% in the demo at 9 PM. 10 PM’s “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren” was up +1% in total viewers and down -3% in the demo.

The dayside shows tended to have the most growth, with “Special Report” up +20% in total viewers and up +6% in the demo, and “Your World” up +22% in total viewers and +15% in the demo.

In the morning, “Fox & Friends” was up +10% in total viewers and +1% in the demo. “The Five” was up +21% in total viewers, but was down -5% in the demo.

The cable news networks were a prime target for both President Obama and Conan O’Brien at Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, held at the Washington D.C. Hilton.

Obama kicked off his remarks by acknowledging Fox News senior White House correspondent Ed Henry, the White House Correspondents’ Association president. “Ed, you’re doing an outstanding job,” Obama said. “We are grateful for the great work you’ve done.”

In his remarks, Obama poked fun at CNN, MSNBC and Fox News. “I know CNN has taken some knocks lately, but I admire their commitment to cover all sides of the story, just in case one of them happens to be accurate,” he said. “David Axelrod now works for MSNBC, which is a nice change of pace considering MSNBC used to work for David Axelrod.” Obama joked that Fox News said it was “an insult to Satan” when an actor in the History Channel’s series “The Bible” was noticed for his resemblance to the President.

O’Brien also took aim at CNN and Fox News in his speech. “Speaking of dinner, tonight’s entrees were halibut and filet mignon. Or as John King reported it, lasagna and cous-cous,” he said. “If the President laughs, everyone laughs. And if the Fox News table laughs, a little girl just fell off her bike.”

O’Brien also made fun of NBC, saying the network has had a “rough go of it” of late. “The ‘Today’ show let go of Ann Curry. After being told, Ann Curry said, ‘let me get this straight: Al Roker tells the world that he crapped his pants at the White House, and I’m getting fired?’” O’Brien said.

Earlier in the day, Tammy Haddad hosted the 20th Annual Correspondents Garden Brunch. FishbowlDC has the details of the event, which was attended by Greta Van Susteren, Savannah Guthrie, Norah O’Donnell and Chris Matthews, among many others.

After the jump, watch the “House of Cards” spoof that opened the dinner, featuring Henry, Charlie Rose and Major Garrett. Read more

The broadcast networks have expanded their coverage into the late-morning as the manhunt for 19-year-old Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev intensifies.

The networks are preparing for extended coverage throughout the day and CBS News has already scheduled a primetime special at 9pmET anchored by Scott Pelley. Also, “Evening News” will be expanded to an hour.

More: “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams” will expand to a full hour tonight. “Rock Center” will dedicate the full live hour (10pmET/9pmCT) to the investigation.

More: ABC’s “World News with Diane Sawyer” will also be an hour. Elizabeth Vargas anchors a special edition of “20/20″ from Boston tonight.

More: Fox News is preempting “The Five” today, instead Bill Hemmer will anchor the hour from Boston. Shepard Smith will anchor his shows from Watertown and Greta Van Susteren will anchor from 10pm-Midnight also from Watertown.

More: CNN’s will be live until at least 1am, starting at 7pm, in this order: Erin Burnett, Anderson Cooper, Piers Morgan, Cooper, Burnett, Morgan.

Developing…

Greta Van Susteren’s husband John P. Coale sitting between Lindsay Lohan and Kim Kardashian at the 2012 White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

She was famous for escorting the famous around Washington, DC during White House Correspondents’ weekend. But this year, Fox News host Greta Van Susteren is taking a pass on the dinner April 27. “I made another commitment out of town that weekend,” she writes on GretaWire.

I am sure everyone will have fun – it is the one day of the year that the media, politicians, entertainers etc. socialize together – but it can also be a bit exhausting as it is a 2 1/2 day affair.

In recent years Van Susteren has played host to Kim Kardashian, Ozzie Osborn, and last year, Lindsay Lohan

But there was a backlash following last year’s star-studded dinner, by none other than NBC’s Tom Brokaw on “Meet the Press.”

“I think George Clooney is a great guy,” said Brokaw. “I’d like to meet Charlize Theron. But I don’t think the big press event in Washington should be that kind of glittering event where all the talk is about Cristal champagne, taking over the Italian Embassy, who had the best party. That’s another separation between what we’re supposed to be doing and what the people expect us to be doing.”

Greta tells Politico she will likely attend the annual brunch put on by Tammy Haddad on the day of the dinner.

Fox News continued its dominant hold of the leaderboard in the first quarter of 2013, marking 45 consecutive quarters as the highest-rated cable news network. But like CNN and MSNBC, Fox News is down for the quarter.

The ratings for Q1 2013 (Nielsen Live + Same Day data):

• Primetime (Mon-Sun): 1,731,000 Total Viewers / 279,000 A25-54
• Total Day (Mon-Sun): 1,065,000 Total Viewers / 214,000 A25-54

Compared to the same quarter last year, Fox News is flat in Total Viewers and down -18% in the A25-54 demographic in Total Day. In primetime, the network is down -9% in Total Viewers and -34% in the demo. It should be noted that the first quarter of 2012, ratings for the cable news networks got a boost from debates and political primaries during the Presidential election cycle.

“The Fox Report with Shepard Smith” celebrates a major milestone this month, ranking first in Total Viewers for 50 consecutive quarters. “Fox & Friends,” “Your World with Neil Cavuto” and “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren” have been number one in their respective time slots for 45 consecutive quarters.

Like the competition, the network has lost viewers in primetime compared to the year-ago quarter. “The O’Reilly Factor” is flat in Total Viewers and down -26% in the demo. (Note: percentages are based on a blend of Live +7 and Live +3 data.) “Hannity” is down -5% and -28%, while “On the Record” is down -13% and -35%, respectively.

Read more

Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren took to Gretawire this morning to write about her experience with a stalker while she was practicing law in the 1980s. The “On the Record” anchor described her stalker, Randy, as a “really, really weird” person whose “strange behavior scared everyone.”

Van Susteren recently tried to find a picture of Randy for FNC colleague Shannon Bream and got some surprising news from her Google search:

My stalker died …. and on Christmas Day.  Strangely, I felt bad.  He had followed me for so many years that I felt I knew him quite well.  Over the years and years of him stalking me, I spoke to his family about trying to get him to stop…his Mother was very sweet to me and understood why I was distressed by the situation….the US Attorney’s Office in DC arrested him one time and held him overnight (I always thought they did it because they thought it would look bad if I – a defense lawyer –  were found murdered and floating in the Potomac River when they were aware of the problem and had done zero)…I tried everything to get rid of him …I was nice to him to get rid of him…mean to him to get rid of him…ignored him etc.  Nothing worked.  He was fixated.   It was really weird — every place I would go, he would be there…with me.  He could find me.

Randy the Stalker eventually dropped Van Susteren for “a younger and prettier woman,” she writes.

Frankly, after years of him stalking me and not doing anything, I had no fear of Randy.  I was used to him.  He was really weird….and a pest…but after years of him stalking me, and just being a pest, I had no fear.

25-54 demographic (Live +SD)

• Total day: FNC: 255 | MSNBC: 104 | CNN: 106 | HLN: 163

• Primetime: FNC: 346 | MSNBC: 160 | CNN: 96 | HLN: 152

Read more

The author of the new biography of Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, Zev Chafets, is making the TV news rounds this week to promote the book.

Yesterday Chafets appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” CNN’s “The Situation Room” and Fox News Channel’s “Hannity.” Today he will be a guest on “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren,” while tomorrow he appears on “Fox & Friends.” Yes, three FNC appearances in three days, attracting three very different audiences. CNN and “GMA” also present a different crowd. CNN painted Ailes as a “GOP Kingmaker,” While Hannity’s segment was more personal.

Speaking of different audiences: the book was also reviewed by the New York Times‘ Michiko Kakutani, and not positively:
Read more

Attorney, TV commentator and political adviser John Coale is battling cancer. His wife, Fox News Channel anchor Greta Van Susteren, revealed the news on her blog, GretaWire.

Van Susteren says that he was diagnosed in December, and has undergone a number of surgeries since.

I worked during all those surgeries (did our show) because I did not want to draw attention to us and have to answer a million questions (I didn’t even know the answers to the questions!) I would do OTR, then after the show drive an hour to the hospital in Baltimore…spend the night in his room….and the next morning…drive home …get dressed…and go to Fox and repeat the cycle after the show. I felt lucky to be able to do that since many families can not.

Coale  also served as an adviser to former Fox News contributor Sarah Palin, among other politicians and notable figures.

Fox News remains the top cable news network, beating MSNBC and CNN combined in both Total Day and primetime for the month of February. Despite being up for the month, Fox News — like the other cable news networks — was down year-over-year.

The ratings for February, 2013 (Nielsen Live + Same Day data):

• Primetime (Mon-Sun): 1,790,000 Total Viewers / 296,000 A25-54
• Total Day Mon-Sun): 1,094,000 Total Viewers / 227,000 A25-54

Compared to the same month last year, Fox News was flat in Total Viewers and down -16% in the A25-54 demographic in Total Day. (Note: percentages are based on a blend of Live +7 and Live +3 data.) In primetime, the network is down -7% and -29%, respectively. It should be noted that February 2012 was a big month for political news, with the GOP primaries in full swing, and also saw extensive coverage of Whitney Houston‘s death, which was a ratings boost for all of the cable news networks.

For the month, Fox News had the top 13 programs in cable news in Total Viewers, and the top nine programs among younger viewers.

“Special Report with Bret Baier,” which marks 50 months at number one in its timeslot this month, was up +7 in Total Viewers and down -15% in the A25-54 demographic compared to February 2012.

In primetime, “The O’Reilly Factor,” “Hannity” and “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren” were all down year-over-year. O’Reilly’s program was down -3% in Total Viewers and -26% in A25-54 viewers. Hannity’s program was down -11% in Total Viewers and 35% in the demo, and Van Susteren’s show was down -21% and -32%, respectively.

Fox News improved on its January ratings across the board: in primetime, FNC is up +11% in both Total Viewers and A25-54 viewers, and in Total Day the network is up +7% and +9%, respectively.