Fox News draws more viewers

Three years after surpassing CNN as the top-rated cable news channel, Fox News continues to enjoy growing viewership.

Fox had an average prime-time audience of 1.5 million people in the second quarter of 2005 -- a 9% gain over the same period last year. In June, the network posted its best ratings of the year, attracting an average prime-time audience of more than 1.7 million. The last time Fox drew more viewers was in November, when an average of 2.1 million people tuned into its election coverage.

CNN, by comparison, dropped 13% for the quarter, pulling an average viewership of 721,000 people during prime time.

However, its sister channel, CNN Headline News, recorded significant growth, expanding its average prime-time audience for the quarter to 322,000 -- a 63% hike over the same period last year. It edged out MSNBC, which drew an average prime-time audience of 310,000 viewers for the quarter, a drop of 4% from 2004.