QUICK TAKES - March 28, 2009

CNN was poised Friday to set a standard it would have preferred avoiding: When the March ratings period ends, CNN is likely to finish third in prime time for the first time since it pioneered the cable news genre three decades ago.

Fox News Channel was way out in front. But now MSNBC’s opinionated lineup of Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow is slipping past CNN into second.

CNN said its overall business is healthy and that the Nielsen Media Research ratings will not lead it astray from its straight news path.