Stewart Ratings Soar With Cramer Takedown

Last week's figures suggest Daily Show skewering turning viewers off CNBC

(NEWSER) - Early signs suggest that Jon Stewart may have put a ding in CNBC's ratings, Portfolio reports. Viewership of CNBC's Business Day programming block was down 11% for the first 3 days after Stewart's assault on the network began, although Jim Cramer’s Mad Money pulled somewhat healthier figures outside the 25-54 demographic—suggesting some college-age Stewart fans tuned in to see what all the fuss was about. More»

(NEWSER) - In anticipation of his visit with Jon Stewart on tonight’s Daily Show, an admittedly “nervous” Jim Cramer sought counsel today from another Stewart—Martha. “You should be nervous,” the lifestyle maven said on her syndicated show. “He’s fast as lightning.” The Mad Money host joked that the feud has elevated his profile at home, reports the Los Angeles Times. “My kids only know I have a show because Jon Stewart is skewering me.” More»

Big guns play second fiddle for first time in years

(NEWSER) - It’s been a good few weeks for Jon Stewart: The Daily Show was the top-rated late-night talk show in October—the first such show in at least a decade whose full month’s average beat Letterman’s and Leno’s, says the Hollywood Reporter . Stewart reeled in 1.3 million viewers, compared to 1.2 million each for the Late Show and Tonight Show. More»

(NEWSER) - NBC CEO Jeff Zucker said today that Jon Stewart’s Daily Show attacks are “incredibly unfair to CNBC and the business media,” Broadcasting & Cable reports. “CNBC is a spectacular organization and in particular Jim Cramer,” Zucker continued. “What is going on now is absurd.” The media isn’t responsible for the financial crisis, he said, in the same way it’s not to blame for the Iraq war. More»

(NEWSER) - Jim Cramer took his lumps tonight from Jon Stewart in their highly anticipated Daily Show faceoff. "I understand that you want to make finance entertaining, but it's not a game," Stewart told Cramer, adding an expletive. "I can't reconcile the brilliance and knowledge that you have of the intricacies of the market with the crazy I see you do every night," he said. Cramer disagreed on points but acknowledged that he's "fair game," the AP reports. More»