Obama interview sets '60 Minutes' viewership record

Barack Obama's first televised post-election interview gave Sunday night's "60 Minutes" its biggest audience in at least nine years.

The CBS News program was seen by 24.5 million viewers and earned a 6.4 preliminary adults 18-49 rating. That marks the show's largest viewership since 1999.

Veteran correspondent Steve Kroft interviewed Obama about a range of domestic and foreign policy issues in the show's opening 15-minute segment, then he spoke to Obama alongside his wife, Michelle, for two more segments covering how the election has impacted their family.

Obama said the government should help the U.S. auto industry and reiterated his plan to pull troops out of Iraq, though the president-elect largely refused to answer questions about his cabinet choices, saying only that announcements would be made "soon." Though Kroft asked significant issue-oriented questions, he also delved into territory that some viewers might consider frivolous -- such as the oft-discussed First Family's dog acquisition plans and college football.

"60 Minutes" has been on a ratings roll this season. Last week's episode interviewing Obama's top advisers gave the program its highest audience in a year. With Sunday's episode, the 40-year-old news magazine will likely be the most-watched program for the second week in a row. Even with the record-setting preliminary numbers, CBS expects "Minutes" to get even higher ratings tomorrow when the nationals are released (some time zones aired the lower-rated "The Amazing Race" during part of the "Minutes" hour).

The "Minutes" boost wasn't enough to put CBS over the top for the evening, however. NBC still won with "Sunday Night Football" (17 million, 6.5), Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins, and pregame shows.

CBS was second with "Minutes," followed by "Race" (12.2 million, 3.5), "Cold Case" (12 million, 2.9) and "The Unit" (9.8 million, 2.5).

ABC was third with some NASCAR lead-in going into “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (10.2 million, 3.4), “Desperate Housewives” (16.6 million, 6.1) and “Brothers & Sisters” (10.1 million, 3.7).  ABC’s shows were on par, with “Housewives” up slightly from last week.

Fourth-place Fox’s was also largely unchanged from last week, airing “The Simpsons” (8.5 million, 3.9), “King of the Hill” (7 million, 3.2), “Family Guy” (8.5 million, 4.2) and “American Dad” (6.8 million, 3.2). The CW was on par (averaging 600,000, 0.2).

SUNDAY, Nov. 16, 2008 Rate/share 8-8:30 8:30-9 9-9:30 9:30-10 10-10:30 10:30-11 3.9/9 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 10.2 mil, 3.4/8 Desperate Housewives 16.6 mil, 6.1/13 Brothers & Sisters 10.1 mil, 3.7/9 4.4/11 Amazing Race 13 12.2 mil, 3.5/12 Cold Case 12.0 mil, 2.9/6 The Unit 9.8 mil, 2.8/7 5.3/13 Football Night in America 11.8 mil, 4.5/11 Sunday Night Football 17.0 mil, 6.5/14 3.1/7 The Simpsons 8.5 mil, 3.9/9 King of the Hill 7.0 mil,3.2/7 Family Guy 8.5 mil, 4.2/9 American Dad 6.8 mil, 3.2/7 No programming 0.2/0 Valentine 0.6 mil  0.2/0 Easy Money 0.4 mil 0.1/0 No programming

Comments

[steve loby]

This was one of the worst interviews I have EVER seen. When Kroft asked Obama whether he would shut down Guant. Bay, he said "Yes." No follow up on where would those prisoners go? Also, the questions for the later half were embarrasingly boring. Did Kroft pick up Obama's dry cleaning after the interview was over?

[Joel Smith]

Loved the interview. We finally have someone in office again who is going to get things done!

[Pat]

I didn't watch the interview because:

1. I have a sinus infection and feel bad enough as it is.
2. I hate the smell of mendacity.
3. BHO may be the president-elect, I don't have to listen to him!

[bob]

Too bad they're the wrong things, Joel.

[roger hutchinson]

Never before seen pre-presidential openness and frankness like this before. "Candid city", I'd say. Both showed wisdom beyond their ages.

[Brad]

Thanks for the great insight Pat, it was worth the bandwidth.

This was a great interview, and a great President. Can you imagine Bush fielding the same questions without Cheney present? I cannot.

[Jim Bob]

Steve Kroft's syncophantic interview proved that Chris Mathews isn't the only person in the media whose response to seeing President-elect Obama is a tingly feeling running up their leg and a vast emptiness where their journalistic integrity and objectivity should be.

[blaine]

Steve was right. Bad interview. Almost seemed like BHO told him what questions to ask.

[David]

What a joke. But, should we be surprised by the softball questions when the mainstream press played such a key role in electing Senator Obama?

[Jason]

Can you say softball questions?
Let's see what did I learn from the interview?
1) Obama likes to sleep in. Great just what we need.
2) Obama says he has an aid assigned to the whole auto bailout fiasco that keeps him informed. Just by his tone and the way he answered the question you can tell he is not "on" the issue like he says he is. His inexperience is already showing.
3) As one poster mentioned, he was lobbed a question and then there was never a follow-up. This kind of journalism is traditionally referred to a s a "puff piece".
4) I would urge everyone to dump the Republican Party and join the Libertarian Party and then lets preform some meaningful "change".

[Janice Gammil]

Wow! Can the media possibly fawn over this idiot any more than they are? Not once was President Bush treated with such dribble.

[G]

Pat, good luck with not listening to OUR next President for the next 4 to 8 years.

It was a good interview.

[Glennis]

Thanks to the media, I'm already suffering Obama fatigue. He and/or his family comes on the screen or the subject again turns to all things Obama and I reach for the remote.

[RMD]

Sore loosers... you right wingers are a bunch of selfish racist warmongers who use the bible to justify you deeds..

[MaryNC]

What a wonderfully refreshing interview with President-elect Obama and his lovely wife. I've never seen a President give such an open interview. He has a lot of cleaning up to do after 8 years of Bush, but I'm confident he has the right mind set to get things done! He's going to surround himself with people who challenge his thinking if needed rather than simply "yes" people.

[qmastertoo]

Well Bob, he could take us into a war and ignore
Bin Laden and ignore Americans after a national emergency in new Orleans, or give his Treasury Sec $700 billion so that some of his friends can get money or have 9/11 happen on his watch or have the entire economy crumble.......oh, we've got that now. My bad. You're right though, he could do worse.....not

[Tab]

What a pleasure to watch someone speak in complete sentences, with humor and smarts. As president-elect he can hardly be expected to overshadow the "one-president-at-a-time" Bush.

Please point me to an interview where Bush was given tough questions. Has he ever been on 60 minutes?

[joel]

THE INTERVIEW DID NOT LIVE UP TO ITS POTENTIAL. GRANTED,KROFT WAS NOT IN A POSITION TO GIVE A MIKE WALLACE TYPE INQUISITION, AND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN POOR TASTE. HOWEVER;THE SHALLOW NATURE OF THE QUESTIONS SEEMED TO BE REFLECTED ON THE EXPRESSIONS OF BARACK BOTH ORALLY AND FACIALLY. LET,S HOPE THAT THE MEDIA WILL LIVE UP TO THE NEW PRESIDENT'S DEPTH, INTELLIGENCE AND INTEREST EVOCATION.

[gman]

RRMD,
I am neither a Christian nor a "racist warmonger", but you have proved yourself to be a mindless sheep.

And, no, he isn't our president(sound familiar Gore/Kerry supporters). I wouldn't claim so vapid an excuse for human as my president.

He has no views, no experience, and no plans except to run the US into the dirt.

While you and your almighty BHO may be "citizens of the world", I am still a citizen of the United States.

[Eric]

i agree with RMD

[SirCharles]

Some people just hate a winner. Probably because they'll never be "WON"

[SirCharles]

RRMD-

If you feel that way, then leave... I'm sure you'll be missed.

[DennisinOhio]

The MSM is still in love - even after he is in office, everything he fails to do will be blamed on the past administration, regardless of the rationale. Frankly, Mr. Obama does not have a real clue as to how our problems started, or worse yet, how they can be solved. In fact, no one in Congress seems to understand what to, nor do the agencies that created the mess and are not trying to fix it. Greed and corruption have run amuck for decades in the legislative and business worlds and it will take many years for it to finish it's inevitable correction and begin a long slow recovery. With the country on the ropes, the Treasury printing every worthless currency and money being thrown around without rhyme or reason, we face quite a challenge as a country. The sad part of the story will be that half the country who wanted "change" will get some things they didn't quite expect and of course most will get virtually nothing of what they expected, but a person can dream, can't they?

[Susan]

From a marriage counselor's point of view, it was a look into a healthy family with terrific family values.

Character is critical, and he gets an "A" in my book for empathy and sensitivity toward his wife and kids.
If he treats American citizens with the same honor and respect he shows to his family, we are very fortunate.

[andrea r]

It's nice to see that we're going to have an intelligent President once again. It's been 8 years since we've had someone with an actual brain in the White House.

[Kathy]

The one thing I didn't see was Obama walk on water? Maybe he parted the red sea and walked through that instead!!!!

[Uncle Kirby]

The Obama-tards were thrilled with this interview. Those who did not vote for him watched something else. Nothing new here.

[T Moore]

"He has no views, no experience, and no plans except to run the US into the dirt."

Stupid Republicans. You're party has ALREADY RUN OUR COUNTRY INTO THE DIRT!!! Now fuck off.

[KImberly]

I'm not surprised that the audience was huge.Thanks to the media's moon faced slobbering no one actually knows much about Obama and they were trying to find out. a trifle late possibly.

[Vast Right wing Conspiracy]

Well at least Obama won't need a health care policy.They can just bring the lame and the blind around to the Rose Garden and the Chosen One can lay on the hands and cure them. Right!!!!!!!

[Alicia Smithencamp]

I'm actually ashamed that I was ever a Republican. What a sad party. Now watching them self destruct from the outside looking in is kind of funny. Instead of trying to heal and fix what's broken they choose to deny that anything is wrong and turn to morons like Sarah Palin as there "future". I hope she does run in 4 years. I hope she runs and wins the republican nomination just so I can watch her get destroyed on election night. She really is more of a complete dipshit then even George Bush. She makes George look like a genius.

[Big George]

Not surrounded by "Yes" people? That statement, I suppose, takes no account of the media coverage of his campaign.

[Vlad Putin]

I congratulate very much Obama.His election will be very very good for my government .....sorry Medvedev's government.Thank you all Amerika

[J Alston]

"The Obama-tards were thrilled with this interview."

You mean the majority of Americans who voted for him? I agree with the post that said the repubs just don't get it. Good luck with running Sarah Palin in 2012. That idiot has absolutly no chance of winning shit. Anyone who is not a registered repub realizes that she has the brain power of a 7th grader. She needs to back to school and retake 5th grade civics.

[Bush be Gone]

Gman, you are such a MORON! You obviously have the intelect of Bush who is a mindless, spineless, idiot. Look around at your country moran, your hero Bush has run it into the ground and yet your still to stupid to get your head out of the sand... Good ridence to Bush... And why don't you take the next boat out yourself "gman"AKA dufuss!!

[Cellulite]

Thanks for posting, I'll bookmark the page and come back to viewing the interview later.

[Calbear78]

I feel sad that the level of discourse has sunk to such name calling POST election. I voted for McCain but according the laws of this country I now have a president-elect with whom I am free to disagree. I intend to do so with vigor but with civility. I just read his book Audacity of Hope and was both encouraged by his reasoned approach to issues but discouraged that his perspectives still lead him to far left conclusions. I welcome him as President and will support him as an American but will do what I am constitutionally permitted to in disagreeing when necessary with vigor and civility.

[Grandma Becky]

"Instead of trying to heal and fix what's broken they choose to deny that anything is wrong and turn to morons like Sarah Palin as there "future". I hope she does run in 4 years. I hope she runs and wins the republican nomination just so I can watch her get destroyed on election night."

Lol.....I hate to admit it...but I agree. She is kind of a dummy. My husband calls her Paris Hilton. He says she's 'all pretty and no brains.'

As a devoted Republican I can only pray that my party gets some common sense in the next 4 years and does not nominate Sarah Palin in 2012. She is in no way intelligent enough to lead our nation. Sorry to say it.

[justwondering]

I, for one, would like to move past Obama's personal attraction, and begin to understand what his administration will actually DO. Closing Quantanamo Bay is, indeed, a plan - but what happens to the prisoners who are there? That is a fair and important aspect of that decision, and everyone needs to know the answer.
Asking this type of question is not racist or warmongering - why would some consider it such? This response confuses me, especially when it comes from a supporter of "change", "hope" and "let's unify the country".

[Devon Fitzgerald]

I hope that Palin gets the GOP nomination in 2012.First woman President and a conservative. After four years of this sophomoric machine pol stumbling around with Jimmy Carter's pathetic agenda, the Country won't be able to get rid of him fast enough