Nielsen Says 42.8 Million Watch Obama State of Union
President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech attracted 42.8 million U.S. television viewers last night, according to Nielsen Co.
Obama’s address to the U.S. Congress drew about 11 percent fewer viewers than last year’s speech, which was watched by 48 million viewers, Nielsen said today on its website. Both speeches were carried on 11 networks, including cable outlets Fox News and CNN.
Last night, Obama set out the agenda he will carry into the budget debate with congressional Republicans and his campaign for re-election in 2012. He cited competition from rapidly growing economies in India and China as another “Sputnik moment,” recalling how the Soviet Union’s launch of the first artificial satellite in 1957 spurred the U.S. to develop superior technology.
Obama’s “Address to the Joint Session of Congress” in February 2009 was watched by 52.4 million, Nielsen said. President George W. Bush’s final State of the Union in January 2008 attracted 37.5 million, the researcher said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Andy Fixmer in Los Angeles at afixmer@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Anthony Palazzo at apalazzo@bloomberg.net
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