The Democratic and Republican conventions thrust the ratings of the cable news channels well above their usual levels for August, according to Nielsen research. Fox News Channel scored the biggest gains, rising 69 percent from the same period a year ago to 289,000 homes. MSNBC was up 63 percent from the year-ago period to 263,000 homes. CNN, while up only 27 percent, nevertheless captured a bigger audience than its two rivals combined -- an average of 615,000 homes.

Source: Studio Briefing