CNN's Jeff Zucker: 'We'd Be Thrilled to Have Fox's Numbers'

President of CNN Worldwide, Jeff Zucker. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters/Landov)

By Jennifer G. Hickey
CNN President Jeff Zucker usually sticks to placing a positive spin on how his network is performing by highlighting the demographic areas where the once-dominant cable network shines, but he conceded that "we'd be thrilled to have Fox's numbers" during a recent interview.

"Listen, we should only have Fox News' numbers. We'd be thrilled to have Fox's numbers, and they deserve a lot of credit. With regards to MSNBC, I can't speak to why they've declined dramatically — we're just focused on what we're doing here now," he told The Wrap.

CNN's ratings have improved under Zucker's tenure, moving up 59 percent in viewers and 62 percent in the much-sought after 25-54 demo during the day. Their nighttime viewership also improved, rising 35 percent in total viewers and 50 percent in the 25-54 demographic during the week.