CBS's FACE THE NATION Delivers Largest 2Q Audience In At Least 28 Years

CBS News' FACE THE NATION finished the 2nd quarter with its largest audience in at least 28 years and as the #1 Sunday morning public affairs program in viewers for the fifth consecutive 2nd quarter, according to Nielsen most current ratings. In 2nd quarter 2016, FACE THE NATION delivered 3.58 million viewers (up +11%, from 3.21m) compared to 2nd quarter 2015. FACE THE NATION delivered more than 3 million viewers for the third 2nd quarter in four years.

FACE THE NATION is the #1 Sunday morning public affairs program in viewers television year-to-date, according to Nielsen most current ratings. Television year-to-date, FACE THE NATION delivered 3.72 million viewers (up +10%, from 3.39m) compared to last year.

On June 26, 2016, FACE THE NATION posted double-digit year-to-year percentage growth in adults 25-54, the demographic most important to those who advertise in news, compared to the same week last year, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings. FACE THE NATION delivered 3.21 million viewers (up +9%, from 2.96m last year) and 0.7/04 in adults 25-54, (up +40%, from 0.5/03). Editor's Note: FACE THE NATION's second half-hour was broadcast contiguously across 78.31% of the CBS affiliates.

On the June 26, 2016, broadcast, John Dickerson interviewed U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), a former Republican presidential candidate who announced last week that he would run for re-election to the Senate. Dickerson then discussed the aftermath of Brexit with economic and foreign policy experts Washington Post's David Ignatius, Moody's Analytics' Mark Zandi, The Economist's David Rennie and TIME's Rana Foroohar. Turning to the U.S. presidential race, Dickerson and CBS News Elections Director Anthony Salvanto discussed a new CBS News battleground tracker poll showing Hillary Clinton with tight leads in Florida, Colorado, North Carolina and Wisconsin. The political roundtable featured The Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan; PBS's Tavis Smiley; USA Today's Susan Page; and The New York Times Magazine's Mark Leibovich. Dickerson closed the show with a conversation with Maya MacGuineas, President of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

Mary Hager is the executive producer of the Emmy award-winning FACE THE NATION, one of the longest-running news programs in the history of television.