Afghanistan, Hurricane Ida coverage gripped TV viewers

By LYNN ELBER
AP Television Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The U.S. evacuation from Afghanistan and fearsome Hurricane Ida drew viewers to cable channels that focused on the unfolding events. Fox News Channel had the lion’s share of the most-watched shows last week on cable, 19 of the top 20, Nielsen said Tuesday. MSNBC got a less dramatic ratings bump from the prior week. The Weather Channel’s audience swelled as Ida barreled into the Gulf Coast on Sunday. The channel’s ratings among young adult viewers increased by 38 percent last week over the same period in 2020. NBC, on the strength of its top-rated “America’s Got Talent” and football broadcasts, was the most-watched network.