The audience ratings during the Democratic National Convention are still ahead of 2004 despite Joe Biden’s being less interesting than Hillary Clinton. The third day of the 2004 convention, when John Kerry was nominated, had nearly 18 million viewers. Day two that year, which was not shown by the broadcasters, had 5.9 million.

But an estimated 24 million people watched the convention this Wednesday, following Barack Obama's every move from 7 to 8 p.m. PDT on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, BET and TV One, according to Nielsen Media Research. Viewership on Tuesday, when Clinton spoke, totaled almost 26 million.

This year on Wednesday, CNN had 5.38 million viewers from 10 to 11 p.m. ET, while NBC had 5.36 million, ABC had 3.48 million, CBS had 3.46 million, Fox had 2.7 million and MSNBC had 2.3 million. "It is extraordinary for us to beat the broadcast networks," said Jon Klein, CNN U.S. president. "This signifies what people have known all along about where to get news."

Four years ago Fox News Channel beat the broadcast networks for each night of the Republican convention that nominated President Bush for a second term. But it appears that this network is watched by more Republicans than Democrats.

When political influence was brought into discussion for CNN it also appears that, according to a Pew Research Center study released this month found that 51 percent of CNN viewers identify themselves as Democrats and 18 percent as Republicans, according to the Associated Press.