Kennedy Center Defends Trump-Hosted Telecast After All-Time Low Nielsen Viewership, Points To $23 Million Raised
Yahoo News Canada••entertainment
Key Points:
- The Kennedy Center Honors telecast hosted by Donald Trump on December 23 drew an all-time low viewership of 3.01 million on CBS, down from 4.1 million the previous year, with the event airing on a Tuesday instead of Sunday.
- Roma Daravi, VP of public relations for the Kennedy Center, defended the ratings decline as an "apples-to-oranges" comparison, citing a 20% overall decline in TV usage and highlighting strong performance in key demographics and social media impressions.
- The ceremony raised $23 million, nearly double last year's amount, and honored Sylvester Stallone, Michael Crawford, KISS, George Strait, and Gloria Gaynor; it was the first time a sitting U.S. president
