Republican presidential candidate John
McCain has set a television ratings record - 38.9 million viewers watched his
acceptance speech on Thursday night, according to figures released Friday by
ratings firm Nielsen Media Research.
Thursday was also the opening night of the American football season. The
New York Giants-Washington Redskins game ended minutes before McCain took to
the stage.
McCain's viewing figures narrowly exceeded the 38.4 million viewers who tuned
in to watch Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama last week.
Republican running mate Sarah Palin drew 37.2 million on Wednesday night after
three days of intense media coverage. Obama's vice presidential pick Senator
Joe Biden drew 24 million viewers to his August 27 speech.
McCain and Palin drew a combined total of 76.2 million
viewers, compared with the 62.4 million who tuned in to watch the Democratic
ticket, dpa reported.
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