FNC’s 10th: Yet another overview…
USA Today’s Peter Johnson writes about FNC’s 10th Anniversary…
As penetration of cable TV reaches a saturation point and with increased competition from the Web, Fox’s “job is going to get harder now, just as it got harder for CNN 10 years ago,” Rosenstiel says. “The big-growth era in cable seems to have come to an end.”
That’s why Ailes has been on something of a tear lately. He has been shaking up his daytime lineup some, calling surprise staff meetings, putting more emphasis on Fox News’ website by partnering with YouTube in launching “The Blast,” a dedicated page in which Fox News provides online video junkies with the craziest moments in news.
“This is hard work every day,” Ailes says. “We have to maintain an intensity.”
Anchor Shepard Smith says that although the ratings competition “for us is in cable, the Internet is clearly pulling eyes, and anybody who says otherwise is being disingenuous. Ten years ago you couldn’t log on to find out what was going on. We need to integrate and use the Internet better. We have a long way to go.”
UPDATE: According to reports, Johnson’s article was put on Page 1A of USA Today. When was the last time CNN or MSNBC got a Page 1 article anywhere? Anybody know?
UPDATE 2: Added picture of the Front Page of USA Today.
Only time will tell whether Mr. Johnson is right. Cable news, however, is something more personal, more timely, and more appealing than the Web.
Fox, I think, is well psitioned for the competition. I did not realize that News Corporation, the parent company of FNC, owns MySpace, and there was an item I read that it may be worth $15 billion. And to think it bought it only for a pittance. Rupert Murdoch sure knows his business.
Comment by RGL — October 2, 2006 @ 10:24 am
I agree RGL, but for different reasons. They (they meaning the critics) said newspapers would go away with the dawn of radio. Then “they” said newspapers and radio would go away with the dawn of TV. “They” also said movie theaters would go away with TV coming in, then with beta, VCRs, and DVDs and DVD recorders. Some things do go away: reel to reel tape (though still used by air traffic control), records (though one band I know of still insists on releasing new albums on vinyl first), 8-track tapes, beta, 8 mm tape, hard contact lenses, glass 16 oz. bottles of pop(soda), leaded gasoline, shag carpet.
The audience for cable news won’t shrink because of the internet. It may flatten out, but it won’t shrink… that is, unless something unforeseen right now comes along…
Comment by erljr — October 2, 2006 @ 11:48 am
All I know is that things ARE going to change at FNC if things don’t CHANGE BACK to the way they were. What a mess of terrible personnel moves recently. Ratings will falter VERY soon if they haven’t already. You just don’t screw with success because change is not always good.
Comment by Roger — October 2, 2006 @ 11:58 am
I wouldn’t be surprised if FNC came up with deals to provide news programming via cell phones, ipods and other wireless gadgets. I’m already seeing FNC and Shep’s face on Verizon wireless boxes!
Comment by craig — October 2, 2006 @ 12:10 pm
I do think that Ailes has made some dumb changes lately, which will NOT make his #s better, and may lose him viewers to the other cable nets. Add to this some smart changes CNN has made, although they didn’t seem too smart to me when they first made them.
If you look at CNN’s #s now and before FNC came along, you will see little difference. FNC got most of it’s audience from broadcast and other areas(like those who didn’t get their news from TV before), NOT from CNN.
The task at hand for Ailes and FNC is to keep their current audience, and expand, as craig suggests, to cel phones, ipods and other wireless gadgets, as well as other technologies we haven’t heard of yet.
Comment by erljr — October 2, 2006 @ 2:20 pm
Of course FNC got some of its viewers from CNN, how else would you justify CNN’s best to emulate Numero Uno FNC?
Comment by Asha — October 2, 2006 @ 3:00 pm
Wow…front page on USA Today? It must have been a super-slow news day…
Comment by Anonymous — October 2, 2006 @ 3:11 pm
Hardly a slow news day with Foley scandal, elections, school shootings…give me a break.
Comment by stacey — October 2, 2006 @ 3:21 pm
I wonder what the ratings were last week for the first post-E.D. hill week of “Fox & Friends.”
Thanks for reading.
Comment by Bob — October 2, 2006 @ 4:40 pm
I wonder when the last time CNN or MSNBC was on the front cover of USA Today?
Comment by craig — October 2, 2006 @ 6:20 pm
#8…that was my point. Why would USA Today put FNC on the FRONT page when there’s so many other issues to cover?
Comment by Anonymous — October 2, 2006 @ 10:41 pm