Roger Ailes interview…
The Wall Street Journal’s Rebecca Dana interviews Roger Ailes…
Update: Changed link to full interview version…
WSJ: The Fox Business Network launches on Oct. 15 after two years of speculation and, to use your word, “disinformation.” I want to know what will viewers see.
Mr. Ailes: So do I. We’re working on it… . We think economic news is probably broader than what CNBC has been presenting. We intend to cover the markets and cover Wall Street as effectively as they do, maybe more, and add additional value. Beyond that, there’s no sense in me talking about it because this is a launch, and it’s a competitive launch….I will call a lot of audibles at the line once the play starts. I will not stand around the sidelines with a gamebook and a set of plays that I’ll stick to. I’ll change many things in the first year, I’m sure.
WSJ: What specific things has CNBC done in anticipation of Fox Business?
Mr. Ailes: The first thing they did was to say, “Well, Ailes seems to be patriotic, so we’ll name it ‘America’s Business Network’ and take that away from Ailes.”… They’ve embraced capitalism suddenly… . They have a tremendous advantage. They’re in 90 million homes. They have a 17-year head start. I put them on track 12 years ago….And we’ve announced when we’re going to come with our programming in our 30 million little pathetic homes. If they can’t kill us in the crib now, it’s only going to get worse for them day to day.
This is an interesting interview.
Comment by Terance — October 8, 2007 @ 8:59 am
So Roger is the same guy that launched FBN’s competition? Interesting. With his record at FNC, I’m sure FBN will become the buzzword in business and financial circles. I don’t blame him for not talking too much about what is in the offing, but that’s OK. I want to be titillated until
October 15.
Comment by RGL — October 8, 2007 @ 9:09 am
Just a heads up, that’s not the full interview, click on the read full transcript link.
Comment by Lurker — October 8, 2007 @ 9:43 am
Thanks, Lurker. I assumed that link was the same one from http://www.newslab.org/
Which is a very large interview, IMO.
Comment by Terance — October 8, 2007 @ 9:58 am
Thanks for pointing that out Lurker…a LOT of interesting things, such as:
1) It’s gone down in ratings dramatically. I checked the numbers of the fourth calendar quarter in ‘95, my last year there. Their total day is down 5% and their demographic, 25 to 54, is down 15%. Prime time is down 61%, and prime-time demo is down 53%. So, it’s changed quite a bit since I was there.
That actually doesn’t seem too bad, especially their bread-and-butter daytime #s. Everyone is down in cable (and broadcast) as the # of channels has exploded. Primetime is always a sore spot for CNBC, and I remember in the ’90s they had quite the lineup — I don’t think they’ll be able to repeat that again.
2)I think they’ve improved. They’re better. They’ve certainly had two years to figure out what we might do.
Awww that was nice of him to say LOL
3) So I’m expecting them to come out of the gate the day we launch with some brilliant programming based on the Wall Street Journal. They’ve been holding it in reserve, I think
Interesting….
4) Yeah, the sub-prime thing, which nobody understood. You go out on the street and say to somebody, “How’s your sub-prime?” They think you’re talking dirty to them. They don’t know what you’re saying.
Personally I find that pretty insulting that Ailes doesn’t think the average person can’t understand what “sub-prime” is…if you watch CNBC on a regular basis, I don’t think it’s particularly hard to pick-up on what the whole issue is about, even if you’ve never even heard of a mortgage before.
Comment by Anonymous — October 8, 2007 @ 10:32 am
Some liberals had a fit with Rupert Murdoch’s coming conservative influence on editorial policy and possibly news policy at the Wall Street Journal? They even demanded fire walls. But Mr. Kurtz new book reports that Jeff Zucker (head of all NBC broadcasting) repeatedly request that the news division adopt his personal opinion that the Iraq war is a “civil war”. The liberals see no undue corporate influence from issue there. Mr. Kurtz quotes Mr. Zucker email to lower level news people “Whatever happened to that discussion about civil war? Are you guys going to do it?” Wow what an agenda and blatant pressure! Mr. Zucker is a long time liberal friend of the Clintons (Motel 6, Lincoln bedroom guest) and it’s easy to see that he and his network is routing for the Democrats. I don’t recall any stories of former CEO Jack Welsh of ever pushing his conservative point of view on the news division. Maybe he should of.
Comment by steve L — October 8, 2007 @ 11:22 am
Greatlyappreciateit, do you see anything ironic about Ailes’ saying something like, “Murdoch is an internet expert.” and recently Kim Jong-il was also a proclaimed expert? With that firmly in mind, how would ya explain FNC’s paltry web presence being under the tutelage of such a hard core techie??
Comment by Terance — October 8, 2007 @ 11:32 am
^ Are you feeling ok today? I’m not used to ya answering my questions in such a direct manner! Thanks!
Comment by Terance — October 8, 2007 @ 12:20 pm