The fact that Trump is complaining about it means it’s probably true.
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Cable News: Who Cares?
- Thread starter TheBigA
- Start date
The fact that Trump is complaining about it means it’s probably true.
He's also attacking Fox News some more, telling his followers "Fox doesn't work for us anymore." So several Fox staffers say "We don't work for you."
https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-stars-push-back-as-trump-demands-loyalty-we-dont-work-for-you
https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-stars-push-back-as-trump-demands-loyalty-we-dont-work-for-you
Next Press Secretary?
Have we ever seen the current one.
Current management knew at some point Fox News is too niche though. The issue here with Fox was how do they get other people to their venue besides the dedicated fans of the president though.
It's kind of similar to the issue to radio where they had to make the decision to flip or modify the the playlist to lower the median ages for a format though.
Too niche?!? Seriously? In most dayparts they outdraw CNN and MSNBC combined by a good margin. I think Hannity may just leave after this current contract. I could see Newsmax or OAN paying big to put him and O'Reilly on in prime time. If that happens, FNCs time at the top could be imperiled. James and Lachlan seem committed to tearing down what they've been given to show their 'wokeness'. As long as they're willing to accept a far less valuable enterprise, fine. if they're deluded into thinking this will improve business prospects, News Corp shareholders better insist on a change, and quickly.
Yes and no. Yes they're #1 overall, but #2 in the demo.
https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/aug...wers-slips-to-no-2-in-prime-time-demo/412858/
So they need to figure a way to bring the average age down. The reality is they're not going to grow the audience for cable news. That audience is what it is. People have lots of other ways to get the news they want without watching cable TV. Even the president alluded to that in his tweet.
Fox News has the old person demo locked in. But the old person demo doesn't pay the bills.
And how many 18-34 year olds watch any cable news day or night? They all are going to run in to this problem of millennials not caring about cable news.
I think that's really what this thread is about. The government is playing to cable news (all three channels) and the general public doesn't care. Rather than creating this love/hate relationship with the media, they should be focusing on governing. Instead they rush over to the cameras to do interviews that only a small percentage of the population sees.
I remember the median age was 67-68 when Fox News was managed by Roger Ailes. But the current Fox News management has been trying to lower the demo though for the past two years though under the management of Lachlan Murdoch.
It's obvious that the primetime shows go after the older uneducated with fear. They need to get away from that.
The median age for BOTH msnbc and Fox is 70, CNN's is just a touch younger mainly aided by its weekend non-news programming (Anthony Bourdain repeats, CNN films etc) that at times out rates the weekday primetime lineup.
At least for CNN, CNN's pres Jeff Zucker has said that when they don't talk about President Trump CNN's ratings go down, and ratings for CNN are behind Fox and MSNBC. Host at CNN have complain several times on air or social about lack of Republicans coming on air. So obviously CNN believes what people want is politicians on move often.
We have monitors on in the office with all the news channels and with a major hurricane coming to Florida all I see is talking heads when I look up, once in a while I'll see a rushed weather update. CNN use to put reporters all across the Southeast/Florida and would go wall to wall even days in advance of a Hurricane.
The data shows that there isn't much of a difference with older people or college graduates between the 3 cable news channels.
He's not really right about that. CNN gets great ratings when natural disasters strike. I expect to see them do well with this hurricane. They also do well with their documentaries. I really think their approach to covering the president has been badly produced. Too many voices, all shouting at the same time. As you said, they get bad ratings when they DO talk about Trump, so why bother?
At some point this weekend the focus will be on the hurricane for all 3 news channels but with the cuts CNN have made to non-DC reporting and news gathering to focus on politics I don't expect CNN to own the others like they have in the past, they will all get a bump in the ratings (the Weather Channel far greater) but NBC and FOX will put out as much resources as CNN.
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What how is Lachlan Murdoch Woke?? Lachlan started planning and rolling out reforms at Fox News(all Business decisions) as soon as Roger Ailes got fired and as soon as the attempted Sinclair/Tribune talks came into play. Lachlan knew that if they keep pleasing the President fanbase forever then they would not be around for long and they would have to deal with a then rumored Sinclair Network beating them in the ratings by the then estimated date of 2019. Also they had to deal with the possibility of Youtube Pundits, OANN and Newsmax beating them at some point though over political talk shows.
What specific changes has Lachlan Murdoch done to Fox News? He had to replace when Greta Van Susteren and Megyn Kelly when they left for other jobs, he could have hired them again if they wanted to come back after both leaving NBCU but ratings have been consistent with their replacements so why mess with the lineup again? Bill O'Reilly wasn't going to survive at Fox no matter who was incharge. One change that has been made under Lachlan is digital, it wasn't a priority under Ailes and Fox News was way behind CNN in all metrics, now Fox is closing in or even surpassing CNN in some.
The Sinclair rumors were dead once they were started and those other channels aren't even in half the homes FOX News is in, OANN and Newsmax are nonfactors.
Fox has always a few non-conservative people on staff so on the very rare occasion times they do hire someone that liberal it's not new. Hannity is going to be a fan of the next Republican leader just like Rachel is going to be a fan of the next Democratic leader.
When there is a new guy incharge of course there will be some changes but from a programming perspective Lachlan has lead Fox News the same as its been for the last few years. In the long term Fox News will have to make changes just like all the other cable networks will have to make changes if they want to survive.
Lachian is playing a long game. He can't make drastic changes all at once or it will upset the fan base. He is looking beyond Trump and beyond the Republican Party. In 10 years who knows what is left of the current GOP. The party will most likely drive so far right that it might go right off the cliff. Fox News can't afford to go over the cliff with it.
The same could be said for MSNBC fans. In 2015 MSNBC was dropping all the leftly daytime programming for news and non liberal opinion and there was credible rumors that lefties Chris Hayes and Lawrence O'Donnell were going to be dropped because of low ratings but when Trump was elected ratings increased. If the wrong president is elected or ratings go south again it's entirely conceivable that MSNBC would drop Larry and Chris at that point and go in a completely different direction (news or opinion).
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