I used to work for FOX -- Ask me anything

Film then broadcast TV (The Simpsons, 90210, Ally McBeal, etc.) but I was in the belly of the beast while they launched FNC.

Just excellent.

FOX so-called news = MPN = Murdoch Propaganda Network

"Incredible" as in NOT credible.

They had done projections where they put aside money to keep it alive. They had to pay Time/Warner and other cable providers to get a slot on the cable dial. I think that casts doubt on their motivation being just to make money. It was going to be a loss leader which got Murdock some more chips with the RW.

I guess that is not very earth shattering.

Rangers? He's a friend of mine. He quit a couple of years ago...said that he couldn't take it anymore.

I still remember an event we did where the only talent we could get was "the Pink Power Ranger"

The company was good back in the Barry Diller days.

...vulnerable?

and similar entities are really getting to be a critical mass. Look how many people on DU check Fox News from time to time (to see what lies they are telling now) and other people I know watch because of the political fireworks.

With the rise of truely liberal media, at least viewers who seem to seek out infotainment have a choice. The younger a viewer is the less they rely on Fox for news and the more likely they are to get news from the internet and the Daily Show.

Plus Murdock is getting up there in years and the company is very micro managed by Rupe (the post headline about Gephart being named VP was Ruppert's command). In his absence, the kids may duke it out and split up the empire.

I heard that he started this in the late 1970's, but thought you might know.

turn your microphone off.

;-)

that Fox promotes "untruths" ...and promoting causes to better people in America

So on FNC, I think my perspective is pretty much like most here. The difference being only that most here are certain FNC is a RW propaganda machine and I saw the birth of the little monster so I'm 100% certain.

It's akin to suspecting Damien is the Beast versus actually seeing the 666 on his head before the hair grew over it.

I work in TV too. At one time I worked for NASA-TV and did a lot of Live Shots with all the major networks both in the US and internationally.

I always had trouble working with FOX. It was a miracle we could get through a live shot succesfully with them. When compared with the Beeb, or with CNN, or even NHK (Japanese network who spoke almost no English), FOX was way at the bottom of the list when it came to technical proficiency and traffic coordination. At night it got worse. During the weekend it was even more worse. On a weekend night? Forget it. FOX was completely unprofessional. And nasty about it too.

So what's the deal? Don't they pay well?????

Not sure how the pay stacks up but many work there "as long as they can stand it" Also when they moved into sports they put the better people there.

The news channel people in NYC worked in an environment somewhat like a submarine. Cramped underground editing bays and tiny cube farms. One guy left and launched an anti-Drudge site.

at Fox believe what they are saying OR are they doing it just for the money?

And as time goes on they are probably increasing that percentage. But upper management knows whats what; can see both sides and strategize. If you read the memos which were leaked by the Outfoxed guys, you can see how machievellian the thinking is. Memos are here:

http://www.wonkette.com/archives/fox-news-memos-the-whole-batch-017613.php

One of the worst bits from those is this bit from Moody to on-air and writers:
Do not fall into the easy trap of mourning the loss of US lives and asking out loud why are we there?

Yeesh!

who was shuttling data to his relatives and ordering pro-bush total tallies to be reported?
I'm hazy on some of the details of that...could you enlighten us, If you know?

-- were you give directives to slant stories, and if so, how subtle or not were those directives?
-- were there repercussions for not towing the republican party line (you no longer work there, so I had to ask)
-- How diligent are they at fact checking stories or running corrections?
-- why do they (and all news organs, actually) pick noncredible "liberal" counterpoint pundits? Or, how does one get to be a pundit for a talking head to head show?
-- It the Foxnews office of HR requiring republican shill-hood, and if so, how does that come about. If not, how is that accomplished "unofficially"?

these are just a starter.... :)

there are excellent answers to almost all of those questions in the recent documentary "Outfoxed".

Picking Colmes and the like to rep the left is part of the propaganda mechanics. These memos show even more:
http://www.wonkette.com/archives/fox-news-memos-the-whole-batch-017613.php
(that is the same link given above btw)

In that perspective the crap they spew becomes humorous. It's a psyop of humongous proportion. They are like the military aiplanes flying over Iraq broadcasting info on how to surrender to coalition troops. They would like nothing more than for the dems to just lie down and die right now.

I ask you, is that what you all are going to do? Or are you going to STAND UP AND FIGHT LIKE A TRUE FREEDOM FIGHTER????

And what is the collective IQ of the people on the "Fox & Fiends in the Morning" show?

so I will just have to say no comment on that.

Their IQ is so low it actually sucks IQ points away from all living things in the immediate area.

I suspected something like that.

also, any moles you know who're still there?

I saw it in a preview at the New School. I do wish it had been organized in a linear, chronological order. That would show the slip from RW-slant on the facts to facts-be-damned more clearly. The sadder story is CNN trying to do the same act now.

The biggest audience for cable news is retired people with above average income/savings. FNC is their KoolAid.

There are always unsatisfied people on the inside but none that I am in contact with now.

to fix the election?

election results closely, it seems that Bush intended to have Florida go his way. It was CBS exit polls that put the Bushies on to Plan B when they projected the state for Gore, citing a 4%+ edge in exit polls.

Exit polling will be a hot potato this time.

Not a FNC question, but you'll probably know more about this stuff...

What were they thinking putting "Family Guy" on Thursdays up against "Friends" and "Survivor" after apparently just tossing darts at a calendar to decide it's air dates .
Were they trying to kill it on purpose?

A similar thing happened with Chris Elliot's "Get a Life."
In Detroit, they kept pushing the air time back until it was being shown at 3:AM Monday mornings (Yes, 3:AM). This probably happened before your time but any info would be appreciated.

"Profit" was a critically acclaimed drama that was cancelled after only 6 or so episodes. Any idea why it was cancelled so quickly? (too anti-corporation?)

Fox seems to encourage original programing, but sometimes it seems like they purposely try to make certain shows fail.

that they never found a great slot for. Some nights they just kind of throw in the towel. They used to have New York Undercover against Seinfeld. Animateds tend to be pricey. They need to ride in a good spot in order to get enough episodes for syndication. They don't make any money until they go into syndication.

Get A Life was in syndication (licensed to local stations) when aired outside of prime time. It was up to the local station to determine the slot for it. 3AM seems extreme but we used to get people who worked odd hours complaining that there was nothing but infomercials on at 3 to 5AM so probably worth a shot to try something there. But again it was out of production by the time it went to syndication.

Profit was awesome. It is one of those shows you just know the netowrk will cancel before it can build audience. Similarly, I'm surprised to see that "Arrested Development" is still on and doing so well.

All networks tend to schedule pilots like playing the roulette wheel. They spread around a lot and expect most to fail. The hits have to pay for the failures. Cable has created an outlet for more offbeat programming and hopefully more will be created now. Fox has actually released shows to other networks -- "Sliders" was one.

Does the RW thinking that infests the 'news' operations ever influence programming choices, casting decisions and other matters that would normally lay outside of the propaganda net?

Thanks, BTW. This is an informative discussion.

ReadTomPaine

A couple of years ago we had a bizarre email exchange in which I criticsized
him for Fox's right-wing bias, and his respond was so childish I then emailed
him he could never get a job in the real world due to his unproffessionalism.
Ailes responded with a personal work history and job list. It was almost
pathetic, his need to validate himself to a total stranger.

I seem to remember Limbaugh bragging about this a long time ago...

Is O'Reilly internally seen at FNC as more of an entertainer than anchor?

Does FNC even have a department that checks facts or verify stories? DO they budget any money to do this?

What happens to employees of FNC if they ignore the infamous daily memos from Moody?

Which companies and industries are the major sponsos of FNC?

What is the work environment like at Fox? WHat do the people who work there truly think of Fox and Rupert Murdoch?