The Catastrophic Success Of Fox News Channel

[doxydad]

Fox News Channel launched in October of 1996. As a business and ratings enterprise, Fox News has been an unqualified success. Its ratings far surpass MSNBC and CNN, and while the bulk of its advertisers are targeting octogenarians (catheters, reverse mortgages and gold are its staples), it has been a financial success for Rupert Murdoch and News Corp.

But for conservative politics, Fox News has not done well at all.

http://thedailybanter.com/2014/07/catastrophic-success-fox-news-channel/

[Enthusiast]

1. Pretty good article.

[littlemissmartypants]

2. You had me at

catheters, reverse mortgages and gold are its staples

Kicking.

Love, Peace and Shelter. Lmsp

[reflection]

4. That's exactly what I noticed yesterday.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025203104

[Shankapotomus]

3. This is why Rush Limbaugh

should have a tv show and also why he can't. If the rest of America, instead of just radio listeners, were exposed to his daily hatefest, they would be totally repulsed and it would be even worse for Republicans. Limbaugh has basically been removed or left tv twice already. Michael Savage couldn't last on tv either.

It's a Catch-22 for them. When your politics offend people, the worst thing you can do is talk politics.
There is a rightie relative if mine who won't put any of his political likes, especially Rush Limbaugh, (his favorite) on his FaceBook page because he doesn't want to alienate his friends. He knows RL inspires disapproval and he is prepared to deny loyalty to him in order to not lose friends.

[Cosmocat]

5. Accurate on the details but not the hypothesis

I agree with pretty much all that was written, except for the conclusion.

Fox has been a SMASHING political success.

It has bullied the entire media so far to the right that it no longer makes a pretense of being objective. Most of the national political media actively, and most often glibly cheers on republican talking points and takes glee in running down democrats.

That Barrack Obama has won two elections and they democrats are hanging on to the Senate by a hair has nothing to do in a negative way with Fox ... It simply indicates that we are at that last threashold where larger, national elections, if mostly ungamed, will most often break democratic.

But, the House is solidly republican and they have solid control in a majority of state capitals, in part because of the absolutely concrete support of their "base" and the media. And, outside of ACA, weak financial reform and some other items his first two years, there has literally been NO progressive policy put into place during the time period the author claims some kind of republican downfall vs a neverending stream of shit republicans have managed to push forward.

We may been in the midst of a two term democratic president, but on average, with VERY LITTLE actual public favorability for it, the republican agenda has been advanced far more than the democratic agenda. Democrats cower in the corner, because of the aggressive tone of the media, led by Fox, while republicans run around saying the most insanely ridiculous things and pushing the most insanely ridiculous polies completely unfettered.

The opposite in fact is true - because they have the big dog in the political media bullying everyone else, with no real support, the republicans have made incredible progress with what they push.

[heaven05]

7. HEY!!!!!

stop the truth telling.

"Democrats cower in the corner, because of the aggressive tone of the media, LED BY FOX, while republicans run around saying the most insanely ridiculous things and pushing the most insanely ridiculous policies completely unfettered".

This "cower" shit is what has me totally disgusted with my Party. Totally.

You're right about agendas.

Your whole post is so true. Thanks, it's refreshing.

[Cosmocat]

11. Thank you

it is truly disturbing how absent the democratic party is right now.

[COLGATE4]

8. Well said!!!!

[Cosmocat]

12. thanks

[JEFF9K]

6. It's hard to buy the idea that Fox News hurts Republicans.

My guess is that it's responsible for many millions of votes.

[doxydad]

10. It's not responsible for...

...an ass load of votes. the AVERAGE viewer's age is 71. That's 71 in human years. People still working don't have time to be engrossed in the continual belch of BS that Faux Noise is known for, and them that do watch it are within 3 election cycles of going to a dirt nap.

[JEFF9K]

13. All Republicans use information disseminated by Fox News ...

... whether they listen to the channel or not. And 71-year-olds vote in high numbers!

[Mnemosyne]

9. First time I watched it in 1996 my impression was that Goebbels would be proud. nt