FOX NEWS

Paul Bedard writes,

You’d think that Fox News Channel Washington boss Brit Hume would be boohooing over the attacks from competitors that his is a garish, right-wing–even illegitimate–network. But he loves it. “We have been greatly blessed,” he cheers, “by the fact that our critics and competitors don’t seem to get what we’re actually doing.” He isn’t even scared by reports that Bill Clinton’s pals want to retaliate with a liberal TV network. “It’s not exactly a market without any competition,” says the former ABC hand. In fact, it looks as if he’s rattling the competition. Not only is FNC No. 1 on cable, but its beefy audience has caught the eye of attention-starved Democrats. The evidence: Fox News has been asked to host two Congressional Black Caucus political debates and the crucial South Carolina Democratic presidential debate, last sponsored by rival CNN. “In an earlier time,” says Hume, “people wouldn’t have thought of us. But on the other hand, these debate sponsors want a large audience, and they will go where the people are, like Willie Sutton.” So, is it scary on top? Nah. “It’s fun. Man, it’s fun.”

One would imagine.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. DC says:

    Quote from WAPO online:

    “You have a movement among the ultraleft to discredit me and Fox News Channel any way they can,” O’Reilly said yesterday. “They can’t win the debate. They can’t win the ratings war. So let’s turn to defamation and we’ll hide behind the satirist’s label to defame. We don’t have to be honest and accurate. It’s a charade — people see it for what it is. It had to be exposed, and that’s what that lawsuit did.”

    So are they seeing left wing conspiracies over at FOX?

  2. DC says:

    Quote from WAPO online:

    “You have a movement among the ultraleft to discredit me and Fox News Channel any way they can,” O’Reilly said yesterday. “They can’t win the debate. They can’t win the ratings war. So let’s turn to defamation and we’ll hide behind the satirist’s label to defame. We don’t have to be honest and accurate. It’s a charade — people see it for what it is. It had to be exposed, and that’s what that lawsuit did.”

    So are they seeing left wing conspiracies over at FOX?