Fox billboard sticks it to CNN again (with pic)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 10/09/03 | TONY WILBERT

[Pokey78]

Fox's new message on a billboard across
from CNN includes the line
"Brought to You by Your Friends at Fox News."

Paula Zahn's new show on CNN is performing so poorly that even archrival Fox wants CNN to bring back Connie Chung.

At least that's what a comical new billboard Fox erected late Tuesday catty-cornered to CNN Center says.

"Come Home Connie. CNN Needs You," the billboard reads. "Brought to You by Your Friends at Fox News."

"We thought this would lift the morale and bring a few smiles to the faces of the CNN staffers in Atlanta," Fox News spokeswoman Irena Briganti said Wednesday.

CNN officials were not immediately available for comment.

CNN canceled "Connie Chung Tonight" in March, prompting Chung to leave the Atlanta-based network. The network canceled the show, which did relatively well in the ratings but took flak for its tabloid style.

CNN replaced the show with one that featured Zahn and was designed to to sharpen CNN's hard-news focus. Last month, the show, which airs at 8 p.m., was relaunched as "Paula Zahn Now."

But the show's ratings have been disappointing.

During "Paula Zahn Now's" first month on the air, the number of viewers has fallen about 19 percent from the time slot a year ago, when Chung's program was airing. Zahn's show drew an average of 575,000 viewers during its first four weeks on the air.

The O'Reilly Factor, hosted by Bill O'Reilly, dominated the 8 p.m. cable news time slot.

Though the billboard's tone is meant to be comical, the message should hit a nerve at CNN, which has bristled at its declining ratings.

The Fox billboard at Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Marietta Street has featured several messages during the past several years, including ones welcoming Greta Van Susteren, who left CNN for Fox in December 2001.

Other messages on the billboard have promoted the morning show "Fox and Friends" and announced Fox's ascent to the No. 1 position in cable news.

In Manhattan, CNN has erected a billboard of its own across from Fox News. In February, CNN's billboard featured a smiling Paula Zahn and read, "Real News Makes the Difference."

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Priceless!!!

[Constitution Day]

Awesome! BTTT.

[Support Free Republic]

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[Chad Fairbanks]

In February, CNN's billboard featured a smiling Paula Zahn and read, "Real News Makes the Difference."

And they couldn't understand why the people at Fox were laughing at it so hard...

[Roscoe Karns]

Next to Crossfire, Chung's show was the worst on CNN.

[Humidston]

What's CNN?

[Howlin]

[gov_bean_ counter]

Gratuitous cheep shot ping...

Gotta love it.

[Mo1]

LOL .. now that is funny

[mhking]

To the right of this billboard is one for "Fox and Friends". Both of these are at the corner of Marietta St. and Centennial Olympic Park Dr. - catty-corner from CNN Center.

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

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[TLI]

Well, it USED to be the clinton news network, but he left. Now? Don't know really....

[Libertina]

ROTFLOL Getting up close and personal. ;)

[jern]

I love Fox news.

Yesterday was their 7th birthday!

[tonyinv]

How childish!

This is great. Ya know...it used to be the conservatives that were stuffy and straight laced and the libs were the pranksters.

Man how the roles have been reversed.

[radiohead]

Connie Chung story -

Years ago, I was at a McDonalds in Center City Philly. I'm sitting down eating when I sense the presence of someone behind me. A little perturbed, I turned around and saw two women talking, just as one said, "Yes, I'm Connie Chung."

Connie had a *big* bag of McDonalds. I could see a nice black sedan outside the door, with the driver standing beside the passenger door, awaiting her return. It appeared that Connie had stopped in, probably gotten enough food for the two of them for their trip back up to NYC.

Gotta give her credit for getting her own food, in a Mickie D's of all places!

[longtermmemmory]

suicide watch for CNN?

BTW: CNN everywhere else is going strong. Apprently they can't get enough of euroCNN's anti-american/anti-bush/anti-freedom/anti-capitalism bable in europe. (or is that will not allow anything BUT anti-american/anti-bush/anti-freedom/anti-capitalism bable to go out on european governments controled airwaves.)

[Chewbacca]

Just change Clinton to Communist and I think that pretty much nails it.

[Cold Heat]

WOW! Some hardball!

[jimfree]

catty-cornered - meow.

[FreedomPoster]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

This looks like it's down on Marietta Street, real near CNN, don't you think, vc? I'm guessing you know the area from doing convention work.

[blackbart1]

Took it a bit personal did they? :-)

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

At least that's what a comical new billboard Fox erected late Tuesday catty-cornered to CNN Center says.

Catty-cornered? Shouldn't that be kitty-cornered?

[mhking]

This looks like it's down on Marietta Street, real near CNN, don't you think, vc?

It's catty-corner, on Techwood (Centennial Park Dr.); Walton St. is on the left of the sign, there's a parking lot facing the TV screen on the Marietta St. garage on the right of the sign. The pic is taken from the Park looking southward; CNN Center would be directly to your right.

[FreedomPoster]

Holy snikes! Even better than I thought.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

Well, it USED to be the clinton news network, but he left. Now? Don't know really....

It's back to Commie News Network. It used to be run by Tyranny Broadcasting Network.

[alnick]

Fox News spokeswoman Irena Briganti said Wednesday.

Isn't Irena Briganti the same woman who responded to Amanpour's charge that FNC is a foot soldier for Bush by saying, "Better to be perceived as a foot soldier for Bush than as a spokeswoman for Al Qaeda"?

[upchuck]

Battling billboards! LOL!!

[Pokey78]

Yep.

[ladyinred]

LOL!

Since Connie is my real name, It scared me for just a moment! :-)

[David1]

How bout Castro? Btw, the CNN folks probably still think Clinton is president.

[Delta 21]

FUNNY

[Timesink]

Schadenfreude

This is the New York Times CNN Schadenfreude Ping List. Freepmail me to be added or dropped.

[L.N. Smithee]

I wonder if Connie watches her husband Maury Povich's wretched show, with butt-ugly tramps dragging no-account bums into the studio to prove that they are the fathers of one of her three children.

[L.N. Smithee]

I wonder if Connie watches her husband Maury Povich's wretched show, with butt-ugly tramps dragging no-account bums into the studio to prove that they are the fathers of one of her three children.

[Smile-n-Win]

Ya know...it used to be the conservatives that were stuffy and straight laced and the libs were the pranksters. Man how the roles have been reversed.

I dunno. The Sixties Punks were "pranksters" only in the sense that they liked angering decent people by doing disgusting things; they were pranksters in a destructive way, not because they had a good sense of humor.

[WhiskeyPapa]

Paula Zahn is an idiot. I have never been able to understand how she gets work.

Walt

[Simcha7]

"Paula Zahn is an idiot"...

Seems to me that you forgot to add...Liberal Demon-Rat Socialist before IDIOT, please permit me to do it!

In my Opinion...

Paula Zhan is a Liberal Demon-Rat Socialist IDIOT!

There ya Go....Now I feel better.

[Republican Red]

I nominate Irena Briganti as employee of the year at Fox News

One of her all time classics:

commenting on Christiane Amanpour insults on Fox war coverage Irena Briganti said : "It's better to be viewed as a foot soldier for Bush than spokeswoman for al-Qaeda."

I wish the Republican Party would hire her as a spokeswoman or better yet maybe replace McClellan as White House press secretary.

[Vigilantcitizen]

"This looks like it's down on Marietta Street, real near CNN, don't you think, vc? I'm guessing you know the area from doing convention work."

Sorry for the late reply, I pulled a muscle in my back and have been zonked out on muscle relaxers.

Looks to me like the sign is very easy to see from the CNN offices. Even though it hurts, allow me to share in your laughter...

Bwahahahahahahaaa!!! Ouch...Bwahahahaha!!!

[b4its2late]

LOL!

[gridlock]

...CNN's billboard featured a smiling Paula Zahn and read, "Real News Makes the Difference."

And she's a little bit (ziiiiiiiiiip!) sexy!

[1Old Pro]

LOL, FOX sure knows how to tweak CNN.

[1Old Pro]

At first I thought it read "Commie" and not "Connie".

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Ha! Hey you should email that to Fox. If CNN forces them to take it down, maybe they can just reword it! Not much difference in the meaning, is there?

[babaloo]

This woman is brilliant and takes no prisoners. Better she stay in the private sector than work for the White House where she would have to tone it down.

[zx2dragon]

LOL Ping

[Chad Fairbanks]

ahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa I remember that LOL...

[MHT]

I love Fox and am very disturbed about the smear job they are getting from a survey done by the University of Maryland (I didn't even know that Maryland had a university of its own). Unlike other surveys which have shown Fox viewers to be better informed than average citizens, this one found that more viewers of Fox thought that WMD had been found in Iraq and were also wrong about two other Iraqi war questions.

Just more fodder for the libs, like Franken, to run with.

[AFPhys]

This is hysterical to me! I absolutely love it.

Yep, it is childish - and I still love it!

(My motto: I can't help getting older, but I'll never grow up - when it comes to fun things like this)