Posted on 04/15/2010 7:03:26 PM PDT by Man50D
Edited on 04/15/2010 7:04:27 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Angry Fox News executives reportedly ordered Sean Hannity to abandon plans, announced as late as this afternoon on his nationally syndicated radio program, to broadcast his TV show from a Cincinnati tea-party rally he was headlining.
Hannity, on a book tour for his No. 1 best-seller "Conservative Victory: Defeating Obama's Radical Agenda," was scheduled to be the featured speaker at a four-hour rally at the University of Cincinnati – with as many as 13,000 in attendance. Proceeds from the event were to benefit a local tea-party organization.
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
Yet another reason why I don’t watch Foxnews.
Sean, Sean, Sean....
Angry over what ???
Hannity’s shows from these events are always great...
his radio shows go of very well...
Hanity is not a reporter but a news commentator and opinion guy. That said he is using his employer to promote a political cause on their dime. And, Murdoch is right to say that a news org. should not be supporting any party.
Can’t whine when MSNBC does stuff like this and then justify it when Fox people do it.
Did Rupert Murdoch’s liberal/moderate son who seems to be trying to make Fox News more liberal, make this decision?
I guess Fox doesn’t want to give their viewers WHAT THEY WANT. Sound familiar, Obama with the health care plan?
Preparing to promote a RINO to lose to Obama in 2012.
FOX isn’t a friend of the Right. Never have been.
But as a business, they find a LOT of money in Sean. The moment he stops making them money, he’ll be out faster than anything.
You see, the right media LOVES their little darling money-leaking (Hemorraging) Couric. But the moment the right-wing stops selling ad time - They’re gone.
Is this rally actually affiliated with any actual political party?
Or is this rally really just a gathering of people who are disaffected from either party?
They were charging an immense $5.00 - $20.00 for admission to the audience for Hannity's show. And, Hannity was using the Tea Party organization to boost his show, just as the TP wanted to make a small profit.
Fox has really become worried someone else might make a dollar. Did it occur to them that Hannity's broadcasting from these Tea Party events might increase rating over a regular show? I bet it does. I watched most of the one from Atlanta and I rarely watch Hannity's show, though I do listen to his radio show fairly often.
And Fox has been dogged in trying to shut down all the internet rebroadcasts of Fox News, and their charging for the WSJ online again. They're going for every nickel, but whether their strategy will achieve the result they want is doubtful.
They call themselves the Tea Party. They may not fit the bill as a corrupt establishment crew like the DNC or RNC but they are more than just a movement. Fox also wasn’t cool with the fundraiser aspect.
This made the Execs mad, because the Tea Party and Hannity were making money off of a product of Fox News. I don’t think it would have showed any bias if they allowed it. Hannity is an opinion show, and Fox wasn’t making any money off of it, the Tea Party was.
He does it every night, what's the dif?
Fox IMO lost money tonight, when I found out about this I didn’t even put Sean on, how many others are like me?
CBS News has the biased Katie Couric and the biased 60 Minutes, except for a few shows Fox News is pretty fair and balanced, there’s leeway for Sean to do a show from the Tea Party, it doesn’t reflect on Fox News because we know what kind of show Sean does.
Hannity doesn’t need Fox News any longer. He has other options.
Don’t think this actually happened. He did seem to be broadcasting live from the event. Seems that many here are jumping to conclusions. Would be happy to be proven otherwise.
Sounds to me like the sort of thing Fox wouldn’t do unless they thought it would give an opening for the current administration to treat them differently—either not as a news organization or in challenge to their license.
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From deeper in the story:
Last week, News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch said before a Washington, D.C. crowd that Fox News should not be supporting the movement.
Rupert obviously fears the Fairness Doctrine more than low ratings, like CNN's and MSNBC's.
who make up the majority of your viewing audience. |
This entire episode comes off as knee-jerk and an overreaction. Hannity has been talking about this for several days or weeks, up until this afternoon as the article says. If this is a new policy, they could have let this one go ahead, then instituted their new policy for the future.
Fox has acted peculiar and out-of-character often in recent months. Their increased ratings might not be because they are so great, but because their competition has been so shamelessly in-the-tank for Obama for three or more years. Things could shift in other directions in the future.
OK but Glenn Beck already did this gig last year. So why all of the sudden did FOX change its mind on such?
Did not seem like it to me - but you may be right. If that is really the case, I will dis Fox News all the way. I thought that he was doing interactive interviews but may have been watching earlier FOX shows. Am really disappointed in FOX News if that is the case. All we need is another liberal news group...geez.
bttt
Fox News made the absolute correct decision here if a political movement of ANY flavor was charging to profit from a broadcast of their programming, not as an advertiser, they absolutely had to put a halt to it.
Sure hope you’re not right... If that turns out to be true, FOX is sure to become just another News outlet - sinking in ratings and becoming just another liberal outlet...
What the heck are you talking about?
If Hannity would suddenly find himself employed by a proposed EIB-TV network, and was aired at 8pm EST during Bill O'Whatshisname, I would watch Hannity and I am sure that a whole lot of others would too!
Bottom line is you are right. FOX needs Hannity a whole lot more than Hannity needs FOX - and he ought to push the issue.
Exactly right.
Several interesting questions there. I doubt the U of C was allowing use of their facility for free, some place that would hold 13,000. Who was to pay for the expenses of the event? Wonder if anyone will lose financially as a result of the last minute change, which was not the fault of the organizers of the event.
And, a four hour event, not just the Hannity show broadcast. And I bet Willie Cunningham was there.
I was wondering what happened. I listened to Hannity’s radio show and they were announcing that on the tv show tonight he would be live from Ohio with a crowd of 10000 people. I was really looking forward to it.
Fox screwed up on this one. Is there somewhere we can email our displeasure?
Fox News is first and foremost a news organization. They cannot have a paying audience for a show which broadcasts not just opinions but news as well as does Sean’s. They can’t be seen as profiting from and catering to a specific political constituency and still hope to hold any credibility as a legitimate news organization.
five dollars is a huge profit.
Since when does FOX pay any audience for their participation? Maybe you have the wrong idea here...
They promote their show by their audience - and today at least it is a more conservative one. Now, if you don’t like that, I understand - watch another show...
To say the the Tea Party is paying them is such a stretch! I’m absolutely sure that Sean does not get a penny from them and neither does FOX. So just where is the money changing hands here?
And yes, they DO cater to a specific political group - those that are NOT represented by the MSM.
From Atlanta...
Glad to have Cavuto today!
Thankful Hannity was NOT here, and I would never allow him to attend any Tea Party I ever organized..EVER...
ya’ll just have no idea what Sean is really like......I have more respect for Juan Williams than Hannity...
That sir, is just a plain stupid remark!
I seem to remember seeing Beck at a large tea party on 9-12-09....what is the difference?
I am not a sir....and you have never had to work with Hannity...so know who has their stupid showing?
I didn’t say I AGREE with Juan, I said I RESPECT him, because as mislead as he is, he has more honesty and integrity in him than Hannity does.....
Obviously, FOX must have been Conservative then...now that they are moving to the mainstream (ie. liberal bent), they have to watch their actions and question their motives...
Well, then give us your reasons - I assume that you have worked with him. What are his problems?
Glad to have Cavuto today!
Thankful Hannity was NOT here, and I would never allow him to attend any Tea Party I ever organized..EVER...
yall just have no idea what Sean is really like......I have more respect for Juan Williams than Hannity...
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I think the world of Neil Cavuto, but what’s this about having more respect for Juan Williams than Sean Hannity?
Did you organize Atlanta’s Tea Party today?
What is it we don’t know about Sean Hannity that you know?
Fox News became aware that a local tea party organization was charging a fee for proximity to the taping.
I did not organize the rally today...
I was a speaker this year and last year...
however, I was the GA State Coordinator for the Tax Day Tea Parties last year. I was well aware of all the drama and problems caused last year by Hannity along with a few of his friends here in the state.....the gals that organized last years rally pulled off a MIRACLE! This years rally went MUCH smoother and did not turn into a stress fest....
why don’t you tell us ....anonymous internet voice....lol
You need to back that statement up or else you’ll look like another whiny, jealous radio wannabe sucking sour grapes.
Why don't you expand on that and enlighten the rest of us with details.
You could do a lot of good if you do expound on your reasons for disliking Hannity and his group. It is not enough to say he caused problems... let us know the specifics and we can make up our own minds. So what is it that you know that we don’t?
It’s not about profits, it’s about credibility. Fox News is in the cross hairs of all the other MSM and they have to perform to a higher standard which means they cannot afford ANY possible breach of journalistic professionalism, and to have one of their top rated shows, which I reiterate broadcasts not just opinion but news, opens itself to criticism that it caters to a “paying audience” and this is simply unacceptable. It would be journalistic suicide.
Some Fox executives say they didn't like that fact that an admission was to be charged to the four hour event (Hannity just part of it). The admission was only $5 to $20, probably to cover expenses and a little profit for the organizers.
Maybe nothing was charged at the Beck event, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see other changes and restrictions at Fox in the future. Lots of odd occurrences around Fox in the past few months.
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