The Fox Business Network and The Wall Street Journal, two siblings in the News Corp. family, are contractually restricted in what resources they can share. But they have taken another step toward family unity by announcing that the personal technology columnist Walt Mossberg will be a regular contributor to the upstart cable channel.
The announcement makes Mossberg, who writes two columns for The Wall Street Journal, the most prominent person from the newspaper to contribute to the cable channel, created by News Corp. last October, about the same time that it was buying Dow Jones.
A 15-year contract that extends until 2012 between CNBC, the dominant business channel, and The Journal prevents many Journal reporters from appearing on Fox Business programs…
“As long as we stay away from branded, regularly scheduled segments of business news, we’re safe,” Kevin Magee, an executive vice president at Fox News, said in an interview. “Breaking news is fine and nonbusiness news is fine.”
It’s beginning to look as if Murdoch realize the “fair and balanced” crap act needs to be abandoned to grow to an all-encompassing market.
This presumes that ‘fair and balanced’ includes Mossberg, who by joining Fox, loses even more credibility than he lost by associating with the WSJ. That old phrase that says you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear applies well here. Fox has zero credibility, and Mossberg won’t change that; he just becomes another talking head among Republican conservative sycophants.
I primary problem I have with the modern “balanced” punditry on all cable news these days is that they simply take two people, one from each extreme, and set them at each other, trying to act like this does the viewer any type of service.
Does anyone really watch Fox News?
I don’t see this as so bad, since he had already hurt his credibility by being such a Fanboy. Can you be less credible?
>the “fair and balanced” crap act needs to be abandoned to grow to an all-encompassing market.
More of that patented Eideard commentary/analysis
At least we have one lefty on this blog who admits they don’t want fair and balanced coverage. They want the news media to spout liberal or Democratic Party talking points.
The Fox Business Network? Is that still on? I heard there was no one but crickets watching that network. Meh.
@6 jbenson2
Did you see that story from earlier this week where Fox & Friends showed how good they were at PhotoShop? Where they made the NYT reporters look like ghouls?
Funny stuff.
“Fair and Balanced” from the Foxholes at Faux News ??? I don’t think so !!! Fox is a COMPLETE WASTE OF BANDWIDTH !!! Rupert of course is trying to make The News Corp the ONLY NEWS CORP !!! Capitalism ALWAYS TENDS TOWARD MONOPOLIES !!!
#10 – If you are worried about a conservative take over of TV news, don’t worry. Lib outlets outnumber greatly.
#4 – Gossamer
>>I don’t see this as so bad, since he had already
>>hurt his credibility by being such a Fanboy. Can you
>>be less credible?
Jeez. I’ve been reading Mossberg’s column for years and years, and I wouldn’t have characterized him as a “fanboy”. What, just because he writes for a business paper and occasionally has positive things to say about certain Apple items he reviews?
#12 “What, just because he writes for a business paper and occasionally has positive things to say about certain Apple items he reviews?”
He uses an Apple at his desk for work. He also didn’t know that the wireless network at his office was wide open. Me thinks he needs to work on his tech knowledge a little…
>>He uses an Apple at his desk for work.
Oh gosh. That makes him a Macfanboy fer shur. Just like everyone who uses a Windows PC is a Bill Gates-asslicking toady, right? Sheesh. Plenty of people use Apples at their desk for work.
As to the security of his network, what is he, the IT support guy? I have no fucking idea what the status of the wireless network is in my office….there are IT guys who are supposed to be taking care of that. At home, my WiFi router is locked up tight, but to expect Mossberg to be in charge of computer security for the WSJ seems a little beyond the pale.
In any case, I’ve seen him be both pro and con Apple products, Windows, Linux, and just about everything else.
Sure never would have considered him a fanboy for any of the products.
#15 “BTW, a lot of anchors @ fox are using mac laptops. Coincidence?”
No, he’s been using one for years.
I guess Dvorak is a Mac fanboy he uses a Mac desktop for work. Wait I use a Windows machine at work and I hate windows, well XP anyway Vista is pretty good.
#20 “I hate windows, well XP anyway Vista is pretty good.”
LOL. You should go into stand up.
I think James Hill has a God complex.
(Yes, I know, you note my worship.)
Why the new iPhone has rounded edges? So that its fanboys can use it as a dildo without hurting themselves with any jagged corners.
Fox Business???? LOL!!!!!
“more casual”
“we’re goin’ after it”
“bringing the same quality we brought to the news, now bringing it to business…”
oh great.
I can’t wait to block the FOX channel when my new HD is installed.
http://www.funwithwarcrimes.com
Now I know it’s the end of the world. So much for my J-degree having any meaning…Walt is such a bore. John would have been SO much better!
Most of the programmers I know use a Mac, even for their Windows development. Most of the gamers I know use Windows. The rest aren’t using their computers 98% of the time.
Boring debate. However, the bimbo quotient on Fox news needs closer inspection.