Former Governor of Alaska and Republican vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, will work for Fox News as an on air contributor.

Palin will provide political analysis and commentary for Fox News. She will also host a series called: "Real American Stories."

Continue reading Fox News Hires Sarah Palin as an On-Air Contributor

Fox News Hires Sarah Palin as an On-Air Contributor originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Obama vs. O'Reilly should be a ratings blockbuster for Fox originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The feud between Fox News' Bill O'Reilly and MSNBC's Keith Olbermann has morphed from a sometimes amusing spat between cable news hosts to a clash of corporate titans.

As Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post notes, O'Reilly has attacked General Electric Co. (NWS: GE) Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt for being "responsible" for the deaths of soldiers in Iraq because the MSNBC parent does a tiny amount of business with Iran which, apparently, is coming to an end. O'Reilly even sent a crew from "The O'Reilly Factor" to GE's annual meeting in Erie, Penn., to buttonhole Immelt and GE shareholders about the issue. One fund manager even called Immelt a "Benedict Arnold CEO" on the Fox program.

On his show, Olbermann often awards O'Reilly the title of "Worst Person in the World," a bit of shtick that's getting tiresome. Everything that O'Reilly says and does irritates Olbermann. Then again, so does Britney Spears.

But that's not the whole story. Fox News chief Roger Ailes warned NBC Universal head Jeff Zucker that "if Olbermann didn't stop such attacks against Fox, he would unleash O'Reilly against NBC and would use the New York Post as well," according to the Washington Post. This underscores the arguments of liberals and progressives that Fox and The Post are the winged monkeys of their corporate masters at News Corp. (NYSE: NWS). Fox, of course, denies Ailes threatened NBC.

The back and forth between the two media conglomerates shows that nerves are starting to get frayed and that life -- sigh -- is a lot like high school.

Continue reading Media World: Bill O'Reilly's nasty war against General Electric

Media World: Bill O'Reilly's nasty war against General Electric originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 May 2008 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Time Warner, down 18% this year, trades, at a multiple of 18. Disney, whose shares are little changed, is trading a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 17. News Corp., also little changed, is the most richly valued of the bunch with a forward p/e of 20. All three of them report earnings this week. To put it diplomatically, expectations are low. Disney is probably the most compelling value there because of strong brands and top-flight management.

Revenue at Time Warner is expected to be $1.41 billion, up 14.8% according to analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial. Earnings are expected to be 11 cents compared with 19 cents a year earlier. The stock rose today after the company announced that Jeff Bewkes would replace Richard Parsons as CEO starting next year. Don't expect any big changes at AOL, though. The strategy to turn around the Internet unit was developed by Bewkes. The company will come under pressure to divest AOL and other businesses including publishing. Earnings are due Wednesday.

Disney reports Thursday. Analysts aren't expecting much out of the Mouse House. Revenue is expected to inch up 2.2% to $8.98 billion. Earnings are expected at 41 cents versus 36 cents a year earlier. With the record-low dollar, the company's Theme Parks are dirt-cheap for foreign tourists. Earnings also should be helped by the "High School Musical" franchise and a solid performance by the ABC Television network.

There will be plenty of talk about the acquisition of Dow Jones & Co. (NYSE: DJ) on Thursday's News Corp. earnings conference call. There will also be discussion about the surging popularity of Facebook. Though so far the Fox Business Network has underwhelmed critics, Murdoch will no doubt put a positive spin on the channel's debut. Revenue for the quarter is expected to increase 9.6% to $6.48 billion. Earnings are pegged at 23 cents versus 19 cents a year earlier.

Time to buy media stocks? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

And, should YouTube be worried? YouTube is nowhere close to being a broadcast television replacement, with its small-size and substandard video and mono audio. That doesn't mean the technical capability could not be there soon to leapfrog those current limitations and deliver a complete and entertaining experience that would engage each viewer. Google may already be working on this. Say it with me: YouTube 2.

Continue reading Hulu: Should YouTube and iTunes be worried?

Hulu: Should YouTube and iTunes be worried? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Washington Post reports that News Corp's (NYSE: NWS) Fox News was among the news agencies that downloaded an al-Qaeda video that was leaked by the U.S. government, and in so doing unveiled a security hole in al-Qaeda's network that permanently damages a valuable source of information about its plans.

According to the article, many news agencies downloaded transcripts of the video, but Fox News cited the source, effectively closing that avenue of information for good.

A little background is in order here. Search for International Terrorist Entities (SITE) was established in 2002 to track and expose terrorist groups. According to the Post piece, SITE obtained a new Osama bin Laden video ahead of its official release last month, and around 10 a.m. on September 7, it notified the Bush administration, giving two senior U.S. officials access on the condition that they not reveal what they had until al-Qaeda had officially released the broadcast. But by mid-afternoon that day, the video and a transcript of its audio track had been leaked from within the Bush administration to media outlets. Fox News had the transcripts up and sourced to SITE by 3 p.m.

Continue reading Fair and balanced? Why would U.S. leak al-Qaeda tapes to news agencies, including Fox News? (NWS)?

Fair and balanced? Why would U.S. leak al-Qaeda tapes to news agencies, including Fox News? (NWS)? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fox News' Bill O'Reilly stirred up a hornets nest in the mainstream media when he attempted to give a compliment to Sylvia's, a famous restaurant in Harlem, saying: "It was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun."

Was the host of the "O'Reilly Factor" expecting a drive-by shooting before the main course was served, or for his fellow diners to start spontaneously rapping? Believe it or not, he dined at Sylvia's with the Rev. Al Sharpton and even picked up the check.

What O'Reilly said was obviously stupid, but is it any dumber than the other stuff he says on his broadcast? Media Matters, the liberal media watchdog group he despises, has compiled a list of his racially insensitive remarks here, which shows O'Reilly's comments on his radio show on September 19 were par for the course.

I am amazed that people are amazed by Bill O'Reilly. Evey time O'Reilly shoots off his mouth or bullies someone, people always act like something new has happened. It seems like they've never watched his show or even heard of the guy. That's why people who suggest O'Reilly is in hot water for his remarks about Sylvia's are wrong. His inflammatory rhetoric is still ratings gold. Why would News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) honcho Rupert Murdoch punish O'Reilly for being himself?

By the way, some enterprising promoter should book Sharpton and O'Reilly on the rubber chicken circuit. You can bet that some business groups would pay big bucks to have these two titans debate each other over the pressing issues of the day like rock'em sock'em robots. I sure would want to attend that conventions.

Continue reading Media World: Why are people still outraged by Bill O'Reilly?

Media World: Why are people still outraged by Bill O'Reilly? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 28 Sep 2007 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Associated Press reports that News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) Fox News Network plans to launch Fox Business Network (FBN) to compete with General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC Universal's CNBC on October 15. Will the two really compete? CNBC targets upscale investors while FBN says it's targeting Main Street.

One interesting detail in this article is that Dow Jones & Company's (NYSE: DJ) arrangement with CNBC -- giving it exclusive access to the Wall Street Journal until 2012 -- only covers business-related news. This allows FBN to use Journal coverage of other areas such as Washington and lifestyle topics.

I think CNBC will feel threatened by FBN and continue to respond by offering conservative-leaning and big-business-boosterish coverage. Meanwhile FBN will use its well-practiced brand of Amen Chorus stories that both demonize the enemy -- in this case CNBC -- while appearing to support the voiceless, powerless little guy. If I ran CNBC, I would focus primarily on giving my core audience more of what it wants and not try to imitate FBN through patriotic-sounding stories.

Advertisers will pay a premium to access CNBC's upscale viewers and GE cannot afford to lose those dollars.

Peter Cohan is president of Peter S. Cohan & Associates,. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter. He owns GE stock, has consulted to News Corp.'s CEO, has appeared as a guest on CNBC and Forbes on Fox, and has no financial interest in Dow Jones.

Fox Business Network faces off against CNBC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick's best chance at public redemption lies with Oprah Winfrey. At least that's the conclusion of Detroit Free Press columnist Drew Sharp, who makes a convincing argument that "now that pop culture dictates news judgment, it's only appropriate that a pop culture diva quite possibly holds the key to Michael Vick's NFL future."

Vick should take Sharp's advice. If Vick goes on Oprah, his handlers would no doubt encourage him to cry, talk about "finding Jesus" and encourage young people to make smart decisions. Unfortunately for Vick, the road to redemption starts with the talk show queen. Vick will have to spend the next few months apologizing until the American public is sick of seeing his face.

The question for Vick's handlers is where to go after Oprah.

Will he try to reach NFL fans through Walt Disney Co.'s (NYSE: DIS) ESPN cable network or News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) Fox?

What about the morning shows? You can bet that ABC, General Electric Co.'s (NYSE: GE) NBC and CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) would kill to land an interview with the disgraced athlete. "Dateline" and "60 Minutes" are probably working on stories about the evils of dog fighting. The story also continues to be the gift that keeps on giving for Time Warner Inc.'s (NYSE: TWX) CNN, Fox News channel, and MSNBC.

But I am not sure that all of the apologizing in the world can save Vick's NFL career. People understand that young, rich athletes misbehave and occasionally break the law. But Vick's behavior was so heinous that it defies explanation.

Can Oprah Winfrey redeem Michael Vick? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) Fox News Channel (FNC) has admitted defeat in the field of political satire. That's because, according to MediaBistro, it will shut down its short-lived attempt to satirize Viacom Inc.'s (NYSE: VIA) Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

The TV news satire show which airs Sunday nights, first aired February 18 with more than 1.4 million viewers. But it has fallen back to an average of 258,000 viewers in its last 10 airings -- while still leading its time slot in every airing except one. FNC will air the final show September 16.

What happened? I don't really know why FNC is canceling the show if it was so successful. And since I've only seen a few clips, I can say that I found those clips to be unfunny. I think Stewart and Colbert satirize what passes for "fair and balanced" reporting on FNC.

And I think it would be pretty hard for any media outlet to do a good job of both creating the object of satire and to make viewers laugh at a satire of the satire of that object.

Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates, a management consulting and venture capital firm. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter. He has no financial interest in News Corp. or Viacom.

Fox can't do political satire originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As TV Newser points out, Fox Senior Vice President Bill Shine told staff in a memo that. "There is still a chance you will see the program at some point in the future." The Web site pointed out that the program had its fans, winning its timeslot all but once.

So, why cancel it then?

The anonymous folks on TV Newser's discussion boards certainly didn't find it amusing and suggest that its ratings plunged after an initial spike. The clip I heard on Fox's Web site, which doesn't provide any links to the show on its home page, didn't tickle my funny bone. Neither did the clip on YouTube featuring the always amusing Rush Limbaugh as president and Ann Coulter as vice president.

Jon Stewart probably didn't lose too much sleep worrying about this show.

Fret not conservatives, comedy hasn't died completely on Fox News. Those hysterical cutups Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly aren't going anywhere. I'm sure that Neil Cavuto will keep the laughs coming on the yet-to-be launched Fox Business Network.

Maybe Fox will replace 1/2 Hour News Hour with Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld. Red Eye routinely wins the coveted 2 a.m. drunk/insomniac timeslot. Gutfeld is conservative, goofy and at times pretty funny. His program deserves a spot in your DVR though it too isn't on Fox News' home page.

Liberals rejoice as Fox News' 'Daily Show' clone is axed originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 15 Aug 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

John Edwards has attacked Senator Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for accepting donations from News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) and Rupert Murdoch. Here's a sampling of his rhetoric:

"News Corp's purchase of the Dow Jones Co. and The Wall Street Journal should be the last straw when it comes to media consolidation. I'm challenging every Democratic presidential candidate to refuse contributions from News Corp executives and return any they've already taken, beginning with Rupert Murdoch."

"John Edwards will never ask Rupert Murdoch for money -- he won't accept his money."

"The basis of a strong democracy begins and ends with a strong, unbiased and fair media -- all qualities which are pretty hard to subscribe to Fox News and News Corp. It's time for all Democrats, including those running for president, to stand up and speak out against this merger and other forms of media consolidation."

But according to DealBook, "News Corporation claims that its publishing unit, HarperCollins, paid Mr. Edwards a $500,000 advance -- and $300,000 in expenses -- for his 2006 book, Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives.

Oops. Don't you hate it when you get caught?

And as for "speaking out against this merger," hasn't Mr. Edwards heard of the free market? If Rupert Murdoch wants to buy Dow Jones (NYSE: DJ), and Dow Jones wants to sell, how or why should it be blocked? It's really not an anti-trust case at all, as far as I've heard.

The only thing more hypocritical than this would be if Mr. Edwards spoke out about poverty but worked at a hedge fund for a large salary. Oh wait ...

Hypocrite! John Edwards slams others for taking Murdoch money originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 05 Aug 2007 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Environmental groups are pressuring The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE: HD) to withdraw its ads from the Fox News Channel because many of the network's commentators poopoo global warming as some wacko theory.

Now, let's be clear. I don't watch Fox News, and I would probably kick my goldfish out of my house if I caught her watching it. As this YouTube video shows, many Fox commentators are hopelessly out of touch with the growing scientific consensus when it comes to global warming. Even Rupert Murdoch realizes global warming is real and has pledged to work to make News Corporation (NYSE: NWS) more efficient.

But I still don't understand why Home Depot would or should withdraw its ads from the network. As the New York Times said, "Home Depot is unswayed, and the environmentalists appear to be doing something they generally discourage: wasting energy."

Home Depot should absolutely continue the substantive green issues it has embarked on, but there's no need to give into a campaign to get its ads off of Fox. Doing so would hurt the company's sales, and that's bad for shareholders. Home Depot should use Fox to promote its environmentally-friendly message.

Should Home Depot stop advertising on Fox? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 30 Jul 2007 17:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fox to launch business channel; FT and CNBC look to join forces originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Jul 2007 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

DrudgeReport reports that News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) FoxNews will be launching Fox Business Network (FBN) on October 15, 2007.

Is this true? If so, what impact will it have on General Electric Co.'s (NYSE: GE) CNBC? I can see that CNBC is already calling itself America's Business Channel in anticipation of FBN's anticipated right-wing cheerleading bias.

I am looking forward to the competition. And as a guest of CNBC, I wonder whether it will open up new opportunities or whether FBN will want its own guests who are willing to follow the party line.

Update: MultiChannelNews provides the additional bit of detail that FBN will be headed by Neil Cavuto. Having been interviewed by him, I would not be surprised if FBN turned out to be a bit of a propaganda channel.

Peter Cohan is president of Peter S. Cohan & Associates, a management consulting and venture capital firm. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter. He owns General Electric stock, has consulted to News Corp.'s chairman, and has no financial interest in the other securities mentioned in this post.

News flash! Fox to launch business channel October 15 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Jul 2007 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

John Edwards hires Wake-Up Wal-Mart activists originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Jul 2007 13:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) Fox News channel received praise from an unlikely source: former CNN anchor Aaron Brown.

In an interview with TV Newser, Brown described Fox as "very disciplined, ratings-directed news organization, or whatever they are" and CNN as "an organization that is trying to figure out if it can be all things to all people."

Though Brown is bitter about his departure from the Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) network, he does have a point. Fox didn't only win the cable ratings war because of politics. It hired better broadcasters and put out more memorable shows. Roger Ailes figured out early that people tune into cable expecting opinions and that's what Fox gave them.

CNN has fought back though, adding blowhards such as Glenn Beck and Nancy Grace, CNN Headline News does decently in the ratings. Lou Dobbs' crusade against illegal immigration also has resonated with the public, which is kind of scary. It's also scored its share of scoops including Larry King's Paris Hilton interview. (Yeah she's horrible, but people are interested).

Continue reading Media World: Fox News is more disciplined, former CNN anchor says

Media World: Fox News is more disciplined, former CNN anchor says originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Jul 2007 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

News Corp: Too soon to celebrate Dow Jones? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 25 Jun 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dow Jones(NYSE:DJ) volatility collapses on expectations of a deal. Dow Jones is recently up $7.76 to $61.12 on speculation Rupert Murdoch's News Corp(NYSE: NWS) will raise his $60 cash bid made on 5/1/07. Dow Jones controlling shareholders, the Bancroft family, agreed to meet with Murdoch. General Electric Company (NYSE:GE)has been speculated as submitting a stock for stock bid for Dow Jones. GE's stock for stock bid could be attractive to the Bancroft family because of GE's low beta of 0.85 compared to News Corp's beta of 1.54 if Murdoch would add a stock component to his bid. Dow Jones June option implied volatility has collapsed to 45 from 70 according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing risk.

New York Times(NYSE:NYT) implied volatility suggests non-directional Risk. NYT is recently up .71 to $25.82. NYT over all option implied volatility of 24 is near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price risk.

Option volume leaders today are: Dendreon (NASDAQ-DNDN), Apple, Inc.(NASDAQ:AAPL), Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) and Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO).

Daily Option Update is provided by Stock Options Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Option update 6-1-07: Dow Jones implied volatility collapses suggesting less risk originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In yet another sign of the decline of network television news, General Electric Co.'s (NYSE: GE) NBC dumped "Dateline" anchor Stone Phillips. He won't be the last high-priced talent to be shown the door.

As ratings continue to decline for news programs at NBC, Walt Disney Co.'s (NYSE: DIS) ABC and CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) profit pressures are intensifying as shareholders demand to see a return for the money being poured into these shows.

That's why Phillips won't be earning nearly as much at his next job as the $7 million USA Today says he earned at NBC. Odds are best that he'll wind up at News Corp's (NYSE: NWS) Fox News Channel, Time Warner Inc.'s (NYSE: TWX) or another cable network such as the Discovery Channel which is now home to former "Nightline" anchor Ted Koppel.

In the wake of Philips' departure, TV personalities up and down the dial are probably quaking in their designer clothes wondering whether they will be next. It's a well-founded fear.

Networks are less patient than ever.

If entertainment programs don't immediately catch on, they are gone after a handful of episodes. Ratings are just as important to news programs. Though nightly news programs have been in decline for years, they still make good money for the networks.

Ratings points translate into advertising sales which translates eventually into profits. No TV star is immune from fiscal realities.

That's why Philips got pushed out the door. "Dateline" has morphed into a program dedicated to catching pathetic sex offenders. His services as a newsman were no longer needed.

Media World: Who's next after NBC's Stone Phillips? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 May 2007 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.