Murdoch plans on giving local Fox affiliates the Fox News treatment.

[eeyore]

I haven't seen this talked about on DU. Basically, he's sending in Roger Ailes, who made Fox News the intolerable crap that it is, to do the same to all of the affiliates that they own nationwide. They will be turning the local news on those stations into "Little Foxes", and there is talk of a national nightly newscast to compete with the big 3 networks.

I don't know about you, but I've all but given up the notion that we will ever recover from the damage that these assholes have done to our country. They have dumbed down the public so far that they can pretty much implement any agenda they wish. They have the power, the money, and the airwaves.

They can do whatever they want at this point. :scared:

Here's a link to a Variety article on their plans
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117931037?categoryid=14&cs=1&s=h&p=0

"Local news editors, producers and on-air talent have been flown to New York for intense two-day training sessions to help local news personalities abandon dry anchor-speak and adopt a more Foxian barstool conversational style. The Fox 24-hour news operation is re-tooling to become a network-style engine for new national news programs starting with Rivera's syndicated show, but that's just the beginning.

"We hope to tap into that resource in ways that haven't been done in the past by rolling out national news and information programs and providing elements that can be used in local news," says CEO Abernethy."

[CottonBear]

1. "...a more Foxian barstool conversational style."

:eyes: So that's what that style of news speak is. :sarcasm:

[DBoon]

2. So now they will slur their words, stumble and..

belch when necessary?

[eeyore]

3. Drunk on power?

Either they are drunk on power or are espousing drunk's logic - not sure which at this point.

:shrug:

[moggie]

13. Fox's "barstool" style

It's called that because a lot of asses have been on it.

[Daphne08]

4. Perhaps they'll overreach and run the company into

bankruptcy.

One can always dream. :eyes:

[MADem]

5. You give them too much power

The way to fight their bullshit is to sling the muddy truth right back at them.

Of course, they said the New York Times would be ruined if they went to color pictures....not a cause-effect, necessarily, but NYT has a big hole to crawl out of!!!!

Of course, if everyone goes to a more relaxed format, with more plain speaking, perhaps we will hear some "HORSESHIT!! NONSENSE!!!" from the left as well.

The problem FAUX has is the same as other outlets--that local anchors are local personalities. When I travel, I like to look at the local outlets, and damn, you see some of the geekiest types on the air, who would never make it at a slick national anchor desk or a mega-outlet.

But hey, these old geeks are known, they have been there for awhile, they have their pet charities and projects, and if they suddenly change their personality, it could backfire on them.

[eeyore]

6. There's talk of Murdoch backing Hilary

The NPR show On The Media did a report about this, and that's what brought my attention to it.

They were saying there is talk of Murdoch backing Hilary for a Presidential bid.

So are they conservative tools or just corporate king/queen makers? I'm starting to think the latter may be the case.

[meegbear]

7. They do that shit in Boston now ...

fucking nauseating to say the least.

[peacetalksforall]

8. We need legislaltion to keep Australians out of our news businesses.

[ClintonTyree]

16. It's globalization, get used to it........

there are no more countries, just Corporations hiding behind flags pretending to be countries. It's never going to get any better in this country, in fact we've only seen the tip of the iceberg as far as globalization goes here in the States.
It's not going to be pretty.

[Pathwalker]

9. Have any local NBC affiliates teamed with FOX near you?

In Lansing, Michigan, the local NBC affiliate(WILX) shares newscasters, meteorologists, and sportscasters with the local Fox affiliate(WXYZ).
I find this very disturbing, and I wonder if this is happening elsewhere.

[unrepuke]

10. "...starting with Rivera's syndicated show" - Rivera who? They're

leading with Geraldo ???

[geckosfeet]

11. I simply do not watch these slime. I encourage anyone who can to

cancel their cable subscription, open a netflix account, get a dvd player etc. if you do not already own one and use your television only to watch dvd's and video.

This works out extremely well if you have a computer or two and an internet connection to access alternate news sources.

Life will continue and you will be a lot less aggravated. Honest.

[politicaholic]

12. Crap! I only get 2 channels and one of them is "the good Fox"...

You know, the one with The Family Guy, The Simpsons, and Seahawks Football.

Now I have to watch what WAS a mildly liberal 10pm Seattle news cast that would segue into commercials with Alice in Chains and Led Zeplin tunes turn into an unprofessional, opinion addled, research free infotainment show.

That's just sad.

[wryter2000]

14. Not in Oaktown, please!

The Fox affiliate in Oakland has some of the best local news broadcasts in the whole SF Bay Area.

I was looking for football there on Sunday and happened on a Faux panel show. This is terrible. The local folks are fantastic!

[ClintonTyree]

15. Our local FAUX affiliate in Rochester, NY........

has already embarked upon this little propaganda experiment. It's quite transparent, and Rochester isn't exactly a hot-bed of Conservatism. I think they can expect a boycott soon and some picketing in front of the studios. They're really stinking up the airwaves. :puke:
Personally I have my own boycott of everything FAUX. That's really tough being a, "The Simpson's" fan, but I have to do it. FAUX isn't welcome in my house and they never will be.

[enki23]

17. so... getting your news from fox is like...

getting it from some guy on a barstool. sounds about right.

even more appropriate, since we're in the middle of a massive social experiment where we pick our leaders based, in some cases quite literally, on how well we can picture them on a barstool.

obviously, that's working out pretty well.

[ignatzmouse]

18. Block Fox

Sounds like it's time to call for a national boycott of Fox Entertainment as well. If their intent is to mix them, then they're "fair game." Ahem.

[LittleClarkie]

19. Wouldn't the affiliates fight that if Fox is losing viewership

the almighty dollar, and all that? Money over ideology, I should think.

[Liberal In Texas]

21. They can't do much if they're O&O's...owned and operated by FOX.

Fox affiliates that are NOT owned by Fox, now that's another story. I think the non-Fox owned affiliates may not Foxify thier news as much as the O&O's.

(This Variety story was apparently about the 35 Fox owned stations, not the other affiliates not owned by Fox.)

[CatholicEdHead]

20. Fox 9 and UPN 29 in the Twin Cities already do this

They share the newsroom in Eden Prairie. Fox 9 does a hourlong 9-10pm CT newscast every night. It has always been the most emptiest hour on TV night after night after night.... They recently started a 5-6pm CT newscast which I have not seen much. They are both owned by Fox/Murdoch directly when they were bought a few years ago.

The newscasts are completly devoid of any meaningful content. It is the lowest common demonenator for journalism. It completly revoloves around surburbia and nothing else. It only deals with day to day topics which are often repeated and "investigative" journalism which takes a kernal of truth and spins the heck out of it when the other 3 major local newscasts will not thouch them as the content has not been verified enough to air. To say they jump to conclusions is an understatement.

Edit:

Politically, they do not hesitate to go after the local DFL. They do not do this every day, but mostly during sweeps and peak election season.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

22. Ailes: Another Goebbels nt