"Everyone thinks they're going to sell": Hellfire at FOX as Hannity Mulls Leaving...

[DonViejo]

“EVERYONE THINKS THEY’RE GOING TO SELL”: HELLFIRE AT FOX AS HANNITY MULLS LEAVING AND LACHLAN GOES FULL DONNA BRAZILE ON TRUMP

Inside Fox, staffers believe that C.E.O. Lachlan Murdoch is likely to nudge the network in a less pro-Trump direction. Is this the first step in a larger strategy to sell the newly spun-off company?

BY GABRIEL SHERMAN
MARCH 19, 2019 9:30 PM

Donald Trump’s alliance with Fox News has been one of the few constants throughout his shambolic presidency. But in recent days, that bond has shown signs of fraying. On Sunday morning, Trump criticized Fox after it suspended Judge Jeanine Pirro for delivering an offensive monologue questioning Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s patriotism. Later in the day, Trump lashed out at Fox journalists, tweeting: “Were @FoxNews weekend anchors, @ArthelNeville and @LelandVittert, trained by CNN prior to their ratings collapse? In any event, that’s where they should be working, along with their lowest rated anchor, Shepard Smith!” He implored Fox to “Keep fighting for Tucker”—Media Matters had uncovered a series of offensive statements Tucker Carlson had made while calling in to Bubba the Love Sponge’s radio show—“and fight hard for @JudgeJeanine.”

Trump’s attacks on Fox have widened the chasm between the network’s opinion hosts and the news division, which have been fighting a cold civil war since Roger Ailes was ousted in July 2016. Fox journalists, bristling at being branded an arm of the Trump White House, are lobbying Fox News C.E.O. Suzanne Scott and President Jay Wallace to rein in Fox & Friends, Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs and Pirro. “Reporters are telling management that we’re being defined by the worst people on our air,” a frustrated senior Fox staffer told me. Fox’s opinion hosts, meanwhile, have made the case that Fox’s prime-time lineup not only reflects the audience’s worldview, but is responsible for the majority of the network’s advertising revenue. “We make the money,” an anchor close to Hannity told me.

The outcome of that civil war will be decided by Fox Corporation chairman and C.E.O. Lachlan Murdoch. Rupert’s oldest son took over the smaller media company that emerged out of the Murdochs’ $71 billion deal to sell their entertainment assets to Disney. Though Lachlan hired West Wing stalwart Hope Hicks, staffers believe he is likely to nudge the network away from its close marriage to Trump. Sources close to Lachlan pointed out that Lachlan is a libertarian conservative, not a MAGA diehard, who in private has expressed annoyance at Trump. “He doesn’t like Trump,” one person who has spoken with Lachlan told me. “There’s a lot of talk of the direction of the network changing under Lachlan,” the senior Fox staffer told me.

Sources pointed out the hiring of Donna Brazile and the appointment of Trump critic Paul Ryan to Fox Corp’s board as signs of Lachlan’s view on Trump. “Donna is a shot in that direction. Management knows they have an image problem.” (A spokesman for Lachlan declined to comment.) Indeed, at an advertiser sales event in recent days, brands complained to Fox News executives about the network’s association with Trump, a source briefed on the meeting told me. (Through a spokesperson, Fox’s head of ad sales, Marianne Gambelli, said this was “completely false.”)

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https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/03/hellfire-at-fox-as-sean-hannity-mulls-leaving

[thegoose]

1. Lyin Ryan a Dump critic?

The occasional tsks are criticism?

[shanny]

8. That jumped out at me too.

[mercuryblues]

2. Just some advice to their news "anchors"

when you sleep with the dogs, don't be surprised when you wake up with fleas/flees.

There is a way out of this, quit. Seriously you can quit. But make no mistake no decent human being considers you real news anchors when you push propaganda day in, day out.

[rzemanfl]

5. Fleas. n/t

[nolabear]

6. I don't know. Seems like they're fleeing to me.

[TwilightZone]

10. I think that was the joke...

but I could be wrong.

If it was an intentional pun, it was nicely played. I thought it was pretty funny.

[mercuryblues]

13. I am known to unintentionally

pun.

[mercuryblues]

14. Thanks

I kind of fixed it. Works well with both spellings.

[underpants]

3. Where is Hannity going to go?

OAN? Wherever the hell O’Reilly is now? Breitbart? Trump TV on YouTube?

[DonViejo]

7. I'm willing to bet NewsMax or Glenn Beck would pick him up. eom

[sfwriter]

11. The Blaze

Or start something of his own. If he is shrewd, he’ll work with the trumplings to launch his own network.

[awesomerwb1]

15. Smart choice would be something like trump TV

There's been rumors that the dumps were interested in that. Maybe on YouTube like you said.

[LuvNewcastle]

31. I've wondered what was Alex Jones's motivation for

pushing Trump so much on his show. If Trump tv is in the works, expect him to be a part of it. It would give him national circulation again.

[Andy823]

19. Well

If we are lucky, JAIL!

[certainot]

32. he still has 500 radio stations.... and that's the important medium

limbaugh on 600 stations, like hannity, has been 100% trump so if fox is going to break with trump they'll be breaking with limbaugh too

when mueller reports that trump has been paying limbaugh and hannity and that the russians have been using them for at least 10 years fox's decision to stop being the visual icing on the talk radio lie turd pie will be the only way they can survive

[allgood33]

4. Well if Hannity "makes the money" a strong, strong boycott of his sponsors should finish him off. n

[safeinOhio]

9. Ratings and profits... who would've thought

trumps biggest concerns may turn the network away from him. Irony.

Keep up those letters to sponsors.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

18. Rachel Maddow and Lawrence have been beating the FOX hosts in the same time slots....

With higher ratings because they bring issues in an intelligent manner with experts who know what they are talking about. They do not disparage their guests, regardless where they are politically. Perhaps that is why David Frum, Bill Kristol, the Michael Steeles, and Rick Tyler found a home on MSNBC. They are Republicans who are treated with respect, and thus are people one can actually have a conversation with.

You do not see such values with FOX, other than with Shep Smith and sometimes with Chris Wallace.

[a kennedy]

21. I know, with respect is so lost on most of the faux talking heads.....

most heads are so rude, and just plain mean when talking of the Democratic candidates and other liberal folk. Just plain mean.

[ooky]

25. Also, its laced with lies.

Its unsustainable to keep an audience from starting to peel away when you have to keep inventing and making up new spin about the accomplishments of a President who is in fact accomplishing nothing.

[ScratchCat]

12. Hannity might be leaving for a jail cell

Because it looks pretty clear that he is being investigated for tax fraud regarding whoever he was paying off through Michael Cohen.

[Initech]

16. Chump is bad for business even if you're his own personal propaganda outlet.

[Irishxs]

17. Don't care where he goes..just stay away from MSNBC and CNN.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

20. Neither would touch Hannity with a 10 foot pole....

Hannity stinks to high heaven.

[kimbutgar]

22. By going public someone can do a hostile takeover of Fox and turn it left

Hint hint a progressive liberal billionaire could buy the stock of fox.

[Grasswire2]

23. freepers say they have been heading to another broadcaster...

something called One American News. I have no idea what that is.

[ooky]

26. It sounds very dictatorial.

[bronxiteforever]

28. It is owned, as a private company, by the Herring family

“One America News Network's "political talk shows will tackle a number of subjects that are being ignored by media today," says HBC CEO Robert Herring, who flashed his conservative credentials in 2005 when he offered $1 million to Florida man Michael Schiavo to give up his right to decide the medical treatment of his brain-damaged wife, Terri Schiavo.”

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2013/03/14/herring-launches-conservative-news-channel/1987433/

[Grasswire2]

24. "Trump critic Paul Ryan"?

Huh?

Is he?

[DFW]

27. Murdoch will have to do more than "nudge" Fox away from Trump to make it saleable.

Even Sinclair group, a logical suitor, will wrinkle their collective nose at the sinking revenue.

As for Hannity, I'm sure he has socked away more than he could ever figure out how to spend for the rest of his life, and unlike Trump, I'm betting he has no debts to offset his declared net worth.

[getagrip_already]

29. There will be an after-fox for all of these deplorables.......

One of the things trump was rumored to be working on for after the election (in the likelihood he was going to lose) was to start a new media empire based on conspiracy theories and fake news.

He was going to take hannity, oreilly, and even the former head of the news group (forget his name) with him.

No doubt, thats what will happen to the "personalities". Someone will pony up the bucks to get them on as a new network.

Evile is never really vanquished. It just changes shape and appears elsewhere.

[Power 2 the People]

30. Wishful thinking. As long as Rupert is alive Fox will be Satan's mouthpiece on earth.