Ailes Cracks Whip as Fox News Slips

[roguevalley]

Ailes Cracks Whip as Fox News Slips
By Staff -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/26/2006 8:59:00 AM

Slackers at Fox News Channel, you’re on notice! Your boss is not pleased. Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes is on the warpath following his network’s recent ratings slump, and he won’t hesitate to clean house to turn things around.

So far during the second quarter, the No. 1 cable news channel’s primetime schedule has dropped 22% in its core 25-54 demo and 8% in total viewers. The first quarter was even worse.

Chief rival CNN has also dipped in recent weeks, but less dramatically, off 18% in the demo and 2% in total viewers.

Insiders say that, even though Fox News remains No. 1, Ailes is fuming over the complacency he senses among staffers.

Production values are slipping, and bookers aren’t competitive enough, relying too heavily on the same pool of faces and settling for authors or actors after they’ve already been on CNN or … gasp … MSNBC.

A full-page "Now Hiring" ad that ran recently in a trade magazine asked, "Can you make the cut?" Says one Fox staffer, that question was not addressed to outside applicants: "That was aimed inside."

Commenting through a spokesman last week, Ailes left no doubt: "Anyone who displays launch-type intensity will continue to have a job at Fox News. Those who don’t will not. And that includes talent."

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6346894.html

[GrumpyGreg]

1. Maybe they can get Lou Dobbs for a billion bucks a year.

[CottonBear]

2. "Production values are slipping..." Where to? The sub-basement?

:rofl:

[calimary]

3. Maybe that bell they keep ringing in their musical bumpers and sounders

just isn't enough to keep the Ding-Dong network on top.

How 'bout they hire paula zahn back? I'd love to see her face off CNN. Then I might watch at that hour (as long as it doesn't ever compete with Olbermann).

[WCGreen]

7. Maybe they need another waving flag in the other corner of the

screen....

[Vickers]

4. "And that includes talent."

Talent? Fox News?

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[sendero]

5. This is so funny..

... Ailes apparently thinks viewers are leaving in droves over "production values".

No Mr. Ailes, people are leaving because they realize that they are hearing nothing but 100% pure propaganda, and they are tired of it. And the number of kool-aid drinkers in the audience pool has dropped a lot since Nov 2004 :)

[LoZoccolo]

6. If it's for the reason I'm thinking of, they might not get it back soon.

People have become more disillusioned with the conservative movement, and to the extent that people see Fox News as a tool of it they'll become disillusioned with that as well. I'm not sure that to the extent they've lost the trust of the people they can get it back so easily.

[roguevalley]

8. Good bell weather then of the effect things are going to have on the

coming elections then. :)