Fox Business Network = "Fox News 2"

[DToTheJ]

I had an epiphany this afternoon: It appears that at times, Fox Business can be masquerading as an evil twin of its popular sister cable network, Fox News Channel.

Case in point: This afternoon in the 5 PM hour, Fox Business was carrying a press conference related to that crash in Austin, Texas. I don't believe that horrific story has much to do with business. Then again, one asks why Fox Business has any business (pun intended) showing this, when one can already watch it on Fox News?

But then, I know who is on Fox News at that hour, so just to make sure, I turned to Fox News, and sure enough, there is Glenn Beck, with another daily blackboard lesson.

And let's not forget some of the guests and topics on Fox Business tend to delve more into politics than business. Which makes me realize that what Fox Business really is, is an overflow of Fox News. At least, that's my opinion.

 

[arnoldevns]

I have never been sure what to make of the Fox Business Network. The idea was to make a network more focused on main street than wall street. Make it more about how you can get the most out of your money, rather than all the high ended chit chat over what a company is or isn't doing. (like CNBC) Dave Ramsey's show is very good and fits this idea very well.

At times this works because they don't seem to talk over the head of an average viewer. At other times it just seems to go way off the mark when they delve into topics that are highly questionable in their "business" value. I could see how the plane crash might be a business story. (look what happened to business after the 9/11 attacks) However, I doubt the network did anything to make a direct tie to business when they put the news conference on the air today. Other times they talk politics without really tying it to business either.

Then they go and put Don Imus back on the air. Why? What does he have to do with business?
John Stossel is an interesting guy and does good work, but most of what he's doing on FBN has little to do with business.


This is all to say that FBN just needs to rethink and refocus itself on its core mission. I don't think events like today help.

 

[DToTheJ]

I have never been sure what to make of the Fox Business Network... Dave Ramsey's show is very good and fits this idea very well...

I also believe his show is interesting. I guess my main concern is that he becomes the odd one out, should someone like a Lou Dobbs hop on board... But if you think about it, putting someone like that on at 8 PM would be like suicide, as the host would be going right up against Bill O'Reilly on bigger brother network Fox News. And, as mentioned in another thread, Ramsey's ratings are apparently okay, so I guess it bodes well for this show on FBN for the immediate future.

 

[DToTheJ]

On another tangent...

I could see how the plane crash might be a business story. (look what happened to business after the 9/11 attacks) However, I doubt the network did anything to make a direct tie to business when they put the news conference on the air today...

And consider the name of the program on which the press conference was carried - "Happy Hour"!

Again, I can see why they wouldn't want to pre-empt the ratings behemoth Beck with something that can be viewed on FoxNews.com later on.

 

[MarcB]

Why don't they just make The Ramsey Show a taped delay of his radio show or edit a bunch of radio segments together like HLN does with Clark Howard, whom I like better than Ramsey, which is another story for another day.

 

[Garrett]

Oh, so its not really changing to Fox News 2? Because, the subject line confused me.


As long as we're manufacturing subjects:
HLN is now CNN 2
Nick At Nightis now TVLand 2

MSNBC is now NBC 1/2, since nobody watches NBC anyway...

 

[DToTheJ]

MSNBC is now NBC 1/2...

Actually, you're technically right: MSNBC is half Microsoft, half NBC.

 

[ding12]

John Stossel is an interesting guy and does good work, but most of what he's doing on FBN has little to do with business.

He tries to take the economist angle, but his views are generally free-market. I think he feels issues liberal issues like global warming are hyped (there's enough oil in Alaska..and that's all that matters there), so tends to take the conservative view, similar to FNC.

 

[imhomerjay]

He often has described himself as a libertarian.

 

[BRNout]

He often has described himself as a libertarian.

Absolutely correct, which is why he's ticked off politicians from BOTH parties at one time or another. Thing is, because so much of the press/media is now so far to the political left; Stossel actually seems conservative by comparison - even though he isn't really.

 

[imhomerjay]

It seems to me there's a closer overlap between libertarian and conservative viewpoints when it comes to the economic/financial sphere, and as a contributor to the business channel, he may overlap more there. Where the libertarians seem to run afoul of conserative dogma more often is in the social sphere (the place where conseratives begin to completey trip over the contradictions in their espoused views in many cases).

 

[Nate Wesley]

NBC Universal has a majority stake in MSNBC, Microsoft only has about 18% as of 2005.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/24/business/media/24msnbc.html

MSNBC.com is still a 50-50 partnership.

 

[KTN Corp]

As long as we're manufacturing subjects:
HLN is now CNN 2

Actually that's true. HLN debuted as CNN2. There might be more viewers if it was associated with the prestige of the CNN brand instead of the generic Headline News.

 

[BRNout]

It seems to me there's a closer overlap between libertarian and conservative viewpoints when it comes to the economic/financial sphere, and as a contributor to the business channel, he may overlap more there. Where the libertarians seem to run afoul of conserative dogma more often is in the social sphere (the place where conseratives begin to completey trip over the contradictions in their espoused views in many cases).

Well Homer, today is a banner day because we agree yet again!!

And, it is in this area (economic/financial) that Stossel is a good fit in his new gig. When it comes to the social issues, he is definitely a libertarian and not a conservative. I always found him refreshing, even if I didn't always care for his New Yorker style.

 

[imhomerjay]

He's not a conservative in the way that the labels are applied today, but he--and libertarians in general--are closer to traditional conservative values than the so-called conservatives. The paradox is enough for a good laugh.