Possible Changes At Headline News and Possible Effect On Fox News On-Air Talent?

With a meeting at CNN Headline News that was scheduled for today (Monday, December 13, 2004) and with the prospect of the soon-to-be reorganized network handing out pink slips to some of its on-air talent, who if anybody may end up at Fox News Channel, and at whose expense?

If you think you know, you can send me an electronic letter at:

Mailto:cspaniel@cdsnet.net

Thanks for reading.

Fox News Channel Election Coverage

Fox News Channel did a splendid job with this year's election coverage. Brit Hume handled things from Washington. Meanwhile, on the Fox broadcast Network, Shepard Smith headlined things from New York City. After Brit and friends closed up shop at 3:00 AM Eastern Time on Wednesday morning (12 Midnight, Pacific Time), the "Tigress," Uma Pemmaraju and Bob Sellers ran things for two hours before turning things over to the "Fox & Friends" gang.

Donna Hosts!

At 1:30 AM Eastern Time on Thursday morning, September 16, 2004 (Wednesday night, September 15, at 10:30 PM Pacific Time), Donna Fiducia started what would be a two-hour stint hosting on the Fox News Channel. Donna co-piloted the first 30 minutes with Bob Sellers, then went solo for one full hour before sharing the final 30 minutes with Gregg Jarrett. It took a big, nasty, catagory 3 hurricane which was getting set to slam onto the Alabama coast to make Donna's hosting assignment possible. Hopefully, Donna would get other opportunities to host.

Donna Fiducia Fans

Fans of Fox News Channel anchorwoman Donna Fiducia are passionate about their favorite. Many of them are not very happy about Donna being exiled to overnight news update duty. They like the idea of Donna's updates being shoved later into the nighttime hours during FNC's Republican convention coverage (the same thing happened during the network's Democratic covention coverage as well). There are those that contend that the seasoned and talented Miss Fiducia should be given a chance to host, something she used to do with regularity until some two years ago. My thinking is that, like the talented, very professional, and, may I add seductive, Uma Pemmaraju, Donna should be hosting on a regular basis. She too is a consumate professional!

In Memoriam: Max the Wonderdog: January 19, 1988-August 25, 2004

You can find a link to photographs of Max the Wonderdog at http://home.internetcds.com/~cspaniel

Ideal Fox News Channel Schedule

Here's an idea for the perfect (or near-perfect) Fox News Channel lineup:

All Times are Pacific

(Okay, so it's a West Coast bias, so what?)

2:00 AM "Fox News Live First Edition" with Patti Ann Browne; Lauren Green would
handle headline updates and would be Patti Ann's backup.

3:00 AM "Fox and Friends" with Steve Doocy, E.D. Hill, and Brian Kilmeade; Lauren
Green would handle headlines from the "F&F" set instead of the newsroom
and Steve, E.D., and Brian would be seen the entire three hours---no more
rotating hosts. As with the Patti Ann Browne show, Lauren would be the
designated substitute when E.D. isn't there.

6:00 AM "Fox News Live" (with a stronger emphasis on hard news,
plus more field reports, fewer interviewers and no gossip)
Jon Scott: 6-7:30 AM
Uma Pemmaraju 7-9 AM
David Asman 8:30-10 AM
Jane Skinner would handle news headlines for five minutes twice each
hour (and would substitute for Uma in case of absence).
Weather updates from TRAINED meteorologists like Mish Michaels
or Cheryl Lemke.
Sorry, Brigitte Quinn and Janice Dean fans.

10:00 AM "DaySide with Linda Vester" minus the studio audience and "Stupid
Criminals" segment.

11:00 AM "Fox News Live" with Martha MacCallum and Rick Folbaum. Again, Janie
Skinner would handle news updates in studio twice each hour (and would
pinch-hit for Martha in case of absence).

12:00 Noon "Studio B with Shepard Smith;" Jane Skinner strikes again with one
more news update. She would also keep her "Skinnerville" segment
in which she and Shep would continue to chew the proverbial fat. Jane
and Rick Folbaum would be designated as Shep's backups in case Mr.
Smith is absent. This would take effect on both of Shep's shows.

1-8 PM Shows headlined by Neil Cavuto, John Gibson, Brit Hume, Shep
Smith, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes, and Greta
Van Susteren would remain intact with the execption that the
news updates last three minutes each and would be placed right
at the top and bottom of each hour.

8:00 PM I would start a gradual phaseout of the overnight reruns. For this hour
I would place a sports news show with scores and highlights of all
the day's and night's action. I would hire New York cultural icon
Warner Wolf to be that show's anchorman. "Let's go to the
videotape!" There would be two three-minute news updates with
Carol Iovanna and/or David Folk Thomas.

9:00 PM A nighttime version of "Fox News Live" that is more tailor-made for
us West Coast viewers. Perhaps hire someone like Bernard Goldberg
to be the show's anchorman. Perhaps bring in Donna Fiducia or Carol
Iovanna as his co-pilot. There would be two five minute news updates
for each of the two hours.

11PM-2 AM Repeats of the night's "O'Reilly Factor," "Hannity & Colmes," and
"On the Record with Greta Van Susteren" would be relegated to this
three hour period. Eventually, they would be replaced by a one-hour
sports news show from Los Angeles (Chris Meyers and/or Jeanne
Zalasko, perhaps?) followed by a two-hour live feed of Sky News from
London. Live headline updates would continue.

SATURDAY

2:00 AM "Fox News Live First Saturday Edition" with someone like maybe
Rebecca Gomez? This would be a two-hour show.

4:00 AM "Fox and Friends Weekend" with Bill McCuddy, Alysin Camerota, and
Julian Phillips." Dari Alexander would handle headlines in studio and
would be Alysin's backup.
Sorry, Mike Jarrick and Juliet Huddy fans.

7:00 AM The two-hour business news block remains intact.

9:00 AM "Weekend Live" with Tony Snow.

11:00 AM "Fox News Live" with:
Dari Alexander 11AM-12:30 PM
Bob Sellers 12 Noon-1:30 PM
Carol Iovanna 1-2:30 PM
Gregg Jarrett 1:30-3 PM

3-4 PM "The Beltway Boys" and "Fox News Watch" would remain intact.

4:00 PM "The Fox Report" Saturday edition with Rick Folbaum

5-8 PM Shows headlined by John Kasich, Rita Cosby, and Geraldo Rivera
remain intact.

8:00 PM "After Hours with Cal Thomas" expands to one hour.

9:00 PM Saturday night sports news show with news updates.

10:00 PM Saturday late night edition of "Fox News Live," maybe with
David Folk Thomas?

11 PM-2 AM Reruns of "Heartland with John Kasich," "Beltway Boys," "Fox News
Watch," and "After Hours with Cal Thomas." These repeats would
eventually be replaced by a Los Angeles-based sports news show
followed by Sky News feed from London. Live headline update would
continue.


SUNDAY

2:00 AM "Fox News Live First Sunday Edition" with Greg Kelly in Washington.

4:00 AM "Fox News Live Weekend Edition" with Bill McCuddy, Alysin
Camerota, and Julian Phillips, with Donna Fiducia handling
headlines (and filling in for Alysin).
Sorry, Mike Jarrick, Juliet Huddy, and Kiran Chetry fans.

7:00 AM "Fox News Live" with:
Donna Fiducia 7-8:30 AM
Eric Shawn 7:30-9 AM

9:00 AM "Weekend Live" with Brian Wilson in Washington.

11:00 AM "Fox News Live" with:
Dari Alexander 11 AM-12:30 PM
Gregg Jarrett 11: 30 AM-1 PM
Rebecca Gomez 1-2 PM

2:00 PM Replay of "Fox News Sunday" from the Fox broadcast network.

3:00 PM "Fox News Live" with Rita Cosby.

4:00 PM "Fox News Live" Weekend Report with Laurie Dhue.

5:00 PM "War Stories" with Oliver North.

6:00 PM "Sunday Best" with Jane Skinner. "Breaking Point" specials would
air once a month at this time spot.

7:00 PM "At Large with Geraldo Rivera."

8:00 PM "Fox Magazine" with Laurie Dhue.

9:00 PM Sunday night sports news show from New York and/or Los Angeles

10:00 PM Sunday late night edition of "Fox News Live."

11 PM-2 AM Late night sports news show from Los Angeles or Seattle followed
by repeats of "War Stories with Oliver North" and "Sunday Best"
(or "Breaking Point" special). These would eventually replaced by
Sky News feed from London. Live headline updates each half-hour


Any questions or comments?

Thanks for reading.

Convention Coverage

My thinking is that the Fox News Channel will use the same coverage approach to the forthcoming Republican National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York City (August 30-September 2) that they used for the Democratic National Convention recently held at the Fleetcenter in Boston.

OOPS! Time For Proper Introduction

In my haste to produce this new weblog, I've forgotten to properly introduce this weblog.  The is the Fox News Channel weblog dedicated to the network for Fair and Balanced news coverage (regardless of what some folks think).  Please feel free, whether you're and FNC fan or not, to read my pithy writings.

"Fox and Friends"

Fox News Channel is the home of, by far the best of the morning news shows on television (cable OR broadcast), Fox and Friends, which starts out weekdays with Fox and Friends 1st (with an assortment of rotating hosts)  at 3:00 AM Pacific/6:00 AM Eastern Time, followed by the regular version of F&F at 4:00 AM Pacific/7:00 Eastern Time hosted by Steve "Weather Guy" Doocy, E.D. Hill, and Brian "Sports Guy" Kilmeade, with Lauren Green handing the halfhourly news updates.  Beginning this coming Monday, July 26, the program will originate from Boston, site of the Democratic National Convention. On Saturdays and Sundays, Mike Jerrick, Juliet Huddy, and  Julian Phillps pilot the ship (known as Fox and Friends Weekend) at 4AM Pacific/7AM Eastern Time.  You can send an electronic letter to the show at mailto:friends@foxnews.com

FTC Inaction (Hopefully)

My thinking is that the attempt by leftist groups to force the Federal Trade Commission to order Fox News Channel to dump its motto of "Fair and Balanced" will fail.  These people are soooooo envious of FNC's ratings runaway status. 

Comments on "Fox News Watch"

If you'd like to put in your two cents worth concerning "Fox News Watch," you can drop an electronic line at newswatch@foxnews.com
 

"Fox News Watch"

One of the best shows on FNC is "Fox News Watch."  The show is moderated by veteran broadcast journalist Eric Burns, who is joined by syndicated columnist Cal Thomas (who also has his own show on FNC, "After Hours with Cal Thomas" on Saturday nights), American University journalism professor Jane Hall, Jim Pinkerton, a columnist for Newsday, and media critic Neal Gabler.  You can see "Fox News Watch" Saturdays at 3:30 PM Pacific Time, 6:30 PM Eastern (and repeated five hours later) on THE Fox News Channel.

Uma Pemmaraju

I have long come to the conclusion that Fox News Channel anchorwoman Uma Pemmaraju deserves not only more opportunities to host, but should be promoted to full time anchoring duties. Uma's been in broadcast journalism for more than 25 years though she looks much younger than that. She is capable of conducting interviews as well as anchoring news coverage. If any of you out there likes Uma's work and would like to see her host more often, you can contact the Fox News Channel at comments@foxnews.com.

The Left's War On Fox News

It seems that there are people out there who long for the halcyon days when you the television viewer had only the three old broadcasting networks' newscasts, or, in more recent years, the three old broadcasting networks' newscasts and CNN.  The rise and emergence of the Fox News Channel have given them big time maalox moments.  Not only have they produced this piece of garbage disguised as a so-called "documentary," now these characters want to sue FNC over its' use of one of its' slogans, "Fair and Balanced."  They are very angry over FNC's overwhelming lead in the cable news ratings race.  They also detest talk radio and the use of the Internet  as other alternative sources for news.  If any of you pinkos are reading, there are several reasons.  A great many viewers and listeners like the program that you despise.  They have felt for a long time disenfranchised by old media because their programming has a bias that they do not agree with.  You FNC, talk radio, and alternative Internet news haters will never be satisfied until the government steps in shuts down everything.