Let's say you own Fox News. Let's say you see the polls. Let's say. . .

[ChairmanAgnostic]

In the face of falling viewership numbers, missing the big stories of IraqNam, Mark Foley, Shimkus, Hastert, Delay, the Duke, Abramof, (damn, the list is just too long) etc., what corporate decision would you make?

These guys are not idiots; they rode the neocon horse as long as they could. Now that horse has lost its shoes and is seriously lame. Shepard Smith's attack mode on Billy (Meth) Krystal was probably the first in a continuing effort to move Fox closer to the public.
Watch for Billo start to ask pointed questions of Rummie.
Watch for Inhannity to wonder whether the leadership of the GOP are victims or enablers of Foley.
Watch for IraqNam to be mentioned as a civil war, not a wonderful example of democracy and freedom.

Why? not because they have a change of heart. But because maintaining their neoconman support groups will lose them money. They see the same polls finding 21% of America supporting a GOP led congress. They recognize that the 42% support of the president is a blip, not a trend. They realize that most of the criminal acts taking place in our country are being done by Congress and the White House.

It is not a political change of heart, but rather, a rational business decisions to change horses before they lose even more viewers.

[asthmaticeog]

1. They don't care if they lose viewers.

Rupert Murdoch is one of the wealthiest men alive. He could give a fuck. He wants this outlet for his views. It's like the Washington Times - Moon keeps feeding it its operating costs even though it's been hemmorhaging $$$ from day one.

edit:typo

[shadowknows69]

2. If Murdoch didn't care about viewers or money

The Simpsons, American Dad and Family Guy wouldn't exist on his network. They all take frequent and blatant jabs at the administration and even Fox itself. Right after election 2004 The Simpsons had a scene where a Fox news van pulled up and on the side of it was a big banner saying Bush/Cheney 04...We Won!!!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. good point. The power of the market will come home to haunt them

if they don't take a realistic look at what is happening across the country.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

4. They WON'T Get My Viewership

I'm still addicted to The Simpsons, but as for Faux News, I won't watch them, even if they put Keith Olbermann on. Of course, I'd say the chances of that happening are between 0 and ZERO, so I won't have to worry.