Dow Jones Pulling Gigot's Show Off PBS - Parking It on FOX News
Reported by Marie Therese - December 1, 2005
Reuters has just announced that Dow Jones, unhappy over PBS's handling of Paul Gigot's talk show, "Journal Editorial Report," has negotiated a deal with FOX News to broadcast it starting next month. The article goes on to say: "Dow Jones told PBS November 1 that it wouldn't do a third season, opening the way for a deal with Fox News. In an unusually lengthy editorial November 17, the Journal renewed its longstanding criticism of PBS, claiming that the state-funded body has no reason to exist in a world of hundreds of channels. Specifically, the Journal was annoyed at being targeted by a recent inspector general's report into alleged political interference at public television."
For its part, FOX News claims that the dispute between Down Jones and PBS was not a factor in their decision. According to the report, "For Fox News Channel, the battle between PBS and Dow Jones was immaterial. Fox News executives approached Dow Jones many months ago about putting the show on their network; the issue was dead until two months ago, when Fox News came courting again. Fox News senior vp programing Bill Shine said that the initial talks occurred long before the PBS-Dow Jones strains."
COMMENT
Paul Gigot is at least a thinking-person's conservative. Does this mean that FOX News is trying to move away from its "all bombast-no content" approach to news in favor of something more traditional, like shows where the host actually allows the guest to finish a sentence?
