DISH Network subscribers have been without Fox News for almost a month now, thanks to halted negotiations between the satellite provider, and 21st Century Fox. Now, the network has joined the fight - with its own version of reality.
That form of reality comes via an ad in which Bill O’Reilly and Megyn Kelly play the victim, claiming that they were dropped because DISH is censoring Fox – and implying that DISH is playing liberal politics. And O’Reilly and Kelly want their supporters to do something about it.
Let’s begin with the facts: This is a contract dispute, not an act of censorship. From The Washington Post:
In its own standalone site, Dish claims that it “got close to having a new agreement to carry FOX News,” when negotiations stalled. “When FOX refused to extend the contract,” it says, “our only option was to stop carrying FOX News.” That assessment is shared by most independent accounts of the debate: Fox is off the air on Dish because the two companies couldn’t reach an agreement on a new contract. In December, Dish told the Wall Street Journal that Fox was trying to use the expiration of the Fox News contract to increase fees for other networks. At that point, Fox said that Dish “did not want to accept terms and commitments that have become customary in a Fox News renewal.” This isn’t the first time the two companies have been at odds. Several years ago, last minute negotiations managed to keep several other Fox stations on Dish.
The ad, which WaPo says ran during NFL playoffs, begins with an angry Bill O’Reilly indignantly exclaiming: “Attention DISH Customers: DISH has dropped Fox News, and now you should drop Dish!”
Kelly piled on with her own loud, indignant tone: “13 years at number one, now DISH doesn’t want you to have Fox?!”
“They’re censoring what you see!” O’Reilly cut in. That was immediately followed by Kelly crying out, “Get back the factor! Get back the Kelly File!” Then back to O’Reilly: “Enough is enough! Drop DISH. Switch TV providers now!” A commercial narrator provided a telephone number and website where riled-up viewers could make their demands. For extra riling up, Kelly said excitedly, “Switch providers today!” O’Reilly got the last word, “Get back Fox News now!” as if it was an order.
Besides the deliberate distortion of the facts - and the questionable ethics of inserting news anchors into a contract dispute - it takes a lot of balls for anyone on Fox to be crying about censorship. This is, after all, the network where opposing views get stifled and denigrated, prominent liberals get bullied and unflattering-to-conservatives stories get ignored.
You can watch the ad below.