On the contrary, I think Beck is perceived as such a nut that few would watch because of him, and if there were a a true “conservative network” that tilted as far right as MSNBC and the rest tilt to the left, it would be a bonanza for Fox News to show how they are indeed “fair and balanced” and draw even more viewers.
Some may not like it but Fox is driven by business motives, not ideological ones. They recognized that the MSM was alienating over half of the potential audience by imosing a leftist spin on news coverage. The more Fox is perceived as fair and balanced, the bigger the potential audience they can attract. It’s simple numbers.
“Fox is driven by business motives, not ideological ones.”
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Fox is populist not conservative. Murdoch and Ailes are in fact running a business...not a charity with an ideological agenda.
The flaw in your theory is that Beck command a huge crowd on Fox News TV, almost as high as Hannity. And Beck is on at 5 pm Eastern time, and 2 pm Pacific time. Imagine if he was on during prime time.
If news is driven by the profit and not ideological motives how do you explain 99% of the Lamestream media?