Posted on 10/09/2004 1:04:02 AM PDT by Cableguy
"How does one properly answer the canard that the MSM is conservative since it's owned by eeeeevil corporations, who we all know are only interested in profits....."
I think you are not seeing the full picture. ABC/CBS/NBC have significantly downsized their news operations since the 70s. They concentrate on shows like Today, 60 Minutes, Meet the Press, etc. Their 6:30 newscasts are money losers. These guys spend minimal amount on news, but a lot on programs I mentioned above. As a result, they have maintained a decent profit margin despite the significant decline in ratings. That to me seems like a successful business strategy so far. Remember, it is not ratings at the end of the day but profits.
I think they feel that the right may be infringing on there 1st amendment rights. They don't make ther money off the news.
This is pure filth, and a dirty rotten lie to begin with. To say that Kerry's distortions(LIES) are not as bad as Bush's is just ludicrous and BIASED. ABC is not credible for a news source.
I heard them say the SAME THING...coming up about the email....then that bunch of losers got on the tirade about poor Carl Cameron and not a WORD was said about this..I quickly turned it....by the way, whats the latest on this?? anything?? I've sent I bet 500 emails all over the place and havent seen another thing about it......yuck!
Send these buffoons an e-mail. I did and I enjoyed every "John F'n Kerry" word.
The Media Research Center publishes daily lists of leftist distortions, with a separate category for the outrageous New York Times, plus many other features. It also has archives going back into the 80s. http://www.mediaresearch.org
Yes, ABC has been owned by Disney for years. Here's an earlier Freep page, which links to the original document and also gives the addresses of all Disney officers so you can email them:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1240023/posts
By the way, Disney also owns Miramax, whose directors, the Weinstein brothers, desperately wanted to sponsor Farenheit 9/11; but Disney's president, Michael Eisner, refused to sponsor Michael Moore's propaganda in an election year -- and took considerable heat for his stand. So Disney is not all bad.
To: mark.halperin@abc.com
If you had integrity, you would have announced to the public yourself that your network has decided to overtly promote Kerry's candidacy, something that many of us who follow your coverage closely already know.
Nevertheless, by your deceptive action, you -- and Jennings, Stephanopoulis, Donaldson, etc., collectively "The Old Media," have earned and deserve our complete and utter contempt.
D. Oesy, NYC
The first obvious sign of liberal bias by the MSM, to me, was when Cronkite gave his post-Tet Offensive "We must get out of Vietnam" declaration. Of course I didn't learn about this until much later because I was in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive thinking "Well they got in a few initial hits and destroyed some equipment but they got their butts kicked". I can see why people back home bought into it though, as: 1) the then even more powerful MSM shaped the news from Vietnam, just as in Iraq 2) Americans were very naive and thought the MSM was unbiased.
"Good point...but what about the 'spillover effect'? Certainly those moneymakers mentioned; Today, 60 Minutes, Meet the Press, etc......are losing share too. Are they not?
...Appreciate your take."
What spillover effect? Today makes lots of money. Kate the slut gets paid something like $6 mm/year. 60 Minutes is highly profitable. Meet the Press is extremely profitable (just 1 guy interviewing big names). Production costs for these programs are relatively cheap.
As far as market share/ratings, they have been consistent for the last 3-5 years. I don't see any dip in ratings at all for these programs. Remember, some of these programs have strong lead-ins and lead-outs. For example, 60 Minutes is preceded by NFL. Good Morning America leads to Regis.
6:30 News is a different matter, which costs a lot to produce and has been declining for the last 30 years. There you can make a case with some arguments, although ratings for Brokaw/Jennings have been steady for the last 5 years. However, Dan Rather has lost about 30% of his viewers. I suspect that he will lose more as a result of Memogate scandal.
et tu "A-BS"
I believe you.
Not central to his efforts??? It is the entire focus of Kerry's campaign. He talks about aving alternative plans, but those plans have no substance, no details, no public scrutiny, no credibility. The one plan Kerry that has released at NYC's Cooper Union -- the Four-Point Plan on Iraq, contained elements of the more comprehensive actions already being implemented by Bush. Meanwhile, Kerry has dissed the Iraqis, Allawi, the wrong war, and insured that no nation will join him in a larger coalition.
John Kerry, the There's No There There candidate for the Democrat party faithful, gullible, apatheic and pathetic!
They did not during Reagan either, greater chance hearing an opposing view point now or running into people who know better.
Not to jump to Fox's defense but late yesterday (9 Oct) afternoon here in AZ, they did have segments on the Halperin memo including on air screenings of quotes from the memo and talks with their "usual" type reps from both parties though no real "big guns" - but what would you expect on a holiday weekend.
I did not pay all that much attention to it as I was reading all about same here at FR where the discussion tends to be much more informed, "unspun" and eminently more entertaining.
Just from one of the newest of newbies -- today is my three day anniversary here in what seems to be a new home... :)
It's not that I'm disputing 'Affable Eva's' salary, or that the other shows are highly profitable....and I'm really not trying to be a curmudgeon, because I do appreciate your responses.
It's just that I find it hard to believe that there are not an ever-increasing # of folk who do not watch these programs. Specifically the ones that you noted as being profitable (still).
Could be local focus hocus pocus on my part. I wonder. I would expect that the Nielsen ratings would show a downward trend, increasing in 'slope' for the last, what?, 10 years especially? You know, sort of inversely proportional to the upward slope of talk radio & the internet.
FRegards,
john
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