Let's just call it Fox News and Entertainment Channel then. When things go to hell, I can see Oliver North and his history channel program or I can see a rerun of Larry King live interviewing zsa zsa gabor or I can flip over to msnbc and see investigative reports from 1987......What's wrong with a news channel showing news? I know...we have a short attention span. ;-)
Just because a show uses humor to make a point doesn't make it inaccurate or ineffective. In fact, in some contexts, poking a little fun at the stuffed shirts in Washington is the more accurate and useful way to discuss them.
Ever watch the Fox & Friends morning show? They are much more relaxed and lighthearted... but they do hard news when they need to. Nothing really so wrong with that. We don't do *enough* laughing at the silly crap that goes on around us.
I like that Surnow is going after the "Daily Show" audience. What's *really* scary is that for the under-35 demographic some horrifying number like half of them get ALL of their news from the Daily Show. Now THAT is scary.