PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS: FOX News Suspends Gingrich And Rick Santorum (But NOT Palin Or Huckabee)

Business Insider ^ | 03/02/2011 | Joseph Alexiou

[SeekAndFind]

Fox News has suspended Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum because of their interest in running for President.

Both are paid contributors to Fox News. Fox News anchor Bret Baier announced today on "Happening Now" that the two will be suspended for 60 days.

“Then on May 1, their contracts will be terminated unless they notify Fox that they are not running for president,” he said.

According to Media Decoder, "Three other possible Republican candidates for president — Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee and John Bolton — are also employed by Fox, an arrangement that other television executives say is unprecedented."

Dianne Brandi, the network's executive vice president of legal and business affairs tells Matea Gold at LAT:

"As soon as each of them shows some serious intention to form an exploratory committee, we would take the same action," Brandi said. "Huckabee is on a book tour, so I think his present intention is to sell books."

As for Palin, "She hasn't yet shown a serious intention to form an exploratory committee."

Short version: Ailes does not take either very seriously.

[FroggyTheGremlim]

Uh, Palin and Huckabee might have different contracts than Newt and Santorum.

[americanophile]

Oh please, the MSM is the human resources department for the Democrats.

[nhwingut]

Short version: Ailes does not take either very seriously.

Keep dreaming, lib hack.

Huck and Palin are the two leading contenders. Ailes is holding onto them as long as possible. Plus they bring ratings. Santorum not so much.

[OKSooner]

Maybe FOX is as sick of Newt as everyone else is these days. They have their reasons with Santorum too.

[RexBeach]

I will be elected before these two men are.

[dforest]

Has nothing to do with it at all. Newtsie has already said he will be making it formal in the next two weeks. Probably the same for Santorum.

It is probably that these two guys have told Ailes they are running.

Palin nad Huck will leave if and when they decide to run.

[FrankR]

This is not unusual.

Usually when a broadcaster chooses to run for office, s/he must do one of two things:

1. Come off the air;
2. Offer equal time to all opponents.

It's a big can of worms for broadcasters, they certainly don't want to give free air time to any of their opponents.

It doesn't matter if the employee/paid contributor doesn't say a thing about the election, issues, or whatever; s/he could just give knitting lessons on air, and they would still be considered "exposure".

Back when I was still in broadcasting I knew of a small market radio station owner who decided he would run for mayor of his little town. The problem was, he also did the morning drive time air shift.

When his opponsent demanded equal time, the manager refused, and then went so far as to refuse to even sell his opponent air time. Bad move.

The opponent complained to the FCC, who, in turn fined the broadcaster. The owner's big mistake was, he decided he would take on the FCC and fight the charges and not pay the fine. Well, he lost the fight, and he lost his broadcast license.

I know this story well, as after 5 years of being "dark" the station propterty was sold and a new licensee took it over...I was hired to put it back on the air, and ran the station for five years. I have no clue as to what happened to the original owner.

Now, why Palin and Huckaby are still there, I don't know, but as soon as either of them make it known they are, in fact, running for President, they will come off the air too.

[section9]

Palin won’t do an exploratory committee. She’ll just file and run.

Best,

Chris

[Georgia Girl 2]

I think a lot of folks are going to be disappointed when Palin does not run. I don’t really believe Huck will run either.

[forgotten man]

I wish Fox would suspend Karl Rove.

[Americanexpat]

Maybe it is because Palin and Huckabee haven’t declared they were running yet.

[bigbob]

So, if we ever see Fox suspending Hannity or O’Reilly it’ll be time to really get worried...

[Americanexpat]

Yeah, I agree.

[Allegra]

So, if we ever see Fox suspending Hannity or O’Reilly it’ll be time to really get worried...

Or, Heaven forbid, Shep Smith. LOL

But he'd run as a Democrat in any event...

[9YearLurker]

I’m sure they’re also both much greater draws.

[MikeSteelBe]

I am very curious why my Dish Network had an Obama channel during the ‘08 campaign, but no McCain channel. Was he offered that and refused?

[FrankR]

Cable: different animal.

The laws actually covers "broadcast" outlets only, the cable channels are bought like advertising, and as long as it doesn't go out over the airwaves, it doesn't fall under the broadcast rules.

[SeekAndFind]

How much does Huckabee make as a broadcaster with his own show as opposed to being President?

Just curious.

I bet it would be just as good if not better than Juan Williams, who makes about $670,000 a year ( Three year, $2 Million contract with FOX ).

[9YearLurker]

Or, God forbid, Beck.