Liberal Forum

Three former advocates for Rupert Murdoch today apologized for their role in creating Fox News

——How Our Efforts to Bring Competition To Television Unknowingly Helped Create the Fox Disinformation MachineFor what little it may, or may not, be worth at this point, Preston Padden, Ken Solomon and Bill Reyner wish to express their deep disappointment for helping to give birth to Fox Broadcasting Company and Fox Television that came to include Fox News Channel — the channel that prominently includes news that, in the words of Sidney Powell’s counsel, “no reasonable person would believe.”How many people can recall, even fathom today, that we were brought up in an entertainment world that offered only three choice of video programming — programming that ABC, CBS and NBC chose and that you could only watch when the networks offered it? In the 1990’s Bill was lead outside Counsel for NewsCorp/Fox/Rupert Murdoch (“Fox”) and Preston was their lead Washington Lobbyist.  Ken was Executive VP of Network Distribution for Fox Broadcasting Company.  There was no Fox News Channel on the horizon at the time, and none of us ever worked for that Channel. With the help of others, Bill and Preston tenaciously defended Fox from attacks alleging Fox’s failure to comply with the foreign ownership restrictions of the Communications Act of 1934, and we obtained for Fox waivers of the FCC’s rules including the Financial Interest and Syndication Rule (“FISR”) and the Broadcast/Newspaper Cross-Ownership Rule.  Eventually, the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit confirmed the elimination of the FISR Rule. All of these waivers were critical in enabling Fox to become the long-sought fourth broadcast television network. Out of the ashes of antiquated rules, we were able to help Fox acquire more mass with the acquisition of essential large market VHF television stations and important rights to broadcast NFL games throughout the country.Ken was instrumental in strengthening the lineup of local broadcast stations affiliated with the new Fox Network.  He prepared powerful presentations that persuaded established affiliates of ABC, CBS and NBC to switch to Fox.

In a 120 page Court Order, backed by extensive record evidence including voluminous emails from inside Fox, the Judge in the Dominion case found that Fox repeatedly presented false news.  Fox did not appeal the decision but instead acknowledged it and paid nearly $800 million in damages to Dominion.In our opinion, the Fox News Channel has had many negative impacts on our society.  Arguably the worst has been Fox’s role in promoting Trump’s “Big Lie” about alleged widespread fraud in the 2020 election and, in our opinion, Fox’s role in contributing to the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol that undermined our democracy.  In fact, the connection between Fox and the January 6 attack is so strong that multiple Jan 6 defendants have pleaded not guilty arguing they were suffering from “Foxitis” — a disease caused by watching false news on Fox!Through months long email exchanges in 2020 and 2021, Preston gained first-hand knowledge of Rupert Murdoch’s thinking about former President Trump and alleged fraud in the 2020 election.  Murdoch made it very clear to Preston that he understood that the 2020 election had not been stolen.  Nonetheless, during the same time period, Fox continued to perpetuate the “Big Lie” and promote the Jan 6 “Stop the Steal” rally in D.C.  Many other veterans of the historic effort in the 1990’s to break the strangle hold of the Big 3 Networks and to build a fourth competitive force in American television share our resentment that the reputation of the Fox brand we helped to build has been ruined by false news. 

——

I was an ardent Republican too, until 2002.

He who is without sin, cast the first stone.
 
 

Up late drinking?...and what was it that Trump preaches that's evil or wicked again?

Speaking of a big lie, did you catch climate change day on NPR yesterday? They had a guest explain how the only reason we use fossil fuel is the lobbying power of the oil companies. He said we have the technology and the grid is already to make the switch now. Talk about a big lie.

Fox isn't any worse than the others. MSNBC is the worst.

michaelf » 13 Jul 2023, 4:11 am » wrote: ↑

13 Jul 2023, 4:11 am

Up late drinking?...and what was it that Trump preaches that's evil or wicked again?

Speaking of a big lie, did you catch climate change day on NPR yesterday? They had a guest explain how the only reason we use fossil fuel is the lobbying power of the oil companies. He said we have the technology and the grid is already to make the switch now. Talk about a big lie.

Fox isn't any worse than the others. MSNBC is the worst.

Bruce is a liberal shill.
Somehow feels the need to repeatedly include "I'm a former Republican" disclaimer.

Bruce » 13 Jul 2023, 12:00 am » wrote: ↑

13 Jul 2023, 12:00 am

Three former advocates for Rupert Murdoch today apologized for their role in creating Fox News

——How Our Efforts to Bring Competition To Television Unknowingly Helped Create the Fox Disinformation MachineFor what little it may, or may not, be worth at this point, Preston Padden, Ken Solomon and Bill Reyner wish to express their deep disappointment for helping to give birth to Fox Broadcasting Company and Fox Television that came to include Fox News Channel — the channel that prominently includes news that, in the words of Sidney Powell’s counsel, “no reasonable person would believe.”How many people can recall, even fathom today, that we were brought up in an entertainment world that offered only three choice of video programming — programming that ABC, CBS and NBC chose and that you could only watch when the networks offered it? In the 1990’s Bill was lead outside Counsel for NewsCorp/Fox/Rupert Murdoch (“Fox”) and Preston was their lead Washington Lobbyist.  Ken was Executive VP of Network Distribution for Fox Broadcasting Company.  There was no Fox News Channel on the horizon at the time, and none of us ever worked for that Channel. With the help of others, Bill and Preston tenaciously defended Fox from attacks alleging Fox’s failure to comply with the foreign ownership restrictions of the Communications Act of 1934, and we obtained for Fox waivers of the FCC’s rules including the Financial Interest and Syndication Rule (“FISR”) and the Broadcast/Newspaper Cross-Ownership Rule.  Eventually, the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit confirmed the elimination of the FISR Rule. All of these waivers were critical in enabling Fox to become the long-sought fourth broadcast television network. Out of the ashes of antiquated rules, we were able to help Fox acquire more mass with the acquisition of essential large market VHF television stations and important rights to broadcast NFL games throughout the country.Ken was instrumental in strengthening the lineup of local broadcast stations affiliated with the new Fox Network.  He prepared powerful presentations that persuaded established affiliates of ABC, CBS and NBC to switch to Fox.

In a 120 page Court Order, backed by extensive record evidence including voluminous emails from inside Fox, the Judge in the Dominion case found that Fox repeatedly presented false news.  Fox did not appeal the decision but instead acknowledged it and paid nearly $800 million in damages to Dominion.In our opinion, the Fox News Channel has had many negative impacts on our society.  Arguably the worst has been Fox’s role in promoting Trump’s “Big Lie” about alleged widespread fraud in the 2020 election and, in our opinion, Fox’s role in contributing to the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol that undermined our democracy.  In fact, the connection between Fox and the January 6 attack is so strong that multiple Jan 6 defendants have pleaded not guilty arguing they were suffering from “Foxitis” — a disease caused by watching false news on Fox!Through months long email exchanges in 2020 and 2021, Preston gained first-hand knowledge of Rupert Murdoch’s thinking about former President Trump and alleged fraud in the 2020 election.  Murdoch made it very clear to Preston that he understood that the 2020 election had not been stolen.  Nonetheless, during the same time period, Fox continued to perpetuate the “Big Lie” and promote the Jan 6 “Stop the Steal” rally in D.C.  Many other veterans of the historic effort in the 1990’s to break the strangle hold of the Big 3 Networks and to build a fourth competitive force in American television share our resentment that the reputation of the Fox brand we helped to build has been ruined by false news. 

——

I was an ardent Republican too, until 2002.

He who is without sin, cast the first stone.
 
 

The corrupted bragging on their ability to corrupt forward now.

michaelf » 13 Jul 2023, 4:11 am » wrote: ↑

13 Jul 2023, 4:11 am

Up late drinking?...and what was it that Trump preaches that's evil or wicked again?

Speaking of a big lie, did you catch climate change day on NPR yesterday? They had a guest explain how the only reason we use fossil fuel is the lobbying power of the oil companies. He said we have the technology and the grid is already to make the switch now. Talk about a big lie.

Fox isn't any worse than the others. MSNBC is the worst.

Fox started off conservative.  I used to watch Fox every day.

It devolved into a sewer of hateful lies.

And even when Fox doesn’t fabricate something from the whole cloth, Fox turns true stories into lies.

Two men ran for President in 2004.  

Both men had powerful and influential fathers, during the Vietnam War.

One man flew for a National Guard unit in his home state and never once heard a bullet whine near his head in Vietnam.  

The other man volunteered for Swift boat service on inland rivers in Vietnam and led his men on a daring raid that earned him a Silver Star.  He also earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart in Vietnam.

When he got home, he threw his medals over the White House fence in protest.

Which man did Fox News label a fraud and coward, even a war criminal?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ke ... ontroversy

The only people that can’t see through Fox have drank lots of red kool aid.

I never was Republican enough to think Fox News is anything other than extreme right propaganda