The Difference Between Show Business and Business

In show business (masquerading as "television journalism"), Bill O'Reilly on Fox News Channel excoriates not only his time-slot rival Keith Olbermann for left-leaning views, but includes in his rants, for good measure, the execs of NBC News, NBC, and GE. He goes so far as to accuse those executives of complicity or responsibility for the deaths of American soldiers. Tough stuff. And Olbermann is equally bombastic, attacking O'Reilly and FNC nightly on Countdown.

In real business, Rupert Murdoch's Fox is climbing into bed with NBC. In truth, the two networks have been virtual lovers for more than a year, locked in the embrace of a larcenous website called Hulu, where they give new episodes of their shows away, sell advertising (presumably not for play money), then tell the actors, writers and directors of those shows that there's no revenue stream there. The new alliance involves the very news divisions whose commentators are putting on the ferocious show of mutual hatred. NBC and Fox are pooling their local-news resources in Philadelphia, so that, rather than each station sending out a reporter, a crew, maybe even a helicopter to cover a news event, the combined operation sends out just one of each. Saving: a reporter, a crew, a chopper for each story. The journalistic lovebirds say this is a pilot project, hoping to roll it out nationwide.

James Carville on CNN Sunday was one of a number of political talking heads now reminding us that, in terms of what's said publicly, "you have to discount the campaign by 80 percent. That happens in politics." Of course he's guessing low, no need to totally ream his old business. The apparently two-fisted media feuds that are so good for ratings are equally diaphanous when there's money to be made, or at least saved.

Comments

[Social Construct]

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the news divisions of the big three networks become more and more entertainment oriented when the corporate owners decided that the "news" had to become profitable in the same sense as the entertainment divisions of the networks? I seem to remember a time (it seems so long ago) that the news divisions weren't expected to be profitable. Or am I just idealizing my memory?

[Harry Shearer - Huffpost Blogger]

You are correct. When the networks got sold to larger congloms, the decision was made that the news divisions should be "profit centers", just like every other part of network programming.

[FarOutFish]

When I worked in TV news from the early 60"s to the middle 80"s television news was expect to be a "loss leader" a public service not only mandated by the FCC, but a matter of prestige. Being the number one network or station in your market was a matter of pride. Satisfaction your station covered the news better then the opposition, and I mean "real news", not Paris Hilton.

Starting in the 80"s consultants moved news toward the "Entertainment Tonight" model; lighter stories more cross talk between anchors. Reporters job changed from just reporting the story and not being a part of it, to being the center of the story. The results were reporters Linda Ellerby characterized as having "Blow Dried Brains". News became a "profit center" and Edward R. Morrow spun in his grave.

[Enrico Pallazzo]

only a 3 paragraph entry and I turned to the dictionary in as many times -- excoriate, larcenous & diaphanous -- but make no mistake, this is NOT A COMPLAINT

B/c now I am smarter, and or that I'm appreciative.

LeThanks!

[breakingpoint]

Nice catch Harry!

And Adding...
The 15% tax for Billionaires compared to the 25%+ tax on every hard working American, and the hidden recipients to the bailout hardly touched by these two giant NETWORKS is more than enough to start looking for fair, balanced and truth elsewhere.

Further, If the MSM isn't going to start doing a proper job when it comes to the public's interest, including, full, open and advertised disclosure, then it's time they get off the public welfare dole to start paying rent for the use of the public's airwaves and wires.

Finally, in this (cough) great capitalist society every citizen and consumer should know the countries justice motto and apply it to everything business and government, Follow The Money.

[roughskinednewt]

Doesn't any one listen or watch Free Speech or LINK TV? Amy Goodman's Democracy Now gives a lot of information which is not mentioned on PBS or any of the corporate media stations.

[Gdebs]

Yes I do. And I also like Dish TV's 4 or 5 University channels, documentary channel, history channels, Research channel, science channels. It is the best choice I have ever had.

[InofTouch]

and the best enterainment is comments which was here for example the peopl here.

[RepugsOut08]

Is HULU some kind of payback for the concessions the unions gained for the writers last year, Harry? Is there no way for all involved to get their share of the advertising money pouring into the networks? This is the first I've heard of HULU.

[Harry Shearer - Huffpost Blogger]

HULU was already in beta when the Writers' Guild strike occurred. The networks have just taken the position that there is no revenue stream there, the same position they took vis a vis the unions 20 years ago at the dawn of the DVD era. By the time the revenue stream is obvious, a precedent has been set, and the networks act as if that precedent is untouchable.

[RepugsOut08]

Wow! No wonder the networks don't mind letting us watch their programs on the web for "free."

[bowserbois]

Thanks for the heads up on Hulu Harry. Never heard of it.

[antipodea]

Yeah, what's up with HULU? I live in Australia and have been checking out SNL clips among other things for the Tina Fey/Sarah Palin stuff. Just recently after watching the Happening I realised 'oh, that's where that Mark Wahlberg skit on SNL came from', and went to the NBC website to watch it again. What do you know?? Over that week someone had decided to block viewers with a lovely message from HULU saying the material is not available to viewers outside the US at this point in time.

I actually felt offended. I don't want your stinking HULU!

[BOin08]

Without BO there is no KO. Countdown ratings stagnant and still can't beat Oreily in 24-55 age group. Maddow stealing market share at surprising rate. Only a matter of time before Rachel has his time slot. Word at 30 Rock is Keith will be on HBO opening for Bill Marr by summertime.

[bowserbois]

So why did MSNBC just give Keith a 30 mil dollar contract?

[huffyISaHottie]

bois...dont confuse him with facts

[maxfax]

There is nothing liberal about NBC news, except for the voices of Olbermann and Maddow, that's it, and they are hired hands.

NBC news and Fox are in it for profit, they are the same side of the same coin.

[vegas9999]

You gotta be kidding. Keith excuriates Bill almost every night.

[huffyISaHottie]

for me, thats part of the attraction

[fogbreath]

whenever i see something to the effect that corporations are merging more and more; i am reminded of the film "The Formula" (1974 starring George C.Scott and Marlon Brando) in which the recuring theme is:"When this is over, there won't be any countries anymore, there'll just be one big corporation, and we'll all be customers."
the other day i saw a video from the daily show in which bill orally was flogging his latest "tome", while on, he claimed to be an anarchist.
yeah, right.

[SeanOcali]

Honestly, I'd find it very hard to believe that Hulu actually makes any significant money as of right now.

[Russycle]

Why? It's all about eyeballs. when I watch at 9:00 PST it's unwatchable, too much traffic. At 11:00 it works great, so it seems that it's getting hits. Granted, it's probably small potatoes at this point, but lots of potential there.

[KJusko]

Plus, GE is a major defense contractor. How liberal can it be?

[peewee42]

Goodness, Gracious:..Fox in bed with NBC..??Sounds like incest to me...!!!
Here is a "Hallelujah" moment for america's viewers":....
O'Reilly and Olbermann are really fraternal twins spewed forth from this -admittedly- VERY shallow "...(cess-ah, pardon me),..gene pool.".
KNowing this now, I must admit I STILL have FOX on automatic SKIP on my TV channel remote, out of pure self-defense: I want to keep the from hurling the contents of my stomach.
That leaves me with MSNBC's clown performer who appears to be supremely impressed with his self, it amazes me to see how tightly wound up a person can become without imploding/exploding. DOESN'T HOT AIR EXPAND..?