Fox News staff told to go soft on Obama on orders from Murdoch

From the Radio Equalizer, 11/7/08: "Confirming the worst fears of millions of dedicated fans, the Fox News Channel really has gone soft on Obama. That's at a time when viewers are counting on it to remain a key opposition voice during a disturbing political shift away from freedom and prosperity.

• Fox News boss Roger Ailes doesn't want to spoil Barack Obama's political honeymoon, we hear. A source says he has told prime-time hosts Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren to lay off the President-elect - at least for a while. "We're not going to have any personal attacks on Obama," a network insider says. "The public has spoken - we must treat him with respect."

According to columnists Rush & Malloy of the New York Daily News, Fox has issued a chilling edict to its hosts that they must cease criticism of Obama for the near future:

• This confirms an almost-identical account your Radio Equalizer was given Wednesday evening from a key source.

• That person contends the order came from the top:

• Rupert Murdoch himself.

"Personal attacks", by the way, can be construed to mean any criticism of Barack Obama whatsoever.

• The reason? News Corporation is bracing for potentially-vindictive actions by Obama's incoming thugocracy, especially regarding dual station / newspaper ownership rules and apparently seeks to placate the Dear Leader, hoping he will be merciful.

Unfortunately, this is a great way to send FNC's audience running for the hills, with evening talk radio as the likely beneficiary. Meanwhile, the left will still hate Fox.

• Did MSNBC lay off of Bush during his time in office? Of course not."...

(I don't watch Fox News, but I understand it has a large audience who count on it for certain things. All television news is unwatchable in my experience). sm

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