FOX network vs. FOX News: a study in contrasts
The FOX network and FOX News are both owned by the same company, Fox Corporation, and were both founded by the same person, Rupert Murdoch. You would think because of this, the two networks would be very similar in terms of demographics and ideologies. Yet, surprisingly, the two networks are as different as night and day.
Let’s examine the two networks, starting with the FOX News Channel. The FOX News Channel has become as synonymous with the Republican Party as the elephant or the color red. 65% of Republicans get their information from FOX News, according to the Pew Research Center. Furthermore, FOX News is the only source used by at least one-third of Republicans, whereas at least one-third of Democrats use five different sources for information (CNN, NBC News, ABC News, CBS News, and MSNBC). The first CEO of FOX News, Roger Ailes, had long, strong ties to the Republican Party, serving as a media consultant for Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Rudy Giuliani. About four-in-ten Americans who cite FOX News as their primary news source are ages 65 and older.
The FOX network, on the other hand, has become infamous for pushing more boundaries than its competitors on network television since its inception. The Parents Television Council, a conservative Christian media advocacy group, has blamed FOX for making prime-time television less family-friendly, and has handed the network the dubious honor of being “the worst network to watch with your children”. The Parents Television Council has also taken aim at several specific FOX shows. Married…with Children was named the worst show of both the 1995–96 and 1996–97 television seasons. Family Guy has been named the “Worst TV Show of the Week” multiple times, and was the subject of a letter-writing campaign by the group to get the series cancelled in the year 2000. Bart Simpson of The Simpsons was accused of promoting juvenile delinquency. Even the network’s children’s programming has pushed boundaries, such as Batman: The Animated Series, which proved that children’s programs can tackle dark and mature themes while appealing to multiple generations.
While FOX News is decrying gay marriage, FOX network is airing Glee, which tackles, among many other issues, embracing your own sexuality and dealing with the harassment that comes from it. While FOX News is denying climate change, FOX network is airing Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, in which Neil deGrasse Tyson warns us that Earth could become another Venus if we fail to control our greenhouse gases. So why are the two networks so different, when they share the same origins and parent company? Well, like many of life’s mysteries, the answer lies in FOX’s very own The Simpsons. In the episode “You Kent Always Say What You Want” (Season 18, Episode 22), we get the following exchange between Lisa and news anchor Kent Brockman:
Lisa: One thing I’ve always wondered: how can FOX News be so conservative when the FOX network keeps airing raunchy shows? They don’t fit together.
Kent: FOX deliberately runs shows that will earn them huge fines which are then funneled through the F.C.C. straight to the Republican Party. Everybody in the media knows it, but no one has the guts to say it.
Ok, so it may or may not work exactly like that. We’ll never know. But the basic answer is simple: money. FOX network and FOX News both filled a gap in television: FOX News catered to aging conservatives who felt their values were under-represented on cable news networks, while FOX network brought an edgy, risque flavor into network TV, appealing to young adults. Rupert Murdoch saw the opportunity to fill both voids and pounced, regardless of his own political beliefs or ideologies. And regardless of how you feel about him personally, you have to admit, Murdoch’s ability to gain revenue from both sides of the aisle is pretty impressive. In fact, you could say that he’s sly as a fox.
Ok, I’ll see myself out.