Interesting catch by digby from Broadcasting & Cable (11/10/08), which was talking to Fox News chief Roger Ailes about what happens to Fox‘s ratings post-election: “I think cable numbers overall will drop, although there is a fascination with Obama,” says Ailes. But he sees light at the end of the tunnel:
Historically, the dawning of a new administration brings a renewed level of scrutiny from the media and interest from viewersâ┚¬”Âsomething Ailes is looking forward to.
“I remember when Bill Clinton took over and within a very short time he had to get rid of a couple of appointees,” he says, referring to Zoë Baird and Lani Guinier. “And then he got into gays in the military, and suddenly issues became critical and our ratings started to climb back up. I expect a dip over the next couple of months and then a big return to our numbers in late January, early February.”
In other words, the Murdoch bottom line will do fine–as long as Fox can find or invent some Obama scandals to keep the right watching.
digby notes that Ailes “goes back to Clinton rather than discussing the more recent transfer of power from Clinton to Bush.” That’s because that transition was treated by Fox as an opportunity for renewed scrutiny of the old administration–even if they did have to make things up.
