WSJ's Walt Mossberg Joins Fox Business Network; The Inexorable Roll Continues?

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By John Koblin

July 9, 2008 | 2:22 p.m

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via wsj.com

Brian Stelter reports in The Times today that The Journal's personal tech columnist Walt Mossberg will join up with the Fox Business Network as a contributor.

But the whole deal is a tricky one. The Journal still has an agreement with CNBC that runs through 2012, and it's a contract that might prevent Journalists from appearing too regularly on FBN.

A 15-year contract that extends until 2012 between CNBC, the dominant business channel, and The Journal prevents many reporters from appearing on Fox Business programs. The News Corporation has not tried to unwind itself from the contract, at least not publicly. But the scope of the agreement is limited, and as the announcement about Mr. Mossberg illustrates, Fox is finding ways to chisel away at it.

“As long as we stay away from branded, regularly scheduled segments of business news, we’re safe,” Kevin Magee, an executive vice president at Fox News, said in an interview. “Breaking news is fine and nonbusiness news is fine.”

So how many more of those breaking news and nonbusiness news people can they pluck away?