Fox News | The New York Observer

Palin to Punditry? Probably Not

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:40:53 -0400

Long before Charles Gibson asked her about the Bush Doctrine, before Katie Couric asked her about what publications she liked to read and before her subsequent recriminations about gotcha journalism, Sarah Palin studied communications in college and spent the early days of her career as a local TV sports reporter in Alaska.

“The Iditarod is the biggie, but it’s not the only mushing going on …”

In short, Ms....

Fox News' ACORN Fixation: A Tale of the Tape

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:18:41 -0400

The last time we checked in with Griff Jenkins, Fox News' talented field humorist, he was gamely wading into waves of angry anarchists outside the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

Today, Mr. Jenkins resurfaced on media blogs across the internet. The occasion? Last night, Mr. Jenkins was attempting to interview participants at a gathering of ACORN members in Washington D.C. when a liberal blogger named Adam Green conducted an ambush interview of sorts...

Williamsburg Musician Churns out YouTube Hits Transforming TV Talking Heads Into Soulful Songbirds

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:46:12 -0400

Here at The Observer, we love a good TV- news-anchor- dance- mash-up.

Last year, we marveled at Torrey Meeks' hilarious Bill O’Reilly Flips Out—Dance Remix. Today, we got hooked on another brilliant contribution to the genre, Michael Gregory's new video, Auto-Tune the News #2: pirates, drugs, gay marriage. (Also check out Episode #1.) With the help of an audio-processor, Mr. Gregory—a 24-year-old musician who lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn—has transformed a number of talking...

Obama Governs, Drudge Screams, Everybody Wins

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:35:00 -0400

An unholy alliance has emerged between Barack Obama, Hugo Chavez, Matt Drudge and Rush Limbaugh. The Fox News Channel is probably involved, too. OK, so they didn't all sit down at a conference table and hash out some kind of a formal agreement (at least I don't think they did), but watching this past weekend's Western Hemisphere summit in Trinidad and absorbing the response to it back home, it seemed that each of the above-named...

Cry, The Beloved Anchors

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:02:30 -0400

This week's Observer offered The Crying Game: I’m Sad as Hell and I’m Not Going to Take This Anymore!, all about on-air tears from news anchors and pundits. What follows is a selection of clips referenced in the piece:

Keith Olbermann's tribute to his mother, MSNBC, April 4, 2009

Glenn Beck, Fox News, March 13, 2009.

Juan Williams on Election Night, Fox News, November 4, 2008.

For Hip Hop...

The Crying Game: I’m Sad as Hell and I’m Not Going to Take This Anymore!

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:02:47 -0400

"It seems like the voices of our leaders and special interests and the media, they’re surrounding us.” Glenn Beck, one of America’s most popular television populists, was speaking to his audience on the afternoon of Friday, March 13, during an hourlong special. At this point, he was choking back tears. This was the money shot: the moment that gave the special its title. It was good. “It sounds intimidating, but you know what?” he...

Did Pirated 'Wolverine' Review Get Fox 411's Roger Friedman Fired? [Update]

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:36:47 -0400

This weekend, bloggers and reporters who cover media and Hollywood put in a little overtime to cover a small, but important, bit of breaking news: Would News Corporation fire Foxnews.com's Fox 411 columnist Roger Friedman over a column in which he admitted to watching a bootleg copy of 20th Century Fox's X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which was widely leaked on the Web last week?

On Thursday, Mr. Friedman wrote in a column that streaming pirated...

Media Mob Sleeps With the Fishes

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:06:30 -0500

On July 6th, 2005, The Observer officially launched the Media Mob under editor Tom Scocca with a post that attempted—and failed—to introduce an awkward portmanteau word we thought would capture large media companies' incursions into the then-still novel medium of blogs. We called it (shudder) blogentrification, and described it as follows:

It starts with the ragtag pioneers, moving in with their funky friends and their bohemian pursuits, seeking life on the cheap in some desolate...

Report: Shepard Smith Doesn't Care What Sean Hannity Thinks

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:15:29 -0500

In the March 2009 issue of Esquire, Tom Junod profiles Fox News' Shepard Smith in a piece headlined Because They Hate Shepard Smith and Want Him to Fail.

Right up front in the article—a companion piece, of sorts, to the What I've Learned feature the magazine did with Mr. Smith in December 2008—we learn that Mr. Smith has "a face made for television, a face seemingly created not just for the cameras but...

Bill O'Reilly: Times' Andrew Rosenthal 'A Dishonest Far Left Zealot Who Uses Hateful Tactics'

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:41:04 -0500

Don't assume Bill O'Reilly is hoping The New York Times' fortunes change any time soon. The Huffington Post's Media Vertical points us towards a commentary the Fox News host made about the paper last night in response to a February 1st editorial The Times ran under the headline The Nativists Are Restless, which, according to Mr. O'Reilly, was "a vicious piece of propaganda."

In the four-plus minute segment (with a cameo by...

School of Squawk: The Daily Show's Jason Jones Goes to Pundit School

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:24:18 -0500

Last night, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart's Jason Jones—he of the in-development cooking show sitcom—did a segment on how regular folks like you, me, or that guy Chris Matthews humiliated on air for not knowing what Neville Chamberlain did last May, can attain the lofty title of "pundit."

Mr. Jones attends a seminar at Media Training Worldwide, where he learned how to use his hands to express enthusiasm, "bold action words," and...

Jon Friedman Defends Palin Kids in Less Than a Minute

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:18:41 -0500

In his latest 42-second Media Web Minute, Jon Friedman goes all Chris Crocker and says what no other journalist or pundit would dare: Sarah Palin is right — leave her family alone.

According to Mr. Friedman, Sarah Palin, whom you might recall was once a candidate for the vice presidency of the United States, "[I]s fair game, of course, as a public figure. I think Palin is fine to be criticized and even...

Hamburger, He's Good: 'Barest Shadow of a Person' Alan Colmes Plays Co-Host to Stephen Colbert

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:23:24 -0500

Just weeks after The Daily Show with Jon Stewart enlisted Hall & Oates to send off Alan Colmes—lyrics included, "Anytime you need a token liberal/ Nothing but a body to fill the chair/ The barest shadow of a person/ Alan Colmes is always there"—Stephen Colbert has enlisted the former Hannity sidekick as co-host of his Comedy Central show. (For a day anyway.)

The new show—renamed Colbert and Colmes—features a credit sequence in...

On Daily Show, Hall & Oates Sing Tribute to Fox News' Alan Colmes

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:25:21 -0500

Yesterday, Steve Krakauer of TVNewser reported that as of January 12th, Fox News' 9 p.m. show Hannity & Colmes will be renamed Hannity (reflecting the recent decision on the behalf of longtime co-host Alan Colmes to step down from his co-anchor chair).

Last night, '80s radio staples Hall & Oates appeared on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, where the two-man band offered a musical tribute to Mr. Colmes.

...

David Rhodes Leaves Fox News; Talks of New Gig at Bloomberg TV

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:44:22 -0500

On Tuesday morning, Bloomberg LP executives announced that David Rhodes, Fox News' Vice President of news, is joining them as the company's new head of American television (the move was first reported on TVNewser).

According to the press release, the addition of Mr. Rhodes "caps a reorganization" currently being implemented by Andrew Lack, the former President of NBC News, who joined Bloomberg back in October as the new C.E.O. of the company's multimedia group.

"We...

Hannity & Colmes Losing Its Liberal Co-Host

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:57:36 -0500

Alan Colmes will be stepping down as co-host of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes at the end of the year, it was announced today.

Mr. Colmes, who for the past 12 years has played liberal to Sean Hannity's conservative, has posted a press release announcing his decision on his blog Liberaland.

From the release:

In announcing his decision, Colmes said, 'I approached Bill Shine (FNC’s Senior Vice President of Programming) earlier this year about...

Greta Van Susteren Dreams of Running an Internet News Site

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:18:15 -0500

Arianna, Tina, Liz ... and Greta?

On GretaWire today, Greta Van Susteren, the Fox News anchor and profilic blogger, invited readers to write in about their dream jobs. Ms. Van Susteren kicked things off by admitting that she sometimes dreams of running an online news site.

From the post:

I love my job but from time to time think about the future (I can be a dreamer)….what is next? what would be fun...

Roger Ailes Reups With News Corporation

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:24:03 -0500

Rupert Murdoch announced today that Roger Ailes has signed a five-year contract extension to stay at News Corporation, where, in part, he oversees Fox News and the Fox Business Network.

"It is one of the ironies of his extreme success over the 10 years of the Fox News Channel that Roger Ailes hates journalists, manages them, and counts himself among their ranks," wrote Rebecca Dana in The Observer two years ago in a profile...

Opposite Day: On Daily Show, Bill O'Reilly Calls Himself an Anarchist and Barack Obama a 'Brilliant Guy'

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:47:32 -0500

Last night, Bill O'Reilly of Fox News appeared on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. There, Jon Stewart admitted that on the heels of President-elect Barack Obama's victory, he was worried for Mr. O'Reilly.

"I'm an anarchist," said Mr. O'Reilly.

To soothe him, Mr. Stewart gave the anchor a teddy bear and some hot...

Who Is Martin Eisenstadt And Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About the G.O.P.?

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:56:54 -0500

Martin Eisenstadt, principal of the Eisenstadt Group and Senior Fellow at The Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy is on a the mind of a lot of bloggers and cable news talent bookers lately. Apparently Mr. Eisenstadt, as an adviser to Senator John McCain, leaked the story that former G.O.P. Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin didn't know that Africa is a continent and not a single country. That bit of news was picked up...

Oprah Who? Sarah Palin Gives First Post Election Interview to Fox’s Greta Van Susteren

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:28:47 -0500

Matt Drudge is reporting that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is giving her first extensive post-election interview to Greta Van Susteren of Fox News, who back in September scored the first post-convention interview with First Dude Todd Palin. That extensive walk-and-talk interview took place at the couple’s scenic house in Wasilla.

"The sniping at Gov. Palin after the election by 'anonymous' sources is rotten,” Ms. Van Susteren wrote on her blog this morning....

Election Night Ratings: ABC Wins in Broadcast; CNN Wins on Cable

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:42:38 -0500

On Tuesday night, some 71.5 million viewers tuned in across 14 television networks to watch Senator Barack Obama's victory over Senator John McCain, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Overall it was the highest rated election night since 1980.

On broadcast television, ABC News was big winner. On cable, CNN dominated.

The Nielsen numbers for total viewers via THR:

ABC: 13,135,000

...

Claim: Sarah Palin 'Did Not Have the Time or Focus to Prepare' For Couric Interview

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:20:35 -0500

And now the fun part begins.

The New York Times' Elisabeth Bumiller has an A1-promoted story headlined Internal Battles Divided McCain and Palin Camps, in which she reveals all about the Republican candidates' failed bid for the White House. This comes a day after Newsweek broke new ground on the Governor's campaign trail spending spree and Carl Cameron told FOX News (FOX News!) that the woman New York Times columnist Bill Kristol...

Sam Donaldson Wonders Why Young Pup Brit Hume Stepping Down at Fox News

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:50:49 -0400

Today, Michael Calderone of Politico writes about Brit Hume's swan song at Fox News. After the election, Mr. Hume, who joined the cable news network during its fledgling days back in 1996, will be significantly cutting back his duties, which currently include anchoring Special Report at 6 p.m., anchoring big political night coverage, and serving as the managing editor of the news division.

One fun moment from the piece: ABC News' Sam Donaldson,...

View's Hasselbeck Would Like to Work for Sean Hannity

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:16:05 -0400

In early October, The View's Elisabeth Hasselbeck denied rumors that she was considering moving to Fox News. But today on the show, during an interview with Richard Dreyfuss, Ms. Hasselbeck—who recently stumped for Sarah Palin in Florida—quipped that she'd "like" to work for Fox News' Sean Hannity.

In a clip provided by the Huffington Post, Mr. Dreyfuss describes working for W. director Oliver Stone by saying, "Imagine working for Sean Hannity."

As...

Fox News Executive VP on McCain Volunteer Race-Bait Hoax: 'Senator McCain’s Quest for the Presidency Is Over'

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:29:32 -0400

As you probably know by now, Ashley Todd, the Texas woman who claimed she was attacked in Pittsburgh and had a 'B' scratched in her face because of her support of Senator John McCain was lying.

There had been doubts expressed about her story from the moment it broke on the Drudge Report yesterday, including from conservative commentator Michelle Malkin, but the strongest statement came last night from Fox News' executive vice president,...

Jon Friedman to TV Journalists: Quit Your Banging

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:14:05 -0400

In his latest 43-second Media Web Minute, MarketWatch's Jon Friedman bids farewell to retiring Fox Newsman Brit Hume, whom he describes as "one of the fairest minded people on the scene and above all, the most droll."

Mr. Friedman continues, "Hume's not a table pounder, he's not a yeller, he's not a preener or a screamer. He's calm and measured. And above all, incisive."

Presumably Mr. Hume's incisiveness is maximally "above all"...

Report: Judith Miller Joining Fox News [Update]

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:07:49 -0400

In The Washington Post today, Howard Kurtz reports that former New York Times national security correspondent Judith Miller (who once famously referred to herself as "Miss Run Amok") is joining Fox News as an on-air analyst and writer for the cable news channel's Web site.

Update, 12:25 PM: Ms. Miller spoke to Editor & Publisher's Joe Strupp, telling him, "I get to spout my views, I will NOT be joining the news team... I...

Report: Glenn Beck Joins Fox News

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:09:52 -0400

Politico's Michael Calderone is reporting that Glenn Beck is jumping from CNN Headline News to Fox News.

Mr. Beck has hosted a daily show on the network since 2006. For Fox, he will be anchoring a 5 P.M. weekday show and a weekend program.

Mr. Calderone quotes a CNN spokesperson as saying, "Glenn has been a terrific employee and colleague to many of us at CNN... We wish him...

'Revealed': Magazine Airbrushers in Tank for Obama

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:38:04 -0400

Last week, a lot of people in the media were upset about Newsweek's un-retouched cover photograph of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

The cover showed an extreme close up of Governor Palin's face, illustrating a critical appraisal of the candidate by Newsweek editor Jon Meacham in the magazine.

It prompted Portfolio's Mixed Media blogger Jeff Bercovici to aks, "Did 'Newsweek' Have to Show Palin's 'stache?" Fox News devoted a segment to...

At Fox News, Hannity Gets Multimillion Dollar Contract Extension; Colmes Gets Called 'Dumb Bastard'

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:00:26 -0400

Earlier this week, Richard Huff of the New York Daily News broke the story that conservative pundit Sean Hannity had signed a new multimillion dollar contract with Fox News, which will keep him at the cable news network through 2012.

"The new deal will keep Hannity as one-half of the nightly show Hannity & Colmes, which he does with Allan Colmes," reported Mr. Huff. "Today, the nightly show he hosts with Colmes has been...

Fox News Tops Competition (And All-Time Record) During Vice Presidential Debate

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:35:09 -0400

On Thursday night, Fox News' telecast of the Vice Presidential debate attracted more viewers than either MSNBC's or CNN's. The event also ranked as Fox News' highest telecast in the network's 12-year history.

From a Fox News release:

FNC's coverage of the debate was the network's highest rated telecast EVER, averaging 11.1 million viewers. Additionally, it was FNC's highest primetime average EVER in its 12 year history. See below for the data according...

During an Interview With Fox News, Sarah Palin Criticizes Katie Couric

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:55:43 -0400

Today, Sarah Palin sat down for an interview with Carl Cameron, the chief political correspondent for Fox News. In one portion of the interview, Mr. Cameron asked the Alaska governor about her recent stumbles in interviews. Governor Palin took the opportunity to take a shot at Katie Couric of CBS News. (This comes via Politico's Michael Calderone.)

Here's what Governor Palin said:

"The Sarah Palin in those interviews is a little bit annoyed. Because it's...

Fox News' Carl Cameron Nabs Post-Debate Interview with Sarah Palin

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:38:00 -0400

This morning, on the heels of the high-stakes vice presidential debate in St. Louis, Fox News' chief political correspondent Carl Cameron nabbed an interview with the elusive Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, reports Alissa Krinsky of TV Newser.

Viewers Continuing to Flock to Cable News Networks

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:16:44 -0400

The third quarter numbers for the cable news networks are officially out today. Overall, the stretch from June 30 to Sept. 28 proved to be yet another strong period for the cable news networks, especially compared to the gloomy news coming from newspapers and broadcast television networks.

Today, each of the major cable news networks fired off press releases touting their achievements.

From Fox News:

FOX News Channel (FNC) continued its ratings dominance among...

Huck'a'Tube: Mike Huckabee's Show Premiers This Weekend on Fox News

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:30:52 -0400

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has announced on his Web site that his weekend variety show "Huckabee," will be airing for the first time on Fox News this Saturday and Sunday night.

From Mr. Huckabee's post:

All of us have been talking about the show I will be doing for Fox News. I wanted to bring you up to date on what is going on.

The show will be called "Huckabee." ...

What Sean Hannity Asked Sarah Palin: Round 1

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:26:38 -0400

As we noted last week, seemingly every journalist in America knows exactly what needs to be asked of Sarah Palin. Yesterday, Fox News' Sean Hannity became the second journalist, post-convention, to sit down with the governor of Alaska for an extended on-air interview.

Would Mr. Hannity, given his conservative beliefs, ask Ms. Palin tough questions?

Herein the abridged transcript (from Lexis Nexis) of the first part of the interview, which aired last night on...

Sarah Palin Lets Her Hair Down With Sean Hannity; Calls Fey Impression 'Hilarious'

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:32:48 -0400

Yesterday, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin sat down for her second post-convention interview. This one took place in Ohio. Sean Hannity of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes asked the questions.

At one point, Mr. Hannity asked Ms. Palin (who let her hair down for the interview) what she thought of Tina Fey's recent impression of her on Saturday Night Live. "I watched with the volume all the way down," said Ms. Palin. "I thought...

Fox News' Sean Hannity Lands Second Palin Interview

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:40:53 -0400

Sean Hannity of Fox News has landed the first cable news interview with Sarah Palin. According to a release, the interview will air in two parts on Tuesday, Sept. 16, and Wednesday, Sept. 17, on Fox News' 9 p.m. show Hannity &...

Lineup for September 3, 2008

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:24:39 -0400

Felix Gillette talks to Griff Jenkins, Fox News' man on the mean streets of St. Paul: "Roughly a week earlier, Mr. Jenkins had waded into the protestors in Denver without the aid of a security crew. Things had gotten entertainingly ugly (YouTube-worthy ugly), and now his bosses were insisting on precautions."

Leon Neyfakh meets the staff of The National Review in St. Paul for the Republican National Convention. Jack Fowler, publisher of the magazine...

Fox News Gets a Griff

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:34:41 -0400

ST. PAUL—The helicopters hovering over downtown St. Paul on the afternoon of Sept. 1 had long before become such a customary sound that they weren’t heard anymore, but as Griff Jenkins, the chipper and youthful-looking 37-year-old reporter for Fox News, stood outside the Xcel Energy Center contemplating his next assignment, they became relevant again.

“Apparently, they’ve confiscated the protestors’ jars of urine,” he said. “That makes me feel better.”

Greta Van Susteren Does Not Twitter

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 10:24:14 -0400

Last week, The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz wrote about Twitter, the kinda useful, sorta ubiquitous, sure to be short-lived new tool for journalists—and cellphone-enabled journalist-like individuals—who want to bring readers the world in 140-characters or less.

Mr. Kurtz called twittering "the digital equivalent of a sound bite, a throat-clearing, a terse observation or two for a cloistered community online."

If you're hoping to hear Fox News' Greta Van Susteren...

Fox News' Shepard Smith and Geraldo Rivera to New Orleans, Brit Hume to St. Paul

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 17:30:20 -0400

Tonight, Shepard Smith will be anchoring Fox News' coverage of Hurricane Gustav from New Orleans beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Afterwards, Brit Hume will continue the hurricane coverage, anchoring from St. Paul. From 10 p.m. to midnight, Geraldo Rivera will anchor live from New Orleans.

Fox News will continue its live hurricane coverage throughout the night until 5 a.m. with Gregg Jarrett, Julie Banderas, Todd Connor and Uma Pemmaraju anchoring the late night...

Fox News' Megyn Kelly on the Pleasures of Reporting Live From the Convention Floor

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:18:54 -0400

"I have a real affinity for the folks from Guam," said Megyn Kelly.

Since Monday morning, Ms. Kelly, the 37-year-old news anchor with Fox News, has been reporting from the floor of the Democratic convention in Denver. Her channel's riser is located between the delegations from New Mexico and Guam.

"Guam in on the floor," said Ms. Kelly. "Rhode Island is in the nose bleeds....

Inside the Fox News Green Room in Denver, Close Quarters, Big Stars, and Observer Clumsiness

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:55:22 -0400

On Tuesday evening, inside the Pepsi Center in Denver, the Media Mob had a moment of clumsiness, involving Karl Rove's laptop computer.

It was a few short hours before Hillary Clinton was to address the delegates. The green room of the Fox News sky box inside the arena was buzzing with activity. Energy was high. The quarters were close.

The Media Mob was sitting on smallish couch conducting an...

The Joys of GretaWire

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:57:40 -0400

Earlier today we caught up with Greta Van Susteren, anchor of Fox News' 10 p.m. hour, at her makeshift desk inside Braun's Bar and Grill, the cavernous sports bar across from the Pepsi Center (and inside the convention's security perimeter) where Fox News has turned into its DNC headquarters.

"I like the blogging," she said as she clicked away at her keyboard, posting updates to GretaWire. Her counterparts were all doing the more predictable TV...

Fox News' Roger Ailes Earned $19.9 Million Last Year

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:48:20 -0400

Are you better off than you were a year ago? If you're Roger Ailes, you sure are.

According to Silicon Alley Insider's Peter Kafka, the Fox News president and chairman earned an unbelievable $19.9 million in the last 12 months, according to S.E.C. filings from News Corp.

"What did he do to earn that?" Mr. Kafka asks. We wonder the same since in July, The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz reported...

Huckabee Shoots Pilot for Fox News [Update]

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:19:01 -0400

The New York Post reports today that former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee was in town recently to tape a pilot for a weekend variety show for Fox News, which will apparently premier sometime this fall.

The report was based on an interview that Mr. Huckabee did over the weekend with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

From the Democrat-Gazette article:

First, the TV bit. It seems such a natural as to be a stereotype....

Faced With Lawsuit by NBC and Fox, RedLasso Suspends Service

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:39:34 -0400

On Wednesday, the Media Mob reported that NBC Universal, Fox News, and the Fox Television Stations group were filing a joint copyright infringement suit against Redlasso—the privately held company that provides users with a search engine targeting video and audio footage from stations and networks around the country.

Today, Redlasso executives informed their site’s users that because of the suit, they are currently suspending some services.

Redlasso posted a notice on its Web site...

Nas on Colbert: 'I Think O'Reilly is Afraid of Me'

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:10:50 -0400

Yesterday, The Observer's Bharat Ayyar reported on MoveOn.org and rapper Nas' protest outside of Fox News headquarters in Manhattan.

Last night, Nas appeared on The Colbert Report to explain himself. When asked by Mr. Colbert why he thinks Fox is racist, Nas (real name Nasir Jones) said, "It's obvious. Everybody that has eyes and ears can see that this guy [Bill O'Reilly] is out of control. He knows what he's doing, you know...