Another CNN Loss

TVNewser is reporting that John Roberts will be taking his talents to Fox News and be based in Atlanta as one of their national correspondents.

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Lou Dobbs joins Fox Business Network

The LATimes is reporting that former CNN host Lou Dobbs has signed with Fox Business:

Lou Dobbs joining Fox Business Network

November 10, 2010 |  9:47 am

Just about a year to the day that he left CNN, Lou Dobbs is returning to cable news, this time as host of his own show on News Corp.'s Fox Business Network.

Fox Business Network is expected to announce that it has signed Dobbs as early as Wednesday afternoon. It's the latest high-profile hire for the cable network, which launched a little over three years ago and is in 57 million homes. Although that is far fewer homes than its chief rival, CNBC, Fox Business last week managed to beat CNBC on election night, both in viewers and the key adults 25-54 demographic.

Dobbs' show will premiere in early 2011. He will also appear on other Fox Business programming.

When Dobbs left CNN last November after clashing with management there, he said some leaders had been urging him to "go beyond the role at CNN and to engage in constructive problem-solving as well as to contribute positively to the great understanding of the issues of our day."

At that time, there was speculation that Dobbs would seek some sort of political office. He had become something of a lightening rod on several issues, most prominently illegal immigration. It was his commentary on that topic that often led to fights with CNN brass, including Jon Klein, who was then president of CNN's domestic operations.

Although Dobbs played up the idea that he would enter politics, many within the media industry anticipated that he would find a new home at Fox, either with Fox News Channel or Fox Business.

Dobbs has not been off the radar for the last year. He continued his nationally syndicated radio show after he left CNN and is expected to keep that gig with Fox Business as well.

Dobbs will instantly become one of the biggest names on Fox Business. Neil Cavuto is its most prominent on-air personality. Other high-profile anchors and reporters include Charlie Gasparino and Dennis Kneale, both former CNBC staffers, and Gerri Willis, an ex-CNN correspondent who hosts a show for Fox Business.

-- Joe Flint

   All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

Bias?

Probably writing a post about Bias on a blog called "All Things CNN" might, in itself, be perceived as bias but there was a story that I saw on Inside Cable News that I felt I wanted to address.

Last Wednesday they posted a story about the FOX program Hannity and Colmes. The show decided to ask certain students at the University of Alabama to view the AC360 documentary "Planet in Peril" and give their opinions in a forum. On Friday, Oct 26 Hannity and Colmes interviewed the forum's moderator, Dr. John Christy, and asked him about the opinions of the students. His statements lead viewers to believe that many of the students saw problems and disparities in the documentary. The clips that were shown on H&C were critical of "Planet in Peril" and they did not show the other opinions.

In an email to Inside Cable News one student that attended, Christopher Hain, had a different view of what happened then what was presented on FOX. From ICN: "He wrote that several of the students there felt that what aired on Hannity & Colmes was not an accurate portrail of either the forum or some of the views represented on it." To read more of his email and some other student's emails that shared his opinions go to ICN.

My first thought when reading this was why in the heck would Hannity and Colmes care so much about what CNN does? We all know that FOX has the best ratings in news and it seems to me that what they attempted to do was to take a huge swipe at a highly regarded CNN effort. It seems not only petty but more than a little bias to attack CNN over a program that they, in fact, haven't even attempted to do themselves and probably won't. As a person that watches CNN a lot, especially 360 I can say that they don't take the time to talk about what FOX is doing, as it should be.

No matter what the critics or viewers thought of "Planet in Peril" it was obvious to me that the scope of the project was far greater than anything done by FOX or MSNBC. The effort and time that was put into the documentary was commendable as well as the effort to showcase a subject that is one of the most important of our time. It's easy to sit back in your studio at FOX and never go anywhere to witness what is happening in the "real" world.... to see, in person, the effects of these environmental issues that CNN investigated.

To me, even talking about it was petty and highly unnecessary to begin with, but then to go on the air and only show one side of it, to spin the results to make you look better is really pretty lame! (For lack of a better word). It's hard for me to have any kind of respect for people that sit on their butts and bad mouth something that they wouldn't even have the guts to talk about themselves or better yet, go see for themselves. Why waste time on your supposed "news" program to talk about something that is obviously not news but spin? Isn't it Bill O'Reilly (on FOX) who says "It's a no SPIN zone"? If I could give the boys at H&C some advice I'd say to follow your colleague's tag line and then get off your butt and see what's really happening in the world. Maybe Anderson Cooper could give them advice on that but I doubt he has time while he's in Africa doing a story about something that really matters!

CNN more appropriate than Fox for Obama

From ABC comes the news that Barack Obama won't participate in a proposed debated to be hosted by FOX news on Sept. 23rd in Detroit. He is the second democratic candidate that refuses to be included in the debate. John Edwards was the first to declare FOX's debate too bias.

According to his deputy campaign manager Jonathan Prince said last week that "there's just no reason for Democrats to give Fox a platform to advance the right-wing agenda while pretending they're objective."



For more on this story visit the ABC news website.