Cartoon 763: To the Right

Rupert Murdock has built a large media empire. He typically stakes out a contrarian position or approach. His media and goes after market share. No one is as surprised as Murdock, that his tabloid approach with Fox News worked so well and has gained mainstream acceptance. He originally was just trying to distinguish FOX as different from the traditional nightly news by bringing the “tabloid” to television in the guise of news. He figured based on his print media there was a market. He never envisioned it to be taken so seriously as today.

Now Murdock has a problem. The monopoly position on the “Right” of Fox News television is being eroded by far Right media offerings on diverse platforms. Murdock quickly learned with the Glen Beck debacle that there are limits to how far “Right” he can take his national television station. Glen Beck’s fringe “Right” ramblings caused a Jewish backlash that threatened advertiser dollars and the specter of a boycott.

The far “Right” rush has degenerated into “preaching to the choir”. It is not creating new converts or a larger audience and more dollars. It is also appearing more and more ludicrous.

Murdock is taking his time with Fox News. He is waiting for the proper time to switch to a “Left” position. He will again achieve a monopoly position before others and capture the dollars.