Brit Hume baselessly asserts that Cheney chose Fox because of its ratings

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Hume baselessly asserted that Cheney chose Fox for interview because of its high ratings, rather than because it is "associated with conservative causes"

Summary: Recounting an exchange with a network news "crew," Brit Hume said that crew members attributed Cheney's choice of Hume as his interviewer for his February 15 appearance on Fox News -- Cheney's first since he accidentally shot a hunting companion -- to Fox's association with "conservative causes." Hume dubiously claimed that Cheney had chosen Fox "probably because he wanted to go with ... the news channel with the largest audience." In fact, the broadcast network news programs each have at least three times Fox's highest average audience.

During the "All-Star panel" segment of the February 15 edition of Special Report with Brit Hume, Fox News Washington managing editor Brit Hume dubiously claimed that Cheney had chosen Fox "probably because he wanted to go with ... the news channel with the largest audience." Hume made the comment while recounting an exchange he said he had with a news crew from one of the broadcast networks. Hume's response, however, contradicts the fact that if Cheney had given the interview to one of the network news shows, it would have reached many more viewers; the broadcast network news programs -- CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, and ABC World News Tonight -- each have at least three times Fox's highest average audience. Moreover, Cheney has previously expressed his admiration for Hume and Fox -- a network he praised in April 2004 as "more accurate in my experience, in those events that I'm personally involved in, than many of the other outlets."

http://mediamatters.org/items/200602160013

[VaYallaDawg]

1. Largest audience my a**. As if they don't know what Nielsen is.

[underpants]

2. That's the same reason Breshnev chose Pravda

ratings.

That and the state news organization thing.

[zulchzulu]

3. The Dickster called him "Brent"

Even Dick doesn't care to know his real name.

[Lefty48197]

4. Well yeah, but they have real journalists at those other networks

Can't have any of them danged reporters mucking up the VP's cover-up.

[librechik]

5. Why not get on American Idol then--it's Faux too, and better ratings!