Fox Business Launches Show With Strong Political Slant – Toward Libertarianism

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by Steve Krakauer | 9:02 am, June 14th, 2010

» 36 comments

There are the cable news shows that lean left (Countdown with Keith Olbermann) and shows that lean right (Sean Hannity‘s).

Now there’s a show that leans hard, but neither direction – Judge Andrew Napolitano‘s Freedom Watch on FBN, which is profiled today by the New York Times. But what is the relationship to the tea parties?

Napolitano’s program debuted Saturday at 10amET on Fox Business Network, and it continued the tone of the show that initially began as a Strategy Room hour on FoxNews.com. “From New York, defending freedom, so long America,” said Napolitano as he closed out the first show.

The NYT’s Brian Stelter writes the program is “is arguably Tea Party TV in its purest form to date,” and its hard to argue otherwise after show #1. The show was called a “Tea Party Summit,” and just about every interview dealt on some level with the tea parties. There was an interesting, joint interview with Sarah Palin and Rep. Ron Paul on fractures in the party (video below). Other guests included tea party favorites Rep. Rand Paul, Rep. Michele Bachmann and Dick Armey.

Stelter notes Freedom Watch is just the latest in libertarian programs on the network, which recently added John Stossel‘s Stossel last year.

Libertarians are not surprisingly big fans of the move, with Lew Rockwell calling the show “the most important libertarian broadcast in the history of the American media.” Meanwhile, others like liberal commentator Bill Press say its a pure ratings move, and that Fox “just decided to make it the second propaganda channel.” As a response, A Fox Business spokesperson tells Mediaite, “If anyone is familiar with being a ratings killer it’s Bill Press who hasn’t been able to maintain a steady hosting job on television since being dumped by CNN in 2002 and having his show canceled by MSNBC in 2003.”

Napolitano will surely find interesting topics to explore from a libertarian bent (look for Glenn Beck as a guest next week), but will the tea party theme continue beyond episode #1? As the summer months heat up, and town halls once again find their way into the cable news stream, it would make sense to keep up the coverage.

Check out Palin/Paul from Saturday:

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Liberty – Not Redistribution

I like the Judge. He puts the US Constitution before politics, as opposed to the NEOCONs and Liberals.
paulmdoro

Finally someone willing to stand up for a radical idea called freedom, since 98.5% of Americans are anti-freedom. What a brave man.
The Real Royal King

I think this is a welcome addition. Glen(n), BOR, Sean O’Hannity and Greta Van Palin give us monotonous Republican talking points, broken only by Shep, and Ed, Chris, Keith and Rachel give us monotonous Democratic talking points. If commentary and advocacy journalism is your “thing”, and it isn’t mine, the Judge will at least give you a bit of variety.
me1ranger

Why didn’t barry nominate this guy to the supremes?
paulmdoro

Obviously because Obama hates freedom so much. He hates it. He is a massive freedom-hater.
m

Another Fox News show about a dying ideology.
m

Not surprised though that they’re turning Fox Business Network into Fox News 2. I wonder what they’re going to do when they realize they’re actually competing with themselves?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Lindhartsen/704548889 Chris Lindhartsen

Goodbye Fox Business, hello Fox Talk. I’m slowly but steadily convinced FOX will can the business of Fox Business and turn it into a secondary channels to FOX, and just make it pure talk w/ no actual straight news coverage.
ImNotBlue

m says:
June 14, 2010 at 10:11 am

Another Fox News show about a dying ideology.

Let me guess… despite polls that say differently… “your” ideology is the only one that’s doing well, right?

Yeesh.
The Real Royal King

m says:
June 14, 2010 at 10:12 am

Not surprised though that they’re turning Fox Business Network into Fox News 2. I wonder what they’re going to do when they realize they’re actually competing with themselves?

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That is such a perceptive comment, as is yours, Chris. FBN struggled for so long, that I do think the business pretext is about to be dropped altogether. And then, as you suggest, M, it’s all just a family feud. Kudos, I suppose, to CNBC and Bloomberg for coming out on top.
paulmdoro

It’s probably tough when all the shows on FNC are successful and you have some other shows you want to air but nowhere to put them. So you move them to Fox Business. I imagine the other networks wish they had that problem.
The Real Royal King

Napolitano’s program debuted Saturday at 10amET on Fox Business Network ….

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On this day and at this time, FOX would have been able to work this in easily, Paul.
paulmdoro

I’m just saying, with a nightly lineup featuring Beck, O’Reilly, Hannity, and Van Susteren, if they want to start other shows in the evenings, where do they put them? It’s a problem other networks would like to have.
stoogedudes

Don’t they have Don Imus in the morning on Fox Business? It seems like Fox Business is becoming more like MTV, less business, more righties.
paulmdoro

If it ain’t broke you know. Why mess with something that’s obviously working?
The Real Royal King

Someone wrote a couple of weeks ago that the reason FBN was not succeeding was that it was not being watched by the traditional business show people, people more concerned with the corporate budget than the household budget. I think that is true. I really don’t see anything FBN offers that is not offered by other business programming, particularly CNBC and Bloomberg, and not done much better there. This is something of a cultural clash, I suspect.

There is nothing inherently wrong with the new programming push, but it is clearly not business news.
paulmdoro

Well it’s still fairly new so they’ll probably experiment and tweak and see what works. I don’t think the FNC was #1 right off the bat.
ImNotBlue

stoogedudes says:
June 14, 2010 at 11:20 am

At what point did Don Imus become a “rightie?”

Personally, I think it was foolish for FNC to start a business network. They should have gone for a “HLN” type network first. Get the number one and then number two ratings positions, then go for the business.

They’re competing for a relatively small market already split amongst CNBC, Bloomberg, and the internet. Even if they beat those other guys, they’d still be far behind (as CNBC is) the main networks. Personally, I don’t think the potential gain is/was enough to warrant an entire business network. Create something in the HLN model, with business a high priority during business hours.

That was always my stance on the matter. Not that FNC called to ask (although, I did once tell this to a producer there, who told me Ailes always wanted to start another biz network, so FBN wasn’t a surprise to anyone).
paulmdoro

HNL model is a good idea because they can give these people their own shows for the evening hours while continuing to update breaking news throughout the day. You could get some business stuff in as well without devoting a whole channel to it.
Liberty Banned

Interesting.
The Real Royal King

Create something in the HLN model, with business a high priority during business hours.

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That’s a good idea.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ileen-Bocchino-Cuccaro/1612645745 Ileen Bocchino Cuccaro

I thought the first show was great
http://www.facebook.com/people/SkylerMc-Mychiller/100000301260173 SkylerMc Mychiller

FOX Business is losing its marble’s this is FOX business they should have Business in the AM Business in the PM business in the Weekend, CNBC does Business even if it’s primetime docs about Business. While MSNBC sticks to News and Opinion FOX News should stick to News and Opinion and FOX Biz should stick to Biz news. And If They wanted Imus so bad why isn’t FNC airing it? Or Fox Biz should change names.
Sue

O.K., who’s panties or shorts got in a bunch. We need information from all sides, that way, we will vote for someone we know, not like in SC or the idiot in NC or San Fran…..all news is better than no news, particularly if it is slanted LEFT!
PureFreedom

Its great to start seeing Libertarianism in shows.
I think it can bring both the right and left together with its ideas.
we can move ahead as a country .
paulmdoro

Is there sort of a unified definition of Libertarianism in the USA? Does Ron Paul represent Libertarianism in its purest form? Are there numerous factions of it?
Liberty Banned

Paulmdoro,

I’m sometimes considered a “libertarian” but there is no membership requirement. Most of the philosophy I support, some I don’t. If you’re unsure of a topic, just look at it through the eyes of an individual, a free individual. If a certain side restricts individual liberty and individual property rights, well chances are most libertarians won’t agree with it.
paulmdoro

Yeah I know there isn’t a membership requirement. I just wonder if there is a unified movement or if it’s more like separate scattered factions.
Liberty Banned

When an ideology is made up of people who believe individual liberty and personal freedom trumps almost everything else, there is going to be plenty of fraction.
http://gordonbloyershow.com gordonbloyershow

There is no membership card for the left-wing loons but you know them when you see them. RRK, rox, Ted and Obama come to mind.

The show was great. The judge is wrong about the war and Paul is wrong about Israel.
paulmdoro

Gordon you’re pretty easy to spot as well.
Liberty Banned

Fair point Gordon. I disagree with RP on Israel, although I don’t think we should be sending one dime to them. American tax dollars shouldn’t go to GM, AIG, Israel or anything other private company or foreign country.
Ination

@Liberty Banned

Thank you! While I agree with your point about Isreal, can you imagine the outrage if anyone would say that in the media?
http://none pyrope

Judge Napolitano is a brilliant man.
WantMyTaxesBack

I liked the show :)
http://www.libertarianism.com/ Burnnotice

HA ha Love it! Finally a show for us True Libs! Libertarians that is…..