| | MEDIA WINNER: Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott For 77 straight quarters, the story has been the same: Fox News beats rivals in the cable news overall ratings Derby. In light of the network's decades-long Nielsen dominance, one might think that a 78th consecutive victory would not merit any special commendation for the executive in charge. And yet, undeniably, this last period was a crucial three-month measuring stick. CNN and MSNBC had made significant inroads — propelled largely by the 2020 election, and the Capitol insurrection. It was important for Fox News and Suzanne Scott — who, earlier this year, signed a long-term pact to stay on as chief executive — that the network post big numbers in this, the first full quarter in four years in which Donald Trump has not been President. And sure enough, they did. Powered by Tucker Carlson Tonight, the Fox News lineup boasts four of the quarter's top five rated shows, including; Hannity, The Five, and The Ingraham Angle. And Gutfeld! has even scored in the 11:00 p.m. slot — topping not only its cable rivals, but even challenging network powerhouses such as Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Much of it is thanks to the tone set by Scott — who didn't hesitate to rock the boat where necessary, with additions such as Gutfeld! to the daily lineup. In the face of increasing competition on the left and the right, the Fox News executive appears to have pushed the right buttons. Her strategy helped retain Fox News viewers, and the new numbers prove it. |
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| MEDIA LOSER: TNT's Charles Barkley The Inside the NBA host has long been considered the league's gold standard of studio analysts. But on Tuesday night, Sir Charles threw up a brick. Ahead of Tuesday's Eastern Conference Final Game 4 between the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks, Barkley and his cohorts debated replacement options for injured Hawks superstar Trae Young. Barkley disagreed with colleague Kenny Smith, who suggested Atlanta start Lou Williams. "I wouldn't do that," Barkley said, matter-of-factly. "I would start Jeff Teague." One problem: Jeff Teague is no longer on the Atlanta Hawks, having departed after the 2019 season. Worse yet, he's actually on the Bucks. The basketball legend sheepishly owned his error, but that didn't stop his Inside the NBA castmates from giving him a hard time about it. "Big dummy," Inside the NBA co-host Shaquille O'Neal said, shaming Barkley. Yes, this was just one gaffe. But it was a bad one ahead of a big game. And it bolsters the longtime argument from critics that Barkley is losing touch with the league, and has failed to do his homework before going on the air. No doubt, the TNT analyst remains one of the most entertaining personalities not just in sports media, but in all of media. And it's going to take a lot more than one foible to erase that. But still, the NBA legend has got to stop throwing up air balls like this. |
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| ‘Never Should Have Been Arrested’ In a stunning development Wednesday, disgraced actor and comedian Bill Cosby had his sexual assault conviction vacated by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and will be released from prison. Cosby was originally sentenced to prison in 2018 for aggravated assault after numerous women came forward and accused him of criminal sexual acts. The state Supreme Court, however, ruled that an agreement with a previous prosecutor precluded Cosby from even being charged in that case —thus throwing out the conviction. (The prosecutor in question? None other than Bruce Castor — whose legal work was the subject of mockery during former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial.) Kristen Gibbons Feden, the attorney who tried Cosby in 2018, denied the existence of a deal between Cosby and Castor. "While I 100 percent respect the Supreme Court, every justice on the Supreme Court, I can’t tell you what the agreement, said because I don’t believe there was one," Feden said on MSNBC Wednesday. She added, holding firm, “Essentially what the Supreme Court is saying is that Bill Cosby should never have been arrested because there was a non-prosecutorial agreement in place that prohibited our office from prosecuting him in 2015. Again, this was argued in the trial court who found that there was no prosecution agreement.” In Other News... • Texas Gov. Abbott Blocks Media—Including CNN's Jim Acosta—from Trump Border Event • Megyn Kelly Warns That 'Divisive Messaging' Like Critical Race Theory is ‘Abuse Towards Children’ • Dave Portnoy Reveals Fox Apologized for ‘Little B*tch’ Comment: Charles Payne 'Made an Idiot Out of Himself’ • WATCH: Matt Gaetz Demands Inspector General Investigates Tucker Carlson's Claim of NSA Spying 6.5.0 |
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Twenty! Twenty-One! Twenty-Two! Chuck Grassley, a seven-term U.S. Senator, is 87 years old. He is also, it turns out, a fitness demon. At an event in Sioux Center, IA Tuesday, the Hawkeye State senator challenged a colleague more than four decades his junior, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), to a pushup contest to bring awareness to mental health issues faced by veterans. Grassley and Cotton proceeded to do 22 pushups — with a crowd cheering them on after their sets were completed. The Iowa Senator's form was far from perfect, but that doesn't matter. Clearly, well into his ninth decade, he is still a lean, mean, fighting machine. |
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