Declining Ratings Could Put Judge Andrew Napolitano’s Fox News Future In Jeopardy

[JacobG18]

Back in May, Judge Andrew Napolitano seemed almost a shoo-in to take over Fox News Channel’s 5PM time, slot vacated by Glenn Beck. Beck himself stated, on air, that he’d like to hand over the reins to his frequent guest and replacement host, and the Judge was named one of the regular panelists on the temporary replacement show The Five when it debuted this summer. But it might have seemed somewhat discouraging to Napolitano when news came that the temporary status of The Five was made permanent as the 5PM offering — and he wasn’t part of the program.

But, it seems as though Fox News may have had reason to pass over Judge Napolitano as a permanent fixture on their surprisingly high-rated show: Mediaite recently got a hold of the self proclaimed “night watchman’s” Nielsen ratings, and the numbers don’t look good. The Judge has consistently been one of the lowest rated programs on Fox Business Network’s prime time lineup –- and trending lower.

October numbers to date prove to be Napolitano’s lowest rated month for total viewers (P2+) since May ’11, and the absolute lowest rated month in the demo all year, averaging a measly 50,000 total viewers, with 8,000 in the demo. He’s also down 10% in total viewers, and a whopping 43% in the demo just since last month. To make matters worse, he loses more than half of the audience that the network’s top-rated Lou Dobbs Tonight brings in on a regular basis.

This can’t be going over well with the top brass over at Fox – and in fact it’s not. A recent Reuters exclusive report by Peter Lauria uncovered an internal memo from network head Kevin Magee reminding the staff to stop trying to be Fox News and to focus on actually being, shocker, a business network. Mediaite can’t help but wonder if that was, in some way, directed at Napolitano, whose show FreedomWatch is the only prime time program that rarely, if ever, focuses on business or the economy. The memo stated “If we give the audience a choice between FNC and the almost-FNC, they will choose FNC every time.” With no other show is that more apparent than with FreedomWatch.

Napolitano has enjoyed a growing media presence; he has a very active presence on Twitter and a new book out. But his nightly show on FBN and his numerous guest appearances on Fox News are clearly a very important promotional platform.




http://www.mediaite.com/tv/declining...e-in-jeopardy/

[KCIndy]

They should have moved the show to the regular Fox News Channel a long time ago. Even if he didn't replace Beck, they could have slotted the show for 11 p.m. when the network starts the rerun sequence.

[Anti Federalist]

Not surprising.

A fact that very few of want to look square in the face, and Ron Paul's comments notwithstanding:

Freedom is not popular.

Given the choice (and they almost always are) the American people will almost universally choose tyranny, slavery and control over freedom.

The only sort of "freedom" that is popular is the freedom to be perverse, crude or sexually shocking in some way.

Real freedom is hated and feared by the vast majority of our fellow citizens.

[iamse7en]

I stopped watching when he spent half the show talking to congressional leeches and praising them for their staunch defense of liberty.

[MRoCkEd]

Well this sucks

[LibertyEagle]

I stopped watching when he spent half the show talking to congressional leeches and praising them for their staunch defense of liberty.

He is our ONLY voice in the media. Tell me, what other show would have Thomas Woods, Lew Rockwell, and countless others on his show? NO ONE, that is who. The Judge promotes Ron Paul all the time. No, the show isn't perfect, because I am quite sure he has to have some of the people you dislike on it, occasionally, to be able to have a show at all.

We'd better start watching him, because it is really going to SUCK BIG TIME if his show goes off the air.

The old-timers remember what it was like before this show existed. Back then, we only could dream that Napolitano would have his own show on TV.

Let's do our part to save this show.

[kahless]

Not surprising.

A fact that very few of want to look square in the face, and Ron Paul's comments notwithstanding:

Freedom is not popular.

Given the choice (and they almost always are) the American people will almost universally choose tyranny, slavery and control over freedom.

The only sort of "freedom" that is popular is the freedom to be perverse, crude or sexually shocking in some way.

Real freedom is hated and feared by the vast majority of our fellow citizens.

Sad but true.

However I think Judge would have done better in the ratings himself and that of "The Five" in Beck's old slot and likely better than Greta at 10pm. But due to Ailes belief in big government and what AF states above that likely will not happen.

[Bosco Warden]

I stopped watching when he spent half the show talking to congressional leeches and praising them for their staunch defense of liberty.

well youre an idiot. He has a great show, if you just watch the show. I know Maddow is just to hard to resist huh?

[willwash]

He is our ONLY voice in the media. Tell me, what other show would have Thomas Woods, Lew Rockwell, and countless others on his show? NO ONE, that is who. The Judge promotes Ron Paul all the time. No, the show isn't perfect, because I am quite sure he has to have some of the people you dislike on it, occasionally, to be able to have a show at all.

We'd better start watching him, because it is really going to SUCK BIG TIME if his show goes off the air.

The old-timers remember what it was like before this show existed. Back then, we only could dream that Napolitano would have his own show on TV.

Let's do our part to save this show.

How about Stossell?

[LibertyEagle]

How about Stossell?

I like him and all, but he's no Judge Napolitano. He's so new to the whole liberty thing, that he is not very good at arguing his points; nor, can he defend them against other media pundits.

[Cowlesy]

Damn it, FreedomWatch is by far the best news program on TV right now.

Good grief, we need at LEAST one on-air commentator who is consistent in sticking up for American Liberty on a nightly basis.

[emazur]

I hate to say it but while the Judge himself is great and some parts of Freedom Watch are great (like Freedom Files and the closing comment), overall Freedom Watch isn't that great of a show. Examples:
- during the debt ceiling debate which went on for months and months, he did a piece on the debt ceiling every day but the piece rarely if ever added anything new and he kept inviting back the same liberal losers to regurgitate the same liberal loser talking points about the debt ceiling every time. He could of just had both sides present their arguments at the beginning of this debate, and after proving the liberals failed, pepper the libertarian argument a couple times a week why
- back when Freedom Watch went daily we had a guest suggestion thread - new people the Judge should have on his show now that he had more time. That thread was ignored and the Judge continues to recycle the same old guests (many of them deserve to be recycled, but there's not a lot of variety)
- why give liberals a voice everyday? Why not just pose devil's advocate questions to a libertarian? That takes care of the next problem...
- large panel of guests discussing something in 5 minutes. Really, that's long been considered one of the worst aspects of cable news. If you're going to have a large panel, give it the time necessary to discuss in depth. which brings up the next problem...
- Freedom Watch never mixes it up. Beck used to do some great specials or just have 1 guest on for the entire show. Why can't the judge? Hell, he could seriously debate debate a liberal for an entire show if he wanted and it would make for good watching (especially on the Judge's strong points: law and the Constitution)


There are other problems but these are pretty obvious. To be honest I don't believe the Judge has full editorial control of his show - it's really not like the Freedom Watch of the web only days where he'd do 10 min or longer interviews or have more 'fringe' guests on (if the Judge kept inviting Charlie Rangel on during those days, nobody would have watched and he never would have gotten an on-air show). Freedom Watch needs a reboot or it will get the boot.

If Fox Biz wanted a more business oriented show, they should have the Peter Schiff Show (which already is a much better show than Freedom Watch even though I'm much more interested in general libertarian shows than finance centered shows like Schiff's).

[emazur]

I like him and all, but he's no Judge Napolitano. He's so new to the whole liberty thing, that he is not very good at arguing his points; nor, can he defend them against other media pundits.

I'd strongly disagree there. It's true that debating isn't Stossel's strong suit and when he goes on shows like O'Reilly you won't get the best arguments for liberty. But reporting and investing is where Stossel excels and his show is a much, much better one than Freedom Watch. And he's not nearly as new to the freedom game as you suggest he is

[gls]

I like him and all, but he's no Judge Napolitano. He's so new to the whole liberty thing, that he is not very good at arguing his points; nor, can he defend them against other media pundits.

Stossel is definitely not "new to the whole liberty thing" although I agree about his debating skills.

[low preference guy]

let's turn this into a Stossel vs. Napolitano fight!!

[NewRightLibertarian]

If I got FBN, I'd watch him every night.

[Travlyr]

Not surprising.

A fact that very few of want to look square in the face, and Ron Paul's comments notwithstanding:

Freedom is not popular.

Given the choice (and they almost always are) the American people will almost universally choose tyranny, slavery and control over freedom.

The only sort of "freedom" that is popular is the freedom to be perverse, crude or sexually shocking in some way.

Real freedom is hated and feared by the vast majority of our fellow citizens.

Sad, but true for sure.

The young people kind of get it. But much of the older generation is content to sit back, be entertained, do as their told, and collect their meager entitlements.

[Anti Federalist]

Sad, but true for sure.

The young people kind of get it. But much of the older generation is content to sit back, be entertained, do as their told, and collect their meager entitlements.

To certain extent yes, they do.

But the system knows exactly how to co-opt that youthful exuberance and anti-authoritarianism toward it's own ends.

I just finished a book, "They marched into the sunlight", a historical tome that took a snapshot of two incidents in 1967 during the Vietnam war, Operation Shenandoah II and the Dow Chemical protest at the UW - Madison.

It really took the wind out of my sails to see the exact same struggle, with the exact same mis-perceptions about the exact same problems, re-played forty plus years later with the exact same results.

The system dodges and weaves, "oh we'll drop the draft", and "we'll 'allow' blacks to have equal rights", to give the appearance that there is progress being made, only to enslave us all from a different direction.

[rajibo]

I DVR Freedom Watch every night but don't always get to watch it. I was afraid that the show may not be doing so well when it was suggested we "Google Santorum"...

[Hotchney]

They changed his theme music recently. Clearly some changes are being made. New theme is much better.
I think he kind of sucks as an interviewer though.

[michaelkellenger]

Almost all negative comments about the Judge in the comments section. Freedom indeed is very unpopular.

[PreDeadMan]

I don't watch tv that much let alone faux or any other propaganda news network channel i'm awaiting the day when alternative media will take over all of the propaganda msm bull$#@! on tv

[donnay]

Well if that happens it will free up the Judge to either run with Ron Paul or when Ron Paul becomes President, have the Judge appointed to Attorney General. Positive reinforcement!

[Melissa]

I love the Judge and watch him online as we gave up TV and mostly if we watch tv use netflix I hope those of you with TV please watch him to keep him going if we can do polls we can keep freedom lovers on air

[Shane Harris]

just in time to be VP

[iamse7en]

well youre an idiot. He has a great show, if you just watch the show. I know Maddow is just to hard to resist huh?

Thanks. You're too kind. Actually I watched every episode when it was online, then when it was once a week on FBC, then for awhile when it moved to daily. I got frustrated eventually and stopped watching it. There are still some really good segments though.

[QueenB4Liberty]

They changed his theme music recently. Clearly some changes are being made. New theme is much better.
I think he kind of sucks as an interviewer though.

I liked the old music better.

He does kind of point the interview in the direction he wants it to go. Like he will say something of a statement and expect the person he's talking to to agree with him.

But I like the show. Especially when Ron & Rand are on and it's a good source of information. Our kind of information.

[Johnny Appleseed]

the real "free press" is you tube, facebook, bloggers...the best way to get back at msm is when your tv quits working, don't buy another one

I think this country would be 2 times better off with half as many TVs. People are over stimulated...can't get no where fast enough.

[Imaginos]

Not surprising.

A fact that very few of want to look square in the face, and Ron Paul's comments notwithstanding:

Freedom is not popular.

Given the choice (and they almost always are) the American people will almost universally choose tyranny, slavery and control over freedom.

The only sort of "freedom" that is popular is the freedom to be perverse, crude or sexually shocking in some way.

Real freedom is hated and feared by the vast majority of our fellow citizens.

Most people are walking zombies in permanent state of coma induced by Beer/ Football/ Paris Hiltons of the world/ Hollyweird/ Gutter toilet MSM programs/ Propaganda brainwashing bombard from the Corporatist Fascist Police state puppets.
I am more and more convinced that the democracy is nothing but a robbery and theft against intelligent, productive, aristocratic, ideal, and noble kind of superior individuals.
General public fully deserve the title, 'the Sheeple', at this point.

[jason43]

It'll free him up to be the VP.