Journal Editorial Report Jumps to Fox News
By Joel Meyer -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/30/2005 2:02:00 PM
Public-affairs program The Journal Editorial Report will end its controversial run on public television this Friday and move to Fox News Channel in January.
Bill Shine, senior VP of Fox News, announced the show's move on Wednesday. "We're pleased to partner with The Wall Street Journal on this highly regarded program and we look forward to delivering our viewers another quality program on the number one cable news network," Shine said in a statement.The conservative-leaning show, produced by the Wall Street Journal and hosted by the newspaper's editorial page editor, Paul Gigot, will make its final appearance on the Public Broadcasting System on Dec. 2.
The program was born on PBS in September 2004 under the guidance of Ken Tomlinson, then-Chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Tomlinson developed the program to combat a perceived liberal bias on public TV.
Earlier this month, CPB Inspector General Kenneth Konz issued a report that stated Tomlinson broke laws and violated ethics policies during his partisan-driven tenure, including dealing directly with programmers during negotiations to create The Journal Editorial Report.
The Public Broadcasting Act prevents CPB from influencing programming decisions and attempts to insulate it from politics. The law permits hiring consultants and requires CPB to try to achieve balance in controversial programming. In response to Konz’s report, Tomlinson defended his actions in a statement: “Public broadcasting should not be the domain of any particular ideology or party,” he said. “The voices of America should be heard on public television—across the political spectrum.”--John Eggerton contributed to this report.
