Alan Colmes ends the pretense at Fox News . . . and more media news happening on my vacation

I'm back in the office briefly today to tidy up a couple of stories running on Sunday and write on the finale of Dancing With the Stars. But I also wanted to note a few more things happening in media land, in the flood of news events that seems to have greeted my attempt to take a week off work.

Alan Colmes ends the pretense on Hannity and Colmes -- It seems the only person who didn't realize Alan Colmes was a weak liberal-lite prop for Sean Hannity was Alan Colmes, who announced on Monday that he was leaving the second-highest rated program on cable TV news for other opportunities at Fox News.

"It's a great creative opportunity for me. I feel as though we have a Democratic president, House and Senate; I feel like my work is done," he told the Web site TVNewser. That felt particularly odd -- an employee of right-leaning Fox News taking credit for Democratic election success. We have truly traveled through the looking glass on this one. Adding to the confusion, the New York Times quoted anonymous sources saying Hannity will go it alone -- a move that makes sense to me, given his outsize personality and popularity -- while TVNewser cites a Fox News official on the record saying no decision has been made.

I was particularly amused, given that the one time I appeared on Hannity and Colmes, it was Colmes who attacked me the most, challenging efforts by the National Association of Black Journalists who wanted shock jock Don Imus to account for more than 20 years of broadcast bigotry.

I wonder if this move signals the new shape of Fox News as Democrats assume control of Congress and the White House. With Glenn Beck coming at 5 p.m. and stars such as Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly and creator Roger Ailes signed to new deals, the channel seems poised to become a persistent and popular critic of an administration facing more opportunities for missteps than any in modern memory.    

Chris Jadick leaves ABC Action News -- The news director at WFTS-Channel 28, Jadick will be leaving the station next year to serve as vice president of communications for a collection of companies owned by Tampa attorney Richard Salem. Jadick is the second high-profile executive to leave local TV news recent weeks; WTSP-Channel 10 general manager Sam Rosenwasser retired Nov. 17 just before owner Gannett announced a wave of buyouts and possible layoffs.

It's an ominous time for TV news; next year local stations will face a tough economic year without the cushion that this year's record election ad spending provided. I haven't yet talked to Jadick about his plans or motivations, but it's not a bad time for TV executives to consider news moves.

Creative Loafing Atlanta editor fired -- St. Petersburg Times business columnist Bob Trigaux posted an item today on the firing of Creative Loafing Atlanta editor Ken Edelstein after 11 years. Some blog posts suggested the two disagreed over where to cut the business further, which is currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. John Sugg, former editor of Creative Loafing Tampa, a shareholder in Creative Loafing Inc. and a columnist for the Atlanta newspaper told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper that the chain's management "has no concern for content." 

Click below to read the release regarding Chris Jadick:   

Salem Hires New VP of Communications: TV News Executive Chris Jadick

Tampa, Florida – Tampa Attorney Richard Salem is pleased to announce the hire of TV News Executive Chris Jadick as the New Vice President of Communications, Public Relations and Strategic Development for Salem Enterprise Solutions.  SES is the parent company for Mr. Salem’s businesses and non-profit enterprises. 

These companies include Farm Pilot Project Coordination, which supports and develops new green technology, Thermal Matrix, which develops and deploys security technology, Enable America, which promotes the hiring of people with disabilities, OTH Services, which converts documents into digital images, and The Salem Law Group.

“Chris brings a strong management background and a keen knowledge and understanding of the public interest, which will be invaluable as we continue to grow our companies,” Mr. Salem said. 

Mr. Jadick comes to Salem Enterprise Solutions from WFTS TV, the ABC affiliate in Tampa, where he has been News Director for the past 3 ½ years.  Prior to working at WFTS, Mr. Jadick was News Director at WAVE TV, the NBC affiliate in Louisville, Kentucky and Executive Producer at WTVT, the FOX affiliate in Tampa. 

“This is an exciting opportunity to use the communication skills I’ve developed during my media career.  SES is devoted to improving quality of life issues, and in this role I will implement new and innovative approaches to help further that mission,” Mr. Jadick said.

Mr. Jadick will begin his new role as VP of Communications at SES in January 2009.

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Comments

[RagsTTIger]

Every two years, the Pew Research Center looks at how people get their news. Throughout the day, we'll take a look at several facets of the latest study, which was released today.

• When it comes to audience breakdown by political lines, CNN and MSNBC showed more Democrat viewers while FNC, more Republican. But the minority party viewership is much stronger at Fox News than its competitors: 33% of Fox viewers are listed as Democrats, while 18% of CNN and MSNBC viewers say they are Republicans.

"Currently 51% of regular CNN viewers are Democrats, up from 45% two years ago. Nearly four-in-ten regular Fox News viewers are Republicans (39%), about the same as in 2006," reports the survey.

Now go on to: http://www.mrc.org/biasbasics/pdf/BiasBasics.pdf

Liberal knee jerk reaction to the word Fox, has now coined a new psychological term FDS Fox Derangement Syndrome. Gotta love the media.

[Tom]

"studies by Pew Research and other independent institutions haver proven that Fox News is much more balanced than any other network."
Really? Can you cite these studies.
More likely they were proven to be less balanced than any other network.
I call Fox partisan, not conservative.

[RagsTTIger]

Alan Colmes has the singular distinction of being the only radio host to preside over the closing of three radio stations in the same city. He was the last host when the WNBC call letters became history, eventually becoming sports WFAN. He was the last host on WHN when it became WEVD, staying with the station and shutting off the lights at WEVD. Now he departs Harrity & Colmes, the show to be renamed. He will remain a contributor on FNC and he has his Fox Radio syndicated show.

While WNBC and WHN have long radio histories. WEVD is less well known outside of NYC. The WEVD call letters stood for Eugene V Debs, an American Socialist and Union activist. During WW I he was tossed into jail for treason. Later pardoned by Hoover, to spend the rest of his life in a sanitarium. He died shortly thereafter. WEVD was the first all socialist radio station, licensed in 1927 by the American Socialist Party. That would make them a forerunner of Air America. The station figured out that they needed money for ads, oops capitalism. They decided to meld the Socialist and Communist ideals, as one. For years, they were a part time station, sharing the 1330 frequency, before moving to 1050.

I would like to see Bob Beckle as a Colmes replacement. He gives Hannity a run for his money on every subject. He has been a substitute host for H&C and is an almost nightly contributor. Beckle is a lot more passioned in his defense of liberalism. Colmes, who does his homework, was a little too placid.

While Fox News takes its hits for being conservative, studies by Pew Research and other independent institutions haver proven that Fox News is much more balanced than any other network. Think about it, when any subject is presented, both sides are represented. One will never find such a news balance on ABC, CBS, MSNBC/NBC or CNN.

Thanksgiving around the Colmes family dinner table must be a hoot. His wife, a liberal, author and college professor at Rutgers, is sister to well known conservative radio/TV host Dr. Monica Crowley.

[beltwaybandit]

Wow...a newspaper chain's management that "has no concern for content".

I must have missed it...when did Media General buy the Creative Loafing chain?

[Newzaroo]

Good Luck, Chris and Angie... I know it's tardy but welcome home to Tampa. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

[joe hillman]

john sugg is one bitter SOB. he gripes just to be griping.