I sent the following e-mail to Kevin.Magee@foxnews.com, the man I am told was responsible for cancelling the “Freedom Watch” program on that channel:
I wonder whether Fox News has thought through the implications and consequences of cancelling Judge Napolitano’s program. Most of the attraction of people to the Internet derives from the fact that an almost endless variety of opinions and interests are available therein, giving that medium an advantage over broadcast outlets which — for one reason or another — continue to insist upon a soft-serve vanilla approach to programming that does little to inform or stimulate thought. When programs such as Judge Napolitano’s and Jon Stewart’s come along, they attract a solid base of supporters. This base not only produces a regularity in viewership, but provides advertisers with audiences focused on areas of interest such advertisers seek to reach (e.g., companies selling gold and silver, investment firms, etc.). When you take away the source of that audience support (such as Judge Napolitano) you also make advertising on your network that much less attractive to firms interested in getting to such audiences. Just as lingerie and cosmetics firms are not interested in advertising on ESPN, you will discover a loss in commercials from the kinds of businesses that were attracted to the Judge because of the audiences he generated.
I hope Fox News will reconsider its decision and continue to broadcast “Freedom Watch.” In this day of competition from the Internet, you are otherwise likely to find a significant decline in viewership from those who, such as myself, are interested in seeking alternative, vigorous expressions of diverse opinions.
Prof. Butler Shaffer
Southwestern University Law School
Los Angeles, California
