Marshall McLuhan once wrote that

The media is the message.

Well, in the past couple of decades, the Main Stream Media has become not just the message, but also judge, jury, and political executioner.

And, unfortunately, thanks to the influence of the Liberal daughter-in-laws of Rupert Murdoch, Fox News began overcompensating to the Left in keeping its programming “fair and balanced”.

Daily diatribes from Juan Williams, the now-departed Shep Smith, Donna Brazile, and Chris Wallace made me more than once turn the channel to reruns of…well…just about anything.

Then came the night of the 2020 Presidential Election.

Fox News stripped away its veneer of “Fair and Balanced” to join CNN and MSNBC as servants of the Democratic Party.

That was not a very smart move.

Newsmax.com reports that

The rise of Newsmax TV has caused a major shake-up at Fox News, which announced Monday that its early evening show host Martha MacCallum has been demoted back to an early afternoon slot, among other changes to the lineup.

“Newsmax’s consistently strong numbers during the day and especially at the 7 p.m. ET slot has caused panic at Fox, which rarely makes lineup changes,” Newsmax said in a statement Monday, adding with a wink, “The Fox is on the run.”

MacCallum’s “The Story” had long been the #1 cable news show in the 7 p.m. time slot, until Newsmax TV’s “Greg Kelly Reports” began a ratings surge in recent months.

With Kelly pulling an average of 800,000-plus viewers per minute each night, MacCallum had fallen to third place behind CNN and MSNBC.

In December “Greg Kelly Reports” beat MacCallum in a key demo, a news story broken by CNN.

Newsmax has consistently taken one-third to one-half of Fox’s audience in each day part, according to the Nielsen Coverage Rating. The Coverage Rating shows a network’s viewership proportionate to the homes that can tune in.

Last week the Nielsen Coverage Rating for 7 p.m. showed that in the crucial 35-64 demo, “Greg Kelly Reports” was pulling more than half of MacCallum’s “The Story” (.77 versus 1.53).

The Nielsen numbers tell only half the story. Newsmax streams free on most OTT platforms and Fox News does not.

Newsmax estimates the OTT viewership nearly doubles its Nielsen average viewership numbers.

Newsmax’s consistently strong numbers have caused Fox to make additional changes.

Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott Monday announced a full shift in its daytime lineup.

MacCallum will be moved to the 3 p.m. spot and replaced by new show “FOX News Primetime” with hosts to be announced. The changes will debut on Jan. 18.

Other changes include that Harris Faulkner will no longer host “Outnumbered Overtime” at 1 p.m., but will host a new show, “The Faulkner Focus,” at 11 a.m.

Chief White House Correspondent John Roberts is moving to the studio as co-anchor of a new two-hour program with Sandra Smith.

I’m so old that I remember when Fox News Channel was not a member of the Main Stream Media.

According to the Old Testament Book of Proverbs,

Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall.

That scripture has never been truer than in the case of Fox News.

Americans have noticed that Fox news has been traveling in a Liberal direction ever since Rupert Murdoch left the running of the channel to his sons.

There are more Liberal Pundits and Anchors on Fox News than there have ever been in its history.

And, those who were not known until recently to be Liberal, such as Steve Doocy, Sandra Smith, and Jedidiah Bila, seem to be relishing the opportunity to drive away the audience which made Fox News Channel number one in the ratings for many, many years.

What is maddening to me is the fact that President Trump went out of his way to be kind to them, helping their ratings over the last four years through live phone calls and exclusive interviews, including one morning when he made a spontaneous appearance on “Fox and Friends”, consenting to a live on the spot interview with Steve Doocy.

So, why has Fox News repeatedly bitten the hand that feeds them?

Poor management.

The change in political viewpoint at Fox Bews has to be the worst marketing decision since “New Coke”.

And, just like New Coke, it has left a bitter taste in the mouths of a lot of Americans.

So, have the powers-that-be at FNC issued an apology yet for the mistake which has driven them to the bottom of the television ratings?

Heck no.

They just keep doubling down on stupid, like AOC at a MENSA Meeting.

Fox News not only jumped the shark…they are gleefully feeding the crocodile known as the Democratic Party, hoping that it will eat them last.

Their arrogance is exceeded only by their stupidity.

Until He Comes,

KJ