Joel Cheatwood, who helped develop programming at Headline News such as Showbiz Tonight and Glenn Beck and oversaw CNN's highest-rated series, Nancy Grace, is heading to Fox News to develop programming for both the news network and the upcoming Fox Business Channel.
According to Variety, Cheatwood has been tapped for Fox News because of his "tabloid sensibility" that he developed while working on local news in Miami, where he often led with crime stories in order to grab the attention of viewers. According to Cheatwood, news can be both "top-notch" and "fun to watch." Cheatwood used that approach to revamp Headline News, and hopes to do the same when Fox Business Channel launches.
It would seem Cheatwood values "pizazz" over "substance," something I would opine on if it weren't for the fact that most all news networks are guided by this same ethos. Like any other TV network, the big news channels need as many eyeballs direct toward them as possible. Meanwhile, one always has the option of turning off the TV and reading a newspaper, assuming your average TV viewer / Web surfer can figure out how to work it. Hint: the headline is always at the top of the article and the print reads from left to right. Remember that you have to physically hold the newspaper in front of you, and that none of the images within are animated and telling you how to get lower mortgage rates.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-06-2007 @ 1:00PM
David said...
They do understand that Nacy "Grace" is a joke right? She is like the Sanjaya of cable news, people watch just to see how dumb she can be.
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4-06-2007 @ 1:18PM
TomB said...
Glenn Beck and Nancy Grace are absolutely the worst CNN has to offer. But I guess they bring in the ratings so the network loves them.
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4-06-2007 @ 3:06PM
Brian Sheridan said...
Wow! All of the shows he did - suck! He'll be right at home on FNC.
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4-06-2007 @ 3:21PM
Jaymez said...
So, we can blame people like him for removing the news from news broadcasts and turning them into Infotainment programs, huh?
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4-06-2007 @ 6:24PM
Margaret said...
All of you will think I'm mentally deranged, but I like Glenn Beck's program a lot. I can't watch Nancy Grace - she's too too too abrasive. Ick. I watch Showbiz Tonight once in a while, but the hosts and the TMZ guy (Harvey) get too wrapped up in giving the viewers their own personal opinions. They don't just stick to reporting their stories- they actually think we're interested in their personal opinions - NOT!! I don't know anything about Joel, but he certainly did change the face of CNN - for better and/or worse, as the case may be.
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4-07-2007 @ 5:12PM
InL.A. said...
Are you kidding? Nancy Grace is the best woman on Cable Television - she has personality, goes against the grain, and is not afraid to hold people to the fire. NONE of the talking head news reading 'TOOLS' on Cable have the guts to break away from the Network reporter "Sheep" mentality like Grace, and she brings in the ratings.
As for Glenn "The Sky is Falling" Beck, he is an angry loud mouthed abrasive blabber, that uses his political views to sensationalize world affairs for the predication of hate and fear mongering.
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