Fox Ponies Up as Ad Picture Clouds

Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck lead survey

(NEWSER) - The website ConservativeHome polled about 1,500 folks defined as Republican activists to find their favorite pundits. Here's the top 10:

1. Rush Limbaugh, 41%
2. Glenn Beck, 33%
3. Charles Krauthammer, 29%
4. Bill O'Reilly, 24%
5. Sean Hannity, 21%

Trouble is 'thin line' between journalism, commentary: Meghan McCain

(NEWSER) - Keith Olbermann shouldn’t have been taken to task for donating to Democrats because he’s not a journalist—he’s a commentator, argues Meghan McCain in the Daily Beast . But the kerfuffle spotlights a key issue as the lines between entertainment, journalism, and commentary blur: News outlets need to decide which category they fall into, and be clear about it. More»

Or maybe Glenn Beck just makes it seem that way

(NEWSER) - Bill O'Reilly, moderate voice of reason? Maybe not quite, but a profile in the Los Angeles Times portrays him as mellower these days and less inclined to meltdowns or flame-throwing interviews. He's even asked conservatives to back off the personal attacks on President Obama, a man he personally likes. "Some of the conversations are still heated, but you may not see the vein explode anymore," his executive producer tells Matea Gold. More»

In January overall, Fox was third most watched cable channel

(NEWSER) - "Fair and balanced" might be cause for lively debate, but Fox News' status as the top dog in cable news isn't—the network scored the top 13 programs in total viewership and the key 25-54 demographic through January. Bill O’Reilly’s show tops the rankings, with Sean Hanitty and Glenn Beck behind him. In the entire cable spectrum, last month found Fox third in viewers, behind USA and ESPN, Mediabistro reports. Its competitors fell far behind: CNN's spot was 24, and MSNBC’s 29. More»

His interview with Sarah Palin trumps that of his Fox colleague

(NEWSER) - Sean Hannity's interview with Sarah Palin helped him achieve a rare feat: his show beat the O'Reilly Factor as the top-rated cable news program of the week. Hannity's Nov. 18 interview drew 4.2 million viewers, a shade above Bill O'Reilly's talk with her the next night at 4.12 million. O'Reilly's long been the ratings king, but Hannity's been closing fast. Watching with interest is IrishCentral , which sees it as an epic battle between two "Celtic warriors." More»