AM: Fox & Fiends!

“Fair use” or abuse? Apparently, Fox News, the devil, did not deserve his  due on CNN’s American Morning today. In particular, AM producers failed to give FNC Fox News Sunday the same accreditation for its snippets that it provided for NBC’s Meet the Press. It was as if that evil name would not easily pass those saintly lips.

During a twice-aired Jim Acosta segment entitled “Oil Slick Blame Game,” AM producers ran snippets of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s appearances on NBC and FNC’s respective Sunday morning news programs (to defend the President’s handling of the BP oil spill). When AM producers showed the Meet the Press (NBC) clip, they clearly identified it as “NBC’s ‘Meet the Press” for seven solid seconds: However, when they ran the Fox News Sunday slice, they put up a the generic chyron “Fox News,” and, they did that merely a split second before it had ended.*

Jamie, you may not understandably like the cable news network that regularly trounces your beloved AM. But still! If you must, please try to be less patent.

* American Morning – 05/03/10 (@6:32 a.m. ET and @8:12 a.m. ET)

F&FW: The Tony Snow Show

Another media giant has fallen. Tony Snow, co-creator of Fox News Sunday, host of his eponymous radio show, and presidential speech writer (Bush 41) and press secretary (Bush 43) died early this morning of colon cancer at the age of 53. He is remembered as a man of good will toward all, including his political foes, who cherished God, his country, and his family above all else. Among the luminaries feting Tony today on Fox & Friends Saturday were President George H.W. Bush, former First Lady Barbara Bush, Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes, former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, NPR commentator and FNC contributor Juan Williams, and Roll Call executive editor and Beltway Boys co-anchor Mort Kondracke.

President George W. Bush also weighed in. Fox News’ Washington bureau correspondent Julie Kirtz read his eulogizing statement which said, “Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of our dear friend, Tony Snow. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Jill and their children….The Snow family has lost a beloved husband and father and America has lost a devoted public servant and a man of character….All of us here at the White House will miss Tony as well as the millions of Americans he inspired with his brave struggle against cancer. One of the things that sustained Tony Snow was his faith and Laura and I join people across our country praying that this good man has now found comfort in the arms of his Creator.”

Today F&F’s A-Team did not step in as it had when Pope Benedict XVI visited the U.S. and when NBC’s Meet the Press legend Tim Russert died. However, F&F’s B-Team stepped up to the plate today: Ainsley Earhardt, Dave Briggs, and Clayton Morris acquitted themselves well and maintained a sober and respectful atmosphere. Even tragedy-averse Courtney Friel seemed subdued and did her best to dignify Tony’s death.

F&FW, a job well done: Tony deserved it.

The Real Deal

The real Fox & Friends A-Team was in action today. In memory of Tim Russert, journalistic legend and esteemed anchor of NBC’s Meet the Press, the usual Fox & Friends Weekend team was preempted. In its place, Fox News featured its top morning news talent consisting of co-hosts Steve Doocy, Brian Kilmeade, and Alisyn Camerota along with meteorologist Rich Reichmuth and news reader Ainsley Earhardt. What an absolute delight!

Watching the synergy, professionalism, and wit of F&F’s best made the usual F&FW fare pale in comparison, to put it charitably. If the Fox News brass knows what makes a good team, why is it so woefully deficient on the weekend? Is it nepotism, favoritism, neglect, or even sabotage that categorizes its usual personnel decisions for the weekend edition?

FNC, quit making F&FW Red Eye in the morning. One must be slightly sauced to enjoy it in its regular state. (The target demographic may well be but its majority is usually sleeping in.) Cut the inordinate silliness, inanity, and idiocy and return F&FW to its roots. I.e., make it fun, irreverent, sexy, and informative again.