[Media-watch] Ted Turner calls Fox News "propaganda - BBC News - 27/01/2005

[Julie-ann Davies]

Concise version of this story from the Beeb.
JA

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4211395.stm


Fox News 'propaganda' says mogul
CNN founder Ted Turner attacked US TV network Fox News on Tuesday, labelling 
it "propaganda" for its stance towards the Bush administration.
Turner also likened the network's current popularity to Adolf Hitler's rise 
to power in 1930s Germany.

"Just because you're bigger doesn't mean you're right," Turner said in a 
speech to the National Association of Television Programming Executives.

Fox News, owned by Rupert Murdoch, is currently leading CNN in TV ratings.

Mr Turner also attacked "gigantic companies whose agenda goes beyond 
broadcasting" for not criticising the Bush administration enough.

'Problems'

"There's one network, Fox, that's a propaganda voice for them," the 
66-year-old media mogul said.

"It's certainly legal. But it does pose problems for our democracy when the 
news is 'dumbed-down'."

Fox News issued a statement, saying: "Ted is understandably bitter having 
lost his ratings, his network and now his mind - we wish him well."

During a question-and-answer session, Mr Turner, who stood down as the 
chairman of AOL Time Warner in 2003, said it was "not necessarily a bad 
thing" that CNN and other news networks were behind Fox in the ratings.


"Adolf Hitler was more popular in Germany in the early 1930s than people 
that were running against him," Mr Turner said.

A spokesman from the convention said the organisers had no comment about the 
media magnate's comments.

Mr Turner, the former husband of actress and peace campaigner Jane Fonda, 
heads an Atlanta-based business and media empire.

Fox News was recently the subject of a documentary film, Outfoxed, which 
attacked its slogan of "fair and balanced" news.