Power Over Profits: Here’s the Dirty Little Secret Behind the Media’s True Business Model

October 18, 20201/3

Tucker Carlson’s prime-time Fox News show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, has shattered record after record to become the highest rated cable news program in television history. On any given night, Carlson’s must-watch program draws nearly 5 million Americans to the television set — a truly astonishing number we may never see again.

Tucker Carlson's TV ratings this week are insane.

Viewers by day:

Monday: 4.747 million

Tuesday: 4.727 million

Wednesday: 4.861 million (!!!)

Thursday: 4.74 million

We might never see level of domination like this on TV ever again. Tucker is unstoppable.

— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) September 25, 2020

According to an analysis by iSpot.tv, Tucker Carlson accounts for 16 percent all ad revenue at Fox News. And during the six-month period of February through July of this year alone, Tucker generated $37.2 million for Fox News and smashed the competition.

Looking at the entire six-month period, SMI says “Tucker Carlson Tonight” pulled in $37.2 million as the best Fox News prime-time performer. Right behind was “The Ingraham Angle” ($36.6 million) and “Hannity” ($36.2 million). MSNBC’s top show was “The Rachel Maddow Show” — $20.8 million, while CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time” and “Anderson Cooper 360” tied with $19.1 million.

[MediaPost]

The historic popularity and profitability of Tucker’s show raises a simple, yet important question:why have none of the major networks, including Fox, attempted to copy his success?

Wouldn’t the fabled “marketplace of ideas” dictate a certain convergence toward the topics and styles that draw the biggest audiences?

Perhaps the ad boycotts aimed at Tucker have scared off would-be copycats. But this simply raises the question of why companies would leave money on the table by refusing to advertise on television’s most popular cable news show. Something is off here, and it suggests that the media industry does not work according to a simple profit motive.

What if the true goal of a media conglomerate is not to produce a reliable and entertaining news service tailored to its audience, but rather to influence that audience on behalf of third parties? What if the purpose of a media company is not to be profitable for its own sake, but influential for the sake of others?

Business models aren’t always what they present themselves to be. Movie theaters make money not from ticket sales, but from concession stands.

Airlines likewise need to sell tickets, but they make more profit from frequent flier rewards programs. Supermarkets are increasingly big data collectors for insurance companies.

Users of Google, YouTube, and other internet/social media services might think of themselves as “customers,” but they are actually the product, as those servicescollect detailed data on users and sell itto third parties for advertising purposes.

The Washington Post provides a clear example of a media company’s true business model.

Readers might recall that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos purchased the Post for $250 million. The paper is of course notoriously biased against Trump, even by the standards of today’s mainstream media. This may be good for business and it may not be — but ultimately this is not what matters. What matters is that the Post is directly or indirectly profitable to its owner, Jeff Bezos. If it lost money, but influenced the public or other important constituencies in a manner that resulted in greater success for Amazon (a company 10,000 times its size), it would still be a worthwhile investment for Bezos.

We can generalize this principle by noting that the parent-subsidiary model is very common in business.Any given subsidiary does not have to be profitablein its own right so long as it benefits the parent company. In the case of The Washington Post, there is a clear “parent company” in the person of Jeff Bezos. But even absent the existence of a formal parent company, one can think of the American power structure itself as the true “parent company” of any sufficiently large and powerful media conglomerate.

Although in some cases this is a metaphor, it captures a very important feature of how the media and our country function. For a media empire operating at the highest levels, the influence it wields on the public’s mind is far more valuable to the ruling power structure than any self-contained profit that could be generated by optimizing their news product to suit the taste of the audience.

https://www.revolver.news/2020/10/free-market-vs-marketplace-of-ideas-tucker-carlsons-stratospheric-ratings-teach-us-that-the-media-is-about-influence-not-profit/

Baker are being attacked again, notice comes up to remove URL, and there is no URL, I'm trying to post?

>>18746504

Baker I can't post the rest of the article even when removing the URL

>>18746524

yes, it don't matter what I do, it won't let me post the rest of the article, let me try posting the 3rd part before the 2nd

3/3

Twitter was allowed to operate at such a massive loss because it has a profound influence on shaping narratives that in turn influence the population.

Major media companies are not about profits, but influence — there is no “marketplace of ideas” that functions in the way people might imagine. And this applies to any industry that has a profound effect on the narratives and beliefs that shape the public’s perception of reality, including movies and video games.

In our increasingly corrupt society, every institution is a scam, and there is often a vast disconnect between the generally understood purpose of an institution and its actual purpose. Entire belief systems are generated to obscure this disconnect — and this where ideology comes into play.

The nice-sounding “ideology” of free-market fundamentalism serves to obfuscate the rapacious nature of oligarchs who operate beyond the bounds of any of the rules described in this naïve economic worldview. Communism and socialism, similarly, are ideologies that serve only to obscure the ulterior interests of the very same oligarchs and the very same corrupt ruling class.

Our observation about the media thus points to an interesting conclusion.The media’s job is to use its profound influence to ensure that the masses interpret political and cultural events though the distortive lens of ideology. Ideology is a “mediator” that separates the true nature of an institutional scam from the public’s perception of it, and the role of mainstream media is to maintain the dominance of ideology as the lens through which the public interprets reality.

Media and ideology are similarly deceptive, and they both serve toperpetuate the illusions that enable our corrupt ruling class to lie, cheat, and steal with impunity. By piercing the illusion of what the media really is, we get closer to a clear view of the corrupt special interests that that have enriched themselves at the expense of the American people. With this perspective at hand, the just, the true, and the brave are better positioned to strike back.

https://www.revolver.news/2020/10/free-market-vs-marketplace-of-ideas-tucker-carlsons-stratospheric-ratings-teach-us-that-the-media-is-about-influence-not-profit/

>>18746570

still can't post the 2nd portion of the article, but everyone gets the gist

New Theory: Zelensky got Tucker fired because he called him a short dictator or something, or welfare begger!Wouldn't doubt a strong push by them, but Z is losing all support on his own. So my theory is BS

24 Apr, 2023 18:28

Biden prepares for Ukraine failure – Politico

(Anything released from Politico is marching orders to the press to repeat, so this is BS)

The White House has reportedly hedged its bets in case Kiev’s anticipated offensive doesn’t deliver

US President Joe Biden’s administration is “quietly preparing for the possibility” that Ukraine’s much-heralded offensive doesn’t deliver the “total victory” Kiev wanted, Politico reported on Monday, citing severalanonymous officials.

While the US government’s public support for Ukraine is “unwavering,” officials have expressed fears in private that the White House could be caught in a crossfire of criticism should the attack fall short of expectations, the outlet said. The ‘hawks’ would claim the US and its allies had not given Ukraine enough weapons and ammunition, while the ‘doves’ would see it as proof that Kiev can’t win. (Kek, OK the tell is it is bullshit, the “public support for Ukraine is “unwavering”. Boom there’s the tell. Stupid media)

“If Ukraine can’t gain dramatically on the battlefield, the question inevitably arises as to whether it is time for a negotiated stop to the fighting,” Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, told Politico. “It’s expensive, we’re running low on munitions, we’ve got other contingencies around the world to prepare for.” (Second tellCouncil on Foreign Relations loves war, they wouldn’t ever negotiate peace, it’s in the blood to plan wars)

One official, who requestedanonymity, said the US had “surged” weapons and equipment to Ukraine and “nearly completed” all that Kiev had asked for. But behind closed doors, the US is “worried about what Ukraine can accomplish.” (Of course they can’t accomplish it on their own, they have special forces from every country coming in.)

The US military believes the conflict has bogged down in a trench war, with neither side able to advance very far or very fast. Politico originally reported that Ukraine had suffered 100,000 troops killed, but later changed that to refer to total casualties, including the wounded. The outlet also noted that Kiev’s forces have gone through “historic amounts of ammunition and weaponry,” and that “even the West’s prodigious output” has been unable to meet their needs. (Another tell, Ukraine’s troops killed are much, much higher, 130,000 to 160,000)

The Pentagon now doubts that Ukraine can achieve its objective of reaching Crimea, though the US military still hopes it could “hamper” the Russian supply lines. (Everyone has doubtedsince the start Ukraine could achieve any objective, this is not a new thought)

A negotiated truce would be sold to both the Western and Ukrainian public as a temporary ceasefire, “leaving the door open for Ukraine to regain more of its territory at a future date,” some US officials told Politico. This has been done before, with the 2015 Minsk Agreement – according to recent admissions by the German and French leaders at the time – though the outlet did not bring that up. (Yes, a ceasefire will be used to build up and send in troops, equipment, etc. which are already being delivered to neighboring countries, and Russia knows this because the Minsk accord was always a lie. They will not be fooled twice.)

US officials also proposed to sweeten the deal with “NATO-like security guarantees” to Kiev, more money from the EU, and even more weapons for the Ukrainian military, while “re-engaging China” to push Russia into negotiating. (They can’t give NATO like security guarantees, Ukraine isn’t even an ally, they will always lie.)

https://www.rt.com/news/575276-us-ukraine-failure-preparations/

Sorry for all the comments but this article is worse than lies, they think everyone reading it is stupid.

>>18746695

I love the comments on the RT site

Maybe the uniforms are the problem, the men feel like pussies in them

24 Apr, 2023 17:32

Australian military not ‘fit for purpose’ – government review

Canberra is set to adapt its military assets amid ongoing US-China tension

A comprehensive assessment of Australia’s defense forces has found that the country’s military must undergo drastic changes if it is to have the capacity to address fluctuating strategic demands in the Indo-Pacific. The report comes amid concern in Canberra over the potential impact of posturing by Beijing and Washington in the region.

The center-left Labor government-ordered Defense Strategic Review, released on Monday, declared Australia’s armed forces to be not “fit for purpose,” and called for increased spending on assets, including long-range missiles and military drones.

“This is awatershedmoment for defense policy in our country’s history,” said Minister of Defence Richard Marles in a Monday news conference discussing the report. He added that changes recommended in the review will ensure that Australia will become a “moreconfident and self-reliantnation.”

The assessment, which involved input and analysis from a former foreign minister and former defense chief, warned that Canberra must adapt to a “radically different” strategic environment brought upon by a Chinese military build-up it said was “the largest andmost ambitious” by any global power since World War II. It also said that the Indo-Pacific region remains in a state of strategic flux given that for the first time in decades the United States is not “the unipolar leader of the Indo-Pacific.”

It added that tensions between the US and China are “thedefining featureof our region and our time” and that Beijing’s military expansion is “occurring without transparency” as to its “strategicintent.”

An official from the Chinese embassy in Australia attended a briefing on the report, The Guardian wrote on Monday.

Responding to the report the same day in Beijing, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, said countries should not “hype up the so-called China threat narrative.” Mao also said Beijing remains “committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific and the whole world” and that it does “not pose any challenge to any country.”

In March, Beijing expressed its anger at elements of the AUKUS military alliance between the US, UK and Australia. It said that Washington’s move to provide Canberra with three nuclear-powered Virginia class submarines amounted to the allies “walking further and further down the path of error and danger.” China’s mission to the UN subsequently accused the members of the trilateral alliance of provoking an arms race.

(That sure is a LOT of hyperbole in that article!)

https://www.rt.com/news/575274-australia-miltary-government-review/

24 Apr, 2023 19:30

Ukrainian commanderlamentsstate of army – El Pais (complains, whines, bitches, tantrum, begs, demands, any of those words work with Ukraine, doesn’t anyone get tired of talking to anyone from Ukraine?)

Kiev needs up to six times more troops and firepower than Russia for its counteroffensive to succeed, General Sergey Melnik says

Kiev needs more troops, ammunition and equipment to continue its military conflict with Moscow, Ukrainian Brigadier General Sergey Melnik told Spain’s El Pais in an interview published on Monday. Ukraine has already lost most of its professional soldiers as the conflict drags on, he admitted.

“The problem is that we have a lack of people and equipment,” said the general, who commands troops near the Russian border in Kharkov Region. “Professional soldiers… are already exhausted, injured or recovering. Or… dead,” he added.

Melnik said Kiev is now relying on “people without military experience,” who first need to be trained and have an “adequate [level of] preparation to face the enemy.” According to El Pais, the general also “stressed several times during the interview” that Ukraine needs more air-defense systems, citing the threat posed by Russian aircraft.

He also admitted that Kiev’s forces would need to gain massive superiority in manpower and firepower if they are to have any hope of succeeding with a planned counteroffensive. Ukraine will need “four to six times” as many troops as Moscow has fielded in its ongoing military campaign if it is to break through the defenses built by the Russian forces in their current positions, he told El Pais.

He claimed that Ukraine has “enough weapons” to launch the expected offensive but said the more weapons Kiev’s troops get from the West, the better.

Earlier in April, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmigal told The Hill that the much-touted Ukrainian counteroffensive may not get underway until summer. He also called on Kiev’s Western backers to provide it with more weapons, including fighter jets. He also said Ukraine needed “more artillery, ammunition” and missiles.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal and New York Times reported that the US and other Western nations are struggling to meet Ukraine’s demands and are “falling short” of supplying Kiev with enough military equipment and ammunition.

A retired US Army colonel and former Pentagon adviser, Douglas Macgregor, also said this month that Russia was “winning” the fight in Ukraine as Kiev does not have enough resources for a successful offensive.

https://www.rt.com/russia/575278-ukraine-general-lament-state-army/

>>18746766

Yep!!!

>>18746715

so seriously it sounds like they were edited, and I was surprised Trump agreed to have a interview with him if he said those things.

So Tucker eats pizza, Trump eats pizza the same night,all we need is Kash to truth out PIZZA, has he done it already. That would be the GO sign to pick up pedophiles in my opinion

>>18746715

the only reason people watch Hannity is because he's right after tucker. Hannity's numbers are going to drop like a bomb

he Fox News Channel finished the first measurable quarter of 2023 as the top cable news channel in the United States, according to data collected and analyzed by Nielsen Media Research this week.

The data, which was made available to reporters by a Fox News Media spokesperson, showed the cable news channel bested rivals CNN and MSNBC in total day and primetime viewers. It also saw a bigger audience among the key demographic of viewers aged 25 to 54 years old compared to rival networks, the data showed.

The report measured viewership between December 26 oflast yearand March 24 of this year, which is considered the first quarter (Q1) of 2023 by Nielsen. During that period,Fox Newssaw an average of more than 1.364 million viewers tune in on a weekly basis, compared to CNN’s 478,000 viewers and MSNBC’s 703,000 viewers.

Across the three cable news brands, the number of average viewers declined year over year, with CNN seeing the biggest decrease. The data showed CNN’s audience eroded by 27 percent during the first quarter of the year compared to Q1 2022. Fox News had the second-biggest audience drop, with viewership down 15 percent in Q1 2023 compared to last year. MSNBC’s audience dipped 9 percent.

Prime-time viewership was also down on a year-over-year basis, though Fox News continued to dominate with more average viewers during the week compared to the other two networks.

In prime-time, Fox News saw an average of 2.088 million people tune in between the hours of 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., according to Nielsen data, down 18 percent compared to the same quarter in 2022. MSNBC prime-time audience average was second with 1.11 million viewers, down 8 percent, while CNN had the biggest year-over-year decline at 34 percent to end the quarter with an average of 568,000 viewers in prime-time.

The data included news broadcasts, commentary programs and non-live original shows, but didn’t include breaking news or special programming like the State of the Union broadcasts. By not including breaking news or original programming — which typically results in a one-off ratings bump for news — the data offers a more holistic view of a cable news network’s overall health when it comes to audience interest.

To that point, Fox News had the top prime-time programming across all cable news inMarch, with “Tucker Carlson Tonight” grabbing the most eyeballs with an average of 3.251 million viewers. Current events panel show “The Five” was in second place with an average of3.058million viewers, followed by “Jesse Waters Primetime” with 2.67million viewers. Veteran broadcaster SeanHannity’s show had 2.5million average viewers, ranking fourth across prime-time in news.

Fox News programs also dominated with live and same-day viewers across cable news, with 15 of the top 20 shows aired on the network (including all top 10 shows). MSNBC programs took 5 of the top 20 slots across cable news, with “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell” ranking the highest at 13, according to Nielsen.

Programs on CNN and Newsmax were among the top 80 shows aired on cable news as ranked in terms of overall viewers who watched live and same-day programming over a seven-day period. CNN’s highest-rated show, “Anderson Cooper 360,” placed 26th on that list, while Newsmax’s “Rob Schmitt Tonight” ranked highest at 48th. No programs aired by Nexstar Media Group’s upstart cable channel NewsNation made that list.

Across all cable channels, the Fox News Channel dominated with the largest average viewership over a seven-day period during the first quarter of 2023, as measured from Monday at 6 a.m. to the same day the following week:

• 1. Fox News: 1.364 million viewers

• 2. ESPN: 812,000 viewers

• 3. MSNBC: 703,000 viewers

• 4. CNN: 478,000 viewers

• 5. HGTV: 472,000 viewers

• 11. History Channel: 366,000 viewers

• 19. Paramount Network: 237,000 viewers

• 36. HLN: 150,000 viewers

• 24. FX: 206,000 viewers

•48. CNBC: 117,000 viewersKEK

https://thedesk.net/2023/03/fox-news-cable-ratings/

24 Apr, 2023 15:10

Presidential candidate vows to ‘unwind US empire’

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of JFK, is set to challenge Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination in 2024

US presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr has pledged towind down American military interventionismabroad if he is elected to the White House in 2024. (*Trump Plan)

Kennedy, who is the son of Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, confirmed his candidacy for the Democratic nomination at a campaign rally in Boston last week, placing him in competition with current US leader Joe Biden.

Also known for being a prominent anti-vaccine activist, the 69-year-old environmental lawyer has acknowledged that he is not an “ideal” candidate given his often-controversial brand of discourse, but has argued that he is “not one of those people who said I have to be careful because one day I’m going to be in the White House.”

Chief among Kennedy’s campaign proposals, as noted in a six-point plan published on his official website, would be drawing a line through US military interventionism abroad and “start[ing] the process of unwinding [an] empire.” (*Trump Plan)

“We will bring the troops home. We will stop racking up unpayable debt to fight one war after another. The military will return to its proper role of defending our country,” the plan stated, adding that “America cannot be an empire abroad and a democracy at home.” (*Trump Plan)

Regarding the Ukraine conflict, Kennedy stated that the US mission is “to end the suffering of the Ukrainian people.” However, he argued that Ukrainians are “victims” not just of Russia, but also of “American geopolitical machinations going back to at least 2014.” (*Trump Plan)

Kennedy, who has never held significant public office, has drawn criticism from health experts – and even members of his own family – amid various outspoken comments throughout his career. In 2005, a prominent science publication issued a stinging rebuke of claims he made in which he appeared to link the development of autism to vaccines.

His wife, the actress Cheryl Hines, condemned Kennedy last year for invoking the name of Anne Frank and the Holocaust while describing US vaccine requirements. He later withdrew the comments.

Kennedy also previously rebuked Donald Trump’s Covid-19 lockdowns in the US as an assault on civil rights, the economy, and the middle class. (*Not Trump’s Plan, Fauci & Birx plan)

(Guys I don’t get him running, he’s almost universally hated by the all the democratic elite, and they will throw billions of dollars to anyone to defeat him. Plus all he’s proposing is being another Trump. Is this to open the door for another Kennedy? I just don’t understand it. Also, he knows his life is in danger.Did Trump ask him to do this?)

https://www.rt.com/news/575267-us-kennedy-unwin-empire/