TV ratings war heats up in the EEUU

I wrote an item for American Thinker a few days ago here about a brewing ratings war between Fox News and CNN over who can do the best stories about Hugo Chavez. Ever since the Condi Rice senate confirmation hearings, Chavez's gotten their attention, and to their credit, they've taken the ball and run with it. These TV networks know a good dramatic story when they see one, and obviously, they've gotten an interested growing audience.

Today I got to watch one of these productions. It was an interesting experience because I watch television only about two or three times a year. Last year I turned on my television three times. I am totally unfamiliar with what televised news is. Anyway, it was an interesting, and different experience - the punchiness of the images, the impact of the short blurby news writing, the effort to command attention - all very fascinating.

Here is a rough transcript of today's Fox production:

The News with Sam Sheppard .... errrr, Sheppard Smith! (thanks, Scott!)

"Blood Money"

He was elected by the people. But now he's using their oil and their money against them. How dangerous is Hugo Chavez? That is the question being asked across America.

Critics say Hugo Chavez is using Venezuela's oil wealth to strengthen his regime. He's a leftwing leader who controls one sixth of America's oil supply. Critics say he is setting up a totalitarian regime. He could be the tough challenge for the new Bush administration.

(camera pans to Condi Rice at her hearings speaking of Chavez as a 'negative force.')

He's taking in billions from oil profits. And he's using it to destroy 50 years of democracy in Venezuela. He says he's using oil money to subsidize the poor. But oil is also sent to Cuba in exchange for Cuban teachers. Cuba is his model.

(camera pans to Henrique Capriles, speaking in English:)

"Without much accountability, they can do what they want with oil money."

Chavez has been accused of harboring FARC terrorists. His oil money is spent in the name of FARC terror.

(camera pans to Leopoldo Lopez, mayor of Chacao, speaking in English:)

"Chavists are capable of anything" (or the quote was something like that)

How dangerous is Chavez to his country, his neighbors and the U.S.?

(camera pans to Anibal Romero, a university guy)

"He has radical illusions" (or something like that.)

Oil money is being used as a weapon. He's buying rifles and soon, Soviet MiGs. It's four billion dollars.

In Caracas, I'm Steve Harrigan.

Now what was interesting is that this choppy (but effective with moving pictures) segment was followed immediately (and no break) with another segment on Fidel Castro.

It went like this:

Castro calls President Bush crazy. He says Bush's face (screen shot of a handsome composed Pres. Bush making a speech) is the face of a deranged person. If only he could put on a face. His comments follow the Bush administration's recent statement calling Cuba "an outpost of tyranny."

Anyway, as I said, it was interesting.

The chavista press has gone on to claim that Fox is just a Bush propaganda organ beating the drums of war against Venezuela. But if that were so, there would be no ratings war, no fierce competition with CNN over who can create the highest-impact Chavez coverage. The TV networks are competing with each other, not Chavez!

There is no mistake, Chavez is a great buffoon and therefore makes great television. He's great material. But he's just material. The bottom line for them is how much advertising they can draw from it. It turns out that these days, it's a lot.

Being commies, the Chavista media don't realize that the TV networks are looking out for the TV networks. They're trying to take each other out, not Venezuela. If a positive spin on Chavez would cause US viewers to tune in, they certainly would show such material.

But obviously, the US public sees something different and Chavez stories, such as they are, are attracting US viewers and ratings. May the best network win.