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ALL THAT AND MUCH MORE AHEAD
THIS MORNING.
LET ME START WITH A BIG QUESTION
FOR THE MEDIA INDUSTRY.
WHO IN THE WORLD WOULD WANT TO
TAKE ON ROGGER AELS.
THE KING OF TALK NEWS SITS ON
THE THRONE WITH KILLER RATINGS
AND A RIGHT WING AGENDA.
EVERY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS SEEMS
TO SPAWN IMITATIMITATORS.
MAYBE PEOPLE ARE INTIMIDATED BY
THE POWERFUL ALES AND HIS BOSS
RUPERT MURDOCH.
A FEW HAVE TRIED AND FAILED AND
RECENTLY GLEN BECK HAS SHOWN
SOME SUCCESS EXPENDING HIS
ON-LINE NETWORK THE BLAZE BUT
EVEN THAT IS NOT CURRENTLY RATED
BY KNEELSEN.
MAYBE THERE IS SOMEONE WHO HAS A
SHOT AT DOING THIS.
THE FOUNDER OF THE CONSERVATIVE
WEBSITE NEWS MAX, CHRISTOPHER
RUDDY, SAYS HE'S READY TO TAKE
ON FOX.
I HOPE HE HAS A HELMET AND BODY
ARMOR.
HE SAID HE'S LAUNCHING NEWS MAX
TV IN JUNE AND JOINS ME NOW.
THANKS FOR JOINING ME.
>> BRIAN, GREAT TO BE ON WITH
YOU.
>> TELL US WHAT YOUR PLANS ARE?
WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'RE HOPING TO
DO WITH NEWS MAX TV?
>> WELL, PERHAPS SAYING THAT WE
ARE TAKING ON FOX MIGHT BE A BIT
OF AN OVERSTATEMENT.
I THINK NEWS MAX WANTS TO EVOLVE
ITS CURRENT INTERNET BUSINESS
AND JOIN THE WORLD OF TV
EVERYWHERE.
NEWS MAX IN MANY WAYS IS BIGGER
THAN FOX NEWS ON-LINE.
COM SCORE WHICH RATES THE 60
MILLION PEOPLE THAT READ NEWS
POLI
POLITICS, TYPICALLY HAS US ONE,
TWO OR THREE.
WE HAD 11.5 MILLION UNIQUE
VISITORS LAST MONTH.
WE WERE AHEAD OF FOX NEWS FOR
POLITICS.
BY JUNE, WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE
ABOUT 15 HOURS OF LIVE
PROGRAMMING.
BY THE END OF THE SUMMER WE'RE
HOPING TO BE UP TO 18 OR 21
HOURS.
>> YOU TOLD "BUSINESS WEEK" IT
WILL BE A KINDER, GENTLER
VERSION OF FOX NEWS.
TELL ME WHAT YOU MEAN ABOUT
THAT?
>> FOX IS GREAT AT WHAT IT DOES
AND IT HAS A REALLY POWERFUL
AUDIENCE, POWERFUL MESSAGE AND
AUDIENCE.
I THINK WHEN RUPERT MURDOCH
LAUNCHED FOX NEWS IN 1996, HE
WAS A GENIUS FOR REALIZING THAT
THERE WAS A HUGE MARKET OUTSIDE
OF THE CNN WORLD THAT WAS NOT
BEING REALLY ADDRESSED BY THE
MAINSTREAM MEDIA.
AN THAT MARKET IS PROBABLY ABOUT
100 MILLION CONSERVATIVE LEANING
AMERICANS.
AND I THINK FOX NEWS IS TAKING
IN 3 OR 4 MILLION OF THOSE.
THERE'S CLEARLY A LOT OF ROOM
FOR NEWS MAX TO COME IN WHERE
WE'RE FOCUSED NOT JUST ON
POLITICS WHICH FOX IS FOCUSED
ON, BUT A LOT OF LIFESTYLE
ISSUES, HEALTH, NEWS AND FI
INNINGS INIAL.
>> THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO
DIFFERENTLY, MORE THAN POLITICS?
>> EXACTLY.
WE WOULD LIKE TO BE MORE
INFORMATIONAL.
>> WHY DO YOU THINK NOBODY HAS
BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT DOING THIS
YET?
IT'S BEEN 15 OR 16 YEARS SINCE
FOX NEWS LAUNCHED AND THERE
HASN'T BEEN A COMPLIMENTARY
CHANNEL LIKE WHAT YOU'RE
DESCRIBING.
>> YOU SHOULD ASK THE GUYS THAT
RUN TIME WARNER YOUR COMPANY AND
A NUMBER OF THE OTHER MAJOR
MEDIA COMPANIES, COMCAST AND
OTHERS.
WHEN YOU SEE -- THINK ABOUT THE
STATISTICS.
THE PEW STUDY SHOWS 39% OF
AMERICANS SAY THEY'RE
CONSERVATIVE, 37% SAY THEY'RE
MODERATE.
WHEN YOU ASK THEM ON THE ISSUES
WHAT THEY BELIEVE.
THEY'RE FAIRLY CONSERVATIVE.
ONLY 23% OF AMERICANS SAY
THEY'RE LIBERAL.
THAT'S A VERY SMALL NUMBER.
YOU HAVE MOST OF THE MAJOR MEDIA
NETWORKS FIGHTING OVER THAT
SMALL MARKET SHARE.
>> SPEAKING OF FOX, WE TALKED
ABOUT WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT FOX.
WHAT DO YOU NOT LIKE ABOUT FOX?
WHAT DO YOU DISLIKE OR THINK
COULD BE IMPROVED ON?
>> WELL, I THINK FOX BY ITS OVER
ADMISSION HAS CHANGED
PROGRAMMING AND IS TRYING TO GET
BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL MISSION OF
BEING FAIR AND BALANCED.
I THINK THE LAST ELECTION PEOPLE
SAW IT AS VERY, VERY POLARIZING.
IF YOU LOOK BACK AT 1996 WHEN
FOX STARTED, PEW SAYS THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY HAD A
FAVORABILITY RATING OF 65%.
TODAY, I BELIEVE THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY IS FIGHTING FOR ITS
SURVIVAL AND ITS FAVORABILITY
RATING IS 35%.
OBAMA HAS AROUND A 50% FAVORABLE
RATING, THE REPUBLICANS IN
CONGRESS HAVE AN UNFAVORABLE
RATING OF AROUND 80%.
SO DURING THESE YEARS THAT FOX
HAS DOMINATED SORT OF THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE OF THE NEWS
EQUATION, I THINK THERE'S BEEN
AN OVERALL EFFECT THAT'S NOT
BEEN POSITIVE FOR THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY.
>> IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU MAY AGREE
WITH GABRIEL SHERMAN'S BOOK
ABOUT FOX NEWS SAYS THAT ROGER
ALES HAS HURT THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY.
>> I THINK ROGER HAS DONE AN
INCREDIBLE BUSINESS.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S HURT THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY.
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT ALL THE
VOICES THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE
HEARD FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
ARE BEING HEARD.
PEOPLE KEEP SAYING ROGER IS A
FAR RIGHT OR CONSERVATIVE.
I'VE NEVER FELT THAT ROGER
AISLES IS THAT CONSERVATIVE.
I THINK HE'S AN AMERICAN
EXCEPTIONALIST.
HE FIERCELY BELIEVES IN AMERICAN
VALUES AND WANTS TO PROMOTE
THOSE.
I THINK SOME OF THE PROGRAMMING
ON FOX HAS COME ACROSS TO A
CERTAIN DEGREE POLARIZING.
I THINK THE CHANGES THAT THEY'VE
MADE HAVE HELPED THEM.
I THINK YOU'RE SEEING THE
RATINGS ARE WAY UP.
>> I TELL YOU THE REASON I'M
SOMEWHAT SKEPTICAL BECAUSE CABLE
AND SATELLITE PROVIDERS SEEM TO
BE VERY RELUCTANT TO ADD NEW
CHANNELS TO THEIR SYSTEMS.
THEY WANT TO REMOVE CHANNELS,
NOT ADD THEM.
HOW WILL YOU GO ABOUT CONVINCING
COMCAST AND DIRECT TV AND OTHER
COMPANIES TO CARRY NEWS MAX TV?
>> I THINK WE HAVE A GREAT
BRAND, UNLIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE
THAT COME ON TELEVISION OR
CABLE, THEY OFTENTIMES HAVE NO
BRAND AND NO FOLLOWING.
WE ALREADY HAVE 15 MILLION
PEOPLE A MONTH WE'RE REACHING,
49 MILLION IN OUR TOTAL REACH
ON-LINE, SO I THINK THAT GIVES
US A POWERFUL ADVANTAGE.
I ALSO THINK FOX HAS
DEMONSTRATED THERE'S A HUGE
MARKET.
>> HOW WILL YOU PAY FOR ALL OF
THIS?
HOW WILL YOU FINANCE THIS?
>> NEWS MAX HAS A VERY -- WE'RE
A VERY PROFITABLE COMPANY.
OUR MARKETING BUDGET THIS YEAR
IS GOING TO BE IN THE AREA OF
ABOUT $0 MILLION, SO WE -- $70
MILLION SO WE HAVE AN ABILITY TO
REACH A LOT OF AMERICANS TO TELL
THEM ABOUT OUR WEBSITE, OUR NEW
TELEVISION CHANNEL.
SO I DON'T THINK MONEY IS GOING
TO BE AN ISSUE.
>> ONE OF THE SURPRISING LINES
IN THE BUSINESS WEEK PROFILE WAS
YOU'RE NOW FRIENDS OR FRIENDLY
WITH BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON.
IS THAT RIGHT?
TELL ME ABOUT THAT?
>> WELL, I WAS INTRODUCED TO
BILL CLINTON BY OUR MUTUAL
FRIEND ED KOCH, THE LATE MAYOR
IN 2007, WE HAVE BECOME FRIENDS.
I'VE RECENTLY GOT TO KNOW
HILLARY CLINTON.
I THINK SHE WOULD MAKE A GOOD
PRESIDENTPP .
THEY ASKED ME ABOUT THAT.
I'M NOT SAYING I'M VOTING FOR
HER AT THIS POINT.
I DID NOTICE A RECENT "USA
TODAY" POLL SAID 25% OF
REPUBLICANS WOULD FAVOR HER,
POTENTIALLY FAVOR FOR HER AS
PRESIDENT IN THE NEXT ELECTION
AND I THINK THAT ONE OF THE
THINGS ABOUT THE CLINTONS IS
THAT AMERICANS ADMIRE THEM
BECAUSE OF THEIR COMMITMENT TO
KEEPING AMERICA STRONG AND FREE.
>> WE'RE COMING OFF SEVERAL DAYS
OF THE CPAC CONFERENCE.
WHEN YOU LOOK OUT AT THE
REPUBLICAN FIELD FOR 2016,
POSSIBLE CHALLENGERS TO HILLARY
CLINTON IF SHE RUNS, WHO DO YOU
LIKE AND NOT LIKE AS MUCH?
>> WELL, MY FAVORITE IS JEB
BUSH.
I LIVE IN FLORIDA.
I SAW HOW HE OPERATED AS
GOVERNOR.
HE DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB AS
GOVERNOR.
HE'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN HIS
BROTHER.
HE APPEALS TO ALL THE
CONSTITUENCIES OF THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY.
BUT HE'S EXTREMELY FORWARD
THINKING.
HE DID A COVER STORY FOR NEWSMAX
MAGAZINE AND THE HEADLINE WAS
"GROWTH IS THE ANSWER."
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IF IT'S TO
SURVIVE AND THAT IS A QUESTION
IN MY MIND, REALLY HAS TO BECOME
THE PARTY OF OPPORTUNITY AND
GROWTH.
WE CAN'T BE THE PARTY OF NO.
>> HEARING YOU TALK ABOUT THEP
AREP PARTY MAKES ME WONDER COULD
YOU SUPPORT HILLARY CLINTON IN
2016 INSTEAD?
>> I THINK IT'S A LITTLE EARLY
TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
SHE'S NOT THE NOMINEE OF HER
PARTY.
SHE HASN'T OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED.
I WOULD CERTAINLY CONSIDER THAT
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHO THE
REPUBLICANS NOMINATE.
>> DO YOU THINK ROGER WILL
SUPPORT YOUR EFFORT HERE?
>> I DON'T REALLY THINK IT'S --
HE SHOULD BE SUPPORTING HIS
NETWORK AND WHAT HE DOES AT FOX.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE LOOKING FOR
SUPPORT.
WHEN I DO NEWSMAX, WE'VE NEVER
SOUGHT THE SUPPORT OF FOX NEWS
FOR WHAT WE'VE DONE AND WE'VE
BEEN I THINK A FAIRLY GOOD
SUCCESS ONLINE.
SO I DON'T REALLY SEE ROGER AELS
BEING A MAJOR FIGURE IN WHAT WE
DO.
>> SHOULD A NETWORK LIKE CNN BE
A LITTLE ANXIOUS ABOUT A
START-UP LIKE THIS ALSO?
>> WELL, I THINK WE WILL PULL
FROM ALL THE NETWORKS INCLUDING
MSNBC.
I WANT TO HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD,
ARTICULATE LIBERALS.
ALAN DIR SHOW WITS USES NEWSMAX
AS HIS HOME PAGE FOR HIS BLOGS.
OUR READERS DON'T AGREE WITH
EVERYTHING ALAN SAYS, BUT HE'S
REALLY INTERESTING, HE'S
FASCINATING, HE'S UNPREDICTABLE.
I MEAN THAT'S THE TYPE OF THING
I WANT TO HAVE ON NEWSMAX, NOT
PREDICTABILITY.
WHERE PEOPLE CAN TUNE IN AND
LEARN SOMETHING AND HEAR
OPPOSING VIEWS THAT ARE NOT
NECESSARILY PERSONALLY ATTACKING
EACH OTHER IN INTERVIEWS.