How Fox News is Angling for More Morning Viewers

Fox News hopes to shake up some TV viewers’ morning routines.

The 21st Century Fox-owned cable-news network is trying to draw viewers to its “Fox & Friends” and mid-morning “America’s Newsroom” with a new ad and promo campaign – as some rival broadcast morning programs deal with issues of their own.

In a series of print ads and video promos that kicked off Monday, Fox News Channel tells viewers that “We Own Mornings,” and touts both A.M. entries. The cable-news network is running TV ads on some local stations affiliated with NBC and CBS, as well as on its own air and print ads in the New York Post (owned by its sister corporation, News Corp.) “Only one network owns the mornings,” says an announcer in the video ads, followed by “Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade saying to Ainsley Earhardt and Steve Doocy, “This is something all America should see.”

The effort comes as two broadcast networks, CBS and NBC, are working their way through the aftermath of surprising departures by two of the daypart’s best-known anchors. Charlie Rose and Matt Lauer were fired by CBS and NBC, respectively, in recent weeks owing to allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace. Neither network has announced a replacement for either and both are believed to be considering various internal candidates at present. The Fox News ads do not mention any of the rivals to their programs.

AUadmin