July 8, 2021--Fake Weather

 The NY Times reported last weekend that Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox and Sky News, the Wall Street Journal, and various tabloid rags, is moving in on weather forecasting.

Not as a public service but as a new way for him and his family to further enrich themselves.

They noticed that viewership of Fox News is in a precipitous decline and they are desperate to make up the loses elsewhere. 

There are 38 percent fewer Fox (and CNN) viewers this year tuning in to Murdoch's version of the news. And this means fewer sponsors and a weakening bottom line.

In the Fox empire about a billion dollars a year traditionally accrues to their U.S. news division, which has made Fox in America their worldwide profit leader.

They also noticed that while news reporting is shedding ratings, weather reporting is booming. Weather people from Amy Freeze on down (yes, that's her name) are bringing in big money. Perhaps as much as Sean Hannity.

As a result, weather reporting to attract additional viewers is set to become more and more entertaining and, likely, scarier because they are also discovering people will tune in in bigger numbers when a hurricane approaches (as now with Elsa) or, better for ratings, when cataclysmic tornadoes are in the area.

I confess to being one of those people watching weather news compulsively while barely catching what's on MSNBC. So I am part of that 38 percent and expect to see on Fox tornado warnings for Times Square.