There’s a part of Senator Jay Rockefeller, Democrat of West Virginia, that would like to see Fox News Channel and MSNBC vanish.
At a Senate committee hearing about television retransmission consent on Wednesday, Mr. Rockefeller spoke broadly about the ways he believes television is ailing, and in doing so, he singled out the “endless barking” of cable news.
He said: “There’s a little bug inside of me which wants to get the F.C.C. to say to Fox and to MSNBC, ‘Out. Off. End. Goodbye.’ It would be a big favor to political discourse; to our ability to do our work here in Congress; and to the American people, to be able to talk with each other and have some faith in their government and, more importantly, in their future.”
There is little the Federal Communications Commission can say about Fox News or MSNBC since the channels are on cable, not delivered over the broadcast airwaves.
Keith Olbermann answered in defense of MSNBC, basically calling Rockefeller both a hypocrite and stupid:
KEITH OLBERMANN: First, get out your pitch forks and torches, time for the new and improved not really Worst Persons in the World, with a new nicer version of the music. The not really bronze goes to Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia. A hearing today on TV Re: transmission consent. He says TV is ailing and there is, quote, “endless barking” on cable news. He adds, “There’s a little bug inside of me which wants to get the FCC to say to Fox and to MSNBC, ‘Out. Off. End. Goodbye.’ It would be a big favor to political discourse; to our ability to do work here in Congress; and to the American people, to be able to talk with each other and have some faith in their government and, more importantly, in their future.”
Two things, Senator Rockefeller has repeatedly volunteered to me that he is a devoted viewer of this program. (WHISPERS) We’re on MSNBC, Senator. (STOPS WHISPERING) And more importantly, the FCC – the Federal Communications Commission – does not have any control over the content of cable television. Mr. Rockefeller’s on the Senate Committee on Commerce which has oversight on communications, so you’d think he could ask somebody about that little detail.