Battle between CNN and Fox heats up as war correspondent abruptly switches

By DAVID BAUDER The Associated Press 9/30/01 5:30 PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- The bitter rivalry between CNN and Fox News Channel spread to Afghanistan Sunday, where a veteran CNN correspondent stationed with forces fighting the Taliban abruptly switched networks.

Steve Harrigan, a 10-year CNN correspondent based in Moscow, told CNN he was leaving on Saturday and by Sunday morning was delivering reports via videophone from Afghanistan on Fox News Channel.

"It's a competitive world out there and it's very important that we have someone in Afghanistan," said Roger Ailes, Fox News Channel chief executive. "He just happened to work at CNN 24 hours ago."

It was something of a retaliatory strike, since CNN recently signed anchor Paula Zahn away from Fox.

CNN spokeswoman Christa Robinson said the network wishes Harrigan the best.

"We'd like to put it in perspective," she said. "CNN has over 75 people in the region covering that story. This is only one person."

Ailes characterized CNN as "asleep at the switch" in keeping Harrigan on the air without a contract. His CNN contract expired in May, and so did the 90-day window where CNN had the right to match any offer, said Harrigan's agent, Steven Herz of If Management Inc.

"This is not an anti-CNN move," Herz said. "It's just that he watched as people around him that he worked with and respected were laid off and that caused him some consternation. He also watched Fox grow and was impressed with how fast they came after him."

Harrigan got a multiyear contract with a significant raise, Herz said.

CNN, which already had Christopher Burns reporting with Harrigan in northern Afghanistan, dispatched Matthew Chance to take Harrigan's place. The network also has a reporter inside Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Fox News Channel, which can't match CNN in overseas resources, had nobody stationed in Afghanistan until signing Harrigan, a veteran war correspondent who speaks Russian fluently.

Fox News Channel has been steadily gaining in the ratings against CNN over the past few years, often winning in prime-time. The terrorist attacks, though, sent viewers flooding to CNN faster than its cable rivals.

Ailes said he is still considering suing CNN over the Zahn hire. CNN signed Zahn for an upcoming morning show while she was still a prime-time host for Fox. Ailes fired her. She's become one of CNN's prime anchors from New York in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.

"At the moment," Ailes said, "I'd rather have a man in Afghanistan than a $2 million anchor in New York."

-- Anonymous, September 30, 2001

Answers

Personally, I think Fox got the better deal. I watched about 15 min of Zahn on CNN during the attacks and that was all I could stomach of her.

-- Anonymous, September 30, 2001

I don't usually comment on people's appearance (pot-kettle-black), but that hair. . . I kept wanting her to move it out of her eyes and get a straight part. I found it distracting, but then I'm an old git. I notice it's been modified a bit since the attacks, when she was thrust on to center stage.

-- Anonymous, September 30, 2001

Some people wear their hair in their eyes because they have lots of pimples on their foreheads.

-- Anonymous, September 30, 2001