New York Observer

Thursday, Nov. 15

Self-flagellation time! Remember those meat-headed television writers (cough, cough) who suggested that the war on terrorism might mean a depreciation of Bill O’Reilly mania, since fearful audiences would be more focused on plain old news coverage instead of hankering for the Big O’R’s pointed rants?

Well, so much for that! Lesson learned: Nothing topples the Factor, muchacho! War or no war, the Fox News Channel superduperstar keeps chugging along, barking up a storm and breaking his own ratings records. In fact, October was Mr. O’Reilly’s biggest month ever: From Oct. 1 through Nov. 9, The O’Reilly Factor averaged 1.735 million households—up 120 percent from last year. Meanwhile, Mr. O’Reilly’s latest tome, The No Spin Zone: Confrontations with the Powerful and Famous in America, sits at numero uno on the New York Times best-seller list, right above Straight from the Gut by that punk Jack Welch.

The only sour note, of course, is the strained relationship between Mr. O’Reilly and George Clooney. The two GQ darlings are currently at odds because Mr. O’Reilly’s been a real party-pooper, asking questions about how the money from Sept. 11 celebrity fund-raisers is being distributed. Mr. Clooney got steamed and banged off a huffy letter to him, which is sure to find its way into The No Spin Zone II: More Confrontations with the Powerful and Famous in America.

Speaking of which, that was pretty funny how Tom ("Mr. President") Hanks called Mr. O’Reilly’s critique of celebrity fund-raising a "sweeps stunt." There are, of course, no sweeps in cable television. Someone’s been watching too much Bosom Buddies.

Tonight on The O’Reilly Factor, Mr. O’Reilly spends half the show heaping praise upon the Frank Sinatra version of Ocean’s 11. [FNC, 46, 8 p.m.]

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

Answers

NYPost

November 14, 2001 -- Morning glory for FNC's 'Friends'

They're uncorking the champagne (OK, pouring the orange juice) at Fox News Channel's "Fox and Friends." a.m. show.

For the first time, "Fox and Friends" beat CNN's Paula Zahn last week in ratings, households and viewers.

According to Nielsen numbers, "Fox and Friends" averaged 699,000 households and 786,000 persons 2+ . That's compared to 680,000 households and 709,000 persons 2+ averaged by Zahn.

"Fox and Friends" is hosted by E.D. Donahey, Brian Kilmeade and Steve Doocy.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

i've got to admit that i wouldn't know most other news-types if they jumped up and bit me on the ankle....

unless MTV, the comedy channel, or a good movie is on.....our set is set to FoxNews

steve, E.D. and brian are a hoot.....specially steve, the weather guy

and i've been a fan of o'reilly since we started getting fox news, even got his first book last year for christmas

good to see that there are a LOT of people out there who have gotten tired of the lame old thing

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001

For non-Fox watchers--when Paula Zahn, Fox's biggie morning woman, defected to CNN, Roger Ailes (of Fox) said they could get just as good ratings with a raccoon, ferchrissake, who cares? So for the next few mornings, someone off-camera had a toy raccoon which was used to indicate various places on the weather map. There is a precedent--they use hand puppets of the sun, etc., to do the weather. It's very silly and just what you need that early in the day.

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001