Topic: Murdoch

A retrospective on Pointcast, a popular 1990s screensaver that delivered news and stock prices, describes how the service frequently overwhelmed corporate network bandwidth. Despite a $450 million acquisition offer from Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation in 1997, the company's founders held out for more money before the product eventually failed.

A segment explores the most frequently mispronounced words of the year based on data from Babbel and captioning groups. Terms like "acetaminophen" and names such as "Alec Murdoch" and "Soran Mamdani" topped the list. One of the hosts shares a personal anecdote about being criticized by listeners for mispronouncing local place names like "Minot."

The U.S. government reaches a final deal regarding the divestment of TikTok from ByteDance, with a 20% stake remaining for the Chinese entity. Representative John Moolenaar discusses national security concerns regarding the app's recommendation algorithm and the need for American oversight. Potential investors in the new American-controlled TikTok include Michael Dell, Lachlan Murdoch, and Larry Ellison.

The internal conflict within the MAGA movement is examined, specifically regarding foreign policy and "forever wars." A claim is discussed suggesting that the Murdoch family attempted to recruit a media figure to run for president against Donald Trump in 2023. The segment analyzes how different factions of the right-wing media view Trump's autonomy and his relationship with traditional GOP interventionism.

Outlets owned by Rupert Murdoch, including The Wall Street Journal and Fox News, are reportedly pushing back against President Trump's tariff policies. Maria Bartiromo recently challenged Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over a predicted 2.4% economic contraction, signaling a shift in conservative media's tone regarding trade wars.

A new study suggests Ozempic may reduce alcohol cravings, while a legal battle continues over Rupert Murdoch's attempt to ensure Lachlan Murdoch maintains control of Fox News. The hosts reflect on the history of San Francisco talk radio stations KSFO and KGO.

A proposal is made to launch a No Agenda cable channel to capitalize on industry carriage fees, which are estimated at one dollar per household. The plan involves lobbying providers like Comcast to host a stream featuring various podcasters. Historical references to the launches of MTV, CNN, and TechTV provide context for the difficulty of securing network distribution.

Rupert Murdoch's departure from leadership at Fox News is highlighted alongside a joke about the New York Times' reliance on mobile games like Wordle for survival. A memorial tribute is paid to Brian Hoganson of Brownwood, Texas, a long-time supporter who passed away from spinal cord cancer shortly before receiving a ceremonial knighting ring.

The hosts analyze the firing of Tucker Carlson from Fox News, dismissing the official narrative regarding the Dominion lawsuit settlement. They argue that Carlson was ousted because his reporting on January 6th and his interview with Steven Sund threatened the political effort to label Donald Trump an insurrectionist. The Murdoch family is characterized as being aligned with the Democratic establishment's goals.

Donald Trump touted his significant lead over Ron DeSantis in recent polls during a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania. Trump claimed that DeSantis is "absolutely killing himself" politically and suggested that the Florida Governor may soon drop out of the race. The segment notes that major donors like Ken Griffin and media moguls like Rupert Murdoch are reportedly cooling their support for the DeSantis campaign.

The hosts discuss the political landscape where Ron DeSantis is losing support from major donors like Ken Griffin and the Murdoch family. They recount a story of Democratic voters being shocked to learn that RFK Jr. is a Democrat, as his rhetoric often appeals to the right. They suggest an "op" is underway to move MAGA voters toward Kennedy.

NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik provided analysis on the Fox News lawsuit, which the hosts characterize as biased due to his long-standing criticism of Rupert Murdoch. They mock Folkenflik's use of the word "ventilated" to describe the broadcasting of election claims. The discussion centers on the perceived "hard-on" the mainstream media has for taking down Fox News.

Elon Musk's management of Twitter involves significant infrastructure costs, including $500 million annual contracts with AWS and Google. Analysis suggests Musk is aligning with Rupert Murdoch to support Ron DeSantis's presidential bid, potentially using Twitter as a platform for anti-woke branding while seeking future government banking licenses.

Fox News parted ways with Tucker Carlson, leading to a significant decline in the network's primetime viewership. Speculation regarding the dismissal includes Carlson's recent segment featuring a pizza delivery boy, his planned appearance on Megyn Kelly's program, and potential friction with Rupert Murdoch over religious expressions. The departure is characterized as a pivotal moment for mainstream media influence.

Observations are made regarding the sudden halt of new January 6th footage on Tucker Carlson's program after the initial Monday broadcast. Speculation suggests that Rupert Murdoch or other high-level interests may have suppressed further releases to protect specific individuals or cover up details regarding the Ashli Babbitt shooting. The segment posits that the media backlash was a coordinated effort to prevent the public from seeing the full 41,000-hour trove.

Facebook agreed to restore news pages in Australia after the government amended its Mandatory Bargaining Code. The hosts argue the deal primarily benefits large media conglomerates like Murdoch's News Corp while potentially allowing the government to control which independent publishers receive funding.

The New York Post reportedly pulled an article by Ebony Bowden regarding tech company vote-rigging, possibly due to the paper's reliance on Google for 32% of its online traffic. While the Murdoch empire is often viewed as conservative, the younger generation of the family is seen as more aligned with the Democratic establishment. This shift has led many conservative viewers to migrate from Fox News to alternative outlets like Newsmax and One America News.

The 19th News is funded by high-level donors including the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and Quadrivium, a foundation led by James and Catherine Murdoch. James Murdoch recently resigned from the Fox Corporation board and is known for his opposition to Donald Trump. Quadrivium also funds Sci-Line, a service providing curated scientific experts and resources to journalists covering the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tucker Carlson accused The New York Times of attempting to dox his family's home address to intimidate him. Carlson recounted previous incidents where protesters harassed his family at their home. The hosts speculate on Carlson's future at Fox News, suggesting that the network's leadership, including James Murdoch, may be looking to move him to the Fox Nation app.

MSNBC's Joy Reid and Vanity Fair's Gabriel Sherman discussed potential legal action against Fox News for its early coverage of the coronavirus. Sherman reported that there is internal concern at Fox that the network could be held liable if viewers died after believing the virus was downplayed. The hosts point out the hypocrisy, noting that MSNBC and other networks were equally guilty of comparing the virus to the flu in early 2020.