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Originally Posted by Ustwo
Ownership is only relevant if the owners are pushing their personal agenda on the network (such as CNN). Most corporate ownership is about profit, and as long as they are making a profit they stop worrying there. It is the producer/editor/big name reporters that tend to decide what is covered and how it is covered. CBS isn't getting a shake up because of its obvious liberal bias, its getting a shake up because its ratings are in the toilet. If CBS had the #1 news show instead of being beat even by cable, you would see no changes.
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I see owner influence over content to be inevitable, it's up to us to judge the extent of that influence. Most American newspapers have mechanisms in place through their editorial board to limit the reach of the owners. TV is different. There is a very clear pattern of Rupert Murdoch and G.E. controlling the content and scope of coverage on their respective news providers - Fox news, NBC, MSNBC. CNN's coverage has become subltly more generic since Ted Turner lost complete control. They even hired
Mr. Gee-whiz Anderson Cooper.
CBS has 60 Minutes which is still pretty much the best rated "news" program on TV. Some of the best (and worst) reporting is still coming out of CBS news, their reporters tend to be old enough to remember an older journalistic tradition (or old enough to not give a shit anymore).
Any television news can be taken only at face value.