FNC's John Gibson talks about being a part of American life, as opposed to observing it from the plasma-screen tower (the media version of academia's ivory tower.) Gibson astutely notes that other network anchors can't know what average Americans think because the anchors don't shop at a place like Wal-Mart where they could actually find out. Call it the Wal-Mart Test.
"The Big Story is just what it sounds like. Mr. Gibson selects the story he feels Americans want to know more about. Last week, two topics were the unveiling of Deep Throat and the landslide that laid waste to a slew of multimillion-dollar homes in Laguna Beach, Calif.
"The program, which airs weekdays at 4 p.m. Dallas time, helped make Fox News Channel the powerhouse of cable news, with 11 of the top 12 programs, according to the just-released May ratings. Mr. Gibson's show has commanded its time slot for three years, with a current average audience of 789,000 – 234,000 more viewers than the combined audiences of the MSNBC and CNN competitors that share that time slot.
"Mr. Gibson believes the key is staying tethered to the heartland, beginning at his 65-acre Texas homestead. He can get down and dirty in his boots and jeans and is rarely recognized as the guy in a suit on TV.
"'I see other network anchors pontificating left, right and center about what America thinks. I know they're off base because it's not what I hear at the tractor supply store, the Wal-Mart or the Sack 'n Save in Gainesville.'"
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/columnists/chall/stories/060505dnbushall.11547615d.html
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