Fox, Flags and Al-Jazeera

The folks at Fox News howl when critics call them Republican-friendly. But the Republicans are certainly friendly to them. When every network turned to cover the Republican National Convention, Fox News beat not just the other cable news networks but every single broadcast network, as well. A little college calculus may have helped NBC producers plan their networks' convention coverage this summer. Most producers at other networks had their hands full planning for only 1 channel, while NBC's news division stretched its production resources across 4. To help entertain Republican faithful, the National Association of Broadcasters and 20 other corporate sponsors paid for a private performance by country superstar Clint Black at Manhattan concert hall Roseland. Learning from their rivals' mistake, RNC managers said they were happy to let Arab news channel Al-Jazeera fix its banner to its booth overlooking the convention floor.