Maybe. I'd offer an alternative explanation: as the conservative movement falls apart, and the country is ready to move away from the Bush/Republican status quo, Fox News' schtick has grown pretty tiresome

But I think that CNN has changed to be more like Fox, making it the not quite so extreme alternative.

CNN has emulated the style and format of FOX. Infotainment trumps journalism.

Which is pretty sad, because nobody needs two versions of FOX. Nobody needs one, actually.

Welcome back, Steve.

They all are formulaic in that it is blathering talking heads spreading inuendo and outright falsehoods because they simply won't do their homework.

The only outlets left are NPR, PBS and a handful of newspapers.

It's actually funny that with the advent of cable news and the Internet, the same rules apply as before, which is that for fact-based journalism people still have to do their homework and go out and actually read and be informed rather than entertained.

as Fox News ratings have gone down, I've become an avid watcher. Check it out sometimes... literally everything on that network is pure comedy gold!

The Colbert Report has blurred all the lines. I now find O'Reilly to be carrying the torch, rather than trying to snuff it out.

I read this string on your web site and I think CNN IS turning to the dark side. Not so much with "Bill-O" and the other noise makers types (a bit more sophistication?) but the loss of journalistic integrity. Soft ball follow-up questions (when they are even asked) and a definite conservative slant except for an occasional rant from Jack. Wolf is a millionaire soft-baller who seems to test the Dems more than the Repugs. Just an observation.

I switched from CNN to MSNBC because of this and was fairly happy till they too slowly are slipping into mediocrity. Olberman (his recent dust-up with Greenwald aside) still packs a punch.I still don't understand why these pundit/journalists don't follow-up with the tough questions. I saw one ask a tough question of Bolton the other day and rather than answer the question, Bolton snarled: "What are you trying to do debate me?" Well duh, Yes! Ask the tough questions and let the electorate decide whose bullshitting. My money is on the truth...maybe

Years of propagandising about "Liberal media bias" began to wear thin, as people began to notice that "The facts have a liberal bias."

You can fool all the people some of the time, you can fool some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time, and when people recognise that they have been fooled - they resent it.

Fox has a bad few years ahead.

The New York Times reports that the "back-and-forth these last few months masks a more ominous trend for Fox News."

The litmus test as to whether this event is good or bad depends on the nature of the competitors.

Given the garbage that (still) passes for journalism in the MSN today, i'd say this is definitely a bad thing.

In short, media companies are starting to realize that the market for pablum was larger than expected and now want a piece of the action.

The really scary thought is that this might send a clear message to Faux that they aren't being "Fair and Balanced" enough, that they now have to "take the kid gloves off" to continue being market leaders.

But who is more to blame? The crack dealers or the junkies that buy their merchandise?

Challenge your TV watching mate: Which will be first when you switch the station to FAUX: A McCain praise or an Obama slur and how long until it happens?

For example, someone could pick an Obama slur, and 5 minutes. Or a McCain praise in 2 minutes. (Note: The Obama slurs happen more frequently.)

The one who most closely matches the FAUX News in actual time is the winner of a free beer, courtesy of the other person.

Be careful, you can get drunk pretty quick. And use an old TV. You find your self throwing the empty cans.

If the most desirable demographic is "viewers in their mid-20s through mid-50s", then why do most of the commercials that you see on the cable news stations push retirement plans, reverse mortgages, and arthritis and swollen prostate remedies?

Fox News is the one only true heir to Josef Goebbels Ministerium fuer Volksaufklaerung und Propaganda. They will marginalize themselves as soon as the bushcheney nightmare is over. Maybe Greta van Susteren will return to CNN, then. But the Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer is a tad annoying too, for my taste. And CNN should finally get rid of Candy "Nostrils" Crowley ;))

Fow has been spewing Republican propaganda for so long that I don't think they should even be called a news channel.

I agree with Steve that their dropping ratings are related to the public getting fed up with the Bushies and their enablers.

If Fox pugilists (well, you cannot call them journalists) and screamers would use their "indoor" voices, they'd be a lot easier to listen to. As for genuine news content, I already know how Rupert thinks.