More on Fox Business Network
Plenty of insightful quotes from my conversation last week with Brian Lewis (EVP of corporate communications at Fox News and Fox Business Network) and Irena Briganti (VP of media relations for Fox News and FBN) regarding the launch of FBN that didn’t make the print story. Here’s a selection:
“We’re big on strategies, but not plans. I think plans are overrated. Especially when you work for Roger Ailes. He doesn’t want to hear about these long-winded plans. Cause everyone has a plan, until you get hit, and you have to throw your plan out the window.”– Brian Lewis, on remaining nimble.
“Other people internally said, ‘When are we announcing our programming?’ And we’re not… There are people who are not used to the Fox way of doing things coming to us saying, ‘What do you mean we’re not announcing the programming? I’m telling my friends I’m coming on at five.’ And we say hey, no.”– Brian Lewis, on Roger Ailes’ decision not to announce FBN programming until its launch day.
“82 people left CNBC 11 years ago to come here, and now we’re trying to take down CNBC.”– Brian Lewis, on Fox’s thick roster of CNBC vets.
“We have an expression here: We can get people into the restaurant, but we can’t help it if they don’t like the food. Our job as PR people is to raise awareness for the network, and get people to tune in. If they like what they see, that’s great. If they don’t, it’s out of our hands.”– Brian Lewis, on the limitations of PR.
“[If a new offering doesn't succeed], a lot of people often later blame the media. They say, ‘You know what, it was the media that really set the expectations high.’ No, actually it was the PR people that set the expectations through the roof, and couldn’t deliver upon them.”– Irena Briganti, on setting the bar low.
“We do things differently here. We just think, [the PR- media relationship] has to be a mutually beneficial relationship. It cannot be one-sided. And I think too many PR people allow it to be one-sided.”– Brian Lewis, on the need for PR people to assert more control.
[...] Fox Business Network’s Bar Set Purposefully Low We set our bar purposefully nearby, so drinks can be poured without leaving one’s chair When the Fox Business Network celebrates its launch at the Metropolitan Museum of Art tonight, don’t think they’re doing it for the PR buzz. Nope, it’s just an in-house celebration of course — since Fox’s unwritten policy dictates that you should never signal the media to expect something amazing from you. Says FBN communications chief Irena Brigant: “[If a new offering doesn’t succeed], a lot of people often later blame the media. They say, ‘You know what, it was the media that really set the expectations high.’ No, actually it was the PR people that set the expectations through the roof, and couldn’t deliver upon them.” [...]
[...] Brian Lewis, Irena Briganti and the FBN media relations department ran the FBN launch party well last night, beginning with a very long red carpet, with seemingly all the photo agencies present. PRNewser arrived just as The Regis took his turn through the gauntlet. [...]
[...] When the Fox Business Network celebrates its launch at the Metropolitan Museum of Art tonight, don’t think they’re doing it for the PR buzz. Nope, it’s just an in-house celebration of course — since Fox’s unwritten policy dictates that you should never signal the media to expect something amazing from you. Says FBN communications chief Irena Brigant: “[If a new offering doesn’t succeed], a lot of people often later blame the media. They say, ‘You know what, it was the media that really set the expectations high.’ No, actually it was the PR people that set the expectations through the roof, and couldn’t deliver upon them.” [...]