Fox Business Channel: A cross between MTV Hits and CSPAN3

Posted by wpcomimportuser1 Monday, October 15, 2007 at 8:35 am

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So I was all excited about the launch of Fox Business Channel this morning. Actually, no, that's not true: I'd forgotten all about it until I saw an e-mail this morning from an editor at Time.com asking me and/or Poniewozik to check it out.

But I was at least interested when I turned the TV to find the new channel that's going to bring the excitement of business journalism to Main Street. After flipping channels for a while I realized I had no idea where to find it, so I went online and found a channel lineup for my cable operator, RCN, which said it would be on channel 194.

Only, there is no 194. I tried rebooting my cable box but that didn't help. On 193 there's CSPAN3, with "Writers on American History" (currently Randall Woods, author of LBJ, Architect of American Ambition) and on 197 there's MTV Hits, with MTV Hits Playlist (currently featuring Timbaland and friends singing "The Way I Are"). But there's nothing in between.

I assume RCN will fix this in, oh, a week or two (they're not what you could call quick on the draw). In the meantime, all I can report from my channel flipping is that the new Fox Business Channel falls somewhere between flashy pop and droning seriousness.

Update: Just found it on the Time Warner Cable here at the office, on Channel 43. (Don't you miss when Ted Turner was on the Time Warner board and Rupert couldn't even get TWC to carry his news channel?) So far pretty plain vanilla, with lots of numbers and wonky business stuff. A lot like CNBC, but if anything more stilted and formal. Which I guess you have to expect on day 1, but still: They think this is going to tear people away from their soap operas?

Anyway, I'll leave it on all day, and if I don't go out of my mind (this is not a commentary on FBC; I just hate having the TV on in the background unless it's sports) I'll offer a fuller review later.

Update 2: Thanks to commenter BIG fan ... for pointing me to this important Fox Business interview with the Naked Cowboy:

Update 3: I removed the embedded Fox video player because it started up whether you wanted it to or not. You can see the video here.

Update 4: Paul Kedrosky is not impressed. I've got to say it's growing on me a little, but I'll post on that later.

Update 5: Here's Poniewozik's take.

Update 6: And here's my end-of-the-day verdict.