ABC's Shipman: "Probably one of the first things" Snow is going to do is change White House TV channels from Fox News

Summary: ABC News' Claire Shipman said that when Tony Snow takes over as White House press secretary in early May, "[p]robably one of the first things he's going to do" is tune White House televisions to outlets other than Fox News. She explained that he would likely do this "because he knows that this White House needs another point of view," but offered no other evidence to support her prediction.

On the April 27 edition of ABC's Good Morning America, senior national correspondent Claire Shipman said that when Fox News host and syndicated columnist Tony Snow takes over as White House press secretary in early May, "[p]robably one of the first things he's going to do" is tune White House televisions to outlets other than Fox News. She explained that he would likely do this "because he knows that this White House needs another point of view," but offered no other evidence to support her prediction.

On April 26, President Bush announced that Snow would replace outgoing press secretary Scott McClellan. In light of the appointment, Shipman examined the cozy relationship between the Bush administration and Fox News in her April 27 report. She noted that administration officials have turned to the network "when times get rough," citing the example of Vice President Dick Cheney, who addressed the controversy surrounding his hunting accident in a February 15 interview on Fox News with Washington bureau managing editor Brit Hume. She further reported that "almost all TV sets inside" the West Wing are tuned to Fox News. But at the end of her report, Shipman predicted that, despite his longstanding ties to the news outlet, Snow would likely "change the channels on those TV sets, because he knows that this White House needs another point of view."

From the April 27 edition of ABC's Good Morning America:

SHIPMAN: You know, this White House has long been familiar with Mr. Snow's talents because, in the West Wing, Fox News is the channel to watch.

[...]

SHIPMAN: Some in this administration prefer to both appear on Fox and to watch it. Almost all TV sets inside the White House are tuned in. A memo on The Smoking Gun website shows the vice president asks his advance team to have the TV turned on to Fox before he arrives in his hotel room.

[...]

SHIPMAN: And, when we talked with Fox News last night, officials there disputed any suggestion that its relationship with the White House is unusual. The White House said the same. And, in fact, [co-anchor] Charlie [Gibson], if this White House is feeling comfortable with Mr. Snow because he comes from Fox News, well they may be surprised. Tony Snow is used to speaking his mind. Probably one of the first things he's going to do when he gets in there is change the channels on those TV sets, because he knows that this White House needs another point of view.

—J.K.