Since January 1, Fox News contributor Sarah Palin has not appeared on any network news program. She has, however, been interviewed on one network television program: ABC's Dancing with the Stars.
Palin “speak[s] through” Dancing with the Stars, not network news
Published
2010: Palin appears on Dancing with the Stars, but not on the news programs of ABC, CBS, or NBC
Palin discussed her daughter's participation on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Palin was interviewed for 45 seconds on the September 27 edition of Dancing with the Stars. During the interview, she discussed the program and the participation of her daughter Bristol, a contestant:
TOM BERGERON, CO-HOST, DANCING WITH THE STARS: I'm here with guest ballroom commentator, Sarah Palin, who joins us from Alaska. Sarah, great to have you here. Now, I know usually you're very bashful about giving your opinion about things, but how do you think the show's going so far?
SARAH PALIN: This is amazing, it's so exciting. And it's great to see all this courage and joy and exuberance by every dancer. It's awesome.
BERGERON: Now what do you think about those three? (nodding to the judges)
PALIN: Oh, the judges are awesome. Okay, now, it's like before a hockey game. You're not gonna chew out the refs before your team is up to -- you know, up on the ice. So they're great! You guys are doing great!
BERGERON: And your favorite dancer so far?
PALIN: So -- oh my goodness, they're all amazing. They really are. This is great. Bristol's not up yet. Yes, Bristol the pistol. That's who we're rooting (unclear).
BERGERON: Guest commentator Sarah Palin with us.
Palin has not appeared on any network news program this year. According to a Media Matters for America search of the Nexis database, Palin has not appeared on the news programs of ABC, CBS, or NBC between January 1 and October 6:
Palin regularly “speak[s] through” Fox News
As Media Matters has previously documented, between January 1 and September 18, Palin was interviewed 37 times on Fox News, compared to zero appearances on the news programs of ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and MSNBC. During a September 15 interview on The O'Reilly Factor, Palin advised Christine O'Donnell, the Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Delaware, to “speak to the American people. Speak through Fox News and let the Independents who are tuning in to you, let them know what it is that she stands for, the principles behind her positions.”
*Media Matters' search was limited to transcripts available in the Nexis database, so it covers most evening shows on Fox News, and morning shows, evening news, and Sunday shows on the broadcast networks.
Media Matters counted pre-taped interviews as appearances, but not brief statements by Palin that aired as part of news packages.