Media News: Fox News President Roger Ailes, Jim Petersen Discuss National On-Air Role; Britt Robson to Write Advice Column

Roger Ailes, Fox News President

(Useless Press Incorporated, December 10, 2008, Minneapolis, MN)

Jim Petersen may be fair and balanced after all. Reports out of Minneapolis have Roger Ailes, Fox News President, and Minnesota Timberwolves television broadcaster (and Lynx assistant coach) Petersen in discussions to join Fox News as a political/sports commentator. Rumors of the discussions have been going on for weeks, according to sources, but have heated up after Ailes watched a live broadcast of the Minnesota Timberwolves loss to the Utah Jazz, 99-96.

The source, who requested anonymity, said Ailes caught the broadcast while channel surfing for MSNBC's Countdown. "He was stunned by Petersen's ability to take minor facts and make them important", said the source. "Roger almost fell off his chair when he heard how Petersen praised Kevin McHale's [newly installed Timberwolves Head Coach] winning percentage, even though he had only coached 31 games. He flat out stated that if Petersen had been hired to talk about Sarah Palin's [Republican Vice Presidential Candidate] foreign policy experience, the election would have turned out differently. The mention from Jim's sidekick [Wolves play-by-play announcer Tom Hanneman] about Petersen being fair and balanced lit the bulb in his head. Ailes immediately called Karl Rove and promised he would send a copy of the broadcast to him. Roger really wants this guy."

Petersen could not be reached for comment, but given his political leanings, according to the source, Fox News would be a perfect fit. "Kind of like Minnesota Gov. Pawlenty for the 2012 Presidential election, this guy is an up and comer."

--Robson to Give Sports Advice--

In an Useless Press exclusive, it will be announced today that the online news source MinnPost will begin a sports advice column written by Britt Robson, MinnPost content provider and long time Minnesota Timberwolves reporter (City Pages, The Rake, Secrets of the City). This after recent comments to a popular blogger on his "On the Ball" blog regarding negativity toward the Minnesota Timberwolves NBA basketball franchise.

In a response to the blogger Robson wrote: "Demanding the pound of flesh that will never be exacted is a self-destructive attitude."

"When I saw Britt's reply", said Joel Kramer, Editor and CEO of MinnPost, "I knew he would be the perfect person to write this column and start changing the tone of sports blogging around here. It was like he was that blogger's father, or psychologist at least. I mean, Britt has no formal training, probably knows little about the blogger's background, whether he's a stable, intelligent family man who runs a very successful blog of his own, or just a raving lunatic, but the empathy Britt showed in that response was remarkable. We here at MinnPost are always looking at expanding our content. I think telling people how they should feel about a subject--regardless of how well they state their frustration or argument--is the perfect avenue to head down. It will make the journalistic community feel like elitists again."

No details will be given today on when the column will start, but according to sources, it is slated to start the first quarter of 2009.