Fox Business Republican Debate Will Focus on More Than Just The Economy
variety.comBrian Steinberg Senior TV Editor At Fox Business Network — for one night, at least — it’s all a lot more than the economy. When the cable outlet televises a Republican primary debate on September 27, many of the strategies it used the last time it did so are going out the window.
Gone are moderators Neil Cavuto and Maria Bartiromo, who have experience with such events. In their place: First-timers Stuart Varney and Dana Perino, alongside Univision’s Ilia Calderón.
The network will also move away from its efforts to focus largely on business and economic topics, as it has in the past. Executives at Fox News Media have begun contemplating when to take more momentous news coverage to a broader audience, says Jay Wallace, president and executive editor of Fox News Media, in an interview. “There are very few events out there anymore,” Wallace says. “People do care about politics,” he adds. “It is a unifying thing for people to watch.” When Fox Business last televised debates, in 2015 and 2016, TV at large was focused intently on audience niches — business viewers, food enthusiasts or auto hobbyists, for example.
In some cases, the industry still is. But in 2023, there are new efforts to generate broader crowds across different types of media.
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