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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 11 November 2017

Fox’s Smith avoids story covered heavily by colleagues

By DAVID BAUDER outlets are obsessed with one of nine U.S. agencies Media Matters said. terview on Thursday.
AP Media Writer Mueller’s investigation. with oversight of the deal, Smith’s 3 p.m. weekday The veteran newscaster
NEW YORK (AP) — While Fox Republicans have called although she has said she newscast didn’t mention is often criticized by Fox’s
News Channel has spent more conservative viewers
hours talking about Hillary for reporting on views they
Clinton and an Obama- disagree with.
era uranium deal in recent “The base doesn’t like
weeks, its news anchor Shepard Smith,” said Tim
Shepard Smith avoided the Graham, director of media
story entirely. analysis at the conservative
Fresh evidence that Smith Media Research Center.
is an island unto himself at “That would be a heck of a
the news network came in Christmas present — dump
research released Thursday Shep, let MSNBC have him.”
by the liberal watchdog Fox News, in response, said
group Media Matters for Smith was “one of the most
America. valued and talented jour-
During the three weeks nalists” at the network.
starting Oct. 17, Fox News The Uranium One story
spent just under 12 hours came back in the news
talking about the Uranium through stories in The Hill in
One deal, with 29 percent October that the FBI was in-
of that time on opinion host vestigating whether Russia
Sean Hannity’s prime-time was trying to gain influence
show. in the U.S. nuclear industry
In recent weeks, the issue at the time the deal was
has been at the center of In this Jan. 30, 2017 file photo, Fox News Channel chief news anchor Shepard Smith broadcasts being considered.
the nation’s partisan di- from The Fox News Deck during his “Shepard Smith Reporting” program, in New York. The MRC said ABC and CBS
vide. Hannity calls it “the spent a total of 4 minutes,
real Russian conspiracy,” for a probe into the 2010 wasn’t involved. the story at all during the 38 seconds on this story,
while Democrats suggest purchase of American ura- Trump has said the com- three weeks, except for and NBC News didn’t cov-
the story is used to distract nium mines by a Russian- pany’s sale is a scandal on two minutes on Oct. 27 — er it. The watchdog had no
from news about Robert backed company, noting par with Watergate. when Smith wasn’t in and accounting for how much
Mueller’s investigation into some of the company’s in- Trump’s favorite morning Trace Gallagher substitut- time CNN and MSNBC
President Donald Trump vestors had donated mon- show, “Fox & Friends,” spent ed for him. spent on the story, but said
and ties to Russia. ey to Clinton. an hour and nine minutes Fox did not make Smith or they were most likely to de-
Conservatives contend The state department, talking about the deal, sec- the show’s executive pro- bunk it when it was brought
that “mainstream” news then led by Clinton, was ond only to Hannity on Fox, ducer available for an in- up.q
‘Magnum, P.I.’ actor John Hillerman dies at 84

By LYNN ELBER tive state and was content
AP Television Writer leaving Hollywood behind,
LOS ANGELES (AP) — John said his nephew.
Hillerman, who played He remembered his uncle,
stuffed-shirt Higgins to Tom an Air Force veteran, fond-
Selleck’s freewheeling ly.
detective Thomas Mag- “He had an outstanding
num in the 1980s TV series sense of humor and was
“Magnum, P.I.” has died, one of the most well-read
his nephew said Thursday. people I ever met.
Hillerman was 84. You couldn’t play Scrabble
Hillerman, who had been with him,” Tritico said.
in declining health, died As for that quasi-British ac-
Thursday of natural causes cent that Hillerman used on
at his home in Houston, “Magnum” and elsewhere,
nephew Chris Tritico said. his nephew said that was
Besides playing manager honed during several de-
of the Hawaiian estate that cades of playing varied
Magnum used as home roles on the New York stage
base, Hillerman was known before he turned to TV and
for his 1970s roles as arro- movies.
gant radio show detective Hillerman used something
Simon Brimmer on the “El- closer to his own voice This Sept. 22, 1985, file photo shows John Hillerman, left, and Betty White, right, arriving at Emmy
lery Queen” series and the in Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Awards in Pasadena, Calif.
difficult boss on the sitcom Saddles,” playing Howard Associated Press
“One Day at a Time.” Johnson, one of the comic “The Betty White Show,” 1996’s “A Very Brady Se- favorite, Tritico said.
When Hillerman decided to Western’s many Johnsons. and in films including “The quel” and an early ‘90s ap- “The reason he didn’t take
retire about 17 years ago, He appeared in a number Last Picture Show” and pearance on “Murder, She another big role is he re-
the actor born in Denison, of TV series, including “Val- “High Plains Drifter.” Wrote.” fused to take a sitcom after
Texas, returned to his na- erie,” ‘’The Love Boat” and His last credits included The role of Higgins was his ‘Magnum,’” he said. q