On the Lot

Posted: Tue., Mar. 6, 2007, 3:27pm PT

Fox eyes news show satire

Network in talks to pick up 'Hour'

Fox News is in talks to pick up the satirical news skein "1/2 Hour News Hour" after strong ratings for the second pilot of the show.

The show, which makes sport of skewering the political left, was created by Ned Rice and produced by "24" creator Joel Surnow.

The first pilot enjoyed heavy promotion on FNC and from Rush Limbaugh, who starred in the pilot in a sketch with Anne Coulter.

The second pilot rang in 1.4 million viewers and 443,000 in the 25-54 demo at 10 p.m. on Sunday night, matching the perf of the first pilot, which lifted FNC's numbers in the slot 69% over its first quarter average.

If sustained, those numbers would make it the top show in cable news on the weekend, an indication of the market for a satire show that speaks to conservatives.

Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

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