FOX gets wise with OJ

Fox finally realized there are lines that can’t be crossed.
News Corp., the conglomerate that owns Fox and Fox News, said Monday it would cancel a planned TV special and book from O.J. Simpson called "If I Did It," where the former football player explained hypothetically how he would have committed the slayings his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994.
In the brief amount of time that has lapsed since the project was announced, just about everybody in the world has come forward to say this was a terrible idea. The families of the victims were shocked and outraged that they were going to be dragged through this horrifying experience, again, and news pundits from around the globe were screaming, ‘What is Fox thinking?’
Obviously, they were thinking about ratings.
The special was set to air during the last three days of November sweeps, at a time when Fox is without it’s ratings winners American Idol and (place name of hot reality show here). They needed a hit, and they were willing to pay for it.
The deal with O.J. was worth an estimated $3.5 million for the book and television special (and yes, Simpson does get to keep the advance he received for the project). When you’re willing to spend that kind of cash on a 12-year-old story, you expect a payout.
But it backfired. The backlash alone has hurt Fox, not permanently though because it didn’t air.
There have been worse ideas that have actually aired on television (Remember Geraldo’s primetime journey into Al Capone’s vault where he found NOTHING?).
And Fox is already doing spin control.
In a statement, Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. chairman, who isn’t exactly known for speaking out against anything on his networks, said, “I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project. ...We are sorry for any pain that this has caused the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson.”

I usually applaud Fox for pushing the boundaries — especially with its Sunday night lineup. But this time, backing off was just the right thing to do.