Fox News launched in 1996.
Posted by The Daily Show: Ears Edition, Checked
- Sources
- 4 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 95%
The Daily Show: Ears EditionAug 28, 2026
Multiple tier1 sources confirm Fox News Channel launched on October 7, 1996, so the claim is accurate. The post addresses Fox News as "your network," so the extracted claim faithfully reflects the passage.
What was said
… Thank you, Fox News. You guys, you're the best. Thank God for outlets like Fox News. Fox News. Thank God Fox News is on it. Thank God, thank God, thank God. God bless Fox News. He clearly already has. The great thing is, I get it now. Your network launched in 1996. You're 18 years old, and just like every other 18-year-old, you have a massive ego and spend 24 hours a day jerking yourself off. My announcement of leaving did not go unnoticed. …
The Daily Show: Ears Edition · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. The Hill reports that Fox News launched on Oct. 7, 1996, facing stiff odds against CNN and MSNBC.[4]
Supports. Reuters describes Shepard Smith as part of Fox News since its inception in 1996, and notes the network was 16 years post-launch in 2012.[1]
Supports. AP reports that Roger Ailes launched Fox News Channel in fall 1996, after leaving NBC in January 1996.[2]
Supports. PolitiFact states that Fox News launched in 1996 on cable, and its analysis of the Fairness Doctrine relies on that launch date.[3]
Context. Britannica also states that the channel launched in 1996 and first aired on October 7, 1996, reaching more than 17 million homes.[5]
Sources
5 sources: 3 fact-checkers, 1 tier 1, 1 not rated
- 1Fox News: A decade on topreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2apnews.com · article · ca198aba8d8a4204bdf49f63dc24cab4Roger Ailes’ legacy: Transforming media and politics - AP Newsapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 3Don't blame Ronald Reagan for Fox News. The Fairness Doctrine ...politifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 4Fox News looks back on 20 years - The Hillthehill.com · tier 1 · cited for: supports
- 5Fox News Channelbritannica.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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