FOX News boss Roger Ailes, under reported pressure from the top of News Corp, has issued an order gagging Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren on Barack Obama criticism.

No such edict preventing Carl Cameron from trashing Sarah Palin with anonymous smears, apparently.

From the New York Daily News:

Fox News boss Roger Ailes doesn’t want to spoil Barack Obama’s political honeymoon, we hear. A source says Ailes has told prime-time hosts Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren to lay off the President-elect - at least for a while. “We’re not going to have any personal attacks on Obama,” a network insider says. “The public has spoken - we must treat him with respect.”

Brian Maloney has more.

This confirms an almost-identical account your Radio Equalizer was given Wednesday evening from a key source. That person contends the order came from the top: Rupert Murdoch himself.

“Personal attacks”, by the way, can be construed to mean any criticism of Barack Obama whatsoever.

The reason? News Corporation is bracing for potentially-vindictive actions by Obama’s incoming thugocracy, especially regarding dual station / newspaper ownership rules and apparently seeks to placate the Dear Leader, hoping he will be merciful.

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