FDA Spokesperson: Administration Not Behind Screen Changes From CNN To Fox

An email circulated Wednesday alerting researchers at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) White Oak Campus that all common area television monitors were being changed from CNN to FOX News at the request of administrative officials.

However, a spokesperson for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which runs the CBER, challenged the memo’s veracity.

“There was no directive or memorandum from the Administration that went out to employees about broadcast news channels displaying on monitors in common areas throughout the FDA’s White Oak campus,” the representative said Friday.

.@CharlesPPierce, Here's a screen shot of the FDA email announcing all Fox, all the time.

Screen shot protects the sender. pic.twitter.com/cnRQ2ahJQ9

— Paul Thacker (@thackerpd) May 5, 2017

Sources familiar to the matter said the monitors rotate through a variety of news stations, including CNN, MSNBC and Twenty-First Century Fox Inc FOXA’s FOX News.

“The e-mail you reference was from a customer service representative from the FDA’s Office of Facilities responding to a group of employees,” the source said.

The author of the note asserted an inability to change the monitors to any other news source.