Trump's team is reportedly exploring options for a post-election Trump TV network


Donald Trump's team has reportedly made moves to investigate the possibility of launching a television network if the candidate fails to end up in the White House, the Financial Times reports. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, reportedly "informally" spoke with Aryeh Bourkoff, the chief executive of the investment firm LionTree, about the potential network; people knowledgeable of the conversation said it was short and has not continued since the initial meeting.
Still, Kushner's meeting shows that reality does not seem to agree with Trump's assurance that "I have no interest in a media company," as he told The Washington Post in September. Yet despite Trump's massive support nationwide, the Financial Times reports establishing a Trump television network would be difficult because "cable and satellite companies are loath to take on extra channels in an era of shrinking audiences and 'cord-cutting.'"
But if Trump is indeed eyeing a future on TV, he has certainly surrounded himself with the right friends. Possible allies in such a future venture could include Kushner, who also heads The New York Observer, Trump campaign manager and Breitbart chairman Steve Bannon, Fox News' Sean Hannity, InfoWars' Alex Jones, and former Fox News head Roger Ailes, although his exit agreement from the network would prohibit him from close involvement.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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