MUMBAI: Rival Fox News from the Rupert Murdoch stable may have the numbers, but when it comes to credibility it is CNN that tops all TV news organizations in the US, according to a recent study.

The findings of the study, released on Sunday, 4 August, by the Pew Research Centre for the People and the Press, found that viewers trust the news network more than any other television news organization. CNN has held the top spot for believability since the study began in 1985, a CNN release says. The Pew Research Center is an independent opinion research group that studies public attitudes toward the press, politics and public policy issues.

Of the 1,365 adults surveyed, 37 per cent rated CNN as the most believable. Additionally, the study also found:

Twenty-eight per cent gave MSNBC high marks for believability;
Fox News garnered 24 per cent of the votes;
The major networks scored an average of 25 per cent.

While CNN may have scored when compared to other news networks, the survey also points out that the image of the media overall has slipped dramatically compared to what it was in the immediate aftermath of the 11 September 11 attacks. The patriotic fervour that united the country then has been tempered since and US public opinion regarding the "messenger" has slipped, coinciding with growing concerns about the economy and business scandals, the survey says.

"The favourable glow from the media‘s post-9/11 performance has completely disappeared. As the media‘s focus has shifted away from terrorism, Americans regard news organisations with the same degree of scepticism as they did in the 1990s," Pew has been quoted as stating in the report.

In the survey, conducted in July, only 49 per cent of the respondents said that news organisations are highly professional, down from 73 per cent in November, the Press Trust of India has reported.

MUMBAI: Action oriented channel AXN is set to send pulses racing with four new shows. Fear Factor II, Courage, Rescue 911 and Without Warning which will premiere this month.

The second season of Fear Factor premieres 12 August at 9 pm. According to an official release, the show is powered by two celebrity specials - a Playmate special and a WWE special. Participants are pushed into difficult situations where their grit, mettle and tenacity is tested to the ultimate limits. In each episode, six people are confronted with a series of challenging and life threatening stunts demanding co-ordination of mind and body. Contestants are put through three tasks - if they complete their tasks, they advance, if fear stops them from completing a stunt, they are immediately eliminated. The contestant who wins the final challenge takes home a grand prize of $50,000.

Viewers can watch the likes of David Hasselhoff (Baywatch), Kevin Richardson (The Backstreet Boys), Kelly Preston, actress wife of John Travolta, Brooke Burns (Baywatch, Shallow Hal) and Donny Osmond (Donny & Marie) - all ready to face their innermost fears. The show also showcases participants‘ attempts to conquer fears of swimming in a sea full of alligators or having 50 tarantulas crawling all over contestants‘ faces.

Without Warning kicks off on 13 August at 9 pm. Five episodes see world-acclaimed experts risking their lives in man‘s most notorious domains of disaster as they reach for answers that will ultimately provide a safer world for all. Rescue 911 on 20 August at 8 am and 4 pm with new episodes from Monday to Friday will deal with paramedics and other rescue workers dealing with emergency situations. Hosted by William Shatner of Star Trek fame Rescue 911 follows 911 calls that are answered each day. The show conducts interviews with rescue workers, plays back recordings of actual calls and provides a vivid look at the life or death dramas that occur every day.