An Internal Struggle Over Palin at Fox News

Sarah Palin’s book tour is causing some tension – and not just among those who worked for the McCain campaign.

Fox News landed a pair of interviews with the former Alaskan governor – one with Sean Hannity, the other with Bill O’Reilly, both taped Tuesday. O’Reilly’s Palin interview will air in three parts – on Thursday, Friday and Monday episodes of the top-rated “Factor.” But, in something of an internal coup, Hannity’s will air first, on Wednesday, and will comprise the bulk of his show.

Ordinarily, this wouldn’t cause much of a stir beyond the News Corp. network halls  – after all, post-Oprah Palin media saturation is starting to set in, and, love ‘em or hate ‘em, Fox News is competing with itself, ratingswise.

But it appears Bill O’Reilly went rogue, putting a teaser of his interview with Palin (above) up on his own YouTube channel – a preemptive strike, if you will, against Hannity’s exclusive. (A Fox News insider characterized O’Reilly’s reaction as “a hissy fit” when he learned Palin's interview with the third-rated Hannity would air first – which, you know, is hard to imagine.)

My unsolicited advice: Don’t be so thin-skinned, Bill. You’re the top-rated cable news show in America. Spread the love around – isn’t that part of being “fair and balanced”?