5 Questions For… Will Cain

Meet the new kid on the 4 p.m. block. On Jan. 21, The Will Cain Show replaced Your World with Neil Cavuto on weekday afternoons and the Fox News ratings machine barely missed a beat.

The newscast’s premiere episode attracted 3.5 million total viewers and 451,000 viewers among the Adults 25-54 set. That gives the former sports correspondent and prolific podcaster bragging rights for scoring FNC’s highest-rated daytime launch ever. Despite dipping below the three million mark on subsequent days, it still leads its time slot rivals.

Cain’s new perch also comes with some new perks. After five years as a frequent Dallas to New York flyer for his Fox & Friends Weekend co-hosting gig, he’s skipping the 1500-mile commute and anchoring his weekday show from Texas.

He’s also keeping his trusty mic from The Will Cain Podcast close at hand. As podcasters like Joe Rogan and Theo Von pivot to video courtesy of platforms like YouTube, Cain is bringing some of that still-emerging form’s visual language—and attitude—to legacy media.

In the latest edition of TVNewser’s “5 Questions For…” series, Cain reveals his game plan for winning the 4 p.m. hour and which five Dallas athletes belong in a local hall of fame.

1. Thanks to YouTube, podcasting has become the equivalent of TV news for younger viewers. What are three lessons that legacy media outlets can learn from podcasters?

There is only one lesson. Be real. Be authentic. I guess I could break that down into three lessons.

-Be curious. There is no way we can all be subject matter experts every day on everything. But we can honestly try to be right and seek the truth.

-Own your mistakes. That’s how you earn trust.

-Take what you say seriously but don’t take yourself seriously.

2. You got your start on the sports beat before moving into politics and news. How is covering Washington like covering a football game? 

Ha! Well I’ve seen some people I really like in sports say they’re the same. Cowboys/Eagles, Republican/Democrat. But it’s not that way for me. I love sports because it’s an outlet for irrational tribalism. It’s a healthy outlet. But my only team in news and politics is America.

I’ll tell you how I think we’ve learned politics and sports are the same and we’ve learned it from Trump. Always play offense.

3. You’re inheriting the 4 p.m. hour previously occupied by Neil Cavuto. That’s an interesting timeslot since you’re coming off the morning and afternoon news cycles and teeing up primetime. What’s your strategy for building an audience in that hour?  

I love the opportunity to serve as a transition from news to opinion. Here’s why. I think much of journalism starts with a lie. That the person sharing information with you is “objective.” I’ve been in this business long enough to promise you they are not. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone has bias. I am honest with the audience about my opinion.

Objectivity isn’t a magic suit, tie and microphone you out on. It’s about being open minded, honest about your opinion, hearing rebuttal, weighing the facts, and seeking the truth. And I hope the audience will respect that approach which is naturally a blend between afternoon and primetime.

4. You hosted your first episode of The Will Cain Show on Tuesday. Which TV show gets your pick for having the greatest series premiere of all time?  

Man I don’t know. I remember thinking the first episode of True Detective was incredible. Lost was big time coming out of the gate. I just had to google this to jog my memory. Game of Thrones.

5. Your hometown is building a Dallas-specific Sports Hall of Fame and you’re tasked with picking the first five honorees. Whose portraits are being hung in the hall and why? 

1. Roger Staubach. Easy. Captain America.

2. Dirk Nowitski. He is beloved.

3. Troy Aikman/Emmitt Smith/Michael Irvin. Sorry, that’s three-in-one but they’re inseparable.

4. Tom Landry

5. Nolan Ryan. We’ll fight with Houston over who gets to claim him.

On deck circle: Bob Lilly, Mike Modano, Doak Walker, Bobby Layne, Pudge Rodriguez, Scottie Scheffler (it’s coming).

Read previous 5 Questions For… interviews below:
Kaitlin Collins
Lawrence Jones
Ari Melber