“Boom, boom, boom,” flashes of artillery fire rip across the night vision sky. After weeks of airstrikes, coalition ground troops launch Operation Desert Storm. As rockets rain down, most news outlets pull out, except for one fledging new network named CNN. Bravely reporting live breaking news from the battle zone was the pivotal moment that made it the must-watch news network in the world for years to come.
Thirty years later, a military whistleblower has come forward with an out-of-this-world story. Instead of blowing the lid off the possible scoop of the century, the major news outlets passed. Ultimately it was published by a tiny aerospace blog where it would’ve totally gotten lost under the radar, if not for a bold new cable TV network.
Launched in 2021, NewsNation is an aspiring news channel carried in 70 million Pay TV U.S. households. Yet it’s far from mainstream media. Ranked last among cable news networks and 63rd overall cable TV network according to Nielsen Media Research, it’s no wonder few have heard of it.
The startup channel’s marquee talent is ex-CNN host Chris Cuomo. Even he admits he’s embarrassed by his NewsNation show’s ratings, according to the NY Post, which also reported the show averaged 63,000 viewers per night compared to the approximately 1 million for Cuomo's CNN show.
However, could UFO-Alien disclosure be the pivotal moment, like CNN’s war coverage, to change all that? On Jun. 6, NewsNation aired an explosive exclusive TV interview with military whistleblower David Grusch, a 36-year-old, highly decorated and distinguished former U.S. Air Force combat veteran.
As one of the most trusted senior intelligence officials serving at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Grusch was appointed Co-lead of the UAP (another name for UFO) task force. During his investigations, he allegedly uncovered a decades-old deep covert special accessed “Black Budget” program that shook him to his core.
The program’s purpose is to retrieve crashed or landed craft of non-human exotic origin and reverse engineer the recovered tech for weaponization. Grusch says he uncovered unethical defense contractor deals, a sophisticated disinformation campaign, and even likely assassinations to protect the secret.
Grusch filed a complaint under the Whistleblower Protection Act, claiming a shadow government was operating with no oversight and withholding tech that could benefit humanity. He provided evidence and testimony under oath to Intelligence Committees and the Inspector General.
During an interview with award-winning journalist Ross Coulthart, Grusch was adamant that Congress and the public had been kept in the dark. “You are saying to the human race…that we are not alone?,” Coulthart asked. “We are definitely not alone,” Grusch replied.
Grusch further alleged the U.S. possess several spacecraft from another species, as well as their non-terrestrial pilots and went on to say treaties may have been signed with non-human intelligence.
Surprisingly, none of Grusch’s claims are new, they match dozens of testimonies before him and some even after him. In another network exclusive, Senator Marco Rubio confirmed he’s in contact with many inside the program who support Grusch’s statements.
The biggest story mainstream media is missing
NewsNation is normalizing UAPs by going where no network has gone before. Even facing blowback, gutsy President of News Michael Corn proudly told me, “We are a news organization that doesn’t dismiss or shy away from any story. Grusch’s claims are serious and fascinating–any way you slice it, that’s news.”
The network’s coverage is in sharp contrast with traditional media’s patronizing UFO reports that discredit and ridicule witnesses. All despite the Pentagon declassifying UAP cockpit videos from several pilots and a recent Pew Research poll that found most Americans (65% ) believe in aliens.
The claims also sent shockwaves across the nation’s capital, sparking a new Congressional hearing chaired by U.S. representative Tim Burchett. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand too drafted a bill targeting companies possessing exotic UAP materials.
Just days after the interview, NewsNation covered another sensational story that occurred a month earlier. A Las Vegas Metro police officer’s body camera captured a fireball streak across the night sky. Soon an alarmed young man named Angel called 911, telling the dispatcher his family witnessed two eight-to-10 feet-tall creatures in their backyard. “They look like aliens to us. Big eyes…big mouth…shiny eyes…They’re 100% not human,” he said confidently.
The responding officer’s bodycam video recorded himself saying “I’m so nervous right now… Evelyn (a fellow officer) saw a shooting star and now these people say there’s aliens in their backyard.” The police said they did not believe the family who made the call cooked up a hoax.
The coverage of UFOs and aliens is a ratings' hit. According to Nielsen Media Research, the week of the interview was the network’s highest-rated in primetime and the week of the Vegas landing, the channel was up double-digits in primetime total viewers, and up 56% in the 25-54 demographic compared with the previous week. Shows such as CUOMO, NewsNation Now, and The Hill also notched all-time highs delivering their highest-rated week in total viewers.
And while Congress, the Pentagon, and NASA are treating the UAP-Alien agenda as potential science rather than science fiction, legacy media is still showing trepid silence. By tackling the topic head-on, NewsNation could be putting us on a direct path to government disclosure–and potential bombshell revelations.
Aden Ikram is an entertainment tech executive and industry expert contributor.
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.
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