Blog(ger) this site
·
Tell a Friend!
·
Email tips and
comments
·
About
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
First time visitor? About the site || Bookmark CableNewser
Saturday, January 31, 2004 CNN's Trifecta of Live "Air Travel Alert" Reports
Kudos to CNN for their "Air Travel Alert" coverage this afternoon. At 2pm, Fredricka Whitfield introed the story, and tossed to three live reports: London, Dulles Intl. Airport, and the Pentagon. FOX, by contrast, had one report from their Washington bureau, then moved quickly to two live "Super Tuesday" reports. It's certainly an improvement for CNN -- "hard news is the difference," they say, and today they actually proved it. 5:07:11 PM Taking a Turn as My Own Ombudsman
(Or should I call it "public editor"?) Some criticisms from TVHeads of the FOX-expert/terrorist ties story. In the headline, I called him an "analyst" for FOX, and this reader said that is "wrong and misleading." An excerpt from my response: "The purpose [of] my site isn't to pass judgement on idiot congressmen and third rate journalists. That's what the readers do -- I just present the stories, give it a catchy headline. That's what journalism is, it seems: The facts...packaged in a sexy, attention-grabbing box." "Analyst" may not have been a fair descriptor. "Expert" may have been more appropriate. But I don't feel comfortable editing stories on a whim after they are posted. Like the original story said: you decide. 5:02:19 PM Congressmen Accuses FOX Analyst of Iranian Terrorist Ties
I report (well, quote a Gannett story): "U.S. Rep. Bob Ney says an expert on the Middle East who appears regularly on the Fox News Channel has ties to an Iranian terrorist organization...Fox News officials refused to comment. Jafarzadeh said he would continue to appear on the 24-hour cable news network." You decide. 2:10:40 PM CNN "spinning like a top" for BBC?
FReep folks say that CNN is "spinning like a top" for the BBC with the Andrew Gilligan fiasco. "I'm so dizzy!," one person says. Another offers a filtered version of the story. It's an interesting read... 2:10:21 PM For the Record: Cable News Web Site Headlines
Let's compare online headlines about the flight cancellations: MSNBC.com: "Flights Cancelled: British Airlines, Air France cite security concerns;" CNN.com: "Flights to U.S. grounded amid new security fears;" FOXNews.com: "Troubling Skies"... 2:09:00 PM $51,000: TV Stations Charged $230 per Sq. Ft. at Peterson Trial
WOW: "San Mateo County is charging television stations $51,000 to reserve a coveted spot next to the courthouse for the Scott Peterson murder trial," the AP reports. KTVU's Chip Vaughan: "In 24 years in this business, I've never seen anything like this cost this kind of money." Sadly, this won't decrease the sick amount of coverage the trial will receive... 1:40:29 PM Negative Reviews for Dennis Miller
Some reviews of Dennis Miller's first week on CNBC: > Boston Globe: "Miller could have offered viewers an oddball, absurdist alternative to the dull drone of cable commentary. But after only a week on the air, 'Dennis Miller' has already put down firm roots in cable-news dullsville." > The Star-Ledger: "Forget the fish out of water metaphor. This guy's a fish in a frying pan, six shows away from being served with a side of wild rice." > The Lumberjack (Northern Arizona U. student paper): "I think I'd rather see a chimp host a talk show than Dennis Miller...Doesn't it seem a tad convenient that Miller suddenly opened his eyes when conservatism had a renaissance of sorts?" 12:10:33 PM Media Pleads for Jacko-in-Court Access
News organizations are making an interesting argument in their plea for cameras inside Michael Jackson's upcoming court appearance. "The public did not see Jackson plead not guilty but instead saw only Jackson's dramatic entry into and exit from the courthouse followed by his interaction with a large crowd of supporters from atop an SUV and his invitations to a party at Neverland Ranch," lawyers said in a written motion. "This undermines the dignity of the court because it leaves the public with the misimpression that the legal proceedings are an extension of the raucous atmosphere outside the court." More, in this Reuters story. 3:09:32 AM Friday, January 30, 2004 Real Matthews Interviewing Fake Matthews
SNL's Darrell Hammond will join Chris Matthews on Hardball at 7pm (repeats at 11pm). If you haven't seen Hammond's hilarious impressions of Matthews, you're missing out. I'm sure Chris will play some of them tonight, though. The press release says this is Hammond's first in-studio appearance with Matthews... 6:55:18 PM Thursday Ratings: MSNBC Scores with Debate, but Norville Barely Benefits
Drudge has cable news ratings for Thursday night. MSNBC's 7 to 8:30pm debate scored a 1.2, with Chris Matthews' analysis afterwards earning a 1.1. FOX still led the night, with O'Reilly at a 1.9 and H&C; with 1.4. Larry King also saw a 1.4. Despite the big lead-in, Norville had a measly 0.4, though this post point out it is an improvement from her premiere. Other #s: Miller with a 0.4, Zahn with 0.5, AB at 0.7, and Brit and Shep both at 1.0. (Thanks Brent) 5:10:55 PM CNBC Cancels Feb 3 Primary Coverage Plans
Interesting: CNBC had planned special live coverage of the next round of primaries, coming up next Tuesday. But the suits have decided that the normal schedule will air that night -- no more "expanded" coverage. Here's the media advisory. Wonder why?... 4:13:17 PM Let's Look Up the Definition of "Exclusive"
Hardball's "exclusive" moniker is starting to get on my nerves. Tonight, it's an "exclusive" interview with Joe Trippi. But wasn't that Deborah Norville's exclusive last night? Definitions of exclusive include: "Not accompanied by others; single or sole," and "a news item initially released to only one publication or broadcaster." The definition is not "two interviews with two hosts on two nights on the same channel." Got it? 1:18:41 PM ! CNN Political Director Decries Polls as "Journalistic Crutches"
Elizabeth Jensen suggests that news orgs have "flooded the zone" with campaign polls, and hints that CNN may pull some of its polls back. Quoting CNN poli-director Tom Hannon: "With that many tracking polls out there, I'm wondering, should I save my money?" The paper reports that earlier this month, Hannon "challenged two CNN reporters to get through the day without referring to poll numbers." He called them "journalistic crutches." More in the LA Times... 9:33:50 AM Ashleigh Banfield Update: "Still in negotiations"
Newsblues: Ashleigh Banfield "was overheard telling friends that she is still in negotiations to remain at NBC" yesterday. // TVSpy asks what color her wedding dress will be... 9:31:46 AM Jerry Nachman's Memorial Service
The NYPost recaps Jerry Nachman's memorial service, held Thursday morning in New York (Not this morning, as this site previously reported). "Father Pete Colapietro looked at the congregation and said solemnly, 'I loved that guy with all my heart . . . and half my liver.' Father Pete, known as the 'Whiskey Priest' then added of his friend, the 300-pound Jerry Nachman, 'He wasn't just another pretty face on television.'" 9:31:03 AM A World Without News (Spoof)
What if you woke up this morning and there was no news? "No rock stars arrested for drugs. No bloody coups. No multinational corporations laying off 15% of their workforce. No suicides, no murders, no scandals, no deaths, births, bad weather, shootings, stabbings, explosions. No sex, no violence, no new reality TV shows, no weddings." This is a fun satire. (Strange how Google constantly links to this spoof site in their News search...) 12:15:39 AM MSNBC, CNBC "Obsessed with Outfoxing" FOX, Says NYTimes Critic
Alessandra Stanley profiles Dennis Miller's new show in the NYTimes Friday. "Is Dennis Miller really the wittiest, most astute comedian that CNBC could recruit?," she asks. But here's the line that opened my eyes: "Like its sister cable news network, MSNBC, the business-oriented CNBC seems obsessed with outfoxing the Fox network, boosting its ratings by catering to conservative viewers who seek an alternative to what they regard as a widespread liberal conspiracy on television." Well if the Times says it, it must be true... 12:14:05 AM Thursday, January 29, 2004 Spongebob, SOTU On Fox, Spongebob...
FOX News had two programs land in the top 15 basic cable shows for the week of January 19 to 25. FOX's post-SOTU analysis at 10:05 came in fifth place, smack between two episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants. The actual speech ranked seventh, tieing with WWE Raw Zone on Spike. Read into that whatever you want... 10:46:38 PM Quote of the day
The Christian Science Monitor writes on "Politics as punch line:" "If there's any doubt that comedy has entered the world of mainstream political commentary in a big way, consider that in just the past week or so, NBC anchor Tom Brokaw wrapped up his State of the Union address coverage by interviewing Jon Stewart." 10:43:16 PM Roger Ailes on the Dean Scream: "It got overplayed a bit"
I may be late on picking this up, but this ABC story has quotes about the media's handling of the Dean scream from Princell Hair and Roger Ailes, among others. Hair: "We've all been wrestling with this. If we had it to do over again, we'd probably pull ourselves back." And Roger: "It got overplayed a bit, and the public clearly thought that, too, and kept him alive for another round." Overplayed a bit? 10:38:42 PM The Kerry News Network?
Oh boy: "It is significant that former CNN correspondent Chris Black was hired to serve as a Heinz spokesperson, or “handler,” before the presidential campaign," AIM (Accuracy in Media) says today. "Over the course of his political career, according to the Center for Public Integrity, Kerry has received $140,710 in political contributions from CNN parent company Time Warner. Is the Clinton News Network becoming the Kerry News Network?" 10:32:37 PM Demo. Debate: Will Re-air at Midnight; Live Hardball at 11pm
The debate will reair at midnight. Chris Matthews will host a live edition of Hardball at 11pm. His newsletter promises a "full on explosive, 'must watch,' post game slice and dice exegetical." Ron Reagan and Pat Buchanan will be among his guests... 9:23:22 PM Demo. Debate: Spin, Spin, Spin
"I dont think anybody really cut into [Kerry's] momentum," Joe Klein said on CNN. "Howard Dean tonight was on the offense," Carl Cameron said on H&C.; "There was a big expectation that he would go for the new frontrunner, John Kerry, and he didn't let anyone down." But the rhetoric wasn't too heated -- "we're still living with the hangover of Iowa," where the nice guys didn't finish last, TNR editor Peter Beinart told Paula Zahn. Why is Susan Estrich getting so much airtime on FOX lately?... 9:12:15 PM A Great 'Get' for Norville: "Emotional" Trippi Interview
Deborah Norville got Joe Trippi to "choke up" in an "emotional" "exclusive" interview on MSNBC. Here's the press release. Paula Zahn was resigned to interviewing a GQ magazine writer who talked to Trippi this morning. (It's a good magazine story, though.) 9:09:52 PM Demo. Debate: Chris Matthews with Wrap-up
Chris Matthews did a debate wrap at 8:30pm. Dean joined Chris for the first segment. Al Sharpton was interviewed around 8:45pm -- several of the questions discussed the Florida debacle in 2000. Matthews asked who won: "I think Kerry won, because the others didn't lay a glove on him," Pat Buchanan said. 8:49:30 PM Demo. Debate: Instant Reactions on Brokaw as Moderator
Some interesting comments from DU: "I think Tom's doing the best job of the bunch. At least he's touching on issues and not just attacking the guys with gotcha crap." Another poster disagreed, though: "He seems to feel his whole purpose in "moderating" the Democratic debate is to defend the Bush administration." But the best comment I noticed: "People -- come on...If he were moderating a Republican debate he would be playing devil's advocate with THEM. That's his job!" 8:12:04 PM Demo. Debate: First Question Sparks Disagreement
The first question by Brokaw immediately provoked a response from Kerry. "How can you come South," Kerry was asked, "given what you said about the Democrats making a mistake in spending too much time worry about the South..." Kerry interjected -- "I never said that" -- and Brokaw finished: "expect to do well here." The WashPost web site has a running transcript... 8:01:29 PM Demo Debate: MSNBC.com has Live Feed
Good move, MSNBC.com: the site is offering a live feed of the latest Democratic candidates' debate, airing now on MSNBC. 7:56:06 PM FOXNews.com's Baghdad Cam
FOXNews.com has a curious online exclusive: "Baghdad Cam." It's a live picture of al-Firdos (Paradise) Square in the Iraqi capital, 24 hours a day. Not very useful, but... 3:53:37 PM Shocking: Conservatives Find Media Bias
Free Republic picks up on several Media Research Center alerts: Ron Reagan Jr. Bashing Bush on MSNBC, CNN and others tout Kerry's liberal record, and Keith Olbermann says that "no WMD does not mean no destruction." 12:38:41 PM CNN Ratings Close to FOX on Primary Night
CNN came within 139,000 viewers of matching FOX News primary night ratings. FOX peaked at 1,923,000, versus CNN'S 1,784,000. Drudge points out that MTV's Real World scored more than twice as many viewers that night... 10:21:17 AM A Kinder & Gentler Chris
"Mr. Matthews has made a concerted effort to tone down his brusque demeanor, actually permitting some of his guests — or at least the men — to finish their sentences," the WashTimes Inside the Beltway column writes today, so the Hardball host was "chagrined" when fellow restaurant patrons applauded an SNL skit lampooning him... 10:14:35 AM Sick of Scott Peterson Yet?
YES! More coverage of the Scott Peterson trial! Just what I've been hoping for! "Network television satellite trucks will begin rolling into town Saturday as news operations converge on the city to cover the Scott Peterson double-murder trial, scheduled to begin with a hearing on Monday." More than 200 media types are expected to be credentialed, the San Mateo County Times says... 7:37:37 AM Roger Ailes and Al Franken -- In the Same Room!
Check this out: "The lunch crowd at Michael's craned their necks yesterday as Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes bantered with Fox News nemesis Al Franken," the Daily News says. Lloyd Grove has a great scoop... 7:32:38 AM Cabler Primary Coverage: "like watching a tennis match"
One last N.H.-media-excess story, that's it, I promise. It's the Arizona Republic: "Watching CNN, Fox News and MSNBC's coverage of the New Hampshire Democratic primary Tuesday night was like watching a tennis match, as pundits went back and forth on Dean's fortunes - often on the same show...All three cable-news networks called the primary for Kerry about 15 minutes after the polls closed, after anxious hours of sitting on exit-poll results like children trying to keep a secret. That left the rest of the night open for spin, of which there was so much that the coverage began to resemble a political spider web." 12:45:11 AM Will These N.H.-Media-Excess Stories Ever End?
In the Hartford Courant (early) this morning, Liz Halloran says that N.H. media saturation "often bordered on the absurd: Reporters videotaped other reporters reporting. Web-loggers held camera phones and sent live pictures to their websites. Others thumbed their BlackBerrys, transmitting reports by wireless phone or e-mail. For many, being even a small part of the quadrennial international media scrum in New Hampshire is a rite of passage." 12:38:00 AM The Media Primary: "Echo chamber is much bigger" now
Quoting Howie on page one of Thursday's WashPost: "When Ronald Reagan beat Jimmy Carter in 1980, there were two news cycles a day, morning papers and evening newscasts. CNN was five months old. There were no satellite phones, no USA Today, no Fox News Channel, no CNBC, no Comedy Central, no Weekly Standard, no Rush Limbaugh show, no Slate, no Salon, no Google, no Drudge Report. Now campaign stories change hour by hour. "The echo chamber is much bigger -- past the speed of sound and toward the speed of light," said Democratic consultant Jenny Backus..." (Update, 7:38AM: I had written "Friday's" Post. "You're watching sooo much cable news that you've forgotten what day it is," Dave Hughes wrote in...) 12:30:52 AM Jeff Flock Exits: "Reasons are personal, not professional"
TVWeek advances the Jeff Flock exit story a bit, quoting more of the bureau chief's memo: "The reasons are personal, not professional. I just want everyone to know I couldn't have received better treatment from my bosses." Quoting the site: ""We're sorry to see him go and wish him the best of luck," said a spokesman for CNN, who said Mr. Flock's departure is expected in a few weeks." 12:28:33 AM Framing David Kay's WMD Statements
Rantingprofs offers a superb look at how the Kay WMD story is being framed by various channels. Some interesting thoughts on how Aaron Brown interviewed James Woolsey tonight... 12:27:26 AM The Digital Press Corps
Does the NYTimes "get it?" In a story titled "Making of the Digital Press Corps, 2004," the old gray lady seems to understand the power of technology on the campaign trail. "Campaign reporters, like war correspondents, are not necessarily gadget geeks. But the rapacious 24-hour news cycle has forced them onto the cutting edge to do their jobs better - or at least faster." 12:05:29 AM Wednesday, January 28, 2004 Quote of the day
CJR's Campaign Desk suggests that the media put Dean in a "damned if he doesnt, damned if he doesn't" situation last night. "If he gives an emotional post-vote address to supporters (Iowa), he's portrayed as an unstable lunatic. If he gives a more sedate post-vote address (New Hampshire), he's portrayed as a man trying to prep his loyalists for his eventual defeat. That's neither fair nor journalism." 10:16:16 PM Chris Matthews Wants To Know What You Think
From Hardball's daily newsletter today: "Housekeeping up front...Chris wants to know you all thought of last night's coverage...His first words to me upon return (and usually every morning when we speak) are "what are you hearing on e-mail?" Send mail to [email protected] with the subject line "primary coverage"...Give us the "good, bad & the ugly" as it were, so to speak...He'll read 'em trust me..." 9:05:38 PM Bill O'Reilly and His Book Sale Scandal
TownHall.com writes about the competition between Bill O'Reilly and Hillary Clinton on the important issue of...book sales. He explains the whole case -- O'Reilly says he outsold HRC, then when Drudge reveals that's a lie, O'Reilly claims the DNC bought up lots of Hill's books. Then the DNC denies that...etc. Fun fun. FReepers are chatting about it; one called O'Reilly a "loudmouth boor..." 8:30:41 PM WMD Doubts: "Literally Beads of Sweat" on F&F; Hosts Today?
I might be accused of liberal bias again by posting this, but it's written too well to ignore: Blogger Thomas DiLorenzo on LewRockwell.com says that the "Fox War Channel is Losing its Cool," and cites this morning's performance of the F&F; anchors. For the last year, "every lie on the subject [of WMD] that was distributed by the White House spinners was endlessly repeated as the gospel truth," he writes. "This morning, however, there were literally beads of sweat on the two male hosts as the admission of no WMDs by Bush's own man in Iraq exposes these propagandists as, well, propagandists. Brian Kilmead even lost it and said that he would use his own credit card to fly to Iraq and look for the WMDs himself -- while continuing to arrogantly ridicule us doubting Thomases." 7:53:39 PM Greta: NH Airport "looked like a news media convention"
"The airport in Manchester, New Hampshire early this morning looked like a news media convention," Greta writes on FOXNews.com. She explains contingency plans in case snow cancelled her flight. So that's why Shep wasn't on Studio B today... 6:35:41 PM Jeff Flock Exits: Says Shakeup Makes Sense, but Future Isn't Certain
NewsBlues quotes from Jeff Flock's goodbye memo: "First things first. I wish I could argue with the wisdom of the reorganization. The truth is I think it makes perfect sense. No one knows better than me how tough the bureau chief/correspondent job has been. The new leaders of the regional bureaus are the network's best. Frankly I haven't felt as good about the future of CNN in years." He's not alone on that feeling about the future... 6:26:26 PM Jeff Flock Resigns; Spent 24 Years At CNN
Jeff Flock has resigned from CNN after 24 years. Jon Friedman calls the CNN Chicago bureau chief's exit poignant: "He served during virtually the entire length of CNN's time and his departure comes at a period when the network is going through serious changes." This great TVSpy post suggests that "maybe this will get him a position with a Big 3 network. He's been ready for that for a LONG time. One of CNN's best reporters -- what a loss... 4:23:09 PM During Commercials and Bus Rides, Reporters Opine on Campaigns
Joe Hagan takes readers behind the scenes of MSNBC's primary coverage last night in the NY Observer. He also hops aboard Kerry's press bus, and talks to NBC embed Becky Diamond: "I don’t have the kind of access to Kerry that I used to have. Now, there are 50 journalists instead of five." 4:22:26 PM CNN Market Share Dips; "Deep Trouble" Ahead?
Reese Schonfeld points out that since mid-December, CNN has lost 2.8 market share points in total day, and 3.8 market share points in prime time. He hesitates to analyze them too much, but says that "these numbers seem significant and they are certainly not good for CNN...I’m going to give it another month and see if there are any changes. If the numbers were to dip again, CNN would seem in deep trouble." (Update, 6:33PM: A reader writes in to point out that "market share" is a calculation Schonfeld makes -- it's the total # of cable news viewers, divided by the # of people watching each channel.) 4:00:54 PM CNN Crew Ambushed: Remembering Two Slain Colleagues
CNN staff members are remembering their slain colleagues today, after two employees were killed in Iraq Tuesday. Translator/producer Duraid Isa Mohammed had a "a sharp mind, a tireless work ethic and a passion for news," Ingrid Formanek said. He was "compulsively gregarious, jovial, witty. To know him, was to like him." Driver Yasser Khatab undertook his job with "dignity, dedication and professionalism," she said. Here's the full story... 3:59:54 PM "Journalists' safety cannot be guaranteed" in Iraq, IFC says
"Iraq remains the world's most volatile and dangerous conflict zone where journalists' safety cannot be guaranteed," the International Federation of Journalists warned today. "The crisis in Iraq continues to put every journalist in danger," General Secretary Aidan White said in a press release. "These ruthless killers are making free journalism almost impossible. Media organisations must redouble their efforts to reduce the risks their employees face". 3:58:14 PM Media Notes: Bush's "Dodge;" MSNBC's Next Debate
TV reporters are covering Bush's WMD "dodge," Dan Froomkin reports on the Post web site // Joe Johns popped up on CNN today, live from the Capitol rotunda // MSNBC reminds the media about its presidential debate tomorrow night... 3:57:12 PM "The drug of smothering political consensus was being manufactured" last night
David Folkenflik describes how the media distills 2004 political consensus in the Baltimore Sun. He writes that viewers could see the workings where "conventional wisdom was being forged" -- in other words, the "electoral crystal meth lab where the drug of smothering political consensus was being manufactured." 3:50:23 PM Campaign Embeds: "You see their stories...rarely their faces"
Roger Catlin profiles embedded campaign reporters in the Hartford Courant today. "You See Their Stories, Sometimes Their Tape, Rarely Their Faces," the subhead reads... 12:23:56 PM Dennis Miller Premiere: TV Critic Reactions
> NY Daily News: "The whole hour needs work," and suggests easy fixes > NY Post: "I could not wait until this show was over" > NYPress: "the transformation of Dennis Miller" > Hollywood Reporter: "Miller strives for an impossible circus act" > WashTimes: "a work in progress with one key asset: the man at the helm" 12:21:46 PM Miller's a "big ratings gain" -- sorta
Reuters says that Dennis Miller drew "a big ratings gain" Monday night. "The premiere of "Dennis Miller"...drew 746,000 viewers, more than four times the average audience in the same 9 p.m. time slot last season, according to Nielsen Media Research. For the show's target demographic of viewers aged 25 to 54, the audience jumped 475 percent from last season's average." 12:21:27 PM Watch FOX News Alerts at Walmart!
This news needs no introduction: "Premier Retail Networks has inked a deal with Fox News Channel for the service to become the exclusive "breaking-news" provider to Wal-Mart Television Network," Multichannel News reports. Thank goodness I can watch L.A. car chases while I'm shopping for new pants... (Hat tip: NewsBlues) 12:20:58 PM Ashleigh Sets a Wedding Date
The NYPost's Page Six updates the Ashleigh-Banfield-getting-hitched story: Howard Gould has been her boyfriend for a year and a half; he says that the wedding "will be July 24 somewhere in Canada." 12:05:43 PM Cable's Primary Coverage: Viewer Thoughts
Dee in SC writes in with thoughts on cable primary coverage: "CNN's coverage to me seems to drag in comparison to MSNBC's. And I'm sorry, while I'm usually amused by James Carville, I couldn't watch him while he was wearing that god-awful rugby shirt." On Olbermann's absence: "I know it was the man's birthday, but damn, it was a Primary Election night--he should have been there unless he required immediate medical attention or something!" Another viewer writes in: "I'm shallow, I admit it. I watched MSNBC because Campbell Brown was on...Ironically, Fox had no foxes and actually had that ghoul Greta on. 12:04:13 PM Last Week's Cable News Viewer Data
The news viewer index for January 19 to 25 is in, thanks to Cynopsis. In total day, "Fox News had 48% of the viewing, CNN 27%, MSNBC 13%; and Headline News 11%." As for primetime, "Fox News had 55%, CNN 28%, MSNBC 11% and Headline News 6%." That's a big leap for FOX's prime... 8:44:17 AM A Rare MSNBC Ratings Win
From Variety: "MSNBC racked up a rare ratings victory last week as host Chris Matthews beat Anderson Cooper's CNN program in the 7 p.m. ET timeslot." Hardball had never beat 360 for an entire week. The article also summarizes some election season stats. 8:43:46 AM Monday Cable News Ratings
Drudge presented cable news ratings for Monday. On FOX: O'Reilly with a 2.1, H&C; at 1.6, 1.1 for Brit, and 1.0 for Shep and Greta. On CNN, LK finds 1.3, Zahn gets a 0.8, and Brown with a 0.7. On MSNBC, Norville has just a 0.3; Hardball at 0.4, with Scarborough and Olbermann at 0.3. Dennis Miller premiered at an 0.6... 8:41:57 AM Tuesday, January 27, 2004 N.H. Votes: On To South Carolina, And Beyond
Many moments in the wall-to-wall coverage previewed February's primaries. CNN and FOX went live to South Carolina for previews of the week ahead. CNBC presented a map of delegates up for grabs next month. NBC's Ron Allen was live in Missouri before midnight, and this report was followed by an interview with Oklahoma's Democratic party chair. FOX led into the 12am hour with South Carolina poll #'s... 11:59:44 PM N.H. Votes: One More Round of Notes
Robert Novak on CNN, bluntly: "I think Dean is dead" // NRO: "The Kerry team really has beautifully orchestrated this. The Curtain Cam shot on CNN all this time, waiting for Kerry, is priceless." // "This is another race that will go into the history books," Carl Cameron wrapped up... 11:58:13 PM N.H. Votes: Howard Kurtz Weighs In
Howard Kurtz's online column lead: "It took 20 minutes for the cable networks to declare John Kerry the winner after the New Hampshire polls closed, and not much longer to start writing off other candidates." (Kurtz is wrong about the times for projections; FOX was first, not CNN. Hope that doesn't get in the paper.) It's a great recap though... 11:49:50 PM N.H. Votes: Comparing/Contrasting the Cable Coverage
Though the results came early in the evening, the cablers are still talking. Brent writes in with thoughts about tonight's coverage. "I am, for the most part, watching MSNBC. They are the most energized. CNN and FNC are rather boring. Kinda disappointed tonight however, looks like an early night...Here's hoping next Tuesday is more exciting." As for CNN, this TVSpy poster doesn't like how Blitzer seems to be CNN's prime anchor (I totally agree): "Could [CNN's political coverage] be more boring to watch? Wolf Blitzer seems over-exposed on the network." And these DU posters aren't big fans of Chris Matthews (aka Tweety)... 11:42:38 PM N.H. Votes: Media Notes From New Hampshire, Round Four
Mo Rocca called Edwards "part populist, part boy band singer" // One of my favorite quotes from FR: "Botox Kerry on Facelift Greta at FNC!" // Carl Cameron described Kerry's "back-to-back victories that would seem to have potentially crippled Howard Dean's candidacy" // Jonathan Alter on CNBC: "What really has changed this year is [that] normally people vote for the guy or the woman that they like the best. All the strategizing and punditizing is left to the pundits...[But] this year was different. People actually made a calculation" // CNN used "Vote Trak" software to identify support in townships across New Hampshire. Greenfield's experience with the state paid off... 11:38:50 PM N.H. Votes: Networks Leave Primary Coverage to the Cablers
Tim Cuprisin at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel expresses frustration that only one network aired a "scheduled look at the first primary battle." "The bottom line is that if you're interested in watching this Democratic primary season unfold on TV over the next couple of weeks, the networks can't be counted on"... 11:34:25 PM N.H. Votes: NBC Embeds Offer Personal Insights
NBC's embeds contributed to coverage tonight. Becky Diamond said it was an emotional win for John Kerry: "He told me this morning he was 'holding his breath,' waiting for the results to come in. Well tonight you can hear him exhale." Felix Schein reported: "[Dean] finds itself in a little bit of a bind at this point...It needs to find a place to win." And from the Edwards camp: "There weren't quite the high fives around here tonight that there were the other day," Dugald McConnell said. All three embeds contributed insight on their candidates' personal feelings and reactions. "We're already at the airport," McConnell said. On to South Carolina... 11:18:10 PM N.H. Votes: Media Notes from New Hampshire, Round Three
Back -- sorry about the break in updates. // Wolf Blitzer called Kerry's victory "a bookend to his upset first-place finish in Iowa" at 10pm // "The clear loser tonight is Wesley Clark," Jeff Greenfield said, referencing his fight for third place. "That's a very hard number to spin, no matter how good you are at spinning." // Funny how FOX put Dean in a box right next to dissapointing poll results during their entire interview with him // A reader writes in to point out that MSNBC pulled out "the big guns" -- Tom Brokaw interviewed Kerry on cable, and Tim Russert contributed analysis. A Zucker idea? It was much-needed... 11:16:32 PM N.H. Votes: "The general is not doing interviews"
Larry King will feature interviews with Kerry, Dean, Edwards, and Lieberman during the 9pm hour; "the general is not doing interviews," King said. LK will be back at midnight for a second live hour... 9:04:39 PM N.H. Votes: Dennis Miller's Program Plagued By Technical Snafus
Terrible technical problems at the top of Dennis Miller's program tonight. "This is not good," a tech guy said in the background, as Gloria Borger's IFB malfunctioned. He called tonight a "considerable whomping" for Dean, and called the doctor a "dead man spending." The show cut to a taped interview with John McCain after three minutes... 9:04:33 PM N.H. Votes: An Early Night; The Story Shifts
The story shifts from who-will-win to how-much-will-he-win-by, and who-will-grab-third-place. "NBC News projects Kerry to win by double digit margin," the lower third said around 8:40pm. At 8:47pm, Blitzer said that "John Kerry is likely to win this race by about 10% -- a spread of about 10%, a win over Howard Dean." 8:53:27 PM N.H. Votes: Media shouldn't write "too many obituaries too soon"
"I don't think we should be writing too many obituaries too soon," Jeff Greenfield told CNN viewers. His colleagues agreed. "The race goes on. New Hampshire may not decide a great deal." Bill Schneider said. "We could have at least four candidates going onto next week." What happened to "two tickets out of NH?" "The race goes on and on," Schneider added... 8:52:40 PM N.H. Votes: Media Notes from New Hampshire, Round Two
The RNC's Ed Gillespie is making the rounds tonight; he appeared on FOX in the first half hour of coverage, and then talked on CNBC // 360's Buzz question tonight: "Does Howard Dean have to win New Hampshire to make a comeback? Results: 57% yes / 43% no // "The intrusiveness of the media during the last days of the New Hampshire primary bothered some of the local folks," Leonard Downie Jr. told WP chatters today // The February 3 primaries were being discussed by 8:30pm... 8:50:36 PM N.H. Votes: "Who to watch?"
"Who to watch?," Oliver Willis ponders. "CNN bores me, it is fun to watch Fox squirm uncomfortably as they actually have to report on Democrats, but MSNBC has the foxy Campbell Brown and Chris Matthews could explode at any minute." Whose coverage are you enjoying -- or despising? Send in an email with your thoughts. 8:49:22 PM N.H. Votes: And Now, The Spin Begins
"It's going to get fun now," Susan Estrich told Brit Hume shortly before 8:30pm. "Everybody is going to be spinning tonight." "I fully expect everybody to go out and say that they did well," James Carville said. Paul Begala popped a champange cork on CNN to demonstrate what the Kerry campaign would be doing tonight... 8:35:31 PM N.H. Votes: Kerry, Kerry, Kerry!
"Kerry is the obvious front-runner now," Fred Barnes said. "I think Kerry will be ahead in every state that's going to be contested next week," Bill Kristol added. "Two man race it looks like," Brit Hume said. Gloria Borger said that Kerry's folks are "just so excited -- they can't believe that they have a double digit lead." "It may be all over but the shouting" for Dean, Tucker Carlson said (joked?)... 8:35:00 PM N.H. Votes: FOX Projects Winner at 8:15; CNN Follows at 8:21
FOX appears to be the first cabler to call the election for Kerry. It came at 8:15pm, just as John Seigenthaler was telling CNBC viewers that "it is too early to project a winner at this point." "FOX News Projects Kerry To Win," the Alert banner reads. Carl Cameron reported that various local stations are also now projecting Kerry to be the winner. CNN followed up at 8:21pm. "CNN is now ready to project a winner in this race: John Kerry," Blitzer said. At 8:23, it was CNBC's turn. "NBC News now projects that John Kerry will win the NH primary," John Seigenthaler said. He described a "race for third" place... 8:24:20 PM N.H. Votes: Coverage Continues; Too Close to Call
FOX led with Chris Wallace exit poll analysis; CNN led with live reports from the Kerry, Edwards, Dean, Clark, and Lieberman headquarters. "I think we all need to take a deep breath here," James Carville said. "In about an hour we'll all have a good indication [of the real results]." CNN presented the precinict data on the lower thirds, election-night style. FOX graphics presented what appeared to be a two-man race -- headshots of Kerry and Dean, with their current precinict data. Jeff Greenfield's Big Questions: "Late Deciders, Who lost Votes, The Iowa Bypass, and Wine vs. Beer..." 8:14:06 PM N.H. Votes: Polls Close; Networks Report Initial Data
"It's now 8pm. The polls have just closed. Based on CNN exit polls, we can now report that John Kerry has a small lead," Wolf Blitzer said at 8pm. Brit Hume was 30 seconds behind. "Too close, officially, to call," Hume said. Based on raw data, he said that Kerry was "leading with a fairly comfortable margin." FOX had some technical problems transitioning between Shep and Brit; "Brit is almost 50 yards from here, so communication [is difficult at times]," he joked... 8:05:53 PM N.H. Votes: CNN's War Room
CNN's "War Room" is decorated with campaign posters, coffee cups, and newspaper remains. The Crossfire team is camped out there. Carville is now wearing a green, yellow, and purple rugby shirt... 7:55:21 PM N.H. Votes: Getting Closer...
"Minutes from now, someone's dream could effectively die," Shep Smith said at 7pm. On CNN, a "Polls Close" clock ticked away under the Live bug. "The majority of polls have just closed," Shep said. "Indications are there's good news for the Kerry camp, and a very tight race for third place." He promised to share more in an hour. Anderson and Shep are both live in N.H. this hour... 7:02:58 PM N.H. Votes: MSNBC Coverage Begins; Expectations Set
MSNBC's primary coverage began at 6pm with Chris Matthews and his "all-star" panel. Lester Holt reported exit poll data that revealed "key issues for tonight's primary voters." (Keith is apparently taking the night off.) And then the expectations were set: Howard Fineman said that the poll data was "very good territory" for Dean. "If NH is representative, this is going to be a long slog [between several candidates] for weeks if not months to come." Campbell Brown: "I think [Dean] can finish as far as 10 points behind [Kerry] and still be a winner." 6:15:39 PM N.H. Votes: Primary: Clinton, Dean, and "Comeback Kids"
References to Bill Clinton's experience in the 1992 primary will likely be prevalent tonight. Matthews referenced the"comeback kid" speech several times. "[Dean] needs to come out and tell the people, 'I am the new comeback kid,'" Joe Scarborough said on MSNBC. "If he's going to declare himself the comeback kid...it's partly because of the sentiments of the exit polls of those New Hampshire voters," Howard Fineman added... 6:15:03 PM Pre-Primary: Dean Supporters Blame the Media; Is An Apology Owed?
"Dean bloggers feast on press 'bias'" is the headline for a Horward Mortman MSNBC.com column. He chunks their complaints into several categories: Non-liberals control the media; the media's out to get Dean; need for rebellion; and general media disgust. Also: "We who work in the news media owe Howard Dean an apology about the way we reported his primal scream during the past week," Dave Lieber writes in the Star-Telegram. 5:32:55 PM Pre-Primary: "Me, the Press?"
Ellen Warren in her online column: "Often — OK, almost always — the self-absorbed media do seem to think the Quest for the Presidency story is really All About Us, the reporters who cover it. As if the show should be called not "Meet the Press" but "Me, the Press." 5:32:04 PM Pre-Primary: Media Notes from New Hampshire, Round One
Has this been done in the past? Around 3:30pm, CNN cited "early-in-the-day exit polls" to reveal what the "top issues are," NRO says // FOX's Big Question at 5:25pm: "Can Wesley Clark save his campaign? // All four Crossfire hosts argued from New Hampshire today. James Carville stuck out like a sore thump with a t-shirt and sunglasses, contrasting his co-anchors' suits... 5:31:12 PM CNN Crew Ambushed: Michael Holmes: "They were clearly trying to take us out"
"There is no doubt in my mind, that if our security adviser had not returned fire, everyone in our vehicle would have been killed," CNN reporter Michael Holmes says on CNN.com. "This was not an attempted robbery, they were clearly trying to take us out." 3:47:15 PM CNN Crew Ambushed: At Least Five AK-47 Shots Fired
The BBC adds a bit of information to the story: "...At least five shots hit the lead car in a two-car convoy returning to Baghdad from an assignment in the southern city of Hilla." The weapon was an AK-47... 1:33:20 PM CNN Crew Ambushed: Death Is Not Partisan
The FReepers are fighting with each other after shameful posts criticizing CNN. Why does this story have to be reduced to goddamn media bias? Death is not partisan. Let's set it aside for a couple of hours... 1:26:47 PM CNN Crew Ambushed: CNN Story Explains What Happened
CNN.com has posted an updated story with additional details on the attack. "The CNN crew in McWhinnie's vehicle drove to an Iraqi police station and asked officers to go back to the scene to help Mohammed and Khatab, who were last seen driving off the highway. The crew then drove to a forward operations base of the U.S. 82nd Airborne, where McWhinnie was treated, and the U.S. military sent a team to find the missing CNN employees. Iraqi police found the car with the bodies of Mohammed and Khatab." 1:16:32 PM CNN Crew Ambushed: Initial Wire Service Reports
> Reuters: "Two of our colleagues were killed in an ambush" > Associated Press: Several other staffers were in convoy, but were not hurt > The Guardian: The # of journalists killed in Iraq rises to 16 1:15:15 PM CNN Crew Ambushed: FOX's Report on "disturbing attack"
"We heard about this story a while ago, but we were holding onto it out of courtesy to CNN," Rick Leventhal told FOX News viewers at 1pm. He said that "a gunman popped out of the sunroom and opened fire on the lead vehicle of this CNN convoy," and that a security guard for CNN returned fire. Leventhal called the "drive-by shooting" a "disturbing attack." "We're always on guard for something like this to happen, and we hope that it doesn't -- but unfortunately it happened tonight." FOX analyst Bob Scales weighed in: "I don't think there's any doubt" that insurgents want to attack the media... 1:06:05 PM ALERT: CNN Team Ambushed in Iraq; Two Employees Killed
Two CNN employees were killed today when their convoy was ambushed in Iraq. Translator/producer Duraid Isa Mohammed and driver Yasser Khatab both died of multiple gunshot wounds. Cameraman Scott McWhinnie was grazed by a bullet. CNN correspondent Michael Holmes was traveling with the group; he was not hurt. "They were returning to Baghdad in a two-car convoy from an assignment in the southern city of Hillah when they were ambushed on the outskirts of the city," CNN.com says. "Our deepest, deepest condolences go to the families," Wolf Blitzer said on-air around noon. 12:33:06 PM Pre-Primary: Blitzer Presses Kucinich on Viability
Wolf Blitzer pressed Dennis Kucinich on his viability as a candidate today, in a live interview. I think it bordered on unfair: BLITZER: "At what point do you say 'you know what, I can't go on?'" KUCINICH: "I'd say probably after I take the oath of office..." BLITZER: "Be serious--" KUCINICH: "I am serious. I'm in it all the way, Wolf!" Be serious!? The interview was quite heated at times. Blitzer sat down with Wes Clark at a popular restaurant recently, and that interview will air at 5pm today... 12:19:30 PM Pre-Primary: "The political media merry-go-round spun on"
Wow. What an essay by Peter Ames Carlin in the Oregonian this morning. Just read this excerpt: "...The assumptions and biases of TV journalists will at least define and perhaps dictate the terms of the [presidential] race." On the Scream: "So the political media merry-go-round spun on, a seemingly endless loop of hype, distraction and self-justification that makes Dean's Scream sound like a dignified whisper." A great read! 10:27:08 AM Pre-Primary: The Wheels on the [Campaign] Bus Go Round and Round...
Elizabeth Jensen profiles CNN and ABC's campaign buses in a Los Angeles Times piece. The channels are using "fine-tuned technology that got its first real workout in the Iraq war," she writes. "In ABC's case, the equipment came back from Iraq and went immediately into the buses." (WashPost went on board with Stephanopoulos, too.) 10:26:03 AM Pre-Primary: Greenfield Watching for "Knuckleheaded Journalists"
Paula Zahn asked analyst Jeff Greenfield what he will be watching for during the primary coverage tonight. "First, I'll be watching for the knuckleheaded journalists who will overreact to the New Hampshire primary, especially if Kerry wins, and declare it over," he told her. (Thanks to Newsblues) 10:15:06 AM Pre-Primary: "The season upon us"
"Today, there are so many network boots on the ground in New Hampshire, there's hardly anybody available to cover the celebrity court docket," Dave Walker writes in the Times-Picayune. But he adds: "Don't worry. I said hardly anybody." He previews the coming year, beginning today and culminating on election night... 8:45:29 AM Pre-Primary: Does TV Kiss the Issues Goodbye?
"The leader of the pack leads the news," the San Francisco Chronicle complains this morning. In presidential campaigns, "TV news gets to cover the circus -- and kiss the issues goodbye." Brit Hume defends use of polling (it's a compelling human story, he says) but argues that the issues still come up. "I don't mind the horse race as a way of looking at the thing as long as, in the course of covering it, the (issues) come into play," he said. "And I think they do." 8:42:55 AM Pre-Primary: NEP Debuts Exit Polling Today
The Seattle Times says that "'new' exit polling debuts today." They summarize what "spelled the end of VNS and the beginning of the NEP," then ask "What's the difference? Not much"... 8:39:09 AM Pre-Primary: N.H.'s "Star Treatment;" CNN's Re-creation
The Washington Times previews primary coverage, and says that "Iowa and New Hampshire getting vigorous star treatment to maintain public interest." Examples: campaign embeds and caucus cams. "CNN has ramped up its showbiz quotient as well...[they] will showcase a re-creation of its vintage 1992 "War Room" set for tonight's coverage, with correspondents reporting from a set painstakingly assembled in an old textile mill in Manchester." 1:59:29 AM Kevin Sites Checks In On His Site
NBC's Kevin Sites checks in from Baghdad on his blog. "This is the day Alpha Company thought would never come--the day they get to go home." And other stories we don't see on TV... 12:25:59 AM Matthews "always an easy target" for jokes
Ellen Warren's Tribune dispatches continue to be great reads. This one describes the Daily Show town hall last weekend: "One of the themes of the evening was ridiculing MSNBC's Hardball host Chris Matthews — always an easy target. When a cell phone rang, Stewart looked at Matthews in the audience and warned him not to answer it, "Because if you start talking, you'll never f------ stop." 12:14:24 AM Monday, January 26, 2004 Schonfeld: "Roger Ailes is producing great tabloid" TV
Speaking of Reese, he has a couple site updates today. Commenting on CNN's shakeup: "It’s as if someone at CNN thinks its tepid ratings result from a lack of bureaucrats." Heh...and then he compliments FOX: "Roger Ailes is producing great tabloid television." (Then again, is calling the network "tabloid" really a compliment?) 11:49:09 PM "The Most Exclusive Howard Dean Interview"
Well, Chris had his "exclusive" Dr. Dean interview tonight -- as did Wolf, and Aaron Brown during NewsNight. But my favorite Dean interview tonight was by Jon Stewart. They called it "the Most Exclusive Howard Dean Interview." Great segment! 11:48:31 PM How Can CNN Be Fixed? Viewers Chime In
A great thread discussing CNN is hot at TV Spy. My favorite quote: "Keep this in mind: through all this upheaval, CNN has still maintained its massive international newsgathering operation, even though they could save money and just rehash the wires like FOX. I don't know too many American nets who have a bureau in Jakarta or Havana. CNN has viewership problems, it has imagination problems and it has a history of management problems. But integrity is another matter." Some posters suggest Reese Schonfeld should come back and make news the star again... 11:48:24 PM
Not So Exclusive After All, Eh Chris? I called Chris Matthew's so-called "exclusive" Dean interview sloppy seconds, but it's worse than that: "Unfortunately the "exclusive' was given to every cabler," a source wrote in this evening. Wolf Blitzer aired a similar interview during his 5pm hour, for example. He took a swipe at the news media during his CNN interview: "They're an entertainment businesses at least as much as the news media," he said... 8:58:35 PM Photos of FOX's N.H. Headquarters
Greta takes FOXNews.com readers behind the scenes of the channel's N.H. studio: "I was once again stunned when I arrived at the Fox "Manchester" bureau. The place is amazing! It is as though a major city bureau were lifted from its location and set down here." Here are photos... 8:55:15 PM Like FOX Was Reading From Cheney's Script
I'm glad I wasn't the only one who noticed FOX's ..unique.. presentation of the Kay story. "Yesterday when they reported the David Kay story, they spun it so bad, it seemed like Dick Cheney himself wrote the story," a Watercooler member writes. 8:12:30 PM Hardball's "Exclusive" Dean Interview
This is called sloppy seconds: "MSNBC's Chris Matthews spoke exclusively this afternoon with Democratic Presidential candidate, former Vermont governor Howard Dean, and his wife, Dr. Judy Steinberg Dean. The interview will air in its entirety tonight" at 7pm. press release says. Wait, wasn't Diane's interview exclusive?... 5:38:05 PM FOX News Relocates to the Granite State (Temporarily)
FOX has headed north for the next two days, anchoring virtually all of their early prime and primetime programming from New Hampshire. Shep Smith is hosting Studio B from there now; Special Report, the FOX Report, Hannity & Colmes, and On the Record are all going on the road for the primary, a FOX P.R. says. Their NH newsroom is certainly an improvement on Iowa's backdrop... 3:38:52 PM Matthews has "the political penal colony to beat this election year"
Am I blind? Apparently I missed this great Joe Hagan Observer column praising MSNBC's caucus coverage, and explaining why CNN and FOX didn't match Matthews and company. "...If his performance on caucus night...was a harbinger of the political coverage to come in this year’s Presidential campaign, then Mr. Matthews has the political penal colony to beat this election year." Nice story -- better to link late than never. 3:31:59 PM CNBC PR: "Capital Report" Campaign Coverage
CNBC's primary coverage tomorrow night will feature two special contributors, a press release says. Joe Lockhart and Susan Molinari will join Alan Murray and Gloria Borger. The P.R. also discusses Capital Report's campaign plans... 3:24:09 PM Quote of the day
Howard Kurtz explains how "the other campaigns, especially the Dean folks, are starting to complain that the Massachusetts senator isn't getting the kind of media scrutiny that had previously been applied to, say, front-runners named Howard. And they're right. 11:44:21 AM What a Difference the Angle Makes
A tale of two stories: In a package from the Pentagon, CNN's Chris Plante played excerpts from Kay's NPR interview. The headline was "WMD Doubts," and the chyron summarized the report: "Former weapons hunter suspects bad intelligence." A straight-forward summary. ++ A minute later, Wendell Goler had a live report on FOX. His lead: "Saddam's Folly" -- how Saddam pretended to have WMD. He also contrasted Kay's assessment with a Cheney speech yesterday in Rome, warning of terrorist intentions. Goler concluded with a snippet that said "Kay does not blame the White House for the conclusion they reached." It's all about the way a story is packaged... (Update: DU points to similar "spin.") 11:43:30 AM Does Princell Need To Step Inside The Newsroom More Often?
TVWeek's Insider column shares an anecdote that suggests "how little contact there has been between [CNN head Princell] Hair and those who actually keep the 24-hour news machinery at CNN gassed up while their on-the-go leader 'just goes wherever he goes and does whatever he does.'" Wow, that's that sound I hear? An ax grinding?... 10:04:15 AM "N.H. media stampede as frantic as politicking"
That's the headline for a Atlanta Journal-Constitution today. Here's the money line: "With 500 reporters and dozens of camera crews now stationed in New Hampshire for Tuesday's primary, media mob scenes like the one at the Newport skating pond are as common as subfreezing temperatures." Some good quotes... 9:39:59 AM ! Dennis Miller Has One Hell Of A P.R. Team
If the ratings aren't high for his show tonight, it's not for a lack of trying. Here's a partial summary of stories in Monday's dead-trees: > Associated Press: David Bauder's piece is reprinted in many papers. Interesting lead... > USA Today: He's the lead in a politics/comedy convergence analysis > Reuters: Distributing a Hollywood Reporter preview of his show > WashPost: Out & About column notes his presence in DC 12:49:56 AM Praise for C-SPAN's Raw Campaign Coverage
Poli-junkies can "embed themselves in campaigns" thanks to C-SPAN, the NYTimes writes in Monday editions. "You cannot help but be influenced by who is presenting the programs on the news channels," a Miami-Dade College social science professor says. "At the beginning, C-Span might be boring, but it allows you to come to your own conclusions." 12:48:04 AM CNN Shakeup: "Fusing" The "Detached" Parts of CNN
The Hollywood Reporter quotes an unnamed CNN exec: "One of the things that has happened at CNN over the years is that there were really different CNNs: There was the news-gathering part of CNN, and there was the on-the-air part of CNN, and they were very particularly detached. One of the things [Jim Walton] and Princell have focused on is fusing them together." Interesting take... 12:33:04 AM Kurtz Profiles Brokaw & His Last Election Season
Nice piece in the Post Monday morning describing Tom's experiences on the campaign trail, contrast with the future (blogging's mainstream media darling, Josh Marshall, gets a shout-out). Brokaw promises that he won't "sit on the porch of the old anchorman's home with a drool cup." I wonder if they get cable?... 12:32:46 AM Sunday, January 25, 2004 Reliable Sources Highlights: Dean Scream; Primary Time
An hour-long Reliable Sources discussed the media's Dean scream hype and next week's primary on CNN today. Highlights: The Scream: Jill Zuckman: "When you've got all the news networks playing it over and over and over again, it sort of changes the reality of what's happening." What Scream?: Stephen Colbert: Compared to the SOTU: Ken Auletta: "I think the public, in an age where we play up things like Howard Dean's "whoop," other things seem very boring, including State of the Union." Primary time: Cokie Roberts: "...I'm wondering whether the media have come to utterly dominate the New Hampshire primary." Beyond the front-runner: Howard Kurtz: "We shouldn't only train our media microscope on whoever happens to be in first place in the polls because the polls change." 10:40:29 PM CNN Shakeup: Bohrman comments on covering stories
Daily Variety reviews the CNN shakeup details, and adds a couple details. "I think if you stagnate in the way you cover stories, it just doesn't work," new DC bureau chief David Bohrman told the trade paper. "I think if you can freshen things up, you are ahead of the game." 10:28:53 PM Lieberman Protests CNN Interview Q; Hemmer Apologizes
The Jerusalem Post reports that Joe Lieberman wasn't happy with a question posed by Bill Hemmer that referred to the candidate's religion. He lodged a protest, and received a personal apology from Hemmer... 10:26:10 PM Quote of the day
A Watercooler post yesterday: "I think the same need exists for an all-trash/trial/reality news network. MSNBC or CNN could scoop up serious bucks if they just swallowed their pride." (I agree. But pride? Since when did...) 10:01:09 PM Were the caucuses a "Truly Important Event?"
David Shaw asks "what's the big deal about Iowa?" in the LATimes. "Every four years, the news media treat the Iowa caucuses as if they are a Truly Important Event, right up there with Michael Jackson's arrest, O.J. Simpson's trial and Princess Di's death..." 9:40:40 AM CNN's Carville Writes "Lu and Swamp Ghost"
CNN screamer James Carville has written a children's book inspired by his mother. "Lu and the Swamp Ghost" will hit shelves in December. Carville is also the subject of a profile in the Ledger-Enquirer this morning... 9:39:43 AM CNN Photog Slips at Skating Rink
LostRemote reports that "a CNN shooter slipped and hit the ice hard while John Kerry visited a skating rink in New Hampshire. Kerry stayed with him until the medics arrived, then leaned down and told him, "You know you're going to be the big news story." Turns out, he'll be OK." 9:39:13 AM Ashleigh Banfield Tying The Knot
NBC's Ashleigh Banfield recently announced her engagement to Bloomberg Financial executive Howard Gould. The wedding is planned for this summer, the Dallas Morning News says... 9:31:22 AM As Markets Climb, So Does CNBC
The NYPost says that "as stocks climb, more investors are tuning back to major financial news channels, early numbers show." It takes a look at how CNBC is broadening its coverage... 9:26:03 AM Scott Peterson Comes to Town, and the Press Follows
The San Francisco Chronicle previews the Peterson trial's media blitz. "Satellite trucks belonging to NBC, CNN and Court TV -- and dozens of local television stations -- have filled the city block in front of Stanislaus County's courthouse. It's an operation that has required extra police security, roadblocks and 150 special phone lines set up just for them..." 1:36:09 AM Saturday, January 24, 2004 CNBC's Programming Theory: "Work hard, play hard"
CNBC CEO Pamela Thomas-Graham explains CNBC's recent makeover. "The governing theory behind the [new] prime-time lineup is, 'Work hard, play hard,'" she says in Newsday's Sunday editions. "During the day we're kind of the 'work hard' network. We help you make money, help you think about how to spend your money. At night it's going to be more that 'play hard' mentality." 6:53:45 PM Does the media "worship the scream speech now"?
A poll at the Democratic Underground asks if the media will "ever start discussing real issues again," or just keep replaying the Dean scream. 64% respond to an apparent no: "'Issues?' The 'issues' are dead. We worship the Scream Speech now." Only one person thinks that "They'll cut out the stupidity eventually. Don't hold your breath, though." Fun comments over there, too... 6:53:27 PM CNN's Bus "Looks Better" Than Other Buses, The Bus Driver Says
This site promises all the cable news news, so here's this important bit: CNN's Election Express is taking a break today, the bus driver reports. He's proud of it: "Other networks have buses, but ours looks better than theirs, and I'll race them anywhere in the country." 6:52:54 PM CNN Shakeup: "Not a bad thing"
"This is not a bad thing," one Watercooler member writes. While noting that the loss of two bureau chiefs is sad, "this is not a layoff. Correspondents are being added; and this system is being given to restore power to the bureaus. And the early take of this appears to be [that] this will strengthen news gathering." Other people don't agree... 9:51:42 AM On CNN: "They need to change the content"
A fascinating analysis about CNN from a "mid-sized market" TV employee: "They are changing graphics, they are changing pace, they are changing producers, they are changing talking heads... they are changing everything but what will fix the problem. They need to change the content...they will have to fall several more rating points before they finally figure out what is wrong." It's on Free Republic. Meanwhile, another FReeper chimes in with a line about rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic... 9:50:25 AM Greta To Colleagues: Disclose Campaign Connections
Greta responds to criticism that her husband has raised money for John Kerry -- and that she informed viewers of that fact on-air. "I disclosed this so that YOU can decide whether you think my questions might be unfair or fair. This, to me, is being "fair and balanced" in that there are no secrets...Frankly, I would urge everybody in the media to do the same - disclose - if there are any even casual connections." Very interesting column... 9:31:09 AM The CNN Shakeup: A Sign That Cable News is "Maturing?"
WashPost: New DC bureau chief Bohrman calls the CNN shakeup an "interesting step in the growth or maturing of cable news:" "Before, it was there to exist for the moment. We've not begun to cultivate a fair amount of evening programs. The different pieces need to be able to accommodate those programs and keep Washington on the forefront of breaking news. You need to be able to satisfy both." One CNN staffer says "there's a feeling in the bureau that [Kross's dismissal] wasn't handled well." 8:57:24 AM Marin's Documentary to CNN?
Former WMAQ anchor Carol Marin is negotiating with CNN about purchasing one of two largely self-financed documentaries she is working on, Crain's mentions... 8:55:27 AM Friday, January 23, 2004 Quote of the day
KWWL-TV Political Analyst Dr. Jeff Stein: "It used to be that any publicity is good publicity, but in this age of the Internet and twenty-four seven cable news and people commenting on performance, I don't think Howard Dean would find this publicity to be in his best interest." Have we reached the point where that cliche is no longer true?... 10:50:19 PM ! Clark Decries Debate's "Republican Agenda;" Accuses FOX of Bias
This could get interesting: "Clark...accused Fox News of conspiring against him in Thursday's debate," the Washington Post reports in Saturday editions. "I looked at who was asking the questions, and I think that was part of the Republican agenda in the debate," Clark told reporters. Quoting from a separate AP story: "Fox News spokesman Paul Schur said Clark should be used to facing tough questions about his record." Hmmm... 10:50:04 PM Princell "Putting His Stamp" On CNN
"Hair...is putting his stamp on the network," Caroline Wilbert says in her AJC CNN shakeup lead. Other than that though, it's really just an AP re-write... 10:49:01 PM "The first ever 3-D TV transmission of the Martian landscape"
Of course my cable had to malfunction during a special edition of NewsNight -- Miles O'Brien is taking viewers on a 3-D tour of Mars. "We will present the first ever 3-D TV transmission of the Martian landscape," the web site promises. Make sure to get your 3-D glasses ready to experience this television first." The site has featured information on obtaining the glasses (or making your own) for a week, and Aaron promo'd it many times... 10:34:59 PM CNN Shakeup: A Move to Centralize News-gathering?
CBS Marketwatch adds this tidbit to the CNN shakeup story: "In Atlanta, ...some staffers were concerned that Hair's changes underscore the management's desire to centralize what it had often been a de-centralized news-gathering operation, and a consolidation of the general news production." Jon Friedman doesn't hesitate to note that "CNN is facing considerable pressure to re-establish itself." FR's are poking fun... 10:32:10 PM Joe Johns Leaves NBC News
The AP's short shakeup story mentions that CNN has hired Joe Johns away from NBC. He will report on Capitol Hill. DCRTV points out Joe was with the peacock for 2 decades. 10:31:57 PM Jim Avila Leaves NBC News
A big loss for NBC: "Jim Avila resigned amicably this week after 10 years at NBC," the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The paper mentions speculation that Avila will join ABC's PrimeTime newsmagazine as a correspondent... 10:31:46 PM Princell Hair Dictates Dramatic Changes at CNN
Today's CNN shakeup, as outlined in this memo, is extensive. They include "a robust futures process and a fully integrated and empowered bureau system," in Hair-speak. "Today the blueprint has been laid, the map drawn," he said... (Full memo // Watercooler reaction) > Reporters who serve as bureau chiefs will be supplemented by people "whose sole responsibility it is to manage the newsgathering and production apparatus in their region." > A "revamped and expanded" planning unit will be "charged with constantly developing stories and series that will...be important to increasing time spent viewing" > CNN's 11 domestic bureaus will now be divided into four regions > A regional bureau chief and supervising producer will be added (another mgmt layer?) > Another Princell priority: improve the Features unit; it will now include Sports, too > Richard Griffiths promoted to Editorial Director; his mission: "better story-telling" 7:07:39 PM Why Communities Like To Host Debates
...They soak up the free publicity! In South Carolina, local leaders hope to inform the nation, through the press, that their state is "more than a dumping ground for plutonium or a battleground for the Confederate flag and Martin Luther King Jr. holiday debates." MSNBC hosts a debate from there next week. More in the Carolina Morning News... 7:06:13 PM Kross Out, Bohrman In At CNN DC
"I have asked David Bohrman to become Vice President of News and Production/Washington Bureau Chief," CNN head Princell Hair said in a memo today ."We are working with Kathryn Kross on a new role with the network and I thank her for her exhaustive efforts in DC." Bohrman was NewsNight's EP... Romenesko has the full memo. 5:13:24 PM MSNBC/CNBC Primary Plans: Replica of Caucus Coverage
NBC has announced New Hampshire primary coverage plans. MSNBC is sticking with exactly the same plan they used during the caucus: Chris Matthews from 7am to midnight, then Keith Olbermann until 1am. On CNBC, John Seigenthaler will anchor at 8, break for Dennis at 9, then come back live until midnight. The The press release... 2:18:19 PM The Election Express Crew Gets Along Well
Bob Franken checks in from the Election Express: "It's not that the bus isn't comfortable -- it is. But we are together day in and day out, and have managed to enjoy each other's company immensely. It must be the fact that it's kind of fun to cover a campaign like this..." 2:17:55 PM No More CNBC World At 4am
Did you, like me, enjoy watching a bit of CNBC's international coverage early early in the mornings on CNBC? Well, it's no more. The 4am live broadcasts from London are being replaced by a Dennis Miller repeat. Here's the announcement; Digital Spy picked up on it. 2:17:21 PM Weapons of the TV President: “melodramatic gesture and the photo op”
This story is never going to die. The Star-Ledger analyzes that speech heard ‘round the channels: “The badge, the flight suit, the turkey -- all were clearly designed to function in a world of 24-hour news, where signature images are replayed ad nauseam, replicating themselves on TV and the Internet like a computer virus.” 7:30:24 AM CNN/FOX War: "Iowa close; speech isn't"
“Fox News claimed two political victories this week,” Caroline Wilbert says in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this morning, recaping the FOX/CNN ratings war this week... 7:29:10 AM Brit Hume Praised for Debate Handling
Jeffy Jacoby sums up last night's debate in the Boston Globe: "Hume really was terrific last night. Maybe it's not too late to get him on the ballot." 7:28:17 AM Inside the Debate Hall: What Viewers Didn't See
Howie is on a roll! Mr. Kurtz submits a recap of the Democrats' squabbling from his "perch inside the debate hall." He describes one moment viewers at home didn't see, where Dean "marched over" to moderator Hume during a commercial break. "Dean remains the big story, to judge from the spin room, as fully half the reporters waited by a stand labeled "Dean" for the candidate, who never emerged," Kurtz said. Also: "A debate looks very different from inside the hall than it does on television," Kurtz writes, and explains how. 12:53:46 AM Bush on Gregory: "He thinks my job is to answer every question he asks"
NBC star David Gregory tried to turn President Bush's lunch Wednesday into a press conference. "What do you think of the Democratic field, sir?" Nice try -- no luck. Bush responded: "See, his job is to ask questions. He thinks my job is to answer every question he asks. I'm here to help this restaurant by buying food." And on it went, Rich Leiby transcribes in the WP gossip column... 12:21:38 AM Media "exploring the psychodrama of Dean vs. Dean"
Howard Kurtz expands on his online column in the dead tree Post C1 Friday morning: "The reporters are all talking about the implosion," reads the lede, and continues: "For the media, the story now is not so much about pitting Dean against John Kerry, John Edwards or Wesley Clark as exploring the psychodrama of Dean vs. Dean." Good read... 12:20:29 AM (un?)FAIR Part Two: Dennis Miller's Producer Conflict of Interest
And another FAIR story this morning: the liberal organization blowing a whistle on Dennis Miller's show before it even airs, naming what they call a "serious conflict of interest:" Consulting producer Mike Miller was a political advisor for Ahh-nold last year, and it just so happens that the new govern-ator will be among Miller's guests Monday. "Having a producer for a political talkshow working as a political operative is a clear conflict of interest," FAIR's press release says. Other Monday guests include McCain and Guiliani, BTW... 12:19:04 AM (un?)FAIR Part One: Lou Dobbs' "Skewed Reporting"
Extra! (FAIR's bi-monthly print edition) calls attention to the "skewed reporting" of Lou Dobbs. The CNN anchor's favorite subject, or as FAIR puts it, "ax to grind," is immigration. "The selection of topics, the slanted sourcing and the occasionally inaccurate or incomplete information conveyed on the program all seemed calculated to convince the viewer that the U.S. is in the midst of a crisis," FAIR writes. Keep reading... 12:17:34 AM Thursday, January 22, 2004 Demo. Debate: Matthews Quizzes Trippi on "Hooting and Hollering"
Chris Matthews hosted a second live Hardball at 11pm. He led with Dean's "hooting and hollering" -- not any of the substantial issues discussed during the debate -- then interviewed Joe Trippi. Matthews asked who was digging up dirt on Dean and feeding it to the media. "I would point to the RNC. I think they're running...out there, and dumping on all the Democrats." Matthews tried to nail down specific names (Karl Rove? Ed Gillespie?) but Trippi wouldn't take the bait. Then Matthews asked him if Dean was as angry as he looked during his infamous speech Monday night. As Trippi said that "this is like, really ridiculous," the "15 seconds of tape" aired again. "You've gotta run it again right?," Trippi said. "So we can see it again?"... 11:17:43 PM Demo. Debate: Another Round of Media Notes From NH
Greta: "The debate itself was very predictable." Campaign Carl told her that the debate was "very tame, no elbows thrown," and said that Kerry is "still firmly [entrenced] as the front-runner" // NYTimes Friday: "On TV With His Wife, a Softer, Gentler Dean" // Also NYT: "Late in the debate, when Brit Hume said he was going to ask a question related to the scream heard 'round the Net, Dr. Dean quickly said, "Please don't." But he was smiling." 11:16:12 PM Demo. Debate: Media Notes From New Hampshire
MSNBC.com's headline called it a "polite debate" // Greta called it a "do-or-die battle" in a "critical debate" in her promo // "Only 285 days until George Bush gets re-elected," Sean Hannity said tonight. Only... 10:55:23 PM Demo. Debate: NewsNight Wraps Up The "Gentleman's Debate"
"Tonight's debate mattered," Aaron Brown said simply. But no one seemed impressed. Candy Crowley summed it up: "Seven candidates, five days until the first priamry -- you'd think that would add up to some fireworks, but what we got was a gentleman's debate," she said. "This is a debate without a lead...it was almost staid," Brown added. 10:11:38 PM Demo. Debate: Was Clark the Loser Tonight?
Clark advisor Jamie Rubin told Joe Scarborough that his candidate did well, but others didn't agree. As Ed Rollins told Scarborough that "Clark missed an opportunity tonight," Carl Cameron told Hannity & Colmes that "Clark is a little erratic in some of his remarks." Other pundits suggested he came in "last place." Clark's comments about Michael Moore came under heat (Moore responds)... 10:11:02 PM Demo. Debate: Wallace Anchoring Post-Game Show
The debate continued, but FOX's airing of it ended at 9:45. Chris Wallace anchored the debate post-game show from Washington. Wallace called the event "less than scintillating." "The candidates didn't engage, despite efforts by Brit and Peter Jennings to engage," Fred Barnes said. Carl Cameron summarized the debate well, pointing out that there was "no defining moment, no major pivotal turning point here." 9:58:09 PM Demo. Debate: FOXNews.com Debate Coverage
FOXNews.com doing a decent job covering their debate -- the site offers three video clips, and the story has some good quotes from the event. Why no live feed like the one WMUR is offering, though? Or a message board?... 9:47:43 PM Demo. Debate: Early Lead: "Few Fireworks;" Bush Bashing
The headline on WMUR's debate story, updated at 9:11pm: "Few Fireworks As Candidates Attack Bush In Debate." "Debating Democrats bash Bush more than each other," CNN.com says. The WashPost says that "candidates so far refrain from attacks on each other, instead touting strong points as nominee or as president." In other words -- a dull debate... 9:24:42 PM Demo. Debate: Ding Ding!
Yes, it's the bell. "They've borrowed the Crossfire bell," one DU post said. The time constraints seemed restrictive -- we're hearing a lot of sound bites, and not much more. "The timekeeper has asked that you listen even more attentively to the bell," Jennings said around 9pm... 9:08:11 PM Demo. Debate: Moderators Not Popular Tonight
Brit Hume and Peter Jennings don't have many fans online. "I can't stand how the moderators are TRYING SO HARD to bait them," a DU post said. There's an entire thread beating up on Jennings. At FR, one poster said: I "am amazed at Jennings. Talk about prejudice. Sickening. Talk about an agenda. Sickening. Talk about media bias. Sickening." 9:07:35 PM Demo. Debate: "This One is Truly Wide Open"
"Journalists always have an incentive for saying races are wide open, even when they're not," Josh Marshall writes from NH. "But this one is truly wide open." Let's see if this debate changes that... 8:51:17 PM Demo. Debate: I Can't Resist: Jennings as Second Fiddle; Democrats on FOX...
"Did Hume work for Petey at while Hume was at ABC News?" (Sort of -- Hume was a WH correspondent as Jennings anchored WNT.) "Must gall Petey to be playing second fiddle to Hume now." Meanwhile, this Watercooler member didn't let the fact that FOX News was hosting a pivotal Democratic debate slip by unmentioned: "Yes, the constantly-derided-on-Shoptalk Fox News is deemed to be THE outlet for the DEMOCRATS." 8:33:18 PM Demo. Debate: "Make or Break Debate" Begins on FOX
Brit Hume was drowned out by applause during his welcome. The candidate intros were terribly out-of-synch; the voiceover, camera, and graphics were all out of whack. (DU showed no sympathy.) After the first minute, though, the first segment of the debate seemed to go well. I like the You Decide 2004 logo on the right side -- and the lack of a scroll. Shep promises the first question would be a doozy, and it was almost worthy of the hype: "What will you say exactly, precisely, if [you are the Democratic nominee], President Bush says, Senator Kerry is going to raise your taxes, and I am not," Peter Jennings asked. "That's a fight i look forward to," Kerry responded. Jennings gave Dean the opportunity to answer the same question, or explain his "overly enthusiastic speech to your supporters." Dean sort-of did both... 8:13:20 PM Bennifer Breakup: An Excuse to Hear Howard Scream
"Sad news tonight at the top of the G," Shep Smith said on FOX near 8pm. He described receiving the AP news alert that Jen and Ben had called it quits. "Upon hearing the news, a J-Lo fan promised her a whirlwind romantic getaway." Cue the Howard Dean state-naming spiel, then back to "he's upset. We're all upset." Har har... 8:01:36 PM Stunning: Conservative Watchdog Calls Media "Liberal," "Biased"
The conservative Media Research Center today released a study of 2003 news coverage titled "Still Liberal, Still Biased: How Big Media Helped the Left and Hurt the Right in 2003." The organization says the bias is obvious in coverage of economic policy, foreign policy, social issues, and politics. Of course they are going to say that -- they are a right-leaning media monitoring group. Nevertheless, the report is a great read... 7:16:56 PM It's Trial Time: "The Rebirth of Court TV"
Diane Dimond calls the bevy of upcoming high-profile trials "the rebirth of Court TV." They don't consider the cable news nets competition. ''I say with confidence that while the others are excellent at what they do...we are the experts on trials and the legal process, so I don't see them as competition,'' a Court TV VP said. More in the Miami Herald... 7:14:58 PM FOX News ALERTs Bennifer Breakup
"Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Kaput," the breaking news banner read just after 5:30. David Asman laughed, apparently at the stupidity of it all, when he said "this has been a FOX News alert." The MSNBC.com front page said at 5:33pm: "Publicist announces Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez have broken up." "The couple has been under an intense media watch since their courtship began 18 months ago," the wire story says. Wow... 5:50:53 PM Great Question -- But It Was Left Unanswered
"Does technology blow political mistakes out of proportion?," FOX asked as their Big Question during the 5pm hour. "I've only seen the footage 75,000 times or so," the Daily Show's Samantha Bee half-joked. A great question -- but is it really appropriate to ponder it with a comedian? At the same time, MSNBC asked "Is Dean Finished?"... 5:48:24 PM Taking the Men-Only Sign Off MSNBC Primetime
MSNBC's primetime-anchor-photo definitely looks better with a woman in it. (The earlier version of this photo is interesting -- look how Norville takes prominence in the photo on MSNBC.com's site. Is that in her contract?...) Also, her commentary last night (on being back at NBC) is now online. 5:28:39 PM I Never Thought of Shep as a Smoker
This Gawker tipster says Shep Smith is a 'doll:' He was "charging through the crowd to get outside of Nevada Smith's (74 3rd Ave) to be "fair and balanced" -- he took a cell phone call while smoking a cigarette. He was a doll when he came back in because when I greeted him, he said I did a good job singing. (It was karaoke night.)" 5:26:37 PM Media Types Holding An Invite-Only Forum
"Having faithfully reported the goings-on of others, the media will get their chance to comment, pontificate — even whine — during a town hall meeting this weekend devoted to themselves," the Union Leader reports today. 350 people will attend the invitation-only forum. The Daily Show is hosting the event; they are asking reporters not to write about it, and cameras will not be present. Tin foil hat folks are going to love this... 5:24:26 PM SOTU Ratings: FNC "Crushes" & "Thrashes" CNN
FNC's State of the Union ratings beat "all cable news competition combined," the network said today. The press release uses words like "crushes," "thrashes," and "trounces" to describe their win over CNN Tuesday night. The channel averaged 4,451,000 viewers between 9 and 11pm, compared to 1,968,000 CNN viewers and 721,000 MSNBC viewers. "In the same time period, FNC averaged 1,539,000 persons 25-54; 554,000 persons 18-34; and 1,357,000 persons 18-49, thrashing CNN by 82%, 98%, and 84% respectively." 2:52:32 PM Last Week's Cable Audience Ratings
Cynopsis has a recap of cable news ratings last week (12th to 18th). The audience %'s: In the total-day, "Fox News had 48% of the viewing, CNN 25%, MSNBC 15%; and Headline News 12%." For primetime, "Fox News had 50%, CNN 30%, MSNBC 13% and Headline News 8%." Almost identical to last week... 2:25:28 PM Quote of the day
Rantingprofs watching NBC's news decisions: "US soldiers killed in Iraq. No story from Baghdad, just Today's headline reader reading headlines. But there's a full news piece, you can be sure, on the difficulty in selecting a jury for Martha Stewart. Indeed, as much time is devoted to a moose on the loose in a Salt Lake neighborhood as was given to Iraq." That would be funny, if it wasn't so sad. 12:45:27 PM Why The 1/2 Hour 'News Alert' Delay?
FOX News aired part of NASA's press conference around 12:05pm, when they announced serious communication problems. Why did it take CNN.com half an hour to send out a breaking news alert? As of 12:30, it wasn't on the web site; it reached my AIM name at 12:39, my e-mail at 12:41, and my cell phone at 12:42. Wolf Blitzer reported the "Just In" news at 12:35... 12:44:26 PM Has Cable News Magnified Dean's Dramatic Speech?
To what extent has cable news magnified Dean's troubles? The LA Times wrote of his 'late-night battle cry:' "The image of Dean repeatedly punching the air...has played endlessly on cable news networks and offered instant fodder for late-night comedy monologues," the reporters pointed out. "All of this gets more complicated in the cable news universe, where things get played again and again," Aaron Brown said last night. "CNN's Anderson Cooper mockingly played the end of Dean's rant five times in a row -- five times!," Howard Kurtz wrote this morning... 10:57:24 AM Norville's Premiere: Web Reaction
> TVSpy: "Overly conscious of being a 'woman's' show" > MSNBC MSN group: "Some good gets - nice solid alternative to Larry King" > TVHeads: "I (as a male) would much prefer looking at her over Colmes and King!" > Newsblues: "Norville nearly rose above the steroid-laced production. She is bubbly and likable and dangerously smart." 10:49:24 AM An International Perspective in New Hampshire
CNN International's Richard Quest is on the Election Express bus. "What we are aiming to do here is understand why is this such a pressure cooker of U.S. politics?," he writes on CNN.com. Why in such a short period of time do all the candidates come to one of the smallest states in the union, spend so long, which at the end of the day, can make and break -- or break, and certainly will, certain campaigns?" When he figures it out, his reports should air on CNN domestic, too... 10:41:10 AM BW: "There's a wall" between news and funny
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer asked Brian Williams about the recent Pew study: "People get that Bill Maher doesn't do what I do for a living. I love Dennis Miller, but we're in a different business. ... I think there's enough savvy out there to know that there's a wall between the two, and I don't see it as a challenge." 10:35:24 AM Wednesday, January 21, 2004 'Deborah Norville Tonight' Premiere: Part Two
Debbie's final interview, with Casey Kasem and his wife, was live via satellite. "You ask the greatest questions," he told Norville. His wife's infomercial for her baby cribs and her reference to Norville's past "trials and tribulations" was awful, though. In her final minute, she shared "a few thoughts about new beginnings." Norville called herself a "basketcase" after her Today Show stint ended in 1991, but said she felt very comfortable back at home. "Don't let anybody ever tell you that you can't go back home again," Norville said. "You can, and you should." Overall, a strong premiere. Norville is a top-notch host. The key ingredient in the coming weeks is simple: book a variety of fascinating guests, for live in-studio interviews. 10:01:54 PM 'Deborah Norville Tonight' Premiere: Part One
The first interview, with Kerry's wife, was dull -- it was on tape, and via satellite. By contrast, the second interview, with the parents of a pilot killed in Iraq, was a notable improvement. It was live, in person, and Norville shined. She was very prepared, and it showed. The third segment, a "survivor's story" interview with a mountain climber, was also (Best question: "Why do you climb mountains?") In a filler segment called "We just had to ask," Debbie analyzed Martha Stewart's choice of handbags, and played a clip from Sex and the City. 9:56:43 PM SOTU: Preliminary Ratings Info
43 million people watched the State of the Union last night, down from 61 million last year. Preliminary figures suggest that NBC scored the biggest audience. Detailed numbers will come out tomorrow. Reuters has more... 9:55:01 PM Norville: First Impressions
"Good luck, Deborah," Keith Olbermann said at 8:59pm. Then Deborah Norville returned to the NBC family (she said it was "cool" to be back). First impressions: Very nice studio (3K at 30 Rock) -- it looks similar to CNN's New York studios. Nice graphic package, though the music sounds a bit bland. "We hope that you'll find us to be a fresh alternative to some of the stuff on TV," she said in her intro. A preview of the show's direction came during the first commercial break. "Tomorrow on Deborah Norville Tonight: stomach stapling surgery," a VO said. Rapper Ja Rule will also appear on Thursday's show... 9:25:40 PM Do people have a right to know journalists' biases?
Pat Buchanan considers questions of truth in journalism at Town Hall. "The question, finally, is this: Do the people have a right to know the biases of the people from whom they get almost all their information about politics, politicians, candidates and causes?," he asks. "Seems to me that an honest journalist has to answer yes." Interesting commentary... 9:12:37 PM MSNBC Targeting Women, CNBC Targeting Conservatives?
Interesting analysis of MSNBC and CNBC's apparent strategy, from TVHeads: "It looks like NBC is finally doing some smart things. MSNBC is going after women (and Larry King) with Deborah Norville (Heinz interview). CNBC is going after conservatives (and Hannity & Colmes) with Dennis Miller (Arnold interview). Divide and conquer. Segment the audience. Looks like strategy consultants figured out the direction for NBC." Interesting...but do Olbermann or Scarborough's shows appeal to women? 9:11:21 PM Inside The United Nations' News Bureaus
A great story on the U.N. Wire describes media coverage of the United Nations, pointing out that the best years of broadcast reporting on the U.N. may have passed. It points out that only CNN and the BBC maintain "significant studio operations" at the headquarters. Interesting inside look... 9:10:21 PM Would You Pay For A Women-of-FOX Calendar?
A DCRTV mailbag post asks a curious question: "When is Phaux News Channel coming out with its newsreader babe calendar? Will it be called "Me Faire and Balanced ladies"? Anybody feeling entrepreneurial? 9:01:02 PM Countdown's Notable Quotes
MSNBC PR has put out a new edition of Keith Olbermann's best jabs. It's not on the PR site yet, but here's my favorite: "An unnamed thief who visits a pet store in the Franklin Township, New Jersey, he shoplifts two snakes, he hides them in his trousers. They bite him in the groin. By the way, that would make them trouser snakes." (Update: here's some more.) 7:16:49 PM Caucus Ratings "Surprise": FOX with 1.5, CNN with 1.3
Direct quote from Broadcasting & Cable: "Fox News Channel edged out CNN in viewership for its coverage of the Iowa caucuses on Monday night. Fox attracted 1.5 million viewers in prime time, compared with 1.3 million for CNN. MSNBC trailed a distant third with 584,000 viewers." Is anyone surprised?... Still, look at how close CNN was to FOX. 7:16:47 PM Norville: 1st Night: Kerry, Kasem, and a story of survival
From the Norville promos running on MSNBC: "The fascinating, the unforgettable -- the stories you can't stop talking about. ...Because if it's on Deborah Norville tonight, you'll be talking about it tomorrow." Tonight, Debbie will interview Teresa Heinz Kerry and Casey Kasem. She will also talk to the parents of the first female pilot killed in combat in Iraq, and will feature "an incredible survivor story." Details here. (FYI: Tonight, Toby Keith will be on LKL.) 2:06:43 PM Norville: Columnists Enjoying the Today Show Angle
The Atlanta Journal-Consitution's lead contrasts Norville's controversial Today show history with her new MSNBC program: "This morning Deborah Norville returned to her old stomping grounds -- the "Today" show on NBC -- to promote her new program on sister network MSNBC." Phil Rosenthal used a similar angle in his Chicago Sun-Times preview... 2:06:10 PM Norville: Aims to be Larry King on Steroids
In a NYDN story today. Deborah Norville points out that Larry King often airs hour-long interviews. So her counterprogramming is obvious: "talking with up to four guests each night on everything from politics to pop songs." Quoting her: "My own personal barometer for this show is if we touch an emotional button, tell you something you didn't know or prompt you to think about something in a way that had never occurred to you before, than we've accomplished something." 2:05:02 PM Dean Not a Fan of FOX News? (Shocking!)
Josh Marshall, blogging from a Dean event in NH, notes that Dean doesn't sound like a FOX Fan: "Just now a woman got up and asked a question attacking Fox News (“an embarrassment to this country”). She hopes that all Fox News employees lose their jobs. Dean picks up the riff and notes how Fox News viewers have the highest rate of believing that Saddam was behind 9/11." 1:14:54 PM Quote of the day
The very-quotable Mark Halperin tells Howard Kurtz: "Mistake number 51 of the 98 mistakes we make every four years is to forget that only about 11,000 people are paying attention in the year before the election. The conventional wisdom was that Kerry was toast and [John] Edwards, despite being an early golden boy, never jelled. Journalists who lock in and say those kinds of things are victims of the instant analysis culture that demands these snap judgments." 1:14:05 PM Remembering Jerry Nachman: Newspaper Links
> NYPost: "a larger-than-life former editor of The Post who knew everyone and everything" > NYPost Editorial: "fondly remembered for the excitement he helped bring to The Post" > NYDN: "one of the brightest guys in the media" > USAT: "a smart, tenacious newshound with a passion for street reporting — and schmoozing" > NYTimes: he brought "both acute intelligence and dogged persistence to his pursuit of the news" 10:13:47 AM "Moderating a debate is like conducting an orchestra"
That's a quote from Anderson Cooper, in his Details magazine column "After many meetings and strategy sessions, we'd decided to have the candidates seated on stools," Cooper writes. "Yes, these sorts of things are the topics of endless meetings." Interesting article... 10:13:01 AM "The networks had already moved on"
A nice sum-up of how the media handled last night's speech in the Baltimore Sun: "Within minutes of their rebuttal, though, the networks had already moved on...ABC was interviewing Iowa winner Kerry. Fox News was assessing the political terrain in the first primary state, New Hampshire. By evening's end, it wasn't clear that the Bush administration, so sure-footed when it comes to managing the media, had ensured that the impact of this year's State of the Union address would linger for long." 9:23:21 AM Tom Shales Reviews SOTU Coverage
Tom Shales wasn't impressed last night. "Over on the Fox News Channel, Fred Barnes, sounding as if he had walking pneumonia, allowed as how he'd heard George W. Bush deliver many an important and eloquent speech over the years, "and this was not one of them." It takes courage to say something like that on the Fox News Channel, normally a Bush cheering section." 9:22:46 AM Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Greta Describes a "Rock and Roll" Night Greta Van Susteren describes last night's "fluid" On the Record: "[Because of the caucus,] not only did we not know the time the show would begin, but we had no idea who would be on the show." And: "I wish we had a camera in our control rooms during nights of "rolling coverage"...You have no idea how crazy it can get in there." 7:35:26 PM Anderson Cooper's Audience Participation
Anderson Cooper anchored 360 from the Crossfire auditorium at George Washington University tonight. (It's a lot smaller than it looks on TV.) The audience posed some good questions to guests. 7:31:25 PM
Can I Be A Pundit?: CNN Pays Clark $490,000 Remember Wesley Clark's stint as a CNN pundit during the war in Iraq? Well it paid off handsomely for the former general -- a total of $490,000, according to records released by the Democratic candidate. That's the highest single payment he received in speaking fees since retiring from the military, the Nashua Telegraph reports. 10:04:32 AM Miller, Straddling the News/Entertainment Line
Another preview of Dennis Miller's show, and another clever quote: "I'm not going to go out there and do comedy-style news. We hope not to blur the line between news and entertainment; we hope to obliterate it, quite frankly. Just when you think this is a news show, it gets a little funny, and vice versa." More at Zap2It... 10:03:15 AM CNN Requiring Sensitivity Training?
Jack Cafferty spouted sarcastic comments about it yesterday, and again this morning -- CNN is apparently requiring sensitivity training for its employees. Whose bright idea was this?, one TVSpyer asks. Another person says it's ongoing, so perhaps this is just the latest round. "It never worked" for me, Cafferty said on AM today... 9:55:09 AM Stewart Trial Not a Media Circus
Newsday double-teams Martha Stewart coverage: Here's a preview of how news org's will (or won't) cover the trial, while this story points out that "on the eve of her big trial the courtroom apparently is not yet a sellout." "Strange," Gawker remarks. "Could it be... that the media realize people are sick of hearing about the intensely dull Martha Stewart trial?" 9:54:56 AM Utley Not A Fan Of Cable News
Garrick Utley gets another NY paper profile -- today, the Times steps up to bat. Choice quote: Reporting has been replaced with "interminable talking heads [and] an unceasing pressure on cable news channels to focus on whatever story creates enough of a sensation to hold on to viewers for as long as possible." 9:53:37 AM Debbie's New Site; Photo Gallery for TV Host?
Deborah Norville's MSNBC web site is up. The Photo Gallery under "Other Deborah Links" seems inappropriate somehow. None of the pics are as good as this one, though... 9:53:23 AM Caucus Coverage: The Day After
> These N.H. voters will be on CNN next week > The DMRegister summarizes pundits' wisdom > This Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel columnist was channel-surfing > Boston Globe: "Momentum is focus of TV coverage" > WashTimes wraps up the media's warped coverage 9:34:38 AM Monday, January 19, 2004 Click here to view CableNewser's Special Edition: Covering the Iowa Caucus
All the reports from 11am on Monday to 12am on Tuesday are posted on this special page. 11:59:30 PM "The pundits woke up early this morning"
The pundits woke up early this morning, blanketing the news shows. Fox & Friends' question of the day: "Caustic Caucus: Clear winner or cloud of confusion?" The banner read "All About Iowa," and a graphic previewed an interview with Howard Dean at 7:40. He was on A.M. minutes before -- Bill Hemmer interviewed Edwards and Gephardt in the first 15 minutes. Mike Barnicle anchored MSNBC coverage from Boston, saying that "Imus slept in today," but he couldn't compete with entrenched morning shows... 7:31:23 AM Media Notes from Iowa
Elizabeth Jensen previews the new polling system's "first big test" in the LA Times // This blogger noticed a Dean bumper sticker affixed to a FOX News sat truck // This is Tom Brokaw's last caucus... 7:30:19 AM When "a Michael Jackson story comes on, people watch"
Two windy city follow-up stories on the Jackson "freak show:" "It's one of those stories where a lot of people say they're not interested, but they are," NBC's Jim Avila tells the Chicago Tribune. "The research shows that whenever a Michael Jackson story comes on, people watch." And Richard Roeper in the Sun-Times "kept wondering when someone was going to bring up another element in this story. You know. The kid." 7:22:58 AM Deborah Norville Readies for MSNBC Prime
Deborah Norville talks to Peter Johnson for a USA Today column. Regarding suggestions that her show may take a tabloid spin on the news: "No way" is the response. "I'm about as straight an arrow as you'll find out there," she says. Details... 2:58:06 AM ! "One big Iowa Caucus Channel"
A day shy of three years ago, President Bush was inaugurated. Today, eight candidates will try to stop that from happenine again. So grab your remote. "Today, a good chunk of your cable dial transforms into one big Iowa Caucus Channel," the New York Observer opines. Keith Olbermann has called it the sportscenter of politics. "Turn on the news anytime of day and you're guaranteed to catch CNN's Judy Woodruff in a cornfield or Fox News reporting live from Farmer John's back barn," the Seattle Times said last week. This site will feature minute-by-minute analysis of the media coverage all day and night... 12:07:38 AM Scarborough Takes "Unpaid Leave" From Law Firm
Howard Kurtz continues to push the Scarborough / conflict of interest story. In his column today: "MSNBC says it erred in saying that talk show host Joe Scarborough has severed ties with his law firm to avoid conflicts." Kurtz explains... 12:04:01 AM Sunday, January 18, 2004 The Morning Shows: Caucus Day
Try to follow along. John Kerry will appear on Today, Good Morning America, and the Early Show tomorrow. Dick Gephardt will be interviewed on Today, GMA, American Morning, and Fox & Friends. John Edwards will appear on Today, GMA, and AM. No word on Howard Dean's plans for the 7am hour... 9:31:38 PM Dean: "All [O'Reilly] does is shouts at his guests"
Overheard on C-SPAN as Dr. Dean shook hands and signed autographs: "Will you go on O'Reilly?," one man asked. "No, because all he does is shouts at his guests," Dean responded. Crosstalk ensued, then the man asked: "Are you afraid of him, governor?" "Nah," Dean said, then the crowd drowned him out again. C-SPAN has been airing live campaign events all day -- it's great TV. 7:09:30 PM Pre-Caucus Notes from the Campaign Trail
CNN went live to their competitor's bus today! Mark Halperin appeared on Reliable Sources from one of ABC's buses. // Poor Gephardt -- his taped interview was cut off in mid-sentence during Late Edition for a Carter/Dean presser. // This TVHeads poster has been dissapointed by MSNBC's lack of coverage this weekend, and this TVSpy'er said the same thing about FOX... (Updated, Buchanan reference removed, 11:46pm) 7:07:07 PM Caucus Coverage: Fox News Channel
Sunday night, Brit Hume hosts a special report at 9pm. On Monday, Brit Hume will host a special report from 8 to 10pm. He will anchor from the Iowa Statehouse Rotunda. At 10, Hannity & Colmes will debate the results, and at 11, Greta Van Susteren will wrap up the coverage. Repeats will start at midnight. (Updated 9:04pm) 6:27:56 PM Caucus Coverage: CNN
This weekend, The Capital Gang, Late Edition, Inside Politics Sunday, and CNN Presents are airing live from Iowa. On Monday, Bill Hemmer will report from Des Moines on American Morning. Anderson Cooper will preview the night at 7, then Wolf Blitzer will anchor at 8; Larry King will interrupt at 9, then back to Wolf in Des Moines until midnight. Larry King will be live again at midnight. Notably, there will be no sign of Paula Zahn or Aaron Brown that night -- Blitzer will be the lone anchor, I hear. 6:27:34 PM Quote of the day
From Saturday's Des Moines Register, describing tomorrow night's Iowa caucus: "It's been compared to planning a wedding for 100,000 people that's going to be nationally broadcast." (Ben Foecke, Iowa Democratic party caucus director) 6:20:09 PM Robert Novak, ESPN, 3:00am, and the Marriott
Ellen Warren also passes along this "blogalicious" tip: "Whatever you do, make sure they do NOT give you a room next to Novak," a source told her, referring to the CNN commentator. "Novak had SportsCenter on at top volume until midnight. Then he turned it back on and blasted me awake at three in the morning!" 2:41:02 PM 1,300 Journalists Descend on Iowa
In a campaign diary, the Chicago Tribune's Ellen Warren says the caucus are Extreme Journalism: "an every-four-years class reunion for political reporters." She says that the Democratic party estimates 1,300 journalists are in the state, from 30 states and 15 countries. "Do the math. That's one media type for every 100 or so of the 100,000-120,000 Iowans predicted to vote in the caucuses." 2:40:11 PM New Polling Process to Debut Tomorrow
David Bauder previews Iowa caucus coverage in this AP piece. "For TV news organizations, this represents the first test of a new polling and vote-counting system," he says. "Caution is the watchword," Tim Russert says. He has another whiteboard this year... 12:41:19 PM Will The Media Rush to Report Entrance Poll Data?
Reliable Sources also discussed the Democrats' request to hold off on reporting entrance poll data. CBS's Byron Pitts' reasoning for why the networks haven't agreed yet? "It is a very competitive environment." This will be a less of a problem tomorrow, but: "The news networks know the results, and then they have this wink, 'we don't know what's going on,' but then all their conversations are geared to the fact that they know what's going on," Jonah Goldberg lamented. 12:33:21 PM "The press spectacularly underestimated Howard Dean"
Under the title "Poll-Crazed Press," Reliable Sources discussed the expectations game ahead of the Iowa caucus. ABC's Mark Halperin called it insane -- "it's allowing a very small number of political journalists to decide what the results mean." Halperin named two errors the press has made with Dean: "I don't think we scrutizined him enough in the early part of the year...and I think over the last month...we've given him an incredibly disproportionate amount of scrutiny. That's played too decisive a role here at the end." 12:32:41 PM When The 'News Alerts' Hit Home
A compelling must-read in the St. Petersburg Times this morning: the story of a Texas town, pop. 932, where 11 young men are serving in Iraq. The writer describes a family hearing of a mortar attack on FOX News. Then the phone starts ringing. Then another morning, another mother. “Mrs. Henry is a wreck, transfixed by her TV and tied to her telephone, in case something happens. When the Army doesn't call or come, friends and families can only assume their boys are safe.” Powerful. 11:25:46 AM Fears of "all commentary, all the time"
The EIC of the Daily Telegram (Adrian, Michigan) says he hopes “other networks don't follow O'Reilly's lead.” Dave Clark has qualms with the direction journo may be going: “All commentary, all the time would be the biggest mistake of all. That's not news. That's the difference between the news and ‘The Daily Show.’” Here’s his commentary. 11:24:14 AM Up Next: New Hampshire
The Boston Globe previews preparations at the Bedford Village Inn, where television cameras plant themselves during the NH primary. Carl Cameron says the waterfall outside the inn is great for live shots. Candy Crowley says “there's something about [N.H.] that says democracy." 11:10:14 AM ! CableNewser 'Questioner:' Covering the Caucus
CableNewser’s second ‘Questioner’ discusses the Iowa caucus with Dave Busiek, the news director at KCCI-TV in Des Moines. Busiek is the past chairman of of the Radio-Television News Directors Association. The caucus is “a big story for us...the eyes of the nation are watching,” he says. On the national media’s sudden attention: “We're all reporters, so we understand what it's like to parachute into a community and try to do a good job summarizing the events surrounding a big story.” Read the full Q&A.; 12:38:01 AM Naming Names: Journos' Political Contributions
Howie Kurtz has the front page of the Washington Post in Sunday editions: “More than 100 journalists and executives at major media companies...have made political contributions in recent years.” He says some of the donations violate their employers’ policies, but the policies vary widely; Kurtz lists names and prices. Notable: $1000 from Cavuto to Bush; an ABC correspondent donated to Democrats. Wow, give the left and right more fuel for their bias fire... It’s a must-read. 12:34:44 AM Saturday, January 17, 2004 Geraldo Angling For A Wacko Jacko Chat?
Geraldo on "At Large" tonight: "I'm a lot less sure than most of my colleagues...that the traveling circus...is going to hurt him in court. Bad taste or not, the events and the equally strange party at Neverland afterwards didn't turn out that badly. ...The worst thing about yesterday's tacky spectacle was that it made the defendant 20 minutes late." I'm going to agree with TVHeads: "[Geraldo would] kiss Hitler's ass to get an interview. Talk about pandering." He aired "insider footage" of the caravan of love from his "embedded" field producer. The snafus, technical and otherwise, made the show worth watching... 10:39:11 PM Kudos to WP Web Site's Campaign Coverage
A suggestion for MSNBC's bosses: Type in washingtonpost.com. This is supposedly one of your partners. It's called the Washington Post. Get to know them. Now "borrow" some of their election content. The videos on WP's web site are better than anything I've seen on the cable nets all week. It's raw, unhyped, revealing -- conversations with voters, bloggers, reporters, even Jimmy Hoffa. THIS is journalism. Why can't this content find a wider audience on-air? Use your embeds and your partners to take viewers inside the campaigns... 10:38:38 PM Richard Roth Doesn't Cook
I've got every angle of cable news covered -- even CNNer Richard Roth's eating habits. "He doesn't cook, and he has a bibliophile's collection of takeout menus," the WashPost reports in Sunday editions. His apartment building now requires deliverymen to show I.D., but many deliveries have to wait at the front desk. "The whole point of food delivery is to receive chicken parmigiana in your pajamas...[But] These days, security trumps pasta." 10:35:32 PM A Reporters Notebook from Neverland
FOX's Adam Housley of describes his day covering M.J.: "This has become the traveling courtroom road show...At least seven helicopters follow his every move from Neverland Ranch...Almost a decade after O.J., the country has another high-profile legal circus on its hands." 5:39:11 PM "Excruciatingly faithful coverage" of M.J.
The LATimes critiques the circus: "Cable news, predictably, was good for the excruciatingly faithful coverage. CNN even joked about bringing us live pictures of "some doors," through which Jackson would eventually emerge, but only MSNBC seemed to stick around for the after-party." 10:34:40 AM Read All About Scarborough Country
MSNBC talking head Joe Scarborough has signed a $600,000 deal with HarperCollins. He will write what hopes to be "the definitive book on how Washington wastes our tax dollars," to be released by the end of the year, Crain's reports. 10:34:17 AM "Can Hollywood write the script for the campaign?"
Atlanta Journal-Constitution asks: What difference do celebrity endorsements make? "Can Hollywood write the script for the campaign?" The very-quotable Larry Sabato chimes in: "Madonna and Wesley Clark: What do they do? They attract cameras so the candidate can then get a message across." 10:31:14 AM Quote of the day
Sgt. Michael Davis, serving in Iraq, wrote this in a letter to his parents, quoted in the Hampton Chronicle: "Occasionally we see some television. Everybody wants to watch FOX News and CNN to see what people back home think about us. Mostly we get (ticked) off. Some smug fat man in a $3,000 suit will tell us how to win the war. His military background includes two semester-hours of military science in college. I stick to DVDs and sitcom re-runs." 10:29:59 AM Friday, January 16, 2004 "The Perfect Storm of Celebrity and Notoriety"
"Courthouse Chaos," the FOX banner screamed. Aaron Brown quoted Hunter Thompson: "When the goings get weird, the weird go pro." "It seriously looked like a bunch of ants going after a piece of cheese at a picnic," a TV Spyer remarked. Brown said that "the perfect storm of celebrity and notoriety...can obscure a lot" -- including the allegations themselves... 10:36:52 PM Tracking the Election Express: Day Five
CNN's big bus pulled up in Davenport this morning, according to the bus driver. Judy Woodruff found a warmer climate indoors though, anchoring Inside Politics from CNN's temporary Des Moines studio. // "The nightmare for the campaign press corps is that this is all over by the end of January," one pundit says. "This is one bus you don't want to miss," a commercial said tonight. "The bus stops here." Clever, clever... 10:36:36 PM Miller's Co-Host: Mugsy the Monkey
The lede on this story suggests Dennis Miller's talk show will be a must-watch: "CNBC's latest anchorman adores President Bush, despises most Democrats, will have a monkey for a co-host and warns his viewers not to trust him." A monkey? 10:29:55 PM FAIR Accuses FOX of Unfair, Unbalanced Criticism
FAIR issues an action alert: "...Ask Fox News Channel why they didn't criticize [a NYPost column describing Dean as a Nazi], even though its hosts repeatedly condemned such analogies that same day--when they involved George W. Bush." 10:28:23 PM Burns Poses Questions of Ethics & Objectivity
Eric Burns' FOXNews.com column this week comments on the new CNBC employee financial-conflict-of-interest policy. He makes one suggestion: "Perhaps ethics must begin with the individual rather than the corporation." 10:25:22 PM ! 1,935 Hours of "The News:" BW Signs Off
Brian Williams signed off tonight. He anchored "The News" for 7 years. For a long time, it was my favorite program. In some ways, it's still the best. Clips from the big stories were aired: TWA Flight 800, Olympic bombing, Princess Di, Monica Lewinsky, JFK Jr., Columbine, Y2K, the 2000 election, September 11, Columbia, War in Iraq, the Middle East, Hurricane Isabel. "I am only sorry that so much of what we have had to report is so sad and so tragic," Williams said. Closing remarks were top-notch. To the viewers: "Thanks for joining us for an hour each night." And to those behind the camera: "They are the best people I have ever worked with." Then he concluded: "So one last thank you. And one last goodnight." It gave me chills. 8:07:45 PM NewsNight Receives NY Film Festival Award
From Aaron Brown's newsletter tonight: "We proudly note that NewsNight has received the prestigious World Medal in the New York Film Festival competition for coverage of the Un Qasr firefight back during the first days of the Iraq war. We may not win in the ratings every night, but this is confirmation of what we know, and many of you know as well. NewsNight is the best." 7:49:37 PM Reality TV, Live from Neverland
Of the three networks, MSNBC was the most addicted to Michael Jackson's promotional effort today. "Jackson: Reality TV," the chryon read at 4pm. The entire first half hour of "Lester Holt Live" was dedicated to the "news." "It is not a stretch to say this could be the trial of the century," anchor Randy Meier said. On FOX, the banner called Jackson the "King of PR." "Is this Michael Jackson's way of orchestrating his own PR campaign?," Neil Cavuto asked. 4:14:31 PM "This made camp OJ look like a picnic"
This blogger explains cable news's actions: "We shall speculate and cover nothing for the three hours preceding the very short proceeding. We will then cover nothing for the three hours following the very short proceeding." Rantingprofs: "Shame on every network that claims to be a 'news' network, but chooses to provide live coverage of Michael Jackson's arrival at some courthouse for some hearing or other." "This made camp OJ look like [a] picnic," a TV Spy poster adds. 3:26:45 PM Wacko Jacko: The Coverage
The live shots outside the courthouse are stunning...I may not agree with its newsworthiness, but it's one hell of a spectacle, and it's making for great TV. FOX and MSNBC went nonstop at 11am. CNN started around 11:20. Chopper shots followed a caravan of SUV's...MSNBC stopped talking at one point and let the scene speak for itself..."Jackson is late for his arraignment," the CNN chyron read at 11:36. 12:00:47 PM Covering the Caucus: Notes
On Imus this morning, Chris Matthews said the media is looking for a star, and won't have one until after Monday: "This campaign has gotten boring." // MSNBC embed Becky Diamond had a "unique campaign experience Thursday: John Kerry took the controls of his helicopter, and Diamond went along for the ride // A Japanese TV crew gave Iowa police a scare // This DMRegister story feels like a names and faces column... 11:31:36 AM Quote of the day
"And does anyone have a rough count of the number of times CNN talent yesterday on the air intro'ed their talk off the Zogby numbers with caveat after caveat, only to go on and talk about them in full crack-for-the-weak mode," ABC's Note asks. "We lost count ourselves." 11:28:00 AM Michael Jackson: Lead Story?
CNN and MSNBC treated it as the top story at 10am, while FOX went live to Iowa. CNN had two live reports, including one from a rooftop. "We've heard languages from all over this planet," Gary Tuchman told Daryn Kagan. FOX went to the story at 10:06, and showed helicopter shots of the scene. A protester nearly drowned out an MSNBC interview at 9am, shouting "leave Michael alone." But that's not likely to happen... 10:06:42 AM "I have to get to work in two minutes"
Jon Friedman profiles the work of two journalists the day Saddam Hussein was captured: CNN's Dana Bash and Time magazine's Nancy Gibbs. Great piece... 8:59:47 AM Ashleigh: "They've asked me to stay on while I negotiate"
Here's the scoop, from Dallas Morning News: "'They've asked me to stay on while I negotiate within the network,' says Ashleigh cagily when reached in New York on Thursday evening. 'I have had some of the best experiences of my life at NBC, but the last year has not been as fulfilling.'" The paper suggests several syndicated shows were showing interest in Ashleigh... 8:38:11 AM CNN to Use Caucus Polls Responsibly
CNN political director Tom Hannon promises discretion on caucus tonight. "We'll be cautious in projecting too early, and in over-analyzing anything," he tells the Washington Times. Also: "There's a misapprehension on the part of the Iowa Democrats. We plan to use those polls to reflect issues or the voters, not project a winner." 8:28:31 AM The Networks Beat Up Howard Dean
It's not cable, but I bet this trend would be found there too: "Howard Dean received significantly more negative criticism on network newscasts than the other Democratic presidential contenders, according to a study released Thursday." Coverage of Dean's foes was more than 75% positive, while more than half of stories on Dean were negative. Let's see how much attention this story gets today. (All these posts make me seem like a Dean supporter! I'm independent.) 12:07:23 AM "Call it O.J. deja vu"
A preview of cable's top story later today: "The world press descended in full force Thursday on the normally quiet Santa Maria Valley, setting up mini TV studios with satellite dishes to beam news around the globe when pop star Michael Jackson is arraigned on child molestation charges." I won't bother adding a sarcastic comment about how we're at war. The AP and the WashPost preview the circus... 12:07:19 AM Thank You
...For clicking onto this little (cyber)space. The counter rose above 10,000 yesterday. Much to my surprise, traffic has held steady the last two weeks. I've added some Google text ads on the right side, to encourage dreams of recouping site costs (and hours spent sitting in front of these monitors -- I've enjoyed it though). Now spread the word! Click up above, and stay tuned for extensive caucus coverage. 12:03:06 AM Thursday, January 15, 2004 Surprise Caller on Larry King Live
Howard Dean called into Larry King Live at 9:51pm tonight, shortly after Ann Richards endorsed him. He agreed that he needs some media training, and said that he believes it is a four-way tie, even though "polls don't mean much at this point." 9:55:45 PM Tracking the Election Express, Day Four
This is officially a daily site feature now. The Election Express was in Iowa City yesterday, and the local newspaper writes it up. // CNN.com continues its dispatches. But it has competition: In The Note today, ABCNews says that "the CNN Election Express" is Out, and "The Buses" -- ABC's set of red, white, and blue mobile bureaus -- are In. // Kate O'Connor on the Dean blog: "...I want you to know that I am getting a kick out of watching Judy Woodruff all bundled up. She needs to spend more time in Vermont and get used to the cold temps." 9:47:03 PM Cooper's "Conquering Depression:" Notable
Kudos to Anderson Cooper -- his series this week on Conquering Depression has been top-notch. Tonight, he introed the segment by playing clips from "Hold On," a new music video by Good Charlotte that addresses depression and suicide. The interview with two band members, on the satellite from Tokyo, wasn't anything special, but the emails he read from teenagers were compelling. Cooper read off some suicide warning signs, too. Other segments have discussed "miracle drugs" and therapy cures, and tomorrow will focus on men and depression. 9:46:24 PM Case Study: How to Abuse Polling Data
The cablers are making the most of new polls showing a tight race in Iowa. The Hardball headline screamed "Dead heat;" Shep Smith spoke of a "three way tie;" and 360 declared it "too close to call." What's the one thing missing from all these reports? Any mention of the enormously important margin of error. 7:22:07 PM Ashleigh Leads the Nightly News
Who wants to bet Ashleigh Banfield is sticking around? She still pulls some weight at 30 Rock, judging by her reports on Today this morning and the NBC Nightly News tonight (though Brokaw's email newsletter spelled her name Ashley). She was live in Boston on 'The News' this evening, too. "[Working aboard an ice cutter] has gotta be a brutal brutal job -- kind of like this one actually," Ashleigh said, standing along the shoreline and shivering. 7:21:50 PM CNN International Announces Election Coverage Plans
CNN International has announced that London-based anchor Richard Quest will team with Atlanta's Jonathan Mann to lead coverage of this year's elections. "CNN is dedicated to offering regional perspectives to its viewers around the world," the press release says. Quest will be aboard the Election Express next week. The P.R. also mentions that Aaron Brown will host a second live CNN Presents on January 25, previewing the NH Primary. 7:10:22 PM O'Reilly Battles Gays, Lesbians, and Vagina Monologues
America's going down the gutter. Just read these recent O'Reilly show teases: "Are today's stars promoting the lesbian trend sweeping through America's schools?"..."Gay Day at Disney World -- Is a family theme park the place for a sexual stand?"...Why does one school think "The Vagina Monologues" is the right play for their students?" I think we know how he'd answer those questions. I feel bad for Bill -- it must be awful living in such a terrible world... 4:23:15 PM Matthews "Interviews" (Promotes) Norville's New Show
Hardball excerpt last night: "Do you think you can take King?," he asked. "Oh gosh, no, not right off the bat, but look, television is a marathon," she said. "I'd be crazy to say we're going to beat Larry King. But I think we'll be competitive, I think we'll be interesting, I think there will be a lot of people who will come to MSNBC to see what we're doing at 9pm who will say 'hey, that's cool, I'm going to stick around.'" Here's the video. 4:18:47 PM Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful...
"Everywhere reporters are braving [the weather] to tell us what we already know -- it's cold outside," Miles O'Brien said on CNN. Ashleigh Banfield reported from a frigid Boston on Today yesterday, and was seen on MSNBC this afternoon. FOX broke out "Wicked Weather" and "Deep Freeze" chyrons... 2:29:36 PM Quote of the day
Howard Kurtz, in Media Notes Extra: "Increasingly, the press and the pundits are psychoanalyzing Howarddean. Who is he? What makes him tick? Is he too angry? Is he too brusque? Why isn't his wife out there with him?...Apparently, though, you don't get to be president unless the media and the opinion-mongers put you through this kind of full-metal-jacket audit. And Howarddean is no exception." 2:29:04 PM CNBC To Air 'Apprentice' Repeats in Primetime
CNBC will begin airing "encore presentations" of The Apprentice, NBC's new reality show featuring Donald Trump. The repeats start on January 22. (Here's the press release.) Years ago I wondered why the West Wing wasn't repeated on MSNBC... 1:30:44 PM Noted: Alert-Worthy?; First Norville Promo
Noted: NBC's First Read confirms that "embed Angela Miles broke the [Moseley Braun] news last night;" FOX still treated the news, first reported 14 hours ago, as a News Alert at 1pm // I just noticed a promo for the new Norville show on MSNBC. She's got "the stories you can't stop talking about," the ad promises. She sits in front of a white backdrop, smiling // That updated CNN Washington set for Miles O'Brien looks nice... 12:58:56 PM "A Staple of Cable News"
Peter Johnson previews the next step in the Michael Jackson case in Thursday's USA Today. "The big criminal case has become a staple of cable news," CNN analyst Jeffrey Toobin says. MSNBC head Erik Sorensen: "Like a lot of things with Michael Jackson, the story is the circus." The circus comes back to town (TV) tomorrow... 7:52:01 AM NYTimes Dissects Miller's Metamorphosis
The New York Times describes new CNBC talker Dennis Miller's "metamorphosis from iconoclastic liberal to free-wheeling conservative" in Thursday editions. It says that the show, premiering 1/26, "will include his usual venting on current issues, as well as interviews with political figures, journalists and others, and a nightly 'right-left' debate among figures at different points on the political spectrum." 12:13:06 AM Zucker Says MSNBC Ratings Show Progress
In remarks at the TV Press Tour Wednesday, Jeff Zucker suggested MSNBC's primetime lineup was showing hope. "The fact is for the first time, things are doing a little better at MSNBC [in primetime]" he said. Reuters reports that he did not reference any specific data. 12:12:12 AM MSNBC First with Moseley Braun Dropout
MSNBC broke the Moseley Braun dropout story around 10:30pm this evening; I suspect having a reporter with her helped confirm the story, as their embed is sourced in the online report, posted before 11pm and updated at 11:13, 11:38, 11:57, 12:04. It was reported on some local NBC stations at 11. The AP transmitted a News Alert at 11:26. FOXNews.com striped a "breaking news" banner on the home page around midnight; nothing on CNN.com as of 12:10...time for bed. 12:11:54 AM Wednesday, January 14, 2004 Zucker Angling for Ashleigh to Stay?
Newsblues picks up on the talk today that the Banfield hesitation has a Jeff Zucker connection. "NBC insiders tell us that newly crowned NBC News / Entertainment czar Jeff Zucker is a Banfield fan and has been pushing her in meetings with CNBC, Dateline and other NBC departments." But news prez Shapiro wants her out, and the phrase "power struggle" is being overheard. 11:00:42 PM The Election Express: "Continuing Coverage"
These posts about CNN's bus are becoming a daily event. Tonight: Bob Franken says it is "so remarkable...how cooperative everyone in Iowa is in letting us park." One Crossfire guest wasn't thrilled, though: "I must say the setting with cold wind blowing, the sun setting, students and traffic, the CNN van generators was a hostile environment to think clearly," Prof. Steffen Schmidt said in a WP online chat. 10:49:48 PM Media Asked to Delay Caucus Projections
The Iowa Democratic Party is asking that caucus projections be delayed Monday night. "Your plan to release the results of your entrance polls at 7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. EST) places the results at the most critical point in the precinct caucuses -- the point where participants enter the first phase of alignment," the party's executive director said in a letter. "We fear the premature release of your findings may jeopardize or handicap the outcome in the first-in-the-nation caucuses." She says that waiting 30 minutes could make a big difference. It's all explained in this AP story... 7:52:41 PM Hardball -- Hip?
Copy and paste from today's Hardball email newsletter: "Totally crazy day folks...Because this primary is getting tighter than "the gag order in the Michael Jackson case" (Mortman line)...This is gonna be a fast paced action packed front half! Dig it y'all!... FYI...Chris is kickin' it out to Iowa tomorrow and will do the show there through Caucus day....You won't want to miss it. His bags are all packed and he's heading out right out after tonight's show." Producer Dominic Bellone writes the briefing. 7:50:53 PM "John Glenn is BOOKED"
That's a quote from the Countdown newsletter today, and it wasn't kidding. The first American to orbit Earth appeared on FOX with Cavuto at 4, and will be interviewed by Paula Zahn on CNN and Keith Olbermann on MSNBC tonight. And he'll say the same thing each time... 5:13:39 PM On the Record, Behind the Scenes
Greta Van Susteren takes readers behind the scenes of On the Record in her GretaWire letter today. She describes the chaotic nature of live TV. "Seconds before the show started -- and I mean seconds -- my New York producer said in my earpiece: 'we can't get Ceci on camera.'" Here's the rest... 5:13:19 PM Quote of the day
Frazier Moore on the AP wire: "Fox News Channel...leverages the public's distrust of the media as a marketing tool....While marshaling public scorn for the media as biased, elitist, liberal, whatever, Fox News Channel exempts itself with its "fair and balanced" sales pitch. This way, it positions itself as TV's anti-media news media outlet." 5:13:18 PM CNN Offering the 'Campus Vibe'
Have you seen CNN.com's new Campus Vibe feature? The network sent a press release today explaining it. It offers "perspectives on the 2004 presidential election" via "stories filed by student journalists" across the country. "What better way to understand the issues facing our newest generation of voters than by hearing from them directly?," CNN.com executive producer Mitch Gelman says. 5:11:22 PM MSNBC Reads the FOX Playbook: Car Chase!
MSNBC live at 4:30 with a Dallas car chase; FOX sticks with business, surprisingly...Anchor Randy Meier reminds viewers the live shot is on a slight delay, then the car crashes into a guardrail minutes later. A loud "ooohh" was audible from the newsroom. They transition to caucus polling data 60 seconds later. 4:38:51 PM ! John McEnroe to Host CNBC Talk Show
Yesterday, I mentioned a new talk show coming to CNBC in the 10pm slot. Today, it was made official. Tennis legend John McEnroe will host "serve as lead host of an ensemble team which together will provide an unpredictable and spontaneous look at the stories making headlines." It will premiere in the spring; date and name TBA. McEnroe says that "we've designed it to be both serious and fun, to be able to jump on news or cover on-going topics, and still have many surprises and create havoc when necessary." Here's the press release and an AP story. 3:44:33 PM NBC Pretends Its Convergence Is Newsworthy
"NBC News Announces 'Decision 2004' Coverage Plans," the press release today says. No big news is made in it; they just brag about "using the powerful resources of NBC News, MSNBC on cable, CNBC, MSNBC.com, NBC News Radio and Telemundo" and discuss NBC shows airing live from Des Moines. In my opinion, the convergence is dissapointing -- you won't see Tom Brokaw on MSNBC, or the embeds on the Nightly News, or 'First Read' editors on radio. Now THAT would be worth a press release... 3:43:16 PM By the #'s: Total Viewer Data
Cynopsis has cable news networks' total viewer data for January 5 through 11. "Fox News had 49% of the viewing, CNN 25%, MSNBC 14%; and Headline News 12%;" last week FOX had 46 and CNN had 28. In primetime, FOX had 51%, up from 45%; MSNBC slipped from 16% to 13%. 12:09:21 PM Larry King's Crutch: Scott Peterson
"Scott Peterson in Court," today's Larry King Live email preview says. "Attorneys Johnnie Cochran and Chris Pixley, Court TV's Nancy Grace and our legal panel discuss the latest developments in the case." Hmm, why does that sound so familiar? Oh, yes. January 8th email preview, titled "Scott Peterson in Court:" "Get the latest with Court TV's Nancy Grace, Chris Pixley and more." They can just re-air last week's show... 12:06:06 PM Truck Crash Less Newsworthy Than Car Chase?
DCRTV refers to limited coverage of the I-95 truck explosion: "I don't get it. Fox News Channel will interrupt things if a drunk Mexican drives around LA in a stolen pickup truck. But not if a fiery tanker truck explosion closes the USA's most major east coast traffic artery. Go figure..." 12:05:33 PM Ashleigh Banfield -- Staying? Going? Maybe?
Ashleigh Banfield's contract with NBC News runs out on January 15 (that's tomorrow), and the assumption -- supported by Ms. Banfield -- was that her bags were packed. But that's not necessarily true, the NY Post Starr Report says this mornng. "It's not certain that she's leaving and it's not certain that she's staying. She is not out at NBC and where she goes and what she does remains to be seen...It's not over." She'll be on the Today show in a few hours... 3:13:38 AM Election Express: Big News on Campus
CNN's live broadcast from Iowa State University yesterday was big news on campus. Here's the Iowa State Daily's story about the event... 3:12:02 AM Is Michael Jackson Worth a $250 Parking Spot?
Gawker has a Michael Jackson trial snippet: Members of the media will be charged $250 to park in the Santa Barbara county courthouse. "Now we can only hope that Michael Jackson's trial will be as outlandish as the parking arrangements," they write. Check out the official announcement... 3:11:33 AM Tuesday, January 13, 2004 Ratings Snapshot: Questions for the Cablers
Drudge prints cable news stats for Monday night. Highlights: Shepherd Smith in 2nd place with a 1.6, beating Hannity & Colmes' 1.5. Larry King with a 1.3, and Aaron Brown at .7; Hardball has a .5, Scarborough with a .4, and Olbermann gets .3. FOX: How can you pull Greta up from a 1.1? CNN: Why is Aaron beating Paula's .6? MSNBC: Your political shows get the highest ratings -- why aren't you going election-obsessed yet? 8:25:42 PM CNN Bus Draws "Quite a Crowd"
I'm not impressed with the Election Express yet (if you're going to do it, create a nice real studio in the bus and broadcast live while you're driving), but I do enjoy the daily dispatches from it. Today, the bus driver explains how he is learning television vocab. And a CNN.com'er writes in: "We've managed to draw quite a crowd, with students and candidate supporters who gather to watch the shows." Wednesday, the bus will be at Iowa State Univ., as their school newspaper reports... 8:07:52 PM Is Bill O'Reilly Past His Prime?
Some interesting thoughts on TVHeads: "I think Bill is merely reporting by reputation at this point in his career," one post says. And another agrees: "[It] seems like the ego is taking completely over." Remember last night's Zahn interview with Pete Rose? One viewer says that O'Reilly asked softball, Larry King-style questions, while "Paula sat Pete down and showed how an interview should be done!" 8:07:12 PM Buchanan & Press in Barnes & Noble
Been wondering what Pat and Bill have been up to since "Buchanan & Press" was canned? Well, Bill's working on his new book, "The Top Ten Reasons Why George W. Bush Doesn’t Deserve a Second Term." He started writing shortly after the nightly talkfest was cancelled. Buchanan's writing a new book too, which is due out in January... (The Hill) 7:31:18 PM Caucus Previews on Cable Sunday Night
CNN and FOX will air Iowa Caucus previews on Sunday night. A live CNN Presents, hosted by Aaron Brown, will air at 8pm; "You Decide 2004," with Brit Hume, will air at 9. 6:29:38 PM ! FOX Airing Debate January 22
WMUR, Fox News, the Union Leader, and ABC News will co-sponsor a Democratic candidate debate on January 22 -- the last meeting before the N.H. primary on the 27th. It will air live on FOX News Channel, ABC News Live (online), and their respective radio stations. Excerpts will air on Nightline later. Brit Hume will moderate, with Peter Jennings (yes, THAT Peter Jennings) contributing as lead questioner and moderator towards the end (wow...let that sink in -- gotta wonder how THAT deal was reached). 3:49:44 PM Did Cable Hype or Downplay MoveOn.org Controversy?
Conservative site ChronWatch wrote that "the controversy was huge on Drudge, FOX News and Chronwatch, but the mainstream media did their very best to downplay it." By contrast, the liberal NYPress believed it was overplayed: "Drudge and company were nonetheless successful in spinning their lies into the mainstream press, with the lazy Judy Woodruff and others at CNN only too willing to report the RNC’s talking points as objective news." So which is it? 3:46:15 PM Letting Politicans Lie -- Errr, I Mean, Uh...
CJR has a must-read on how public officials are media-trained -- taught to dodge the question. As the headline says, "the public is the loser." "The captive public sits and watches the waltz glide by," the article says. It also tries to explain why journalists never push hard enough for the truth..."(Hat tip: Romenesko) 3:45:37 PM More Changes to CNBC Schedule
"Don't commit the upcoming CNBC prime-time changes to memory yet," TVWeek writes. The News (with Seigenthaler, starting next week) will "likely" air at 8 and 11, with "Cover to Cover" at 10pm after it premieres next week..."until that hour is filled by another talk show said to be in development." Miller will definitely be at 9, and that's all they know for sure. 3:45:26 PM Debate Ratings Good News for MSNBC
MSNBC noted its highest primetime ratings in five months with their debate telecast on Sunday night. 826,000 total viewers tuned in. Here's the press release. (Update: Digital Spy writes up the news.) 3:22:21 PM FOXNews.com: Lets 'You Decide;' Shares Free Video
FOX has unveiled their You Decide 2004 web site. "Now there's one place on the web for everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask about election 2004," their newsletter today said. Also: CNET reports that the site has "become the latest major media outlet to offer streaming video clips of its TV programs for free on the Web in hopes of attracting more broadband users." 3:21:25 PM Quote of the day
The Daily Show's Jon Stewart calls cable news networks' election coverage "relatively atrocious," and this: "Twenty-four hours a day is not enough. It's good now that they have 24 hours of news and then the crawl, giving you another 24 hours, so basically 48 hours of news. Because it's important, I think, to read the news while you're watching the news. Hopefully, they'll have a town crier also in the corner yelling." (Hartford Courant) 8:22:14 AM First Dry Run for Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller's new show -- named "Dennis Miller" -- comes to CNBC in two weeks. Today is the first test installment. Personally, I'm excited for its premiere... 8:21:40 AM CNBC: New Stock Restrictions on Employees
"CNBC...laid down new restrictions yesterday on the trading of stocks and bonds by its employees and their immediate relatives." The NYTimes describes it as "one of the hardest lines to head off financial conflicts of interest in the media industry." Details 8:21:14 AM Monday, January 12, 2004 "Dobbs forces awareness on his audience"
Reese Schonfeld praises Lou Dobbs for his focus on the loss of American jobs to overseas labor: "Other media report the job leak one drip at a time. By concentrating on it every night, Dobbs makes the audience understand it’s a torrent. If I were CNN, I’d do a weekend Dobbs report on total jobs lost every week." That's the kind of journalism that sets a network apart. 9:15:32 PM Begala on Political Beat: Bar Hopping?
Paul Begala is devoted to his viewers: "Tucker and I will [get] to the bottom of [the campaign rumors], and we intend to do it by in-depth, old-fashioned shoe leather reporting -- beginning tonight over huge slabs of beef and giant pitchers of beer. We promise to keep you posted, even if it requires every last dime of CNN's enormous expense account." Courageous. 9:13:48 PM FOX Alone in Covering Gephardt/Race Angle
NewsMax points out that FNC is the only channel reporting on several race-related items on candidate Richard Gephardt's past, including attendance at a KKK-aligned event and opposition to a housing project for blacks. It was first reported yesterday, and 'Campaign Carl' repeated the details earlier today, but no other nets have picked up on it... 6:35:34 PM A Question of Ethics for CNN Promo
LostRemote has word of a questionable ad for Paula Zahn's Pete Rose interview tonight. Rose apparently wasn't pleased with the interview, and made that clear once it wrapped. The quote is used in a promo for the show. Details 6:26:17 PM ! Questioner: The Caucus and its Coverage
In CableNewser's first interview, the Iowa City Press-Citizen's editorial page editor argues that cable news networks' exhasutive caucus coverage does not reduce the event to a horse race. "We've had candidates here who've washed dishes at a school board member's house, who've sat down over coffee with two farmers in a small town diner and who've spent 10 minutes talking to a 17-year-old high school student who can't yet vote," Rob Bignell says. "Virtually all of this gets covered, and thanks to the Internet and cable news, you can discover what every candidate says on any issue." Read the full interview. 5:03:03 PM Stop The Bus!
Judy Woodruff on CNN.com: "CNN's Election Express rolled down Route 80 in Iowa early Monday morning with some very special cargo: A presidential candidate. The state-of-the-art mobile television studio on the "Express" allowed Gephardt to make it on time to Atlantic, Iowa, for a campaign event -- and still give a revealing interview." It was CNN's first "moving interview." But state-of-the-art? The cameras are shaking as the candidate sits on a bench -- it may seem edgy to CNN, but it seems like vacation home video to me. 3:53:46 PM Pew Study: Cable Coverage
Cable channels enjoying the Pew data: "Among the survey findings: You could say it’s ‘hello Internet,’ and ‘goodbye nightly news,'" CNN's Inside Politics newsletter says. "More young Americans get their news from "alternative" news sources on the internet, as well as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and SNL's Weekend Update," the MSNBC Countdown newsletter writes, previewing a "special segment on bypassing the mainstream media." 3:04:49 PM Press release: Limbaugh on Headliners & Legends
A new "Headliners & Legends" premieres on MSNBC Sunday night, profiling Rush Limbaugh. Lester Holt hosts. Here's the P.R. 3:04:28 PM Channel Flipping: Random Thoughts
Interesting commercial on FNC, with a new tagline: "America's Newsroom: the Fox News Channel." // Martha MacCallum started on-air at FOX today, reading news updates in the afternoon. // Fresh graphics package for MSNBC's Accuweather updates...a big improvement. // Why can't CNN get a steadycam aboard their campaign bus? Judy Woodruff looks really cold sitting outside the Election Express... 3:02:02 PM Quote of the day
In Monday's Atlanta Journal Constitution, one reader writes in to comment on the hometown news network. "Trying to "outfox" Fox, it has become a tangle of sloppy entertainment news, tacky (and often offensive) promotional spots, obnoxiously bombastic promo music and animated graphics and ridiculously written headlines. If CNN would revert to actual news reporting and quit trying to lure Fox's juvenile audience, better ratings would surely follow." (T. Ballard Lesemann) 2:53:55 PM ! News Network Staffing in Iraq
From the Chicago Tribune, for the record: "Of the U.S. networks, CNN currently maintains the most personnel in Iraq, with five correspondents now and two more expected to arrive by Friday. Producers and crew bring the total to 35. Cable news competitor Fox News Channel has about 21 people, including four correspondents...NBC News and MSNBC, which share resources, have 13 personnel, including three correspondents." 9:30:32 AM Novak Responds to South Dakota Uproar
CNN commentator Robert Novak responds to what he described as "an uproar in South Dakota with some remarks I made on 'Crossfire' about Native Americans voting." Actually, he said they were Indians stealing...Here's the Rapid City Journal follow-up. 9:29:24 AM BW's Last Day on 'The News'
Brian Williams will leave his flagship CNBC program on Friday, USA Today mentions. "The News" aired on MSNBC for years before moving to the business net. (Williams has anchored the program since 1996.) A quote about cable news ratings: It "isn't about big numbers, necessarily, [because you are] you're narrow-casting to a specific audience." That's going to change when he replaces Brokaw on the Nightly News... 9:29:07 AM Debate: Rave Reviews for Lester Holt
NBC/MSNBC anchor Lester Holt's first time moderating a presidential candidate debate wrapped up three hours ago, and he seemed to excel on stage. Viewers described him as "magnificent command of the language," "one of the better commentators on cable," and even "the hottest moderator ever." (Chris Matthews and his post-game show didn't get as many compliments, though.) Here's the debate transcript. 12:50:40 AM Pew Study: The Media Bias Angle
The statistics referencing bias in the media are the lede for Monday's Washington Post A06 write-up of the Pew survey results. Howard Kurtz writes: "Americans are evenly split over whether news organizations favor one political party or the other, with a growing number of Democrats joining a larger number of Republicans in seeing the media as biased toward the other side." 12:49:48 AM Sunday, January 11, 2004 The Debate: Viewer Comments, Online Simulcast
A Democratic Underground poster sarcastically estimated that one hundred people were watching MSNBC's debate on a Sunday night. "Geez .... another one? How many debates are they having each day?," one Free Republic member asked. Notable convergence: MSNBC.com simulcast their debate live. 8:40:29 PM Last Debate before Caucus on MSNBC Now
MSNBC broadcasting another Democratic debate tonight, from 8 to 10pm. A live Hardball follow-up at 10pm. (H&L; featuring Hillary Clinton preceded at 7...hmm.) First question: moderator Lester Holt asked for Dean's response to the caucusgoers-are-extremists comment. 8:06:24 PM ! The Influence of Cablers: Campaign 2004
38% of adults "regularly learn something" about the presidential campaign from cable news networks, a new Pew study says. (Another 37% said they do "sometimes.") Cable news networks are the second most popular source of information about the presidental campaign, eclipsed only by local television news, at 42%. Detail: "When individual TV outlets are tested, 22% say they get most of their news from CNN, [and] 20% cite Fox." Notable: Cable news nets are the "most frequently cited source of campaign news for young people." The Pew summary and the raw data are fascinating; here are the AP and Reuters stories. 5:08:32 PM Quote of the day
In a Toronto Star story titled "If it scares, it airs:" "CNN will convince you that there is some terror or horror or disaster awaiting you around the next corner. And if you turn it off, you realize you walk the streets and things don't fall out of the sky and kill you." (Ken Finkleman, director, "The Newsroom," CBC) 5:01:07 PM Dean Asserting "More Message Control"
For Howard Dean's campaign, the McCain model of near-total media access is being gradually superseded by the Bush model of "controlled accessibility." "There's certainly a change," MSNBC embed Felix Schein tells the Boston Globe today. On Reliable Sources, Chicago Tribune reporter Jill Zuckman said Dean was "asserting a little more message control." "Sounds like the old-fashioned bubble is being created," host Howie Kurtz responded. 12:15:41 PM More Free Video on MSNBC.com
First the week in pictures, and now MSNBC.com introduces "The Week In Video." Click the link on their main page to open up the media player. 12:10:11 PM Will Pundits' Hot Air Warm New Hampshire?
The New Hampshire Sunday News (Union Leader) discusses the torrent of media types who will soon descend on the hamlets of New Hampshire. (Sounds quaint, doesn't it?) FOX News political programming executive producer Marty Ryan says the primary is "a big deal and we’re making it a bigger deal." CNN will have 150 crew members come January 27. Details... 2:39:22 AM MSNBC's Third Debate of 2004 Scheduled
After the caucus, following the first primaries, Wisconsin's turn at a presidential debate will come February 15. The event, to be broadcast live on MSNBC, will be sponsored by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WTMJ-TV, and Journal Communications. (More info in this article.) MSNBC airs a debate Sunday evening, then again at the end of this month... 2:39:09 AM This Could Be An O'Reilly Factor Drinking Game
This TVHead comment made me smile early this morning: "I'm going to start counting the number of times [Bill O'Reilly] mentions/references/alludes to/flat out pimps his latest book the next time i watch "The Factor." Not to mention the amount of time he wastes enticing the viewer to visit the flea market he set up on his website." Don't forget 'the radio factor on Westwood One.' 2:38:53 AM Saturday, January 10, 2004 Quote of the day
I couldn't resist snipping this one on Britney Spears, from a PlanetOut opinion column: "It's no wonder half the country is blind and deaf to politics when political discourse is so removed from the concerns of the people. The media continues to fail as well. For example, CNN's news crawl reported Britney's marriage directly before a story about multiple soldiers dying from a grenade in Iraq...Something is wrong with American priorities." 2:23:24 PM Shouldn't They Be Watching SpongeBob?
Forget that a big percentage of cable news net viewers are grandparents. Among children ages 6 to 11, Fox News viewership was up 100% in 2003, and CNN viewership was up 20%, Media Life reports. "Despite the growth, neither Fox News nor CNN could compete with Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network for a slot at the top of the ratings." Shocking. But the article rightly points out how adults influence children's TV habits. (Hat tip: Lost Remote) 12:25:10 PM CNN Election Express in Iowa
CNN's "Election Express" campaign bus is making its first swing through Iowa, broadcasting Inside Politics and Crossfire from across the state. "The Election Express will film live from Des Moines today through Monday and travels to Ames on Tuesday," the Iowa City Press-Citizen reports. "After [University of Iowa on Wednesday], the bus travels Thursday to Cedar Rapids, followed by a Friday trip to Davenport." (Also: This DM Register story points out one problem with ABC's bus: no bathroom!) 12:16:29 PM Weekend Media Show Previews
On Fox News Watch, the topics include Pete Rose's gamble, Maria Shriver's activism, Howard Dean's anointment, and Britney Spears's stupidity... On Reliable Sources, a panel of newspaper writers weigh in on the upcoming Iowa caucuses. 6:49:15 AM Pissed at Paula:
Dean Supporters Denounce 'Clark News Network' Dean supporters are pissed off at Paula Zahn for a dust-up during her interview with Joe Trippi Friday; 261 (and counting) comments in the campaign blog are a long, compelling read. "For students studying journalism or wanting to study journalism -- Paula Zahn is a study of how to not to conduct and interview and be caught with your pants down." Talk about devotion to Dean. (Also: 326 comments to a thread on Judy Woodruff's Dean interview earlier in the day.) The best comment after the Zahn interview?: "I'm sending more money to the campaign." The power of the blog... 12:01:18 AM "Meager Estimation of the Fourth Estate"
Under the headline "Trashing the media," LA Times staffer Reed Johnson examines the state of the press in Saturday's Los Angeles Times. The lede: "Veteran journalists are coming to some grim conclusions about their industry. Are they raising red flags or merely grinding axes?" 12:00:34 AM Friday, January 09, 2004 MSNBC Iowa Caucus Coverage Plans
Big surprise: MSNBC plans live coverage of the Iowa Caucus. The press release was put out on Friday afternoon. Hardball will be live from Des Moines from Thursday the 15th up to the 19th. On caucus night, Chris Matthews will host live coverage from 7 to 10; pause for Scarborough Country for an hour; back live in Iowa until midnight; then wrap with a live Olbermann Countdown until 1am. Chris Jansing live reports from the hawkeye state begin Monday. 11:42:50 PM Some Fun With Morning Papers
NewsNight's Morning Papers segment climaxed with the tabloid Weekly World News. "We should have covered this one," Aaron Brown said, then revealed the headline: "Bat Boy Led Our Troops To Saddam's Hole." "And incredibly, they have a picture of Bat Boy," Brown deadpanned... 10:58:59 PM "One Area Where CNN Beats FOX Easily"
TVHeads points to Internet news site rankings, where CNN.com is #1 and FoxNews.com places 9th. Hey, you take what you can get... 10:33:06 PM Resolutions for the Media
Eric Burns' FoxNews.com column shares viewer resolutions for the media in 2004. He says the most common theme was a request for more objectivity by the media. "Leavee out ideological viewpoints and report the news, fair and balanced," one viewer wrote. Another asks: "Can you create a separate channel for Michael Jackson so I don’t have to keep changing the channel?" Good stuff. 8:36:14 PM "Who made CNN king-maker?"
Beating up on Howard Dean, or demonstrating liberal bias? A TV Spy poster writes that "CNN is DEFINITELY doing a hatchet job on Dean...Media organizations are now making and breaking candidates." On the other hand, the conservative Media Research Center's Cyber Alert accuses CNN of going soft: "CNN set out Wednesday night to prove that Howard Dean was no liberal as Governor of Vermont, but reporter Kelly Wallace used as her authoritative sources the editor of a self-described “alternative” newspaper and a local Democratic legislator." 7:58:10 PM "Rupert's World"
A fascinating cover story in the January 19th Business Week: "Rupert's World" describes Murdoch's global satellite empire and a coming "fierce new media war." Snip: "On the news channel front, a big fight is likely to erupt when highly rated Fox News begins to push for a fee comparable to the 38 cents that Time Warner's CNN commands, says CIBC Worldwide analyst Michael Gallant." (Hat tip: IWantMedia) 4:16:21 PM Quote of the day
Today's San Francisco Chronicle, on the news that FOX's ratings topped CNN in Sunday's debate: "Either there are a lot more Democrats watching Fox News than expected, or a lot more Republicans watching CNN than one would assume. Of course, it could also be that Republicans watched the Democratic debate for a good, hearty laugh or so they could run around their living rooms, high-fiving over the fact that "this is all they've come up with!...In either case, this much is clear: Fox News is cutting off CNN's head and handing it back." 4:01:59 PM Another Reason to Watch Countdown Tonight
From MSNBC's Countdown w/Olbermann newsletter: "Finally, we hope you saw yesterday's #1 story about a man whose apartment -- and every last item in it -- was foiled (aluminum, that is) by a friend who was house sitting... ...Apparently it inspired someone on our staff. his morning one of our producers was shocked to find her entire workspace covered like a Sunday casserole. But that's not all. Keith's doorway was screaming with foil. And in an odd twist, the director's workspace was bathed in Saran wrap, leading us to believe that two different culprits are responsible...Suffice it to say that if some sort of Countdown Meltdown occurs tonight, you can blame it on the escalating maneuvers of tit-for-tat staff members whose pranks had nowhere to go but on-air." 3:27:02 PM Novak's 'racist' Crossfire remark
CNN commentator Robert Novak is accused of calling American indians election thieves in a "racist, insulting remark" on a recent Crossfire program. Two years ago, the South Dakota Senate election "was stolen by stuffing ballot boxes on Indian reservations. Now, Tom Daschle may have to pay for that theft," Novak told co-host James Carville on Tuesday. Yesterday, S.D.’s state Democratic Party chairwoman demanded Novak apologize, and other politicos issued chastising statements. More details in Friday’s Rapid City Journal report. 9:18:04 AM FOX Biz Success: "We do it in straightforward English"
Jon Friedman's CBS column this morning expands on yesterday's NYDN report about FOX's business show success, and includes some insightful comments from Neil Cavuto. "People appreciate (that) we do it in straightforward English. We try to avoid jargon and acronyms. A lot of business shows preach to the converted, and they're out to impress brokers," the FOX business anchor says. He calls Fox a "phenomenon" at one point. Here's the full article. (Hat tip: Romenesko) 9:16:01 AM How Many Have to Die?
Rantingprofs figures it out: "...We're starting to get a feel for what the formulas are here. Soldiers dying do not necessarily rate the lead story (or even a story), unless they die in a clump. Soldiers wounded in even very large numbers do merit mention, but when the majority of the soldiers involved have not suffered, thank God, very serious wounds... it may not be more than that." 12:26:29 AM Trials on TV: Guilty Until Proven Innocent?
An interesting thread beginning at TVHeads on trial coverage. "The media always assumes that the defendant did the crime when they do not have any real evidence," one poster writes, and cites various cases. A response: "The media wants drama, ratings and more drama. The outcome is almost irrelevant once the trial ends and all the players, or "actors" fade into obscurity." 12:26:09 AM Thursday, January 08, 2004 Crowley on the Campaign Trail
A big scoop: CNN correspondent Candy Crowley bundles up for an Iowa winter. "Crowley found time to buy a hat and a pair of gloves - "on sale" - at Younkers in downtown Des Moines after she left hers at home. She also bought some half-price Christmas bulbs," Wednesday's Des Moines Register dutifully reported. 11:51:25 PM Amber Alert: Coverage Notes
"This was a triumph of cable news," Clint Van Zandt said on MSNBC...Newly hired MSNBC freelancer Natalie Allen scored a high-profile story on her first week, as she reported the story during primetime...Greta van Susteren interviewed family members...Martin Savidge's reporting tonight described as "excellent work under fire..." 11:12:16 PM Quote of the day
NYT Critics Notebook lead in Friday editions: "I like the crawl, the sometimes inane but often brain-saving text that runs across the bottom of the screen on 24-hour news channels. Although it has become de rigueur to hate the crawl — even Jim Walton, the president of CNN, has said publicly that he dislikes it — CNN's research has shown that 70 percent of its viewers favor it. And why not? At times it's your only hope of getting real news." 11:11:56 PM Wrestler, Governor, TV Host... Professor?
He didn't have much success in front of an MSNBC audience, but perhaps college students will be receptive: Jesse Ventura will join Harvard's Institute of Politics as a visiting fellow this spring. Here's the AP story... 11:10:32 PM Well, She Never Pretended to be Modest
Greta van Susteren in her online column, stating that her show will air live from Iowa and New Hampshire this month: "Fox is doing the "full court press" -- we have many anchors and shows headed to these two destinations because we want to make sure we deliver the best coverage -- and frankly, I hate to be so bold, but, we do!" 10:30:45 PM Deborah Norville: A Younger Larry King
Hollywood Reporter: "Skeptics wonder whether Norville could compete head-to-head in the time slot with "Larry King Live" for bookings. But MSNBC president Erik Sorenson pointed to King's older-skewing audience -- more than 60% are older than 55 -- and said Norville will try to book newsmakers and celebrities who appeal to younger audiences." 5:16:34 PM Amber Alert: Coverage compare/contrast
Georgia; three children missing; Noon news: CNN did a one-minute bit at the top of the hour; MSNBC flashed their "Flash news" banner for 2 minutes with a live line interview; FOX's report lasted four minutes, with live chopper images. Asman on FOX pointed out the channel is aired live on XM radio, and asked "listeners" to look out for a license plate. (CNN is also broadcast on XM; MSNBC will be added later this year.) I felt CNN handled it best -- reported the important facts without lapsing into speculation. 12:12:09 PM "Larry King's show is an absolute joke"
Larry King has few fans at the TV Spy Watercooler. Among today's comments: "No wonder MSNBC thinks they can do better with Deborah Norville." The biggest complaint? Airing long interviews with half-dead has-been 'celebrities.' This Democratic Underground poster suggests it is time for King to step aside: "His program has turned into nothing but rattling on and on about this or that high profile crime." The drumbeat's getting louder and louder... 11:51:34 AM MSNBC.com "Committed to keeping news video free"
A great move by MSNBC.com: The announcement of more free broadband video from NBC News, on MSN Video. What's exactly new about this news, I'm not sure -- but today's press release has a great quote: "MSNBC.com is committed to keeping news video free on the Web," MSNBC.com head Scott Moore said. Let's hope they stick to that. 10:30:55 AM Former CNN DC Chief Gets PBS Program
The NYDN reports that former CNN DC bureau chief Frank Sesno plans to launch an 8-part public affairs series on PBS. "Sesno Reports" will be distributed by American Public Television. 10:30:41 AM FNC Dominating Business News
Fox News now "boasts the five highest rated stocks and bonds programs on the cable dial," the New York Daily News reports this morning. Cavuto's "Your World" had over a million viewers last year, and the weekend programs did well too ("Bulls and Bears" with 795,000). 10:30:14 AM Media Requests Michael's Records; Prosecutors Gag
News organizations are asking a Santa Barbara county judge to unseal court records in the Michael Jackson case. "The media organizations requested Wednesday that a hearing on unsealing the search records be held the day of the arraignment." Attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr. is representing NBC, CBS, CNN, ABC, Fox News, and the New York Times in the case. Prosecutors, meanwhile, asked for a gag order to be issued in the case. The motion read in part: "There are two prosecutions pending in California that, for different reasons, are each the object of unrelenting comment and speculation in the tabloid press, 'tabloid television' and even the regular purveyors of news." Read the full AP story. 12:10:53 AM Brokaw: On Fox and the Future
A fascinating Tom Brokaw interview on Columbia Journalism Review's web site -- the back-and-forth about Fox News is notable He calls it the "tabloid approach;" a "lively, right-of-center opinionated all-news channel;" a "successful niche." And on percieved liberal bias: "If people thought I had a bias, they wouldn’t watch me." Brokaw also discusses debate coverage, cable's market penetration, and the future of broadcast news. Great interview. 12:07:38 AM Wednesday, January 07, 2004 Quote of the day
From Aaron Brown's Newsnight email, sent around 7pm: "I could go on here, but so much is up in the air, and there are a bunch of scripts that need editing, and no dinner decision has been made either. And you think it is all bright lights and big paychecks." // Update: "It's funny how the day can change in an instant," AB led at 10pm. "...It was a normal day in many respects, and then late late in the afternoon, the sound that signaled a major news event had occured [was heard on] our computers." 9:20:33 PM Deborah Norville: Likeable, Attractive, Smart
Eric Sorenson, interviewed for this Associated Press story: "People recognize her, she's likable, she's attractive, she's smart, she's done interview programs on television and radio. I think she'll be successful with this." The article continues: "Norville's background on a more personality-oriented news show might also be a plus in a year that could see celebrity criminal trials involving Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant, Martha Stewart and Phil Spector, he said." 6:10:27 PM New FoxNews.com Executive Editor
Broadcasting & Cable: "Stephen Bromberg was promoted from senior news editor to executive editor of Fox News' Web site. Bromberg will be responsible for all editorial content on the Web site, direct the day-to-day news gathering operations and focus on developing content on the site that supports Fox News Channel." 6:07:32 PM TV Press Tour: "It's Frustrating"
Zap2it reports that "veteran CNN anchors Judy Woodruff and Wolf Blitzer expressed some frustration about the direction of their profession, while voicing confidence that CNN remains a vital part of the media landscape." Some interesting quotes about Schwarzenegger and objectivity. Blitzer is also quoted in Akron Beacon Journal. 4:53:57 PM "Deborah Norville Tonight" Premieres Jan. 21
MSNBC has made it official: Deborah Norville will join MSNBC beginning Wednesday, January 21. Eric Sorenson says: "Deborah is the ideal host, who can offer thought-provoking interviews and really deliver the stories people are talking about." The show, titled "Deborah Norville Tonight," will be taped at 30 Rock and in Secaucus, and will feature "interviews with top newsmakers, in-depth coverage of the day's biggest stories and the issues of the day." Here's the press release. 2:29:15 PM Free Advertising
Public relations is the art of obtaining free advertising, one flack opined to me recently. Well McDonalds has it down to a science: their launch of a small pilot program about how to make "real life choices" has found its way onto the home pages of MSNBC.com and CNN.com (an AP copy/paste). It's also on FoxNews.com. CNN went live to a Manhattan McDonalds multiple times today for a live report on the big news... 2:25:32 PM Last Week's Cable News #'s
Cynopsis has news channel ratings for December 29 to January 4. In total day, "Fox News had 46% of the viewing, CNN 28%, MSNBC 13%; and Headline News 13%." In primetime: "Fox News had 45%, CNN 30%, MSNBC 16% and Headline News 9%." 2:04:48 PM Dirty Bomb Detectors Barely Worth a Mention?
Analysts have suggested in the past that FOX's constant attention to the war on terror is one component of their success. Today's performance affirms that. The WashPost report of dirty bomb detectors in several major cities was discussed on Fox and Friends at 7am, reported via live shots throughout the morning, and presented as the top story on Dayside at 1pm. (MSNBC interviewed the Post reporter and showed a map of the cities before noon.) CNN mentioned it in a news update once or twice, but preferred to focus on the winter storm on the west coast, then the lottery "ticket tug of war" at 10am... 1:25:24 PM Time For An "Element of Ideology" In US?
The Hill compares British media's "element of ideology" to America's historic objectivity, and suggests change may be in store. "[Tim Graham of the Media Research Center said that] consumers want their news — particularly on TV — to buttress their political views," the newspaper writes. Christopher Hitchens points out that British papers have always been honest about their biases. "People increasingly prefer their bias to be straight," he says. Great read. (Hat tip: Romenesko) 12:17:06 PM Westin Comments on ABC Digital News Network
Reuters reporting: "ABC also aims to build a 24-hour news network for digital broadcast television, in cooperation with its affiliates, that would combine local, national and international news and Westin said he hoped to move forward fairly promptly." ABCNews.com turned its first annual profit for the fiscal year that ended in September. (Hat tip: CyberJournalist) 9:46:32 AM Daily Election Polling on MSNBC
Reuters teams up with MSNBC and Zogby again this election season to provide daily tracking polls. The data will be featured on MSNBC daily, the press release says. 9:40:52 AM FOX Doubles CNN in Debate Ratings
Twice as many viewers watched Sunday's Democratic canddiates debate on Fox News Channel than on CNN. "FNC's coverage secured 870,000 viewers, compared with CNN's "paltry" average of 410,000," the Washington Post reported. 6:49:38 AM Guess What 2003's Top Story Was?
Slightly off-topic, but notable: Andrew Tyndall's nightly news stats are compiled for 2003, and they are well worth a close read. You may not like their politics, but IPS has all the numbers. Snip: "AIDS killed three million people around the world last year, more than two million of them in Africa. The three major U.S. television networks' evening news programmes devoted a combined total of 39 minutes to the issue...[Over the same year] the three major networks' evening news shows devoted 4,047 minutes to coverage of Iraq." Read this. 12:03:38 AM Tuesday, January 06, 2004 TV Press Tour: "The F Word"
The CNN press tour quotes keep coming. Princell Hair was asked about Fox's ratings success, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports, and responded: "I was wondering how long it would take for someone to use the F word. There are many things that we could do to get ratings, but we're not going to do it at the expense of our brand." It continues... 11:39:53 PM Quote of the Day
NewsMax.com on FOX 03 ratings gains: "Critics may scoff at Fox's claim of being fair and balanced, but viewers seem to appreciate the lack of leftward bias so evident on CNN. They are voting with their channel selectors and Fox is getting the nod from more and more Americans." 10:11:26 PM TV Press Tour: CNN Stability in '04
TVWeek: "I'm a firm believer that if it ain't broke, don't fix it," CNN general manager Princell Hair said today."There are no major on-air changes planned for CNN ... 2004 will be a year of stability at CNN." Broadcasting and Cable: "To get CNN viewers to stick around longer, Hair says CNN needs to continue to execute the "fundamentals," like storytelling, writing and journalism, on a consistent basis. He says he is working to improve on-air presentation and showcase its journalism better." 7:09:34 PM TV Press Tour: Election Night Calls
Wolf Blitzer on election night calls: "If we're not confident a million percent we got it right we're not going to go on the air. ... We're going to wait and wait and wait," Blitzer told a meeting Tuesday of the Television Critics Association. "Only when we have every reason to believe that this is a done deal will we go on and make that exit-poll projection." Read the full AP story. (Related: VNS out, AP in) 7:09:26 PM TV Press Tour: Conventions, Crime Trials
CNN put Wolf Blitzer, Judy Woodruff, and Princell Hair in front of the media today at the semiannual TV press tour. Notable: It has "yet to be decided if CNN would provide blanket coverage of the Democratic and Republican conventions." Hair said it has been decided that "CNN wouldn't provide "gavel to gavel" coverage of numerous celebrity trials expected in 2004," saying there too many other things going on in the world. (AP) 7:07:55 PM CNN to MSNBC, CNBC to FOX...
Newsblues reports that former CNN anchor Natalie Allen appeared on MSNBC Monday. She is "working as a freelance reporter for NBC News." Allen, once a popular Atlanta anchor, was fired in 2001. Also from the 'blues, two new faces on FOX News soon: 'Imus in the Morning's' Janice Dean will host weather reports, and CNBC's Martha MacCallum (anchor of recently-canned 'CheckPoint') will anchor Fox News Live. (Another former business anchor at FOX...perhaps CNBC will face foxified competition sooner rather than later.) 3:54:57 PM Matthews to Interview McNamara
Chris Matthews will interview former secretary of defense Robert McNamara on MSNBC Wednesday night. There are bound to be many questions based on "Fog of War," the compelling, must-see documentary about his life. (The NBC press release) 2:56:29 PM Fueling the Fire, Fanning the Flames
Yesterday morning, I was wondering how much play the MoveOn.org controversy fueled by Drudge would get. Only FOX, perhaps? Nope: "Ed Gillespie talked about them on CNN's "Inside Politics" and MSNBC's "Hardball," Bill O'Reilly played them on Fox, Sean Hannity played them on Fox -- and found a guest who thinks the Nazi comparison is just fine," Howard Kurtz writes in his online WP column. 2:32:00 PM Candidate Debates "Like Water Torture"
Copy and paste from today's Des Moines Register: "The debates play a role in shaping the long-term impression of the candidates by the voters and the media. It's a bit like water torture, said Candy Crowley, Cable News Network's senior political correspondent. "Debate after debate after debate, it starts to make an indentation, even on the people who aren't paying close attention."" 1:18:22 PM "Reporters at War" Premieres Tonight
Premiering tonight, a four-part series called "Reporters at War" on the Discovery Times channel. The first episode airs tonight at 8, with a new program each Tuesday evening. CNN previewed it during Blitzer's noon hour. Series producer Jon Blair said there are three particularly tough moments for a war correspondent: "The last night at home before you go...as you get to the airport on the flight out there...and when the plane touches down in the war zone." 12:45:49 PM News Judgement 101
Rantingprofs asks a question of the day: "Which story will get more attention: Domestic Diva trial reaches meaningless benchmark? Or two countries who hate one another with everything they have -- and sadly, that would include nuclear weapons -- see their leaders actually get together in an effort to cool things down?" Sadly, I think we know the answer. (CNN.com and MSNBC.com get the lead right this morning, though.) 8:34:23 AM Trials of the century in 2004?
CNN's Andersoon Cooper calls it "an alignment of the planets the likes of which we've never witnessed." The Salt Lake Tribune looks at "the potential for a rolling series of O.J. Simpson-like national obsessions fed by media overkill." 8:20:18 AM "Rolling News Phenomenon:" CNN Response
CNN Intl. managing director Chris Cramer responds to UK journo/poli Martin Bell's attack on television news in The Independent's Tuesday edition. Bell argued that the "rolling news phenomenon" isn't always a good thing. Cramer responds: "We live in a world impatient to be there. Viewers want to be taken to the story as it happens, live and unvarnished. Many will also watch a more considered news bulletin later in the day, some will read a newspaper the following morning, or a news magazine later in the week. That is the world we live in." Read the rest. 12:05:45 AM Monday, January 05, 2004 Ratings Analysis; CNN Spin
Tomorrow's newspapers tonight, eh? Tuesday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution analyzes a "peak year for cable news." Summed up: FOX widened their lead and grew the most in prime time; CNN still has a larger total # of viewers; MSNBC slipped in most categories. CNN spokeswoman spin: The ratings show "a continuing trend of viewers migrating from broadcast to cable for news." Interesting Free Republic responses... 8:30:56 PM Aaron, Seven Days A Week
Aaron Brown is going to have a fun month. From his daily NewsNight newsletter: "Ok, we are back at it, five days a week. Actually, we are back at it and much of the month is seven days a week." No more of those canned specials... 7:48:59 PM CNN News Roundup
Variety reporting tonight that "CNN has ended its 15-minute German-lingo news bulletin," saying it "could not compete in the oversupplied German-lingo news market." Separately, an 18-year-old from Germany opens CNNFan.com, including a bunch of video clips. Also: JNN presents a summary of CNN news from the holiday season. 7:16:23 PM Blowing Off Bin Laden?
At the top of FOX's 4pm business-cast: Neil Cavuto points out that the new bin Laden tape has received relatively little attention -- only a blurb on page 11 of the NYT, for example. The two pundits he discussed it with blamed it on a busy news day, "terror fatigue," and the day of release (a Sunday). "Bin Laden was the face and voice of evil...[but] more recently, Saddam Hussein was," Bob Lichter (Center for Media & Public Affairs) said. 4:20:18 PM This is Cable News, not Entertainment Tonight
FOX and CNN have been fair, barely touching the story. But Trace Gallagher couldn't resist a comment. During a Mars rover report, he explained that it takes about 12 minutes for pictures from Mars to transmit to Earth -- "you know, about the length of Britney Spears' marriage." Clever. Wolf Blitzer used it as an excuse to play a clip from her "I'm A Slave" 'music video.' MSNBC.com music editor Denise Hazlick's take: "This latest escapade gives further proof that the axiom of Britney Spears is true: She is not a girl but is not yet a woman." Stop reporting the damn story like it's real news! 12:39:01 PM On Alert: Not a Terror Watch
MSNBC began a new feature on-air today. Called "On Alert," it aims to help "find the thousands of children who go missing across the country." It featured three kids around noon. 12:28:47 PM Quote of the Day
ABC's The Note, discussing the two weeks ahead before the Iowa caucus: "On how many of those 14 days will coverage of the Democratic nomination fight be blotted out by world events — or by purposeful White House dribbling out of State of the Union run-up details? Or by Britney, fathers who dangle their children in front of wild animals, Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant, or any manner of other elements of the passing parade?" 12:05:34 PM What's News?
It's the A block: As CNN's headline was "America on Alert" and FOX was covering "You Decide 2004," where was MSNBC? In the middle of a live report about Britney Spear's stupidity. This TVHeads thread is dissapointed. MSNBC's Question of the day: "Britney Speared: Is she totally out of control?" (It's 82% yes right now, BTW). ...And now they are repeating a Matt Lauer interview with Steve Irwin... 11:22:04 AM Reliable Sources & News Watch Transcripts
Here are the weekend transcripts for Reliable Sources and FOX News Watch. 11:21:58 AM MSNBC-Produced 'Early Today' Premieres
Amy Robach anchored on NBC at 4:30. She has a stunning presence...especially since I'm barely awake. Good morning, Katie Cou--er, well, not for a few years. During crosstalk at the end of the show, Robach pointed out that "this is our premiere show of the new newscast." Among the changes: Zoned weather forecasts, "giving you more targeted info," Elliott said. Never imagined him as a weather host, but he handled it well. It wasn't simulcast on MSNBC, as some had speculated. ...Then It Turned Into 'First Look' At 5, they turned around and did it again on MSNBC. Same First Look, different (better?) anchor. Same graphics and music. Replayed 4:30's live hit in DC. Sadly, no change in MSNBC's awful lower thirds. Both shows were anchored from the Brian Williams 'News' set -- looked great. At 5:30, MSNBC re-aired the 5am broadcast. Back to bed now... 5:38:31 AM Lisa Ling, Loving Longform
MSNBC National Geographic Explorer host Lisa Ling profiled in Alex Ben Block's TVWeek column. She is "regularly traveling around the world reporting on people and subjects that are often more complex than what is typical for most news shows in this era of short attention spans," he writes. Ling is proud of her ratings: "We've been consistently among MSNBC's top five shows of the week." 4:57:33 AM From CNN to College
Former CNN'er Garrick Utley is profiled in the NYDN this morning. He is the new head of a SUNY graduate school in NYC. He is described as "disenchanted with the increasingly celebrity-focused, scandal-driven TV news business." Utley's jab at his former employer: "Clearly the international scope of news coverage has withered on the vine." 4:51:50 AM Election Embedding Pro & Cons
Howard Kurtz profiles election embeds in his WP Media Notes column Monday, describing it as "a costly endeavor that yields considerable benefits for the news organizations willing to pay the freight, but also contains its share of frustrating wheel-spinning." He writes that MSNBC embed Maria Buchanan "was there after [Clark's] first campaign manager quit and new advisers started showing up. "I was introducing staff members to one another,"" she said. Read it all. 12:05:39 AM Sunday, January 04, 2004 CNN.com's News Judgement?
Should the #2 story on CNN.com really be " "Reports: Britney Spears weds -- but will annul marriage?" Above an air crash investigaton, debate summary, and a new bin Laden tape? 8:05:59 PM The Debate "That Could Change Everything"
CNN promos called this the debate "that could change everything." Some interesting moments. Pointing out that the candidates sometimes ignored the question, the moderator said to Moseley Braun at one point: "You can talk about anything you want in the next minute, but we do have a question for you." Democratic Underground members seemed to be pleased. "Why can't all the debates be more like this?," one post asked. My favorite debate-related forum quote came from Free Republic. "Slow news day for fox, I guess [it] is better than flight 223 taking or not taking off," one poster remarked. Yes, it is. 4:57:44 PM Meier on Brokaw
MSNBC anchor Randy Meier recalls sitting on the Today Show set the morning Saddam Hussein was captured and watching Tom Brokaw at work in a Star Tribune story. He notes that Brokaw ate breakfast at the anchor desk, and asked himself: "Will I ever get to the point in my career where I'm comfortable enough, while talking about [something big like] the capture of Hussein at the same time I'm eating a bagel on TV?!" 4:54:15 PM First With Bin Laden Tape
Wow, looks like MSNBC actually had someone in the newsroom this afternoon. FLASH at 4pm for the new Osama audio tape...first cabler to broadcast excerpts. After 5 minutes, back to H&L; marathon. 4:01:46 PM Quick Question for MSNBC
MSNBC: It's 3pm. You're showing me Steve Martin on Headliners & Legends. Meanwhile, news is happening on CNN and FOX, as they simulcast a PBS feed of the Des Moines Register debate. What's your excuse? Was the ad revenue from your recycled "documentary" worth it? Embarassing. That sound you hear -- it's the ratings dipping even lower... 3:08:50 PM 04 Prediction: Fair and balanced biz
Among Variety's predictions for television in 2004: "Get ready for a fair and balanced spinoff." They reference Ailes' business cable net, and say that "such a net could make life complicated for the Peacock-owned CNBC, which is revamping its underperforming primetime line-up." 11:27:03 AM New "Early Today" Tomorrow
MSNBC takes over the NBC "Early Today" program tomorrow morning, with Amy Robach and John Elliott anchoring the pre-dawn news show from Secaucus. The memo to NBC affils; TV Spy thread; and MSNBC lists it at 5am on its schedule, replacing Bianca Solorzano's "First Look." A Zucker move? 11:20:19 AM Keeping the Pressure On
Rantingprofs asks if NBC's Baghdad bureau is going to work nights anytime soon: "Another night without anything more from NBC than the casualty report. No narrative means no real reporting, no insights, no analysis...Could we really not have [had] that 8,543rd in-depth piece on Studs Terkel, that character, until a slow news day?" 10:32:42 AM Saturday, January 03, 2004 Fox News Watch highlights
'Most Over-Reported Story' nominee: Laci Peterson. AU prof Jane Hall: "There's no way this has any justification of importance beyond salacious appeal and getting people to watch cable news as much as possible." Cal Thomas described MJ and Kobe coverage as a journalistic flu. "It's just obsession," he said. As for next year's big stories? Elections, war on terror, and...trials. "We're going to be in the courtroom an awful lot," host Eric Burns said. 6:57:10 PM CNN's Top Notch Space Reporting
CNN's space reporting is excellent as always -- as a rover headed toward Mars today, Miles O'Brien's reports from the Jet Propulsion Lab in California have been fascinating. It's this sort of beat reporting that makes CNN stand out. Check out the video clips on cnn.com or AOL. Now how about a live one-hour special at 11pm as it lands? 6:41:48 PM Framing a Story
A quick comparison of the online Red Sea charter jet crash coverage (much less coverage on TV...focus still on international flight security): Foxnews.com includes the fact that "Tony Blair [was] vacationing at popular resort at flight origin" on the home page. In the FOX and MSNBC stories (Associated Press copy/paste), the fact is prominent in the second paragraph. On CNN.com, that fact is only mentioned in the article's last paragraph. Makes a big difference, eh? 3:26:40 PM A Few CNN Staffers Say So Long
"CNN has sent several staffers packing at its primetime shows hosted by Paula Zahn and Anderson Cooper," the New York Post reports. About six employees have been let go -- all former Connie Chung Tonight staffers, whose "services are no longer needed." 4:50:58 AM Preview: Weekend Media Shows
6:30pm Saturday: Fox News Watch is an "awards show of sorts," looking back at the year in news and "the ignored stories of 2003." // 11:30am Sunday: Reliable Sources "looks at mad cow disease and terror alert coverage." (Foxnews.com/WashPost) 12:12:16 AM Friday, January 02, 2004 Vicious Cycle
Eason Jordan's controversial op-ed last spring was the third most-blogged NYTimes article in 03. It's the subject of a long line of fresh messages at TV Spy, with some interesting comments, including: "[There is no scandal.] It's the Faux News PR Department with a lot of attack and destroy time on their hands." Read it. 5:40:40 PM CNBC SOTU Schedule
CNBC announces State of the Union coverage: The News from 7 to 9, then the speech, with Capital Report at 10. FOX and MSNBC have started their "stay with us in January" political promos. 5:40:15 PM "We gazed at the two incinerated Humvees"
Have we become immune to the attacks in Iraq? Does television sanitize it? An ElectronicIraq.net diary entry titled "First-hand news vs. CNN" makes an interesting point. "On CNN, according to Brig. Gen. Martin Dempsey...'An explosion near a U.S. military convoy in a crowded area of Baghdad wounded five U.S. soldiers and three Iraqi civil defense personnel.' The soldiers on the scene had gloomily told me, first hand, quite a different story while we gazed at the two incinerated Humvees in front of a nearby building with the side of it blasted into tatters." Just food for thought. 2:14:39 PM FOX, Flights, and Fear
FOX is the most attached to this British Airways cancellation. (Call it fair war on terror reporting, or an attempt to keep viewers scared/watching.) They've been borrowing WTTG's Dulles live shot every few minutes. And they are the only cabler still screaming "HIGH" in orange on the side of the screen... 11:45:20 AM The Cable (Business) News Wars
Jon Friedman profiles PBS's Nightly Business Report, and in doing so quotes several criticisms of CNBC and FOX. Lou Dobbs "reveals all the charm of a stern headmaster," he writes. And Dylan Ratigan's new 6pm 'Bullseye:' "It'll be interesting to see if Ratigan's in-your-face style works at the dinner hour over the long haul." (Thanks, Henry.) 11:30:24 AM 2003: Cable Net Ratings All Up
Another look at Variety's stats: In '03, FNC enjoyed a 53% increase in total-day viewing. Look at the target demo, adults 25 to 54: FNC with 609,000, CNN with 373,000, and MSNBC with 202,000. #'s increased across the board (war). Except for Headline News, that is -- down 4% with the younger viewers they crave. Then again, you'll hear soon enough why I believe these ratings are a joke... 11:03:15 AM Thursday, January 01, 2004 "Shouting bullshit at the screen"
Aaron Brown is a turn-off, a Buzzmachine commenter says. "I now find myself watching FoxNews more than I would have thought. I find myself shouting "BULLSHIT" at the screen more often, but it at least keeps [me] awake." I know several people who have expressed the same. I wonder how many more there are? (Are you listening, Mr. Walton?) 7:55:45 PM FOX Fans' "Say What?!"
Looking for a laugh? Check out the "FOX Fan Exclusive" 2003 Rewound, especially the "Say What?!" video clips from FNC coverage. Notable moment: An Alert for Bush cabinet video, cut in midsentence to Wendell Goler. "Okay. Shut up," he says, then cut to Brigitte Quinn, who responds: "Okay, uh, Wendell, uh, just, ah, um." (Login: [email protected]; Password weblogs) 7:38:58 PM MSNBC.com Year In Pics TV-Worthy
MSNBC.com's Flash "Year in Pictures" is compelling, to say the least. Apparently the TV side of the org was impressed -- they broadcast a portion of it on air this morning. Convergence! 7:38:48 PM Why FOX Is #1?
Reese Schonfeld praises FNC's news coverage on December 25/26, while "...CNN and MSNBC weren’t ready to do news. They had prepared their ordinary Christmas day programming and most of their first-string anchors were off." He even suggests their coverage of the Karbala bombing could improve their market share. Makes you think about why they are winning the ratings war. 1pm New Years Day: FOX live in Baghdad, CNN in a Zahn tape, and MSNBC repeating Headliners. 1:25:50 PM Inside Politics Expands to Sundays
Commercials on CNN this week: "Inside Politics Sunday" begins this weekend at 10am (advance of a 3pm Democratic debate; CNN and FNC live). Will apparently run through election year. 1:24:10 PM 2003: FNC #8 on Basic Cable
Daily Variety reports: "For the year, Fox News remained the only all-news outlet to crack the basic-cable top 10, moving to eighth from ninth a year ago." 1:32:25 AM 2004 Resolutions for the Cablers
The Arizona Republic offers resolutions for the news nets: "Fox News - To be fair and balanced. No, really...CNN - To remember that news used to be your real star...MSNBC - To find a show - any show - that someone - anyone - will watch." 1:31:04 AM The Cable News Net of Record
Kudos to CNN for Anderson Cooper's 90 minutes live from Times Square, despite hiccups. Memorable: Cooper described Hugh Hefner as a 'true playa;' later, he turned around and said he heard Beyonce. Reporter Jason Carroll laid a kiss on the cheek of a random crowd member during one of those "who are going to kiss at midnight" segments. But hey, it beats a repeat of O'Reilly on FOX or a repeat Countdown on MS. Choice quote? Cooper teasing a live report: "What do you think's going on at the Playboy mansion? A game of Scrabble maybe?" 12:31:54 AM 9PM MSNBC 2004: Deborah Norville
Lisa De Moraes in the the Washington Post broke the story on C7 Wed: "Deborah Norville has been signed to host a weekday show in MSNBC's unclaimed 9 p.m. time slot." The announcement will come next week. Bruce Perlmutter producing -- not a stranger to notable female anchors -- Connie Chung Tonight and The Point w/Greta Van Susteren to his credit. TVWeek tidbit: "A source familiar with Ms. Norville's new deal said King World insisted that the MSNBC show look nothing like "Inside Edition," so her new format is not expected to include any of the packages that appear on other shows on the news network. Instead, it is expected to be built on interviews and talk." 12:29:37 AM The Norville Hire: Net Thoughts
MSNBC's Sorenson has set his sights on second place, beating CNN in the ratings game, according to recent reports. "I don't want to go out on a limb, but I think CNN's hold on second place is safe," one blogger writes. Then again, with Larry King's penchant for half-dead celebrity interviews, perhaps there's a demographic hole there to be exploited. TV Spy Watercooler thoughts were mixed. "I have a feeling her new show will be well scripted," one member chimed in. (Send some of your own thoughts) 12:29:29 AM Tonight's Terror Scare
And the scare tonight? A British Airways flight detained at Dulles Airport. CNN first reported the news at 10:34pm, with a report from Atlanta's newsreader on duty. They cut into a taped Newsnight focusing on the embedding experiment. Ten minutes later, FNC was reporting the news via an Alert on the bottom, with a taped On The Record boxed into a corner (subject: Playboy Turns 50). 12:07:06 AM Who Am I?
I'm CableNewser. There are several reasons why I'm keeping my identity a secret. First and foremost, I don't want to endanger any job or opportunity -- past, present, or future. Sometimes honesty isn't the best method of job security. I'm not who you think I am -- I think I can virtually guarantee that. I'll say this: I'm male, not old, and live near Washington/Baltimore. Email feedback, criticisms, questions, thoughts, tips, advice, rants (just not spam) to [email protected] 12:05:01 AM In the Beginning...
Welcome. It's a midnight launch for CableNewser. The reason for the site's existence is detailed in the tagline (CNN, FOX, MSNBC, and why they matter); the purpose statement (below the big black title up top); and the gray bar on the right. And who's writing this? Above. 12:01:21 AM |
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
CableNewser.com // Top
Copyright 2004, all rights reserved. Any communication with CableNewser is documented, and may be republished unless otherwise requested. |
||||||||||||||||||||
