Shakeup: More Reader Reactions: "We'll have to wait and see"
That feedback form is getting a workout tonight. Dee writes in with a good point: "We'll have to wait and see...There were people at CNN though who had real issues with Kaplan--others adored him. What is unquestionable is that CNN has taken a hit in the ratings since he left." Kyle says it doesn't matter: "The fact is [that] CNN and MSNBC are getting their asses handed to them and not even Dennis Miller can save them." Not very optimistic, eh? I'm hoping this will come true: "Does this mean 'real news' could be in the future for MSNBC?...I'm getting tired of the whole "Access News" tabloid thing they have going over there." 11:42:44 PM

Shakeup: Reactions: "MSNBC will benefit from the energy of this move"
E-mails to CableNewser were mixed. "Kaplan is a wonderful producer...but a colossal asshole even by network-TV-news standards. I've seen him scream at young new hires until they're in tears," one anonymous message said. "But he has good instincts, aside from his well-documented Clinton-related ethical blind spot." Another e-mail: "MSNBC will benefit from the energy of this move. Zucker & Co. are making positive strides at MSNBC - and with Sorenson out, MSNBC will continue its path over the top of CNN." The comments at Free Republic weren't surprising: "Reminiscent of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic?," one person asked. "It's about time," a comment at LostRemote says. "What were they waiting for? And why now?" 11:17:11 PM

Exclusive: Inside the Press Gaggle
The tensions between the White House press corps and press secretary Scott McClellan came to a head Friday morning, in the off-camera press gaggle, a source tells CableNewser. At the end of the briefing (one dominated by questions of thirty years ago), FOX News correspondent James Rosen leaned over to McClellan. "Scott, you did not do a good job for your boss today," Rosen remarked. An observer couldn't remember a similar statement spoken recently... 7:24:00 PM

Shakeup: Instant Reaction to the Sorenson/Kaplan Rumor
An MSN group comment: "His creds are there and this could potentially mean MSNBC caring more about real news and less about tabloid [fodder]." A TVSpy poster disagrees: "Can you say Tailwind?...He tried to make CNN into ABC and lost a lot of viewers in the process." 7:10:11 PM

Shakeup: Rick Kaplan Biography: CBS to ABC to CNN...
Rick Kaplan was the president of CNN/US from 1997 to 2000. He was fired -- that's his word -- "a victim at least in part of depressed ratings," Howard Kurtz said in '00. He lectured at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in 2001. He re-joined ABC in 2003 to oversee coverage of the war in Iraq. He got his start at CBS, helping produce the Evening News. In 1979, he joined ABC News, acting as executive producer for Nightline, World News Tonight, and other programs. He has won 34 Emmy awards, three duPont awards, and two George Polk awards. Google him for complaints about his relationship with the Clinton White House... 6:28:46 PM

Shakeup: Rick Kaplan to Succeed Erik Sorenson at MSNBC
Quoting FTVLive: "Insiders tell FTVLive.com that Kaplan will take over MSNBC, replacing now MSNBC boss Eric Sorenson. Sources say that Kaplan the former President of CNN (1997-2000) will take over the struggling cable network in the coming days and that it could be as soon as this week." Requests for comment have gone unanswered so far... 6:17:31 PM

FLASH: FTV Reports MSNBC's Sorenson Out; Kaplan to take over 6:06:50 PM

The Dean Drop-out Drumbeat Grows Louder and Louder...
Shep Smith introed Studio B: "If there was any doubt prior to today that the wheels are falling off the Dean campaign, [that] may have vanished today." "Can't get much worse than this if you're Howard Dean," Carl Cameron said on FOX. "Will he, or won't he?," the announcer asked on CNN; "To stay or not to stay?," the Inside Politics newsletter asked; "Is he Is or Is he Isn't?," the Countdown newsletter asked somewhat strangely... 3:35:29 PM

Bruce Morton Bemoans Celebrity Political Culture
CNN re-aired a Bruce Morton 'Late Edition' piece bemoaning "celebrity politics." "The coverage of candidate and celebrity has become one and the same in the media," Miles O'Brien introed. Quoting the package: "And what about those voters who actually want to hear about the issues? They're admirable, quaint, of course. But, you know, if that interferes with the celebrity stuff, with the Martha verdict, with jury selection in Michael's trial, with Kobe's next court appearance, if that interferes with the real ratings builders, we newsies may not even tell you who won the November election." "Say it ain't so, Bruce," O'Brien responded. Transcript (last segment). 3:09:19 PM

Looks Like a Boring News Week Ahead
CNN's weekly planner for affiliates is particularly dull this week. Is it always this slow in February? CNN hasn't sent a breaking news alert in six days. Here's the planner... 12:20:27 PM

Quote of the day
A scary thought from David Shaw in the LA Times: Bushites don't see journalists as representatives of or surrogates for the public. They don't even see them as conduits. They see them as, in effect, lobbyists, pleaders — bleaters — for special interests: their own. Their access. Their scoops. Their headlines. Their careers. Their egos. And that means the policymakers in the Bush administration have no obligation to talk to them." 12:19:13 PM

Feeding the Beast: Critics Chime In
> WashPost: "Ellerbee's thoughtful and vigorous report shows how far short of such goals 24-hour news has fallen -- and how it may have created more problems than it has solved."
> Chicago Tribune: "In this vivid examination of the impact of Ted Turner's CNN and its imitators, Linda Ellerbee makes room not just for criticism but also for affection, humor and, especially, understanding."
> Miami Herald: "No other form of journalism can match the immediacy and impact of the 24-hour news channels, and no other form can be as staggeringly dumb."
> NYPost: "It's a riveting, 90-minute program about how 24-hour news channels have shortened our attention spans." 8:59:39 AM

Feeding the Beast: Cable News Documentary Premieres Tonight
David Bauder previews "Feeding the Beast," a 90-minute documentary on the "24-hour news revolution" airing on Trio Monday at 9pm. Howard Dean's scream and Janet Jackson's breast were added to the doc last-minute, producer Linda Ellerbee says. (That's an interesting anecdote about what's important to the cablers, eh?) Strangely enough, FOX was the only channel not to cooperate with the show. Here's the AP story.
Also: Hollywood Reporter review | Show schedule | Press release 12:09:56 AM

Feeding the Beast: Streaming Video Excerpts
Trio's web site offers a wealth of streaming video from Feeding the Beast. They stream the show open, and ten minutes of interview excerpts. Jon Stewart's comments are great. It's all accessible right here. 12:09:30 AM

Feeding the Beast: Quotes from the Documentary
Some choice quotes from "Feeding the Beast," pulled from the AP:
> Linda Ellerbee: "Many of us thought the global would become local with the advent of 24-hour news. Instead, it's the other way around."
> Dennis Miller: "Just think of 24-hour news cycles as a long date."
> Jon Stewart: "In the old model of news, they would wait until something happened and then they would break in. But when you're on all the time, you have to create news. Which they do."
> Dan Rather: "...We're talking about all 24-hour so-called quote news -- I insist on putting quotes because sometimes it's just all blather, all the time, it's not all news..."
12:09:05 AM