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