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