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