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

"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

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

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

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

"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

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