Quote of the day
From Aaron Brown's NewsNight e-mail: "It is the day before Valentines Day and the rundown looks like it’s the day before election day. And just to make matters worse, none of it is very pretty." 11:52:02 PM

Cable News Ratings Race: Brown, Norville, Miller Among Losers
Drudge offers up some cable news net numbers from Thursday evening. FOX won the night (shocking): O'Reilly at a 2.2, H&C; with 1.7, Shep at 1.2; Greta and Brit tie with 1.0 each. At CNN, Larry King drew a respectable 0.8, and Paula Zahn a 0.7 -- Aaron Brown with a mere 0.5, though. On MSNBC, Matthews and Scarborough also recorded a 0.5; Olbermann with a 0.4, Norville, with a 0.3. At the bottom of the heap: Dennis Miller with a 0.2. Ouch... 6:15:45 PM

Interview with FOX Europe Bureau Chief
FOX News Europe bureau chief Scott Norvell is interviewed by his hometown newspaper, the Macomb Eagle. He talks about blogging, getting his start at FOX, and his responsibilities in the bureau. Quote: "Beyond souping up European output, part of the idea is for me to get Newscorp’s various news properties working together a little more often on larger international news stories." Good goal. Here's part one and part two... 5:15:18 PM

Was Ventura's Show Canceled Because of his Anti-War Stance?
From Eleanor Clift's Newsweek column msnbc.com: "[Jesse Ventura's] weekend show on MSNBC was canceled in part, he suspects, because he is adamantly opposed to the Iraq war and unafraid to say things that mainstream media consider over the top, like why don't the Bush daughters enlist if their father is so gung-ho for war. He has a three-year contract with MSNBC at a salary commensurate with that of a professional athlete, he tells a group of students, yet he's not on the air." Maybe he'd still have a show if he was a half-decent TV personality... 5:14:58 PM

CNN/LAT Debate Credentialing Info
Credentialing information for the February 26th CNN/LAT debate is now available. Requests are due by the 23rd... 5:14:21 PM

FamilyNet To Air FOX Reports
FamilyNet Television will be airing some of FOX News Channel's packages under a three-year strategic alliance. NewsMax has details... 5:13:05 PM

Media Bias Apparent In Bush Military Record Stories?
The Media Research Center doesn't like all the Bush AWOL stories: "On Thursday night, CNN dedicated the entire hour of its 8pm EST Paula Zahn Now to “2 Men, 2 Choices,” a title which appeared beneath old black and white photos of John Kerry and George Bush in military uniforms. But in 1992, well more than a week after news broke about Bill Clinton’s underhanded efforts to avoid the draft by misleading the chief of his local draft board, CNN aired a profile of Clinton during a prime time special on the candidates, yet failed to mention his draft avoidance." The site notes that Chris Matthews pointed out that Clinton's "draft avoidance [was] never revisited"... 4:18:17 PM

So Imus Has Referenced the Rumors -- What Now?
MediaChannel's News Dissector writes about the Kerry rumors: "Many major news organizations held back on the 'Kerry had a girlfriend' story but there it was on IMUS on MSNBC this morning discussed as a rumor, which is a way of reporting it by reporting that others are reporting or discussing it. We heard the line: "It's all over the internet." Who will follow now? 10:13:38 AM

CNN, FOX Avoid Ridiculous Peterson Trial Fees
Remember that $51,000 price tag for covering the Peterson trial? "The media are finding ways to get their job done without the county's help and without paying rates they have called exorbitant," The Argus reports. CNN and FOX have set up cameras on the roofs of nearby buildings... 10:04:17 AM