Mom's fine; thank you for all the e-mails.

FOX Reports: "Hoffa Mystery Solved?"
Quoting a press release: "FOX News Channel has uncovered indications of blood that could fit claims of it being Jimmy Hoffa's, which will be revealed in a multi-part series, "Jimmy Hoffa Mystery: Solved?" debuting Sunday, May 30th on "FOX News Live with Eric Shawn" at 11 AM/ET. The special will continue through Friday, June 4th with new information revealed each day. Reported by FNC senior correspondent Eric Shawn, the special will present exclusive findings in the murder case and will provide new information about one of the leading suspects and his claims concerning why he killed Hoffa..." 11:46:33 PM

Quote of the day
John Leo hammers home the media bias message in a US News & World Report column. He poses a question: "Why does the news business keep hiring more and more people who disagree sharply with the customers, many of whom are already stampeding out the door for a variety of reasons?" One of the answers lies in the media's elitism, he answers... 10:51:32 PM

WWII Memorial Coverage: Random Thoughts
> CNN was the only channel smart enough to take the ticker off.
> I loved FOX's music and graphics. "It's about time" the memorial was created, Tony Snow said. Oliver North called it "long overdue."
> CNN's intro was beautiful. Paula Zahn called the day "extraordinary." Sam Feist has done a great job so far.
> The headsets worn by CNN and FOX guests looked more appropriate for a NASCAR race. UPDATE: Fran writes in: "Anchors were wearing headsets during the WW2 dedication because the set was so close to the stage and the speakers were set for blast...you couldn't hear IFB otherwise. I was down there doing news during rehearsals and I thought my ears would start bleeding!"
> MSNBC seemed to dedicate the least resources to its coverage. Bob Kur anchored.
> FOX and CNN tended to let the dignitaries speak, while MSNBC spent a while talking to guests in faraway studios. On MSNBC, Jeannie Ohm described "extraordinary" security measures while the other cablers aired the ceremony. But they cut to Tom Brokaw as soon as he started his address. 2:43:22 PM

All Three Cablers To Cover WWII Memorial Dedication
All three cable news networks will present live coverage of the National World War II Memorial dedication in D.C. this afternoon. Tony Snow is hosting coverage on FOX from 12 to 3:30pm. CNN and MSNBC will air coverage between 2 and 4pm; It is unclear who is anchoring, but Tom Brokaw will surely make an appearance on MSNBC. 10:19:50 AM

Signs Of Life on MSNBC Weekends
MSNBC continues to slowly but surely improve its weekend programming. Today at noon, MSNBC is re-airing Ann Curry's Dateline interview with Iraqi hostage Thomas Hamill. 'MSNBC Reports: The Great Escape." They are replaying the JFK special too, since it's his birthday... 10:18:52 AM

CNN Sues Florida: Demands List of Potentially Ineligible Voters
Seeking to obtain a list of up to 48,000 potentially ineligible voters in Florida, CNN filed a lawsuit against the state on Friday. Earlier this week, officials denied CNN's request for a copy of the list. The network says " the public and media should also be able to review the list." "Unless people look at the list and see their names and know that it's wrong, then they could end up in a situation where they don't have the right to vote," said Tampa attorney Gregg D. Thomas of the law firm Holland & Knight, who is representing CNN in the matter. "It is incredible that information this important to a constitutional right, the right to vote, is not freely and openly disseminated." CNN.com has details... 10:18:01 AM

FOX Is Populist, Jonah Goldberg Says
"One of the things that has made Fox News successful isn't that it's right-wing, it is that it's populist," Jonah Goldberg writes on NRO. The most interesting part of the essay on "Patriotism and the Press" is the end, when Jonah writes that "if Fox goes overboard sometimes, it's only compared to a new standard Ernie Pyle wouldn't recognize." The last paragraphs are a must-read... 1:26:19 PM

A Conversation With An O'Reilly Producer
Danny Schechter has an interesting story on his MediaChannel web log: "I was sitting there, just minding my own business yesterday when an e-mail comes in from 'THE FACTOR.' It wasn’t something I had factored into my day. It asks if I was available to come on the air last night on Fox News Channel factor forum with Bill O’ Reilly...So I end up chatting with the producer and make my first mistake. I tell him what I really think and about what I have been writing." The producer said he would call back, but never did... 11:19:33 AM

The Brian Behind The Blog: Flagrant Self-Promotion Ends Here
(...Well at least until next week.) Traffic to the site surged yesterday, thanks to publicity from the NYT piece. (Hits tripled.) Thanks to all the sites that linked. Some highlights:
> Gawker declares that "teen media nerds are the future!"
> The National Debate says I have "come out of the...errr...dorm room"
> The Media Drop has an interview with me
> Event Horizon says my posting habits make sense now
> A mention on CBS Marketwatch today 10:22:32 AM

NBC News Team Held Captive In Iraq; Released After Three Days
Three NBC News journalists were released today after being held captive in Iraq for three days. Correspondent Ned Colt, cameraman Maurice Roper, and soundman Robert Colvill were captured by gunmen in Fallujah on Tuesday. A statement from NBC said local Iraqi leaders helped mediate with "armed Iraqis," who let the reporters go "after their identities as working journalists became clear," according to the AP. NBC never announced the capture, for security reasons... 8:57:35 AM

Leno Pokes Fun At Cable News
Jay Leno: "Well, you know what's amazing about President Bush's speech the other night? The speech was carried by the cable news networks but not by the major networks. ... See, that's when a president knows he's in trouble, okay? When he gives a major speech, and it goes straight to cable." 8:53:47 AM

Columnist Wants An "I-Was-An-Idiot Confession" From Scarborough
"I'm waiting for a contrite, I-was-an-idiot confession from Joe Scarborough," Rick de Yampert of the Daytona Beach News-Journal writes. He notes that Joe constantly criticized Sean Penn and other actors for being anti-war. "My point is that Scarborough, and many other conservative pundits, readily dismissed any celebrities who protested the war as chuckle-heads unqualified to voice such views...Give me Sean Penn over Joe Scarborough any day." 8:53:02 AM

MSNBC's Dave Levine: Rick Kaplan's 'Sacrificial Lamb?'
Exclusive: A TVSpy post today noted that MSNBC daytime producer Dave Levine was shown the door earlier this month. "Some say he was pushed out by the higher ups," the post says. In a conversation with me today, a source close to MSNBC agreed. "I think that Rick Kaplan was looking to chop some people from dayside," the source says. "[Dave] may have been the sacrifical lamb." But it's not over yet. "I'm not so sure the shakeout of Kaplan's new regime has even really started," the source says. "I think you're going to see more restructuring -- read 'layoffs/firing.'" 6:05:31 PM

Crossfire Interactive: Distracting But Fun
Geoffrey writes in to describe CNN's interactive Crossfire experiment. "It's more distracting from the actual show than anything else," he says. "I'm not sure if it adds anything of real value. It's just fun to play along." More: "Some of the questions are just asking for opinions, such as 'Is Kerry's plan on Iraq different from Bush's?' and then you choose yes or no. The Political IQ questions are timed. The amount of points you can get quickly decreases as time goes on, so those are the ones you want to answer quickly and correctly." (The Q's are usually about info that recently appeared on CNN.) Players have a chance to win a trip to DC to watch Crossfire, plus show souvenirs. 6:01:24 PM

"How do you make small talk with an alleged terrorist?"
"I was faced with that ultimate dilemma: How do you make small talk with an alleged terrorist?" That's a quote from Greg Palkot's reporters notebook on FOXNews.com, as he describes interviewing Abu Hamza al-Masri. "We had to drive Al-Masri back to his house after the interview," he writes. "No more small talk in the car. Just a lot of silence. Now the firebrand might be silenced ... for good." The U.S. indicted him today... 4:47:12 PM

Meet The CNN D.C. Softball Team
Have you heard about the Metropolitan Media Softball League? CNN has a team, as does the NBC News Channel staff, a bunch of local channels, and the D.C. area newspapers. The web site has all the details. There are no games this Memorial Day weekend, but on June 5 CNN plays Comcast SportsNet and WUSA. I wish FOX had a team, so we could see who's the best at bat...
> Update: A reader writes in: "Fox News used to play in the league. They just weren't very good. Best teams on a consistent basis include CNN and The Washington Post's website group, Post.com. Also Washington Times and USA Today are usually up there. I should know, all those teams gave me fits when I was in the league." 2:50:38 PM

Local FOX Reporter Named NBC News Correspondent
Seattle reporter Peter Alexander will become an NBC News correspondent in mid-June, the network announced today. He was the "lead reporter and substitute anchor" at FOX affil KCPQ-TV. 2:35:51 PM

MSNBC Names New Media Relations Director
MSNBC appointed a new Director of Media Relations today. Leslie Zeller Schwartz joins the channel from "Goodman Media International, where she served as Vice President," according to a press release. She has handled publicity for Court TV, CNN, Nickelodeon, and other clients. Paulette Song formerly held the title; she left a year ago... 2:35:50 PM

Magazine Editor Banned From Scarborough Country?
Steppin' Out magazine editor Chaunce Hayden "may never get another visa into ‘Scarborough Country,’" the NYDN says. The frequent guest "departed from his planned remarks to excoriate everybody involved" in a segment about those ‘teen sex bracelets.’ "Hayden told me that after the segment, one of Scarborough's producers advised him not to hold his breath for another invitation," Lloyd Grove writes. "The show is upset that he made personal attacks on the air," an MSNBC spokesperson said... (Hat tip: Newsblues) 12:30:54 PM

All Charges Against Former CNNer Jim Miller Dropped
The abuse charges against former Zahn Now E.P. Jim Miller have all been dropped, the NYPost reports. "I was overwhelmed by the support my friends and colleagues gave me," he says. "It's almost like a Rorschach test. You know who's there for you." His wife alleged he had hit her... 12:29:09 PM

Reese Updates His Market Share Poll
Reese Schonfeld updates his ‘market share political poll.’ Quoting him: "It looks like last week was a one week wonder. It must have been the prison pictures that turned Fox viewers away from television. In any event, cable news viewers return to showing a preference for Bush. That is, if this poll means anything." 12:28:56 PM

CableNewser: The Brian Behind The Blog
Thursday's New York Times:

"The Ultimate Cable News Guru, When Not in Class"
(Need a username/password? Try cablenewser/brian)

...That's me. My name is Brian Stelter. I am an eighteen-year-old college student. (I'm a rising sophomore at Towson University.)

After almost six months, I decided it was time to ditch the anonymity. It was hard to run a 24/7 site like this without explaining that I was just a freshman in college. (One night, I didn't blog because my roommate was asleep and the computer monitor was bright.)

I wear several hats. I am interning this summer for a local newspaper. I am the News Editor for the Towson Towerlight student paper. I also work on the school TV news show. I am a freelance web site consultant. (I graduated from Damascus High School last June, and designed the school web site.)

Do you have any questions for me? The story probably left some things unanswered. Send me an e-mail or use the form up above.

Media inquiries: Phone #'s, e-mail addresses on the Contact page. 12:22:45 AM

Tina Brown: "Nostalgic For Wall-To-Wall" M.J., Hilton Coverage
I never thought I'd do this, but I'm quoting Tina Brown's column without being sarcastic: "There was that terrible day when the images competing on the TV screens were the shame of the Abu Ghraib hearings versus the pain of the 9/11 hearings versus the weeping scenes of street carnage in the bombing of Gaza. It's hard not to feel nostalgic for wall-to-wall coverage of Michael Jackson, Paris Hilton and all the other super-size celebrity indecencies we could pretend to be shocked about." 12:21:48 AM

FOX Execs "Bipartisan With Checkbooks"
Check out this Dallas Morning News lead: Fox News might be the bane of liberals, but not everyone on Rupert Murdoch's media team is on the right side when it comes to putting money on their politics." They say News Corp execs have given more to Kerry than Bush. They are "bipartisan with checkbooks," the headline says... 12:20:59 AM

"Journalists are no longer considered neutral," Cramer Warns
CNN Intl. managing director Chris Cramer posed some important questions about media organizations' handling of dangerous assignments at a conference in Athens today:
> "How much longer can we turn a blind eye to the fact that journalists are no longer considered neutral and never will be again?"
> "When are we going to ensure that everyone who works for us is protected to the highest standards that we would expect and receive?"
> "And when are we going to be respectful, to stop earnestly debating the issues in rooms and conference rooms such as this one and take some action?"
The Guardian has much more... 7:36:34 PM

CNBC's Dismal Ratings: 37,000 Viewers In 25-54 Demo Yesterday
On Tuesday -- for the fifth time this month -- CNBC scratched (>>) for total day in the key 25-54 demo. An average of just 37,000 people watched in the key advertiser-friendly demo yesterday -- their lowest showing for the month. "Industry tongues are wagging and advertisers are bound to be nervous about buying CNBC," a cable news source writes to CableNewser...
> Plus: I hear that a repeat of Russert last night averaged only a .1 (115,000 households)... 7:35:32 PM

Stop Calling Kathlyn Karpinski
A couple who have the same last name as a general involved in the prisoner abuse scandal says their phone has been ringing off the hook. "Interview requests have poured into the Karpinski home -- from Wolf Blitzer, MSNBC, the Chicago Tribune and about 70 other news organizations," the Island Packet reports. "There was a woman who said, 'I've got Wolf Blitzer next to me,' and I said, 'Yeah, right,' " Kathlyn Karpinski said... 7:28:11 PM

Media Is Undermining Support For War, Admin Says
Michael Moran has a must-read on MSNBC.com today: "Media takes heat from administration over Iraq." A quote: "From seemingly casual asides in remarks by President Bush to outright attacks and boycotts orchestrated by Bush administration allies, a strong subtext is being transmitted with the normally optimistic line of the day — that the media is undermining support for the war." "Blaming the media is a tried and true method charlatans use to distract from bad news," critic Alex Jones says…
2:59:08 PM

Greta's Miami Studio Tour
Greta’s blog features photos from the Miami "studio" (closet) she anchored from last week. "When we take the show "on the road," we must improvise," Greta writes. "I thought you would like to see photos of the studio we use in Miami." Tiny… 2:50:36 PM

"Little Duckies" On CNN's Shower Curtain
Big news day, eh? A fun exchange on Larry King Live last night:
KING: What do you think of the building there, by the way, Time Warner?
BROKAW: I think it's great. I must say. At the old place I at least had a cameraman with me. I don't have body here. You have an automated camera so...
KING: You're kidding.
BROKAW: No. In the green room, by the way, they have a nice bathroom and a shower, but the shower curtain has got a lot of little duckies. I don't know where that came from.
KING: Must be one of the cartoon characters of Warner Brothers.
BROKAW: It could be. That's what you would call synergy. 12:27:50 PM

Brokaw Not Sure That NBC Should Cover Dem's "Big Pep Rally"
Tom Brokaw commented on the Kerry nomination conumdrum: "My personal belief is that if he announces he will not accept the nomination, that there's no good reason for NBC the network to be in Boston covering the convention, it will be just one large political rally and party." It sounds like he is making a distinction between NBC and MSNBC though. "I'm not sure that NBC should go to Boston just to cover a big pep rally," he adds… (LKL Transcript) 12:26:09 PM

Changes In CNN en Espanol's D.C. Bureau
CNN en Espanol has announced a pair of promotions. Juan Carlos López will move from New York correspondent to Washington correspondent, and Willie Lora will move from senior producer to D.C. bureau manager. "López will be CNN en Español's chief reporter and editorial leader in Washington, while Lora will manage bureau operations and administration, and work jointly with López on newsgathering and production." 12:20:45 PM

Quote of the day
A Chicago Tribune columnist: "NBC, CBS and ABC--whose network news operations have gorged on stories about shortcomings of this administration's Iraq policy--were too busy to carry the president's speech about Iraq...So on NBC, a fellow named Sean was sticking his head into tanks full of maggots. He sucked them into his mouth and ran over to spit them into a measuring bowl." 9:24:47 AM

"It wasn't easy to capture a firefight live"
Steve Harrigan blogs about covering firefights live on FOX: "It wasn't easy to capture a firefight live. It wasn't easy to drag gear around in an armored vehicle. After two nights the plastic wheels on our gear case had whittled down to nothing, so we tried to drag the box, then had to carry it, each taking a handle. A lieutenant carried our generator. We let him call home on our Thuraya every night. I sent a message to the engineer in New York asking for a box that had wheels on all sides." Describing a scene when some Iraqis emerged holding up a white flag: "We just kept talking back and forth on the air. It didn't matter what you said when you had a picture like that." 9:24:09 AM

Washingtonienne Tops The Countdown // Wonkette, A Cable Pundit?
Washingtonienne was the #1 story on Keith's Countdown tonight. The show's newsletter asked: Is Jessica Cutler "scraping for her 15 minutes?" Richard Leiby appeared from the 15th St. newsroom. (Keith called him the "chronicler of the Cutler phenomenon.") "We don't know anything except that it's great reading," Leiby said. (Gosh, that sounds like Wonkette!) "When do we expect the book deal?," Keith asked. "I fielded a call today from a top literary agency that wanted her phone number," Leiby responded, and said he fielded a call from Playboy tonight. Leiby noted that "this kind of behavior among young women in Washington isn't unknown." Wow, that's a clever way of saying...
Also: Ana Marie Cox appeared on Scarborough Country tonight. She was "crying funny," The National Debate says. (She was on FOX yesterday.) Cable's hottest new pundit?... 11:21:57 PM

Bill Battles Bob: "There really isn't any off the record any more"
Remember when former Senator Bob Kerrey called FOX "occasionally fair and balanced" and said they "violated a serious trust" when they aired an audio tape of Richard Clarke conducting a background briefing? Well Kerrey entered the 'no-spin zone' on Monday night, and the conversation was compelling.
"All I'm saying is that it's a very big chill," Kerrey said. "I would, if I was still in the public eye, the next time someone comes and says, 'This is background. Don't worry about it,' I would look up and make sure there wasn't somebody above me." "There really isn't any off the record any more in the press business," O'Reilly responded. "...I think that was a very good service that we at Fox News did."
Here is the full Lexis Nexis transcript. 11:20:48 PM

"Dems invisible in FOX News Channel Bush speech coverage"
...That's the headline on a Media Matters report today. The site says that Chris Matthews interviewed a Democratic Senator, and Paula Zahn talked to Madeleine Albright and Joe Lieberman. But FOX "was strikingly different; no Democrats were heard from," the bias-trackers note...
> Leigh writes in: "Why is it news when FOX doesn't have a single Dem on their Bush coverage, but not news when CNN and MSNBC don't have a conservative voice on?" 11:18:06 PM

NewsStream Live: Story Repeated By CBS, Public Radio
CableNewser's exclusive report revealing CNN NewsStream Live was picked up by a number of media organizations today.
> CBS Marketwatch repeated the news this morning.
> Public radio's Marketplace discussed CNN's project on the radio this evening, citing "reports published today." (Hmm, what reports could those be?) Here is the audio feed.
> PaidContent repeated the story, and compares it to ABC's attempt: "ABC News has tried a similar thing: its premium ABC News Live service, which has not got the reception it aimed for, mainly due to lack of editorial interest and control."
> LostRemote has some comments about it: "I'm sure the ISP business model will be watched by many," Cory Bergman comments. "The ISP model is wonderful - if you can get them to sign on," Steve Safran adds.
> "It sounds logical," E-Media Tidbits says. 6:23:47 PM

NewsStream Live: Large Marketplace For Channel, Merrill Brown Says
Marketplace's report on CNN's broadband channel project included comments from several industry experts. "The marketplace for these services is plausible, and certainly large," former MSNBC.com EIC Merrill Brown said. TVBarn's Aaron Barnhart was interviewed, as well: "The CNN brand is in trouble," he said. "They need to be willing to try new thngs, even when there is no immediate gaurantee of return on investment." The radio show said that a CNN spokesperson was "cagey" about the report... 6:22:25 PM

Presidential Speech Ratings: FOX Beats CNN/MSNBC Combined
Or: MSNBC Scores Almost A Million Viewers -- 500,000 Less Than CNN
So that I'm not accused of bias, here are the raw figures for Monday night. You decide:

All numbers are for # of viewers.
8:00 to 8:37pm: FOX -- 3,541,000 CNN -- 1,499,000 MSNBC -- 934,000 (8 to 8:45)	8 to 9pm: FOX -- 3,341,000 CNN -- 1,399,000 MSNBC -- 942,000	8 to 11pm: FOX -- 2,292,000 CNN -- 1,323,000 MSNBC -- 649,000

(1st column is for the actual speech. MSNBC didn't calculate its #'s precisely.) 4:45:09 PM

Media Notes: Brokaw on King Tonight; Shales 'Shallow?'
> "Anthony Zinni goes one-on-one with Chris Matthews tonight" (P.R.) UPDATE: Here's how Dominic described it in the Briefing: "You think we'd miss an opportunity to interview him? Heck, that's like waiving candy in front of a child! We're all over it tonight...In fact Zinni is half the show."
> Henry IMs at noon: "Why is FOX seemingly paying more attention to the fire in Conyers, Ga. than CNN out of Atlanta?" UPDATE: "CNN has been on the story!," an anonymous IMer says. They point out that CNN had a reporter on the scene since 9am.
> Tom Brokaw will talk to Larry King tonight, a media advisory says
> Cori Dauber calls the Shales critique "shallow and useless"
> Page Six picks up on Ashleigh's Savage accusations 4:43:30 PM

Heidi Collins: Moving On Up
It's official: Heidi Collins is well on her way to stardom in the CNN universe. Today's press release doesn't say that, of course -- it says that Heidi will be American Morning's news anchor, beginning today, and that she will sub in when Soledad is on maternity leave in late August. Princell Hair says that "Heidi has great chemistry with the existing American Morning team" and that "we are thrilled that she will now be a permanent fixture on the show." Yeah, yeah... 12:26:15 PM

CNN's Headquarters Are Hip, But Not The Hippest
UK Media Week describes the "coolest, hippest places to work" in media. (Is "hippest" still a hip word?) "A trip to [CNN's] headquarters did not disappoint," the author says, but: "One problem – it’s based above a shopping mall in Atlanta. Actually that’s a bit unfair, as the CNN Center in downtown Atlanta is to normal shopping malls what the Queen Mary 2 is to regular cruise ships. The CNN offices are located on a mezzanine floor above a vast hall lined with bookstores, souvenir shops and restaurants." But he concludes that MTV Is the hippest. (Hat tip: IWantMedia) 12:25:48 PM

EXCLUSIVE: CNN Developing Broadband Channel
"NewsStream Live" Set For Q1 2005 Launch; ISP Subscription Model Planned

Only on CableNewser: CNN is in the early stages of development on a 24-hour broadband news channel for Internet users, CableNewser has learned.
The channel, called CNN NewsStream Live, is targeted for a first quarter 2005 launch. "It's just entering development," the source says. "It will not suck as much as ABC News Live," they joked.
It is being planned as part of a broadband redesign of CNN.com. The channel format is nowhere near finalized. "I think it will be a wheel format," the source says.
The channel will target users at work without a TV nearby, the source says. Users will subscribe to the channel via their ISP.
"Your ISP will pay for your subscription just like your cable operator pays to carry CNN," the source says.
Some CNN executives have floated the notion that the content model will shift to online subscriptions -- in essence, an Internet version of cable TV's business model.
CNN's television feeds cannot be simulcasted online, due to cable licensing restrictions. The network will be able to estimate the number of viewers by measuring the number of simultaneous feeds.
A CNN spokesperson declined to confirm the project, but said: "CNN.com has a very active product development group, and we are considering many ways to enhance our online offerings." 12:28:26 AM

MSNBC Hires Weather Anchor; McLaughlin Starts In July
Arizona meterologist Sean McLaughlin will become a weather anchor for MSNBC in early July. He will provide "coverage of national weather events weekdays" between 9am and 4pm, and serve as weather anchor for the Sunday 'Today' show, the 12 News web site says.
"Sean is multi-talented, and that's what we look for at MSNBC," Mark Effron says. "He can communicate important and potentially life-impacting weather news, and will report from the scene of major weather stories. He has a way about him that connects with all kinds of viewers." Looks like MSNBC's focus on weather is expanding... 12:26:11 AM

Kurtz Should Write A Book About The FOX Effect
Howard Kurtz was pitched a lot of media bias questions in his WP online chat Monday, and swung at several of them:
> "Democratic officials told me a few weeks ago that they find Fox's chief political correspondent, Carl Cameron, to be extremely fair"
> "The rise of Fox News, and the continued popularity of such radio talkers as Rush and Hannity, has created the impression that conservatives are really shaping the media agenda. And I happen to think such diversity is a good thing."
> "Hillary Clinton went on Fox News Sunday yesterday, and Howard Dean was recently on Hannity & Colmes, so they, at least, must have thought they'd get an even shake." 12:21:48 AM

World War II, Through The Cable News Prism
Robert Cox writes: "After too much Abu Ghraib, I turned off the cable news and switched over to The History Channel the other day which got me to wondering how some of the major events of World War II would have been reported by the cable news networks if Bush had been in charge." 12:16:10 AM

Hardball Teams Up With Posties
The lower-thirds had The Washington Post logo smack dab next to Hardball's. The show exclusively played an audio tape the Post obtained of a military hearing. Chris said the newspaper would have more details tomorrow, and urged viewers to log onto the web site "for more photos and documents." The graphic on-screen had the Post URL. WP's Dana Priest narrated a package about historical interrogation tactics. (It's about time that MSNBC/WP/Newsweek collaboration was evident on TV!) 12:14:03 AM

Tom Shales Critiques The Speech
Tom Shales with an odd TV review of Bush's performance: "Over on CNN, blank-faced correspondent John King told anchor Paula Zahn that the speech contained "no new policies...at all," thus inadvertently helping to explain why only cable networks and not the big four broadcast networks bothered to carry it." 12:02:37 AM

Bush Dominates Cable's Primetime
Despite the White House's insistence that Bush was delivering "remarks," not a "speech" or "address," FOX called it a "Presidential Address," while CNN and MSNBC labeled it "Presidential Speech." During 360, CNN placed a countdown clock on the lower right. CNN kept the "Paula Zahn Now" bug on the lower-third (maybe to remind viewers who is in the time slot?) On CNN, the "Countdown to Handover" was hammered home. At one point afterwards, the graphic said starkly: "37 Days." CNN seemed to hurry to a commercial break; MSNBC offered the most analysis prior to ads...

8:44:35 PM

Instant Reaction: The Cable Web Site Headlines
At 8:41pm: CNN.com: "Bush outlines five steps to Iraqi sovereignty;" MSNBC.com: "Bush outlines Iraq plan;" FOXNews.com: "'Iraq's New Beginning.'" CNN has a photo, FOX has a screen grab, and MSNBC has a stock headshot... 8:41:47 PM

FNC Has Bush, FOX Has 'The Swan'
Just a reminder of the contrast between cable and broadcast networks tonight, thanks to my (very blurry) webcam, three TVs and a bit of Photoshopping:

8:36:23 PM

Did FOX's Gibson Break The Law In Britain? And Other Tidbits
The Week hosted a panel on indecency and media in NYC today, and Jeff Jarvis blogged it. Highlights:
> FOX's John Gibson said he "called the BBC a bunch of liars on the air in Britain and there were complaints against him for violating a law -- a law -- that he says forbids newscasters from giving opinions in the UK."
> "Former NBCer Ashleigh Banfield says that she did complain about Michael Savage, who called her a slut and news whore. The complaint went nowhere."
> Michelle Malkin said "those Abu Ghraib pictures were journalistic pornography." 7:47:18 PM

The Other Side of Adam Housley
FOX correspondent Adam Housley "spends his free weekends in Acampo [Ca.], pouring wine at his family's Century Oak Winery." That's one of the surprising details in this Stockton Record feature. "For me, the goal is to tell stories and true stories," he tells the paper. A neat story... 6:16:02 PM

Paula Zahn Now Sinks To 0.3 Friday Night
Paula Zahn's CNN program suffered one of its lowest rated nights ever on Friday, when it registered only a 0.3 rating (292,000 households). "Sources are speculating on how much longer CNN will continue to pay $2 million for an anchor who's having disastrous ratings like these," an industry source wrote to CableNewser. And during a busy news period, no less! Only one edition of her show has performed worse -- a taped program on Thanksgiving night that averaged a 0.2...
> Update: An e-mailer: She "left Fox for CNN... great career move!" 4:08:02 PM

Cablers Vary In Bush Speech Programming Plans
Mark writes in to sum up the cablers' approach to tonight's speech:
> CNN: will incorporate the speech into Paula Zahn's hour
> MSNBC: will incorporate the speech into a second Chris Matthews hour, then regular programming from 9 to 11pm
> FOX: devotes the 8pm hour to the speech with analysis by Brit Hume and guests; regular schedule follows at 9pm with all shows delayed by one hour
As Dominic says in the Hardball Briefing: "Yes folks, break out the TV trays, pop the popcorn and order up the carry out...It's a big cable news night tonight!" 3:52:49 PM

Hardball/WashPost "Exclusive Report" Tonight
The Hardball newsletter promises a special report tonight: "Our panel of experts will take you behind the scenes into America's "secret war" in Iraq & Afghanistan...It's a Hardball/Washington Post exclusive report," it says. Guests include Dana Priest and Robin Wright from the WP, plus Andrea Mitchell and Jim Miklaszewski (I had to Google that name)... 3:51:58 PM

Seen Enough Of General Karpinski Yet?
Debbie has an "exclusive interview with Brigadier General Janis Karpinski" tonight at 9pm, an MSNBC press release says. I know what you're thinking: Janis has appeared on more cable shows than Tim Russert! But tonight's interview is Karpinski's first since learning of her suspension," the network says... 3:26:05 PM

Former Congressman Bob Barr Joins CNN
...He will be a regular contributor. Quoting the press release: "Bob's experiences not only as a former congressman, but also a former U.S. attorney, CIA officer and privacy rights consultant, will provide our viewers with a unique perspective of many political, legal and international issues," news VP Sue Bunda said. "We look forward to his contributions to our broadcasts."
> Update: Didn't they announce this in January 2003? 1:53:13 PM

"Will people turn to cable to see what the president has to say?"
EdinUSA writes in: "Let's see how the ratings turn out for Bush's primetime speech tonight ... it looks as if cable news channels are the only ones planning coverage, and the networks will stick to their regular programming ... is this a long-term trend? Will people turn to cable to see what the president has to say?" 12:16:10 PM

Journalists Grade Cable News: C+ Average
This question is from the Pew/PEJ study out today:
What grade A, B, C, D, or F would you give cable TV news channels for their overall coverage these days?
The results are displayed on the right. Some other interesting stats:
> Senior editors at national media organizations were most likely to agree that "there are too many talk shows on cable television today" Reps of Internet orgs were least likely to agree.
> Reps of national outlets were more likely than those of local outlets to name FOX as "especially conservative" (69 to 42).
(Here is the raw data.)
9:49:05 AM

FOXNews.com Changes: Business/Finance Section Coming Soon
Major changes are coming at FOXNews.com. "We're having a major relaunch of the site in mid-June," site GM Bert Solivan says in a THR interview. "It will improve the usability of the site. And later this year we'll be introducing a robust business-finance section, akin to CNN Money or MarketWatch, with currency calculators and personal portfolio tools." Along with the new channel perhaps?... 9:45:38 AM

"We Encourage" Visitors To Vent Via E-Mail, FOXNews.com GM Says
The Hollywood Reporter prints an interview with FOXNews.com GM Bert Solivan. Among the interesting tidbits: "We get a lot of e-mail from all over the world -- on average 50,000 a week -- saying various things...Some people use the site as a vehicle to vent, and that's fine. We encourage it." 9:44:57 AM

Journos Think FOX Is Conservative & Cable Shows Are Too Plentiful
Journalists are liberal and unhappy, according to a Pew/PEJ poll of media types, summarized by Kurtz on WP's C1. Highlights:
> "Asked to identify a media outlet they view as especially conservative, 69 percent of national journalists chose Fox News."
> 2% named CNN as an "especially liberal organization"
> "Almost two-thirds say there are too many cable talk shows" 12:02:01 AM

MSNBC Repeats NBC's Two-Hour Infomercial
MSNBC re-aired NBC's "A Farewell to Friends" infomercial tonight. "In this 2-hour special, Katie Couric and Matt Lauer sit down with the cast of "Friends" to swap stories and review favorite moments from the show," the press release said. I guess it's better than another H&L; repeat, but does it belong on a news channel?... 10:49:32 PM

Kudos to MSNBC: Special Sunday Shows
Chris Jansing's four-hour MSNBC "special presentation" was top-notch journalism. It was divided into two parts: "The 9/11 Hearings: Rudy Giuliani Testifies" and "The Senate Investigates: Three Generals Testify" for two hours each. I found the 9/11 hearings to be more compelling, even though Rudy's testimony only aired during the second hour. On both shows, the context that viewers have desperately needed from these hearings was finally provided. Kudos to MSNBC for the broadcast. 8:49:51 PM

CNN "Looked Like Market 190" This Morning
An e-mailer describes CNN's early Sunday morning show: "They just looked like market 190. Anchor Thomas Roberts left the anchor desk during a commercial break to head outside for a segment on "grilling desserts." When they came back from break, Roberts was seen with his apron, began to talk, but he could not be heard. Some static garbled over the audio, he kept on talking, then Sophia Choi was taken on camera. She apologized for the problems and they went to another break. Again, it looked more than amateurish....If`they just delivered news and forgot all this crap they might rise in the ratings." 8:01:37 PM

Hillary Finally Appears On FOX News Sunday
Hillary Rodham Clinton is making her first appearance on FOX News Sunday this morning. The WP has a quote from her spokesperson: "Let's keep things in perspective here. Halley's Comet only comes around every 76 years. Cicadas only come out of the ground every 17. So in the grand scheme of things, Fox News Sunday waiting eight years really ain't so bad." 12:22:48 AM