"Outfoxed:" Robert Boynton's Opinion Of FOX, Post-Documentary
Robert Boynton, the author of Sunday's NYT piece about "Outfoxed," said he initially interested in "fair use issues" and "guerilla documentaries," not FOX. "I didn't have much of an opinion about Fox before I saw the documentary," Boynton told CableNewser via e-mail this evening. "I don't watch it (I have only basic cable) and have always just assumed, from what I know about Murdoch, that they--like the NY Post--were little more than a vehicle for his conservative politics. Nothing wrong with that (unless you call it "news"), but that's what I thought."
He says he is not sure what the most explosive aspect of the documentary will be. "It
isn't much of a surprise to most people that Fox is conservative. I don't think even THEY believe the whole "fair and balanced" line. It is something like "code" for their ideology. (as in "let's make sure to be fair and balanced on this story" -- which is something one of the ex-Fox employees described). Perhaps the memos from John Moody (although a few of them had been published before). Or perhaps the cumulative effect of all the biased reporting that only film can capture. Somehow, it is more powerful when you see it in front of you this way."
> Here's the NYT Magazine piece -- analysis tomorrow 10:53:41 PM

"Outfoxed:" On MSNBC, Greenwald Describes "Fear" At FOX
On Countdown Friday night, Keith Olbermann interviewed "Outfoxed" director Robert Greenwald. DU has a video of it. Quotes from Greenwald:
> "The level of fear about Roger Ailes and FNC was as extreme as I've ever seen. People hung up the phone on me, people told me that their e-mail was being read...people told me to lose their numbers. They feared for their jobs..."
> "I wanted to start a campaign to free the reporters at Fox News!"
> "There were many former employees of Fox News that are forced to sign these onerous non-disclosure agreements when they leave the network. Now how many networks force you to do that?" Olbermann said he has never had to sign a "don't-talk-deal that referred to after you leave." 11:05:44 AM

"Outfoxed:" Carl Cameron & Candidate Bush: "The Smoking Gun?"
Exclusive: One controversial element of "Outfoxed" are the "intercepted" clips "grabbed from satellite feeds" (in Drudge speak -- material never seen on FOX. A source who has viewed the documentary tells CableNewser that the most damning piece of tape concerns Carl Cameron. Shot in July 2000, this is the film's "smoking gun," the source says. "Cameron tells Bush about his wife Pauline...and the 'fun she is having campaigning with your sister.' This is as Cameron is covering Bush and leading FOX's coverage of Bush v. Gore." The anonymous source continues: "Management knew about it at the time... and about Carl's on-camera exchange... but chose to do nothing." 10:59:34 AM

"Outfoxed:" Daily Memos Are The "Most Stinging Blow"
Editor & Publisher has a preview of Robert Boynton's "Outfoxed" preview in Sunday's New York Times Magazine. The writer says the daily memos are the "most stinging blow" in the documentary. They "set the agenda for how events will be covered," the NYT will say. E&P; has excerpts from the memos. Copies of the "internal memorandums" will be released on Monday, and CableNewser will have them...
> Poynter's memo link is going to get a lot of traffic... 10:50:10 AM

"More Facts, More Angles:" MSNBC's "New Philosophy" Debuts Monday
As CableNewser first reported last month, MSNBC's focus on "more facts, more angles" will become evident on Monday. A source inside MSNBC calls it 'the new mentality' but stresses it is not a 're-launch:' "As for what will be different for the viewer come Monday, not too much," the source says. "It's not going to be a big blow out with fireworks- more of just a philosophy change." More: "A couple of the ideas Rick had we are already implementing on an hourly basis (like follow-up stories). Monday will just mean the producers MUST follow the new wheel format always." Final training sessions were held last week. Also:
> "I think your story about the wheel shut everyone up," a second source inside MSNBC IM's, referring to prez Kaplan's memo to staff following the first CN report.
> A lower-thirds change is in the works as well. "Rick wants less of them but we haven't been able to nail down a policy as to how to do it exactly yet," a source says. "We tried for a couple of weeks last month to have them in for a few seconds per story, but that looked like garbage-- it was very inconsistent." 10:30:56 AM

Ron Insana's "CNBC Business Wrap" On MSNBC
Ron Insana will anchor a 15-minute "CNBC Business Wrap" each weekday at 4pm ET on MSNBC, beginning on Monday. It coincides with the channel's content 'philosophy change.' "I saw them testing [it out] with Ron Insana a few weeks ago," a source IM's. "It will be done from CNBC Headquarters and it looks like it's going to be a very solid and informative segment." 10:24:21 AM

'Special Report' Is Right-Leaning, FAIR Says
A study by liberal group FAIR, commissioned by the film Outfoxed, reveals that FOX's "Special Report with Brit Hume finds the network’s flagship news show still listing right—heavily favoring conservative and Republican guests in its one-on-one interviews. Plus, the show "rarely features women or non-white guests in these prominent newsmaker interview spots." And the study asserts that Monsoor Ijaz has dubious sources... 11:23:25 PM

Outfoxed: It's Going To Be An Ugly July
FOX News is preparing a counter-attack to Outfoxed, Matt Drudge heralds (**exclusive** "developing") this evening. The network is "lining up a parade of employees who formerly worked at CNN & MSNBC and have been downloading information on how editorial decisions are made at these networks, including the agenda for how stories are supposed to be covered," he writes. This all leads to a number of questions:
    1: Will CNN and MSNBC report about "Outfoxed?"
    2: If they don't, is that because of FOX's threat?
    3: When, if ever, will FOX release these materials?
    4: Will O'Reilly take "Outfoxed" into the "no spin zone?" 7:12:18 PM

McEnroe, Day Two: 0.1 Rating, 105,000 Viewers
John McEnroe's second day at CNBC was worse than his first. The show itself was better, but the ratings weren't: John dropped to a 0.1 and lost 75,000 viewers from his Dennis Miller lead in. Only 88,000 households and 105,000 viewers watched -- 58,000 in the 25-54 demo. "It can't be a good day for Jeff Zucker," a cable news source surmises... 6:57:01 PM

Rick Sanchez Heading To CNN
The "major news organization" Rick Sanchez hinted at is CNN. This afternoon the network announced that the former MSNBC host will begin anchoring in September. He will based in Atlanta. "Rick developed a reputation as one of the most dynamic anchors among the diverse television audiences in South Florida through several distinct news shows and talk shows," Princell Hair said in a press release. "I am immensely impressed with his dedication to solid reporting. We're excited to have him join CNN." Sanchez said he is "delighted to return to hard news coverage"...
> "His ND at WSVN was Joel Cheatwood," an e-mailer notes. "Didn't Cheatwood just go to CNN to revamp Headline News?" Yes... 6:55:49 PM

Which FOX Anchor Will Pick Up The Pen Next?
"At Fox News, It's Author! Author!," declares this Newsday headline. "Anchors writing books - and shamelessly plugging them - is hardly news any more at the cable network." "The thing about the Fox books is that their authors have a loyal audience watching them and hanging onto their every word, week after week," one book club guru says. "That builds up a sense of authority, and those guys have it." Verne Gay calls all the plugging a "controversial trend"... 6:05:37 PM

More Media Notes: CNN's Graphics, Jim Moret, Crossballs!
> Quoting the AP: "Half of Americans object to the online availability of graphic war images, though millions have actively sought them out, a new study finds." MSNBC.com's EIC says "mainstream news consumer can feel safer" on his site.
> Reactions to CNN's new graphics on Medialine: "They're definitely an improvement." "HATE the new cg's." "Nice, clean look." "I like them... I'm sure they'll get tweaked before long though."
> "Former CNN anchor Jim Moret has joined the syndicated newsmagazine "Inside Edition" as a senior correspondent," Reuters reports.
> The National Debate links to a clip from Crossballs titled "Cow Patties." And here's a long message board thread about the satire. 12:21:56 PM

Outfoxed: Press Conference Monday, Film Premiere Tuesday
The public relations campaign for Outfoxed is beginning. "At a New York press conference this coming Monday, four former Fox News employees will go on the record to expose Fox's persistent Republican partisan bias, while releasing internal memorandums from Fox News Channel showing executive level instructions to Fox on how to bias the news," a media advisory from MoveOn.org and the Center for American Progress says. On Tuesday, the official film premiere will take place in NYC, along with a "panel on media consolidation and reform" including Arianna Huffington and Eric Alterman. Full coverage next week... 9:30:24 AM

Convention Plans: Setting Up Shop In Boston
The Boston Globe has a bit of info about CNN and FOX's convention plans. "CNN's nightly lineup will include 'Lou Dobbs Tonight' from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by ''Anderson Cooper 360,' 'America Votes 2004,' 'NewsNight with Aaron Brown,' and ''Larry King Live' originating from Boston," Mark Jurkowitz writes. "The Fox News Channel's programming -- [its regular lineup] -- will be live from various locations in the city." 9:27:59 AM

Media Notes: Where's Sanchez Going?; Blogging FOX
> Jay Rosen on conventions: "As television took charge, the parties re-defined the convention into a marketing and make-no-mistakes moment. This trashed the event's newsworthiness (also called "spontaneity") and reduced all reasons to watch, yet it was done under the premise that Americans were watching, and so the show had to be carefully scripted..."
> Former MSNBCer Rick Sanchez -- who went back to his former home of Miami -- is leaving again. He is taking a job with "a major national (un-named) news organization," the Sun Sentinel reports. Hmm... (Via NewsBlues)
> McEnroe's new show doesn't have many fans on the Television Without Pity message board.
> This TVSpyer said Deborah Norville's interview with Cpl. Hassoun's "fiancee" was a train wreck...
> A liberal blog watching FOX "so you don't have to!" (But a lot of people want to!) 9:23:07 AM

Anchorman: It's All About The Hair
On MSNBC's Countdown last night, Will Ferrell appeared as Ron Burgundy and shared the "secrets to his success." Excerpting from MSNBC.com:

3: Reading the prompter “This is the pillar of the journalistic pyramid without which, everything collapses into a heap of flames,” says Burgundy. “It’s an art. It’s a b**ch.” 2: Music in the newsroom Newsrooms, he thinks must have a musician, singer, or dancer. 1: Hair Burgundy says that if you don’t pay attention to what stands on top of your head, then no one really is going to pay attention to what comes out of your mouth.

> Also: CNN.com reminisces about past actor-anchormen who were "almost parodies of themselves." 9:09:03 AM

News Emmy Award Nominees: Explorer, NewsNight, CNN Presents
Nominations for the 25th annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards are in. MSNBC has 9 nominations, CNN has 3 and CNBC has 2. (Variety notes that FOX did not submit any nominations.) All but 1 of MSNBC's nominations were for 'Explorer.' On CNN, NewsNight, Lou Dobbs Moneyline, and CNN Presents were each nominated. CNBC's redesign is up for an award in "graphic and artistic design." Here is the press release and nominees list. 10:06:00 PM

"News Flash:" The "Cable Entertainment Network"
All this week, I am posting excerpts from News Flash, the new book by former CNN VP Bonnie Anderson. Today, Anderson discusses CNN's attempts to add more "entertainment" into the network:

Pages 151-153: "The Birth Of CEN: Cable Entertainment Network"

Imagine high-powered senior television executives meeting behind closed doors to discuss potential programs for the future. They sit in luxurious, leather-upholstered chairs around a large, handsome hardwood table in a conference room on the executive floor. Against one wall, set into an expansive cabinet, are nearly a dozen television sets tuned to various channels, including their competitors. The executives are all men, all white, all in their thirties and forties. But they are confident that they know exactly what everyone in America wants to see on television. Between bites of their catered lunch, they review a list of programs under consideration:     A cooking show     A quiz show     A humor program     An entertainment show     A crime show     A program about party planning and decorating tips     A late night "infotainment" show     A hunting and fishing program     A reality program depicting the lives of young interns at work and play     A newscast anchored by the host of the popular reality series The Mole At most U.S. networks, this would be regular fare. In fact, it might even be considered a tad tame. But these executives weren't working for an entertainment network. They were in this hush-hush meeting to develop new programming ideas for the Cable News Network, CNN.

Anderson says the two men "calling the shots" at the meeting were "big Hollywood names hired to run Turner Broadcasting."

In all fairness, I should point out that a couple of those programming ideas were meant to actually include news anchors and newsmakers. Veteran newsman Jeff Greenfield was the main person under consideration for the new quiz show. The cooking show envisioned Democratic Party strategist James Carville whipping up some Cajun cuisine while chatting with politicians. The intern show? Well it would be about news interns. The proposed humor show was designed around comic Dennis Miller... ...This would sound far-fetched unless you've watched CN in the past couple of years. Anderson Cooper, who had once anchored an overnight program on ABC News but is best known for hosting The Mole, was hiring to anchor a prime-time newscast and even hosted a debate with presidential candidates in late 2003. On Wolf Blitzer's weekday, primetime newscast, there is a daily news quiz...

Tomorrow: The FOX Bible 9:56:00 PM

MSNBC's "Ultimate Explorer" Is Moving
...To the National Geographic channel, where it belongs. The show will stop airing on MS in January. "It makes a huge amount of sense to have it on our channel," Dennis Patrick, president of National Geographic Ventures, tells the AP. "To be honest, it was a bit confusing." 9:17:58 PM

! Disappointing Ratings For McEnroe's Premiere
John McEnroe's much-hyped CNBC debut scored only 226,000 viewers last night, a cable news source tells CableNewser. McEnroe averaged a 0.3, with 221,000 households tuning in. "It's down 64% from what Dennis Miller debuted at on his first night," the source notes. Even MSNBC beat the premiere. In the 25-54 demo, 131,000 people watched; in the 18-34 demo, only 41,000 people did. Despite all the promotion, the show didn't perform any better than 'The News,' which repeated at 10pm last year on CNBC... 5:18:05 PM

More Wednesday Ratings, Drudge-Style
Drudge has posted ratings for Wednesday night. O'Reilly scored a 1.7, while Hannity & Colmes and Greta averaged a 1,4. Larry King, Shep Smith and Brit Hume earned 1.1's. Everyone else was way lower. Paula Zahn and Aaron Brown averaged a 0.6. On MSNBC, Chris Matthews earned a 0.5 and Keith Olbermann had 0.4. Deborah Norville, Joe Scarborough and John McEnroe each averaged 0.3...
> Update: Drudge was wrong about Brit Hume's rating. 'Special Report' earned a 1.1 rating, not the 0.6 Drudge said. 5:10:10 PM

Convention Plans: Matthews, Jansing Lead MSNBC Coverage
A pair of Chris's will lead MSNBC's coverage of the political conventions this summer, NBC announced today. During the day, Chris Jansing will anchor MSNBC updates, live from Faneuil Hall in Boston and from Times Square in New York City. Primetime coverage begins with two hours of Chris Matthews' Hardball from 6 to 8pm. Keith Olbermann will host Countdown in its usual slot, then Matthews will be back from 9pm to midnight. Joe Scarborough and Ron Reagan will anchor "Convention After Hours" from 12 to 2am. Campbell Brown, Andrea Mitchell, Dee Dee Myers, Howard Fineman, Willie Brown, Joe Trippi, Pat Buchanan and other guests will contribute to the coverage.
> Update: "OK, it's a tired topic, but consider balance," Mark writes. "The two opinionated hosts are Matthews (D) and Scarborough (R). That's balanced, but Matthews
hosts on his own for three hours, while Scarborough is saddled with a co-host (Reagan) who has already said he wants to see Bush defeated. Then look at the contributors... besides the journalists, you have Dee Dee Myers (D), Willie Brown (D), Joe Trippi (D), and Pat Buchanan (I). Now maybe there's an (R) among the "other guests" (Peggy Noonan's name is strangely missing) but, c'mon, is this a balanced line-up?..." 4:35:03 PM

Convention Plans: NBC's Three Hours Of Primetime Coverage
NBC News has announced its plans for coverage of the political conventions this summer. Tom Brokaw will anchor, along with Tim Russert. Brian Williams will be the lead podium/floor correspondent. (Campbell Brown will also report from the floor.) "NBC News' primetime network coverage will be the same as four years ago," the press release says. Brokaw will host coverage from 10 to 11pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at the Democratic convention, and from 10 to 11pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Republican convention. One of the 'Today' shows will be at each convention site, too.
> CNBC's Capital Report will air live from each convention site at 7pm. The hosts will report throughout the business day. Joe Lockhart, Susan Molinari and Al Sharpton will be among the guests. 4:25:54 PM

The Billboard Wars: "CNN -- We're Baaaack"
"The cease-fire in the CNN-Fox News battle for Atlanta billboard supremacy has been broken," the Associated Press says. FOX has put up a new billboard -- "albeit smaller and less prominent -- that says "CNN -- We're Baaaack." FOX spokeswoman Irena Briganti says "people in Atlanta were calling and e-mailing saying, 'We loved your messages. Why aren't you up?' Our marketing department just said, 'Let's go back.'" 4:24:31 PM

While FOX Misleads, CNN Breaks News, Insider Says
"The FOX News promo is completely misleading," a CNN insider tells CableNewser, "especially coming from a news organization that didn't break the story." But the person cites one of CNN's legitimate scoops: "CNN confirmed, well ahead of FOX News and MSNBC, that missing Marine Hassoun is at the U.S. embassy in Beirut. At the time of CNN's report, FOX News was reporting on potential terrorist attacks surrounding the upcoming conventions, and MSNBC was airing a package/liveshot that Hassoun is missing."
> Update: This "isn't about Fox breaking this story or CNN's ability to break news in general, but about CNN being last to report the political story of the summer," an e-mailer responds. "Being that far behind on the election story of the summer is scary for CNN, especially when they call themselves America's Campaign Headquarters." Keep in mind that we're only talking about 11 minutes here... 2:34:33 PM

MSNBC Announces Pre-Convention Plans
MSNBC has announced a full slate of programming on the eve of the Democratic National Convention, Sunday, July 25. Chris Jansing and Chris Matthews will anchor at 6pm, then Matthews will host an hour of Hardball at 7. From 8 to 9pm, "Picking Our Presidents: The Greatest Moments," hosted by Tom Brokaw and Chris Matthews, will present an "inside look at the history of political conventions over the last half-century." From 9 to 10pm, "John Kerry: Bringing the War Home," hosted by Brian Williams, will give a "rare glimpse inside the dawn of Kerry's political career with newly discovered, never-before-seen footage." Then at 10, Jansing will host "Battleground America: Winning the White House." For more press release quotes, click here. 2:31:25 PM

Rutten Calls FOX "Most Blatantly Biased" News Org In 100 Years
Tim Rutten has turned in an L.A. Times column about partisanship in the media that is sure to spark debate. Here's why: "Its slogan notwithstanding, Fox News is the most blatantly biased major American news organization since the era of yellow journalism. But by turning itself into a 24-hour cycle of chat shows linked by just enough snippets of news to keep the argument going, Fox has made itself the most watched of the cable networks...Fox's winning formula is essentially the continuation of talk radio by other means: All opinions are shouted, and contrary views are admitted only if they agree to come on camera dressed as straw men."
> Rantingprofs posts a long rebuttal dissecting each paragraph
> Free Republic posters have some fun responses 11:11:14 AM

Rutten Compares Cabler Skirmishes To Spanish Civil War
I bet the LA Times critic was proud of this paragraph: "What began as a normal struggle over ratings has become the contemporary media equivalent of the Spanish Civil War, a vicious battleground in which new technologies and strategies are being tested with daunting implications for the future. Actually, the war is between Fox and CNN. The third network, MSNBC, is sort of like the Catalan anarchists — slaughtered by everyone." Clever. 11:10:01 AM

Media Notes: 6 Mil. Subs For CNN.com; The Evening Show Wars
> CNN.com has more than six million paid subscribers, the site revealed at a "selling subscriptions summit." Many of them were purchased via partnerships with AOL Broadband, Real, Roadrunner, and others. (Cyberjournalist via Tom)
> "Now in his final months as the No. 1 news anchor in the nation, NBC's Tom Brokaw should be taking a victory lap," the Wall Street Journal reports. "Instead, his ratings are flagging." ABC's WNT has showed some ratings strength. Capus admits ABC has scored some runs, but says NBC is still winning the game...
> Brand Republic: "According to figures from the annual Europe 2004 survey, 30.4% of people preferred CNN [International] for news. BBC Worldwide came in second with 12.3%...CNBC trailed behind with 0.8%."
> NewsBlues has registered the domain www.foxjazeera.com... 11:07:33 AM

Carlson: "This Is A Genre Ripe For Parody"
At the end of Crossfire yesterday, Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala weighed in on the new satire "Crossballs:" (Transcript)

CARLSON: Well, as has already been noted, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Actually, sometimes, it's just mocking. But we'll pretend. So here at Crossfire, we were flattered to observe the premiere of Comedy Central's new show, "Crossballs." [They played a clip from the show.] CARLSON: This is -- let's be honest. This is a genre ripe for parody. So.. BEGALA: That's absolutely true. CARLSON: So I suspect that is a show that is going to do well.

10:57:17 AM

Countdown to Anchorman: Burgundy On Countdown Tonight
Keith Olbermann says Anchorman wasn't all that far off the mark: "There was a lot in there that really wasn't that absurd," he tells the NY Daily News. He suggests being an anchorman might be a form of mental illness: "You know, schizophrenia, acute depression, being on television." What a tough life. Will Ferrell will appear "in character" as Ron tonight on Countdown... 10:06:06 AM

McEnroe Premiere: After Day One, Room To Improve
Well this definitely isn't cable news. John McEnroe's CNBC talk show premiered tonight, showing its rough edges but demonstrating opportunity to provide an alternative to network programming for the business channel's daytime viewers. At times it seemed like a basic cable version of Jay Leno. (Nice camerawork and on-set pinball machine, though.) "I'm gonna say exactly what is on my mind," McEnroe said. "You better f'ing believe it!" But he never really did. Instead, he let the guests do a lot of the talking, while his sidekick was positioned awkwardly at the end of the couch. (Why'd he waste the first segment talking about tennis? Let's see the other sides of McEnroe.) At one point, I wondered aloud if I was watching one of the "dry runs" of the show -- but most of it was entertaining. There is room to mature and grow here, and it will be up to 'Mac' to take advantage of it.
> "Poor, poor Johnny," one viewer IM's. She didn't think McEnroe seemed ready to host a talk show, but "he just needs some time to get used to it." "McEnroe's show went to commercial, I flipped the channel and found ALF's new talk show on TV LAND and forgot all about McEnroe," one e-mailer quips... 11:01:24 PM

CNN's Graphics: "Suddenly MSNBC & FOX Seem Trashy By Comparison"
The reaction's to CNN's very small new graphics package seems to be positive. "From what I can tell, all the whooshing sounds are gone, too," one e-mailer says. "Suddenly MSNBC and Fox seem trashy by comparison. But those graphics sure are small. The crawl seems to be relegated to a sort of decorative detail. I squinted at those little headline fragments shimmering at the bottom of the screen, and I didn't get a single celebrity birthday, so it seems like they're really trying to class up the place." Another interesting change: After every "Now In The News" segment, the anchors conclude with this statement: "Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news." And one e-mailer says CNN has removed the "red-orange tinge" on the video, and "ratcheted up the contrast so that it's very crisp." Can anyone confirm?
> Update: Digital Spy has before/after shots. "I cannot read the scroll anymore," Robert Cox complains... 8:12:52 PM

Crediting Sources: MSNBC Cites "Broadcast Reports," Meaning "CNN"
Quoting an e-mail from 2pm today: "MSNBC...just reported Marine Cpl. Wassef Hassoun called his family Wed. to tell them he has been released from custody and is safe and in Lebanon. [They] reported their source as "broadcast reports". Guess what? The only network reporting that information was CNN. Give MS credit. At least they attributed it to a broadcast report." It's similar to this thread on TVSpy: "Everybody inside Fox is buzzing over the "timing" of Cameron's first report on John Edwards," a TVSpyer says. "He somehow "confirmed" the VP pick at 7:33am... just 3 minutes after Andrea Mitchell reported the story on NBC." Not surprisingly, the conversation on the thread quickly became heated... 8:10:15 PM

Countdown to 'Anchorman:' Ron Burgundy Making The Media Rounds
Ron Burgundy, err, Will Ferrell, appeared on CNN this morning with Daryn Kagan. Here is the transcript. Kagan said she was "still laughing" after seeing the movie yesterday: "[It] was not that big of a stretch from my days in local news, I have to say, some of the characters." Ferrell told Daryn she looked "electric."
> Also: Video of Will's appearance with Katie Couric Tuesday morning 8:07:41 PM

Media Notes: 'Factor'ing the Election; Is Dennis Miller Funny?
> O'Reilly's 'Factor' is beginning "election coverage:" "As we did with the Iraq war, we will provide you with the absolute best election coverage for the next four months because just the facts will be analyzed." (Transcript)
> Lions Gate Films is "disappointed" in last weekend's CNN Reliable Sources show, this letter says. "We don't mind a fair debate of the merits of Fahrenheit 9/11, but what you put on the air on July 4th wasn't even close," the film co president says.
> Media Matters publishes pages of quotes from Dennis Miller's CNBC show, and asks: Is he funny? I think he's funnier than he was when he premiered, but the ratings don't agree...
> Wonkette: Aaron Brown dated John Edwards' wife! Sort of... 8:05:20 PM

"News Flash:" The (Un)Ethics Of Taped Promos & "Look-Lives"
All this week, I am posting excerpts from News Flash, the new book by former CNN VP Bonnie Anderson. Today, Anderson discusses "unethical practices" in "live" shots:

Pages 123-125: "We're Live! (Sort Of...)"

Many mornings on The Today Show, viewers see news reader Ann Curry turn to a screen and supposedly toss to Tom Brokaw "for a look at what's coming up this evening on NBC Nightly News." Tom thanks Ann, and launches into a thirty-second monologue about stories that will appear that evening. When he's done, he tosses back to the Today Show anchor, "Ann?" "Thank you, Tom," she replies... It looks live. It gives the impression the evening anchors -- the network stars -- are always on duty to bring viewers the latest news. But it's generally faked...

Former NBC VP Joe Angotti says "live on tape" segments are "a step in the wrong direction" for television news. Anderson asks George Lewis about it:

"When I see a morning anchor talking to a piece of videotape that the evening anchor sent down the night before, I wonder if these people go home and talk to their VCR. I think it's stupid," said longtime NBC News correspondent George Lewis. But more important, he adds, this practice is dishonest. "Broadcasters should not be in the business of trying to mislead their audience, and doing so-called 'look-lives' are a misleading practice and I try to avoid it. But I'm asked to do it, particularly on MSNBC. I try to talk them out of it as much as possible. But it's convenient, and sometimes economics dictates it. They don't want to stay up on the satellite, which costs more money, so they do this and have the thing in the can." Lewis acknowledges producers wouldn't have even dared ask him to participate in this sort of news fraud fifteen or twenty year sago. "No, I would not have been asked. There used to be a rule on the books on the FCC that you had to state what was live and what was recorded, and it was a violation of the FCC rule to pass off recorded material as live. Those rules either don't exist anymore, or, if they do, no one is paying attention to them." As Lewis touched on, the main reason for resorting to the fake live shots is purely economic. Not only do the networks and stations not have time to pay for additional satellite time, they also don't have to pay overtime to camera crews and live truck engineers, or assign a new shift to do this one story. Once again, the incessant drive for greater profits has led to unethical practices that affect the news viewers see virtually every day.

Tomorrow: CEN: The Cable Entertainment Channel? 6:22:48 PM

"Why Gamble On CNN?," FOX Promo Asks
FOX launched a new promo taking aim at CNN this afternoon. According to an advance transcript provided to CableNewser, the spot points CNN's eight-minute delay breaking the VP news: "America's Campaign Headquarters? Don't bet on it. CNN's Jack Cafferty was getting the line in Vegas on Edwards and missed the story of his announcement - What are the odds he'll do it again? If you expect your news on time --- you don't know jack. Why gamble on CNN?"
> From an e-mailer: "You seem to endlessly harp on the fact that Fox beat CNN -- but ignore (like Fox) that MSNBC beat them both." 5:15:29 PM

Saddam Hearing: Amanpour Says "The Reality Clashed With The Video"
Christiane Amanpour tells the NY Observer that the reality of the Saddam hearing clashed with the video. In person, Saddam wasn't as angry and self-possessed, she says. "It’s only a partial reflection of the reality because it was only one perspective and one shot," Amanpour says. "So all the public has seen, and all the American press here—the tabloids and the anchors—'Defiant Saddam Challenges the Court,' this and that," she said. "You can mistakenly fit him into your preconceptions or into your tableaux just because you had that one head shot." Joe Hagan concludes: "The TV event showed the power of an image removed from its context." (Via NewsBlues) 3:03:07 PM

Media Notes: Fire At FOX; Stalking Kerry's Plane
> Linda Vester anchored 'Dayside' from the sidewalk on Tuesday. There was a fire in Studio D over the weekend and it left "a fair amount of damage," Linda Vester says. She says it may be cleaned up by the end of the week.
> The Arizona Republic profiles new MSNBC weather anchor Sean McLaughlin: "I was back and forth twice across the country in 48 hours," he says. He told his wife, Emily, "Welcome to the network."
> An excerpt from the New York Times: "Mark Lukasiewicz, the executive producer of NBC News's campaign coverage, said... a producer peeked at Mr. Kerry's campaign plane as it was being refitted to include Mr. Edwards's name. But the producer could not quite get close enough to read it."
> Steve Harrigan blogs from Amman: "I lived in a hotel where people drive up and try to kill you. Now I'm out, but other people are there. I'm out now, and believe me, I'm looking for something positive. I'm looking hard."
> Neil Gabler writes in the LA Times that "the words 'fair and balanced' have been largely discredited in recent years because of the Fox News Channel." 10:22:30 AM

CNN's Lower-Fifths: Easy On The Eyes
CNN unveiled a new package of lower-thirds this morning. "I love CNN's new graphics," one e-mailer told me. The graphics are really lower-fifths -- CNN's logo is smaller, the modest text appears on a black background, and the logo for the current show appears in the lower right corner. The ticker text is smaller, too. And the 'live' bug looks great. The minimalist graphics stand in stark contrast to FOX. The design is very clean. "It reminds me more of the CNN International design," CNNFan says. "CNN goes back to the 80s" is how another viewer described it.
> Also: "At This Hour" has become the more accurate "Now In The News," with a very flashy intro package. A tab appeared above the two graphics lines to identify the segment... 10:11:21 AM

"We Broke This Story 15 Seconds Before They Did!"
"Is it just me, or is this 'We broke the story 15-seconds before they did!' getting a bit silly?," an e-mailer asks this morning. "Does everyone want to be first? Of course. Does it really matter to the viewer? Probably not. It's almost as silly as all those 'Exclusive' and 'Another Exclusive' and 'Here we are with another Exclusive!!!' banners and bugs and promos-- especially when the 'get' has probably been on another network the hour before. I long for the day when what really matters is solid, quality journalism instead of one-ups-manship and bragging rights. It's no wonder we're thought of as highly as used car salesmen." I've received several messages and IMs complaining about this phenomenon lately. Then again, the LA Times, New York Times, Boston Globe, Newsday, Newark Star Ledger, and USA Today all pointed out the NBC scoop this morning. So while I will continue to post the times, I will try to keep them in context... 10:08:02 AM

WP, CNN Announce Terry Neal Contributor Deal
It's official. Quoting the press release: "Terry Neal, chief political correspondent for washingtonpost.com, will join CNN for the remainder of the 2004 election season to contribute to the network's political analysis, the two media companies announced today. While continuing in his washingtonpost.com role, Neal will make frequent appearances on CNN Headline News and Newsnight with Aaron Brown, providing insight and analysis on the top political issues." 10:01:56 AM

"Senseless" Coverage Of Peterson Trial?
A must-read in the San Francisco Chronicle: "Imagine a world where all movie reviewers base their critiques on the first 20 minutes, with no regard for the plot that lies ahead. 'That Titanic looks like one heck of a seafaring vessel. It's clear now that no force on earth can stop this boat from reaching its destination in record time. The voyage will be declared a success, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet will grow old together and that purple necklace thingy will dazzle aristocratic functions for generations to come!' That's exactly the kind of senseless approach that's been used to cover the Scott Peterson double murder trial, which gets treated on national television like a sporting event -- with daily winners, losers and wild explosions of conjecture made by pundits who in some cases haven't stepped a foot in the courtroom"... 9:50:34 AM

Three Questions For Andrea Mitchell
    Scoring The Edwards Scoop

Andrea Mitchell hinted at Kerry's VP choice on the Today Show at 7am Tuesday morning, and confirmed the news during a Special Report on NBC and MSNBC at 7:30am. I wondered how she managed to confirm one of the biggest political stories of the summer:

-- How long had you been following up leads and reporting on the Kerry VP selection story?
I have been tracking the story for several months, talking to sources in person and on the phone. In recent weeks, I began following it more intensively as John Kerry's presumed deadline for making a decision approached.

-- You appeared on Today at 7am and hinted that Edwards was the pick. Were you on the phone for the next 30 minutes, confirming the news?
Yes, during the time between 7 AM and 7:30 when we did our report I was on the phone, as were several of my colleagues, trying to reconfirm and solidify our story. I had reached a source last night who told me that Kerry had picked Edwards, but all of us at NBC decided that it was too risky to go on the air based on a single source, since Kerry had not yet definatively called his choice notified the "losers." So I stayed at work for most of the night, trying to find a second source so that we could break the story. We found a confirming second source around 6:45 in the morning, enough to warrant what we said at the top of the TODAY program. But we still wanted a few more details to make sure before we reported that the decision had been finally made. The downside of being wrong was just too high to risk being wrong.

-- Was this scoop a result of your experience as a veteran correspondent, or having the right sources -- or was luck a factor, too?
I think getting the scoop was, frankly, the result of old-fashioned "shoe leather" - I stayed up all night, worked through the holiday weekend, and reached out to enough sources to nail it down. It did help to have been covering politics for enough years so that I had a lot of contacts from past campaigns. 11:15:12 PM

Kerry-Edwards: "I Live For This," Carl Cameron Says
CQ editor David Hawkings talks to Poynter about Kerry's timing: "By doing it first thing in the morning, he gets the entire day. He got the morning shows, he got the whole cable news universe for the day...And that will be by far the most concentrated publicity buzz his campaign has received since he won New Hampshire." The Wash Post has a chronology of the VP leak. "Fox News Channel's Carl Cameron was three minutes behind Mitchell, give or take a few seconds," USA Today notes. Quoting Cameron: "I live for this 365 days, four years in a row." Also:
> The BBC says the "US media [is] positive on Edwards"
> Earlier I mentioned that CNN broke the Kerry-will-announce-VP-tomorrow story during the 9pm hour Monday night. I hear that MSNBC's Countdown reported it at 8:30pm -- along with the word that Bob Graham was still in the running. 11:05:56 PM

"Crossballs" Premieres On Comedy Central Tonight
"Crossballs" premieres on Comedy Central tonight. As the title suggests, it's a parody of Crossfire, Hardball, and all those other "quarrelsome cable-news talk series," as Newsday puts it. The show features "comedians, posing as experts, debating real [experts] who don't know the show is fake," the Chicago Tribune says. Other reviews:
.> "Crossballs is a laugh-out-loud lampoon of all those cable shows where so-called experts spend their time yelling at each other," the Kansas City Star says.
> "If the choice is between "Hardball" and this fakery, catching one episode won't hurt," the Seattle Post-Intelligencer concludes.
> "Crossballs is the kind of show that couldn't have existed 15, 20 years ago," the LA Times says. "The problem is that the media do such a good job of mocking themselves, it's hard to improve on near-perfection." 6:53:03 PM

FOX Promo Says "CNN Was Caught Napping" Today
FOX aired a promo around 4pm touting its eight-minute lead over CNN breaking the VP news. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed in about it. Here's the text, courtesy of Mark's Tivo: "America's Campaign Headquarters? Get real. While CNN was caught napping, Fox News Channel was breaking news of the Edwards announcement. That's why more Americans turn to the channel of political record: Fox News Channel, America's Newsroom." "I wonder what CNN WAS doing during those 8 minutes," Chuck quips. "Poor old CNN just can't EVER get its shit together," Dave says... 5:31:06 PM

"News Flash:" CNN's 'Roller Coaster' Diversity Woes
All this week, I am posting excerpts from News Flash, the new book by former CNN VP Bonnie Anderson. Please note that Anderson filed a lawsuit against CNN last year, alleging that the network discriminated against her.

Pages 60-63: Diversity: "CNN As A Case Study"
Anderson served as a vice president in charge of hiring and talent development, and describes her experiences during that time period:

From CNN's birth in 1980, it has been primarily a network of white people putting together news for white viewers. With some brief exceptions, it can also be said that people in nearly all top news executive positions have been men. In 1999, then-CNN chairman Tom Johnson made it clear he wanted minorities hired for virtually every on-camera opening. One example of his not-too-subtle pressure was an e-mail to then-Headline News head Bob Furnad, strongly suggesting that an anchor opening at that network be filled by a male or female African American, or a female Hispanic. (The first question that came to mind when I read the e-mail was "And do you want fries with that?" This was the hiring equivalent of going through a fast-food drive-through.) Between Headline News and CNN/USA there were a handful of minority anchors, including journalists such as Bernard Shaw, Sachi Koto, Joie Chen, and Leon Harris. But their numbers were small. And neither network had ever had a Hispanic anchor. While diversifying the CNN News Group was clearly the moral, ethical, and sound business thing to do, when applied in this fill-as-many-openings-as-possible-with-minorities manner it was also illegal. I was copied on Johnson's e-mail to Furnad, and later during a private conversation with Johnson I told him that while his intent was no doubt to do good, I believed this was a dangerous way to implement diversity... ...Over the next two years, however, the CNN News Group practiced obvious quota-filling based, in part, on Johnson's orders and what was considered to be smart programming. There had never been an Asian or Hispanic correspondent at CNN's Los Angeles bureau, so only Asians and Hispanics were considered for the two openings there and one of each was hired...

Anderson cites several other examples, and points out that at CNN International, only non-Americans were considered for anchor positions. And she sas that Jim Walton created a new vice president position "specificially for an African American." And then:

...In 2001 CNN did a complete turnaround. The top positions at Turner Broadcasting had been handed over to men whose entire careers were in the world of entertainment..And they made it clear they intended to instill the values of the entertainment world -- in terms of programming and hiring (or "casting" as [Garth] Ancier called it) -- into the news networks at CNN. If it works for the entertainment divisions at other networks, they said, they believed it would work with news too. At my first meeting with Ancier, when I was showing him tapes of anchor candidates chosen by Headline News and CNN/USA chiefs out of the pool of candidates I'd shown them, he said, "Why are all these tapes you're showing me of minorities? We don't need any more of these people! We have enough! Bring me others!"

Tomorrow: "We're Live! (Sort Of)" 5:17:59 PM

Kerry-Edwards: Last Edition Of Coverage Notes, I Promise
> Does anyone else have a problem with Bloomberg reporting the results of MSNBC's very unscientific Question of the Day?
> "It took maybe seconds for MSNBC pundits to begin the "dump Cheney" chatter," The Hotline says.
> Greta heard Edwards was the choice last night, but could not get confirmation from a second source, so she sat on it. "You can be sure we were ready with 'stand-by' political guests in the event we did get a second source," she said...
> "I've been hearing the Edwards predictions for days on NBC, ABC and FOX News," one e-mailer says. "It seems to me that the news was not that Edwards was actually chosen, but the actual timing of it."
> FOXNews.com has posted a collection of quotes from Kerry and Edwards, as each Senator criticized the other earlier this year. All of the cablers re-aired debate excerpts as the candidates jabbed eachother... 4:34:38 PM

Kerry-Edwards Expands 'Inside Politics,' Pre-Empts Norville
> Judy Woodruff will anchor a 90-minute edition of Inside Politics today, beginning at 3pm, CNNFan notes.
> The Sydney Morning Herald says that CNN "gleefully showed off the Post front page, pointing out that Murdoch's News Corp, also owned CNN rival Fox News."
> Larry King will interview Kerry and his wife in a taped interview to air Thursday evening
> Deborah Norville's MSNBC show will be bumped tonight -- the second time in a week. A special edition of Hardball will fill in.
> "CNN broke the story last night that Kerry would make an announcement today about his VP," an e-mailer says. "Larry King shared the news that was reported by Dana Bash and John King. A full report was aired at 10pm. Meanwhile MSNBC and FOX were both in taped holiday programs." 2:41:08 PM

Kerry-Edwards: Another Round Of Coverage Notes
> MSNBC's Sam Shane held up the New York Post cover, and said "this is one of those papers that will probably be held up in journalism schools."
> CNN graphics mistake at noon: "Edwards has served one terms as senator from N.C."
> "NBC had some atoning to do for its double screw-up last week, and the pro Mitchell is, got them back," an e-mailer says.
> Al Sharpton will make his CNBC commentator debut tonight on Capital Report. His take on Edwards should be interesting...
> It's interesting to read the American Morning transcript at 7:30am, knowing that the news had already broken. Jack Cafferty was discussing the Vegas lines on the VP pick at 7:40 and then reading emails from viewers at 7:41 when he abruptly tossed to Bill Hemmer...
> The best quote all day came from CNN's "political all-stars:" "People vote for the top of the ticket," Woodruff said. "Does this reeeally matter?" "No," Begala admitted.
12:30:54 PM

The Media "Got Its Wish," Kurtz Says
Howard Kurtz was watching this morning: "The press was collectively willing John Kerry to pick John Edwards, and got its wish when word leaked at 7:30 this morning," he writes. "The television chatter has been upbeat, in keeping with the media-industrial complex's conclusion that the North Carolina senator, the last man standing in the Democratic primaries, should get the nod...Before long, "Fox & Friends" anchor Steve Doocy was saying: 'A lot of people in this country just don't like attorneys, especially trial attorneys.'" 12:12:41 PM

NBC News Breaks The Kerry-Edwards News
NBC News broke the VP selection story at 7:30am ET, an NBC source tells CableNewser. They ran a "Special Report" that was simulcast on MSNBC. NBC "threw to Andrea Mitchell looking like the cat who had swallowed the canary," a TVSpyer says. "She did a superb job." MSNBC has been pointing out it was first all morning, an e-mailer says.
> FOX News broke in at 7:33am, with Carl Cameron citing an "informed source" from the Kerry camp.
> CNN did not break in until 7:41am. 10:24:03 AM

"Edwards Is The Choice:" Coverage Notes
> I hear that NBC/MSNBC had the story first, followed by FOX, then CNN. Can anyone confirm?
> MSNBC's Question of the Day: "Do you think Kerry-Edwards can beat Bush-Cheney?"
> The nets broke out their political talent. Chris Matthews interviewed Joe Trippi on MSNBC, and Judy Woodruff offered analysis on CNN.
> MSNBC.com's news alert was sent at 7:33am. "Source: Kerry chooses Sen. John Edwards as running mate," FOX's graphics said.
> Send your impressions of coverage to [email protected]. 10:22:53 AM

"News Flash:" The Lack Of "Shining Moments" In TV News
All this week, I'll be posting excerpts from News Flash, the new book by former CNN VP Bonnie Anderson. Today: How broadcast journalism has changed...

Pages 4-6: "The Way We Were -- And Rarely Are Today"

If television journalism in this country had never amounted to much, had never played an important role in informing the public and maintaining this democracy, then today's realities might not be seen as so worrisome or even out of character for the profession. But that's not the case. Sure, there were hiccups and screwups along the way as this "new" medium grew and matured. But it has provided people with extraordinary access to information and breathtaking events around the planet and beyond. We watched in awe -- live and in real time -- as human beings walked on the surface of the moon. We heard, again live, Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently tell the world about his dream. On November 22, 1963, we watched in shock when Walter Cronkite interrupted a soap opera to be the first to report that President Kennedy had been shot...

Anderson cites the Iranian hostage crisis, the shuttle disaster, Waco, the impeachment hearings, September 11th, and Saddam Hussein's capture as other examples where the nation "was glued to television sets."

These last examples are some of the shining moments of television journalism in recent times. But they are the exceptions to the daily rule, the daily faire. To borrow a beer commercial's line, television news today generally looks good, but it's less filling. Reese Schonfeld, CNN's first president, said the following words specifically about CNN, but they apply across the television news world: CNN, he said, "has become worldwide and skin-deep...Its coverage splashes over everything and saturates nothing." Once news was the star; now the stars are the stars. And what's worse, the stars are often the news. And more and more on-air journalists are collecting multimillion dollar paychecks and being treated like celebrities rather than journalists. It is little wonder that our moral and ethical compasses have a tough time finding true north.

Tomorrow: CNN's Diversity Struggle... 6:40:21 PM

Media Notes: Featuring Brewer, Trippi, and Jerrick's Salute
> "The Paris-based media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders condemned the IDF for targeting a Gaza City building that housed several local and international press offices," the Jerusalem Post says. CNN and NBC were in the building.
> Contessa Brewer and Sam Shane anchored MSNBC this morning. "They just aired a piece from ITN about the spanking debate in the UK," an e-mailer says. "When it finished, Contessa goes: 'It sounds better when they say it "smah-king."' Thanks, Brewer."
> MSNBC.com posts the introduction to Joe Trippi's new book, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," and says that because "pictures of this revolution that can be easily shown on television, I promise you that I’ll do the best I can to give you regular reports from the virtual front lines, both on MSNBC and right here on msnbc.com."
> A reader asks: Who is FOX weekend host Mike Jerrick saluting in this screen capture? 6:35:03 PM

CNBC Hasn't Always Been Newsy: Reminiscing About The Ailes Days
David writes in: "Those of us who remember the years when Roger Ailes ran CNBC know that CNBC wasn't always all-business or even all-news. Certainly much of the programming was at least somewhat news-related, such as "Pozner/Donahue," "McLaughlin," "Cal Thomas," "Equal Time" (my favorite, not the later MSNBC show of the same name), and "Tim Russert," which still runs today. However, during that era CNBC had several shows which didn't even pretend to be news-oriented. Bob Berkowitz, whose "Real Personal" almost always covered sexually explicit topics (and ran at 11 pm ET as a result), was the most notorious of these, but CNBC's roster also included traditional talk shows with Daisy Fuentes and Dick Cavett...CNBC can be the choice for people who like a balanced news/talk diet... and shows like "Dennis Miller" and "McEnroe" help achieve that balance." 6:30:43 PM

"How Much Wall-To-Wall Trial Coverage Is Too Much?"
That's the question guest host Soledad O'Brien asked on Paula Zahn Now, but she never really answered it. The segment led with a package by Tom Foreman. A quotable from Jeffrey Toobin:

"Some cases are easier to justify than others. I have no problem with O.J. Simpson, Kobe Bryant. When you get to something like Scott Peterson, I think it's closer to the line about whether it really is worth covering or not."

Then Foreman takes a crack at some analysis:

"All this is not really new. The Lindbergh kidnapping trial in 1935 saw hundreds of reporters feeding the hungry public. What is new is this. There are so many television channels these days, that competition for viewers is at an all-time high, and a big trial with a big name can bring big ratings."

Here's the transcript. (So can CNN spend more time covering the trials if they run these segments every so often?) 10:31:31 AM

Media Notes: The Window Wavers; Clinton v. Ailes
> Juliet, from FOX & Friends Weekend: "You all noticed the folks outside, waving through the windows, right? Doesn't it always seem like they only wave when we're on set talking about the serious stuff? (FOXNews.com Blog)
> CNN, Time Magazine and TNS form a European public opinion research partnership (Press Release)
> Bill Clinton's new book takes a swipe at "longtime Republican operative" Roger Ailes, Howard Kurz notes.
> Reliable Sources talks about Michael Moore and the Veepstakes... 10:25:41 AM

Does FOX "Play To American Patriotism"?
NewsBlues takes aim at 'FOX Jazeera:' "[FOX] played to the national fear of the day," Mike James writes. "They beat the drums of alarm and warned us that, although the world looked safe, we were surrounded by danger. It was a sobering reminder that there are many ways of perceiving the same events. And it struck me that just as Al Jazeera plays to Arab nationalism with emotional rhetoric and inflammatory video, so, too, does the Fox News Channel, which plays to American patriotism, for the exact same reason..." 10:11:16 AM

Countdown to 'Anchorman:' Martha MacCallum's Take
The New York Post took several anchors to see Will Ferrell's new flick, Anchorman. FOX anchor Martha MacCallum say "there's a bit of Ron Burgundy in every newsroom." One funny excerpt from the story:

Anything else you'd poke fun at? Jim Ryan, Good Day New York: All the fluff we have to do. If a viewer is hungry for news, they really only have to watch about the first eight minutes of any given newscast. Everything after that is fluff. Like in "Anchorman," when Christina Applegate reads a story about a water-skiing squirrel? MacCallum: Yeah. I was thinking, "Didn't I do that story just yesterday?"

10:06:35 AM

McEnroe Press Tour: Is It "Cable News?"
Mark asks: "Is this stuff really cable news? Dennis Miller maybe, but at least he's topical. But McEnroe? I heard him say today his show would be about music, sports, art, etc etc...everything except the news of the day. And he mentioned skits! It really sounds more like The Tonight Show, which is certainly not news. But then I remember the very early days of CNN, when they had a show called "Mike Douglas--People Now!". It was just like the old Mike Douglas Show, with songs, the desk and sofa, audience, celebrity guests, etc. And it ran on CNN!" The fact that the business network CNBC is airing a show by John McEnroe is news-worthy, I think... 10:01:03 AM

McEnroe Press Tour: Talkin' To Time
Time Magazine poses ten questions to McEnroe. They only ask a couple about the show:

Question: Now you're going to be a talk-show host on CNBC. As a tennis player, you were serve and volley, from the left. What's your talk-show game? I'm leaning left at this point in terms of where my beliefs and stands are. I'm not comfortable with what's going on with the right. I'm also learning, having a show where I can perhaps educate myself. It will be interesting to hear all points of view.

9:58:50 AM

McEnroe Press Tour: Inside A Test Run Of The Talk Show
Jacques Steinberg turns in the most interesting piece yet in the 'McEnroe' P.R. blitz. Here are some of the highlights from the New York Times story:
> CNBC's "corporate parent, NBC Universal, which has invested heavily in the McEnroe show — are counting on these jokes, corny though some of them may be, to provide a clear alternative to the Fox News juggernaut." He is being paid approx. $1 million a year.
> There will be a 60-member audience. For the test run, "most were tourists who had been lured onto buses in Times Square."
> "CNBC is banking that the show will eventually deliver on the three words that have dominated its promotional campaign: 'Raw. Real. Honest.'"
> His set is "sleek;" his office is "windowless"... 11:12:05 AM

Another Celebrity-Trial-Coverage-Is-Terrible Story
It's The Guardian's turn in a version of this story: "There might be a war somewhere in the Middle East, but it's the ratings battle going on closer to home that the networks are looking forward to," the paper says. Quoting Professor Robert Thompson: "They're drooling...The cable stations in particular can't wait for all this stuff." 11:10:49 AM