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

'Domestic Group' Planning To Attack Media Vehicles At Convention?
Don't rely on Drudge's CAPS-LOCK bulletin: Lost Remote has the scoop about a media security alert. "The FBI is investigating information that 'members of a domestic group' plan to disrupt the Democratic National Convention by attacking media vehicles," Steve Safran reports. "Boston Police and the Department of Public Safety have been informed of the investigation." The FBI has told news networks that the threat is credible, Drudge says. Details may be forthcoming tomorrow; several media insiders contacted by CN said they hadn't heard the news yet... 8:43:09 PM

Ratings: Has Mac Given Up Hope Yet?
McEnroe's CNBC disaster scratched again last night. It managed a 0.1, with 70,000 households and 72,000 viewers watching. Only 21,000 folks in the ad-friendly 25-54 demo checked the show out. "At this point, CNBC's Wake Up Call at 6am is beating McEnroe when the HUT (households using television) levels are at
18.5%," a cable news source says. "Yesterday Wake Up Call averaged 83,000 viewers." During McEnroe's show, the HUT levels were around 60%, so how many more days does the show have to scratch before Jeff Zucker wll start "re-tooling?" 8:22:47 PM

Ratings: John Edwards Isn't A Big Boost For LKL
"I'm interested in Larry King's ratings...for his John Edwards [interview Wednesday night]," an e-mailer says. And here's the answer: Larry averaged 1,339,000 viewers -- a bit higher than usual for him, but not enough to make a dent in FOX's ratings. while Hannity & Colmes averaged 1,844,000. Other interesting ratings items:
> O'Reilly had a great night, pulling in 2,177,000; so did Greta, with 1,781,000 viewers.
> The 360/Hardball battle is still close: Cooper had 429,000 viewers last night, while Matthews avged 419,000. 8:20:54 PM

A Busy News Day: The Cabler's Ups & Downs
Thank you to all the e-mailers who were watching TV today when I was driving back and forth to the hospital. (She's recovering very well and will come home tomorrow, BTW.) Some interesting items from today:
> "One of those great live-TV moments: CNN had a 9/11 victim's family member on live and asked her about the airport tape. Her response: 'I first saw it last night, on Hardball with Chris Matthews, and it brought me back to that day.'"
> "Fox was first to jump on a report of a bomb aboard a Turkish ship off the coast of Philadelphia. Fox's Pentagon reporter broke the news. MSNBC didn't waste any time and was on the air minutes later reporting the same thing. CNN, aware of the story, double and triple-checked sources before reporting something of that nature. Good thing they did. The captain of the ship told authorities he was 'just joking' about a bomb. Glad to see CNN took the time to examine the story before doing breaking news on it. In the end, it wasn't a story."
> "CNN just broke the news that the Boston labor dispute has been resolved. Mayor Menino gave the scoop to Judy Woodruff live on IP in front of the CNN Election Express."
> "Fox broke the AmTrak stopped in Newark [story this morning]. Fox had a phone interview with a person on the train. MSNBC? CNN? DiTech Commercials and Lori (Missing pregnant woman #2), respectively." 8:11:01 PM

"ABC News Now:" Affiliates Can Add Local Content; Mobile Subs. Offered
David Bauder's AP story about "ABC News Now" includes a couple of interesting new nuggets:
> "ABC's affiliates are being encouraged to place some of their local news, weather and sports on the service.
> "The venture will offer a daily political newscast at 1 p.m. EDT during the conventions and a show, 'Trail Mix,' anchored by Sam Donaldson and Hari Sreenivasan."
> "Sprint PCS Vision phone customers will also be able to see "ABC News Now" for $9.95 a month.
...Today's Note included all the details about the new digital experiment. 8:08:27 PM

An "Important," Must-See NewsNight
"You know the lead today, so the real question is how NewsNight intends to deal with the final report of the 9-11 Commission," Aaron Brown writes in his newsletter today. It sounds like a must-see show: "I don't talk often about the program as important, in truth, I don't think of it that way exactly. But I think tonight we will try to be important, not just interesting. It's been nearly three years since that awful day. In many ways, nearly three years since you and I met. There is no issue more important to me and this program than 9-11 and its fallout. And my belief in the integrity of the commission has been total...I hope what we do tonight honors that work." 8:04:04 PM

9/11 Report: Wall-To-Wall Cable & Broadcast Coverage
> FOX's Catherine Herridge got ahold of the report first, and offered updates on what it said during the 9am hour.
> MSNBC missed the start of the president's comments this morning. They were in a commercial. "CNN had the video but did not have the audio for the first few seconds," a viewer adds.
> There was a blockade of coverage beginning at 11:30am. NBC and CBS concluded coverage at noon. ABC paused to let affiliates break away, then continued with analysis.
> "After the co-chairmen's statements, Fox went to in-house experts for analysis," an e-mailer says. "The other two stayed with all the Q&A.;" FOX was the only channel to air Kerry's reaction statement live.
> "The war continues on terrorism," and America continues to face challenges, Tom Brokaw concluded: "That's the bottom line."
> FOXNews.com is using it as an excuse to post images of the burning towers on their home page.
> Kean and Hamilton will appear on CNN's Inside Politics at 3:30pm. I'm sure we'll see them pop up all over the place... 1:25:17 PM

Fox Producer Sends Goodie Basket To "Outfoxed" Screening
"Fox News Senior Producer Jim Mills sent a gift basket of movie-themed goodies to the Congressional hosts of last night’s private screening of 'Outfoxed,'" Roll Call reports. The basket was filled with popcorn, M&Ms;, Oreo cookies, Skittles, Starburst, etc. Mills attached a note: "Thank you very much for your kind invitation to attend this evening's showing...I truly -- and I am not kidding -- would like to see the film, but cannot attend this evening. In some small, small way I hope this goodie basket -- to be shared with those attending tonight's screening, will more than make up for my absence." When the basket arrived, Bernie Sanders' press secretary swooped in. I noticed he read the note, smirked, and carried it out of the room... (Via Hotline) 1:20:06 PM

"Unfair/Unbalanced:" "Dismiss This Partisan Stunt" -- Or Else
This could get interesting. In response to MoveOn's legal actions against FOX, the conservative group Citizen Outreach "sent a letter to the FTC, urging it to immediately reject the complaint against Fox News - or else accept Citizen Outreach's complaint against the New York Times," CNSNews.com says. "We hope the FTC will immediately dismiss this partisan stunt as the political theater it is and not waste so much as one minute or one dime pursuing it," the org's prez says... 1:18:37 PM

CNN's BlogWatch: "Great News For Technorati And Blogs"
The news that CNN will link up with Technorati during the conventions has the blogosphere humming. The founder and CEO of Technorati, David Sifry, says he will be on-site in CNN's convention broadcast center, "be providing regular on-air commentary on what bloggers are saying about politics and the convention." Jeff Jarvis calls it "great news for Technorati and blogs." It's better late than never, Lost Remote's Cory Bergman says, and reprints this quote from a CNN.com spokesperson to OJR: "CNN.com prefers to take a more structured approach to presenting the news. We do not blog." What a difference 15 months makes: CNN now hopes to be the first network to take blogging seriously...
> David Bohrman told the TCA that the blog reports "won't be a very big part of our coverage...If we can tap in only briefly to what the sense is out there, that's not a bad thing." 5:20:57 AM

ABC's Westin: "We May Be Ahead Of Our Time"
A story in the New York Times' "Circuits" section Thursday describes the networks' use of emerging technology to cover the conventions. It focuses on ABC's digital broadcasting experiment. The network "decided to use subchannels for extended political coverage a few weeks ago, after Peter Jennings, the network's anchor, approached David Westin, the president of ABC News, about alternative means of carrying the convention," the story says. It references Nightline's evolution, and Westin says a "lasting 24-hour news feed" is in the back of his mind: "We may be ahead of our time, but at some point, this will happen." 5:18:32 AM

Undecided Voters Rely On CNN, CNN Marketing Research Concludes
A survey co-sponsored by CNN Marketing Research concludes that undecided voters choose CNN for campaign coverage more than any other news source. Here's the press release. "Among total respondents, significant variations exist between undecided and decided voters," it says. "Decided voters are highly present in each of the major cable news networks (19% for both CNN and FOX News Channel) than the broadcast networks (ABC -- 10%, NBC -- 14%, CBS -- 8%) for Campaign 2004 coverage. Undecided voters choose CNN for Campaign coverage (19%) more than any other news source (Fox News Channel -- 9%, ABC - 12%, NBC - 11%, CBS - 9%)." There are probably some explanations for those results...
> A study last week said that independents prefer MSNBC 5:18:19 AM

Media Notes: Tom Ridge On FOX; No MSNBC In Canada
> Chris Wallace (filling in for Brit Hume on 'Special Report') had an exclusive interview with DHS secretary Tom Ridge Wednesday evening.
> CNN's unique convention set sounds cool, but "TCA reporters expressed skepticism, however, that the more intimate camera angle and blogger opinions would result in more lucid coverage than in years past," TVWeek reports.
> "No MSNBC in Canada [Wednesday]," an e-mailer notes. "In the news ticker at the bottom of the screen a crawl is running saying "Broadcast rights have not cleared for today's programming for use outside the U.S.A."
> "One would assume that offshore pharmaceuticals are probably not something an outlet like FOX News wants to be associated with," The Media Drop says, so why are they running an ad for "NetDr.com"? 5:17:44 AM

"A Major Development! The Car Is Now Taking A Right!"
"Fox News is a lot of things, but one thing they are is way too trigger happy with the high speed chases," Rantingprofs says. "Or, in today's case, ridiculously low speed chases. When I flipped over (a bit after 3 pm) it looked like the driver (and the trailing cop cars) were doing under 20 mph. And I made it just in time to hear Shepard Smith make this absurd comment -- 'A major development! the car is now taking a right! -- a monumental development in the scheme of things.' Yes, in the scheme of things." 5:17:13 AM

"Outfoxed" Comes To Capitol Hill: 150 Attend Screening
Almost 150 representatives and Congressional aides packed inside a room in the basement of the Capitol building this evening to watch "Outfoxed."
The room became pretty crowded by the time the film started. Many fresh-faced staffers and aides filled the seats; a smattering of Congressmen sat in the first row. Some of the representatives stopped by briefly, then promptly left. Only one television crew was on hand, and they weren't from any station I recognized.
Director Robert Greenwald got out his digital camera to snap a photo with Congressman Bernie Sanders, who organized the event. (Sanders called FOX an "adjunct for the Republican party.") "The gentlemen's agreement [in the media] not to criticize FOX and [challenge the] fair and balanced slogan hopefully will begin to come to an end," Greenwald said.
Frenk called FOX an "opposition research firm masquerading as a news organization." In a conversation beforehand, she explained why she decided to complain about her former employer: "I have this really crazy sense of journalism standards!," she joked.
The film provoked several bouts of laughter (mainly at O'Reilly and the video montages), several audible gasps, and several moments of stunned silence. Ailes' on-screen promise to "restore objectivity" and a segment on "FOX liberals" resulted in long fits of laughter.
> Plus: "Get over the Outfoxed story," an e-mailer says. "I think you're obsessed." 10:30:00 PM

Ratings: Nothing Surprising About Tuesday Night Data
Drudge offers up some Tuesday night "cable news race" data, and the show order pretty much stays the same: O'Reilly with a 1.8, H&C; earning 1.6, Greta with 1.4, Shep Smith averaging 1.2, and Brit Hume with 1.1. On CNN, Larry King pulled a 1.1, while Paula and Aaron averaged 0.6's. Hardball was the top-rated show on MSNBC with a 0.4, while Countdown and Country averaged 0.3's. Norville had a 0.2, while CNBC's Miller and McEnroe each earned 0.1's. 10:28:51 PM

9pm Hardball: "Terrific Example Of What Cable News Should Be"
Regarding tonight's special: "I thought Lisa Meyers' nearly 30-minute report is a terrific example of what cable news should be," an MSN chatter says. "It's encouraging to see MSNBC use a chunk of its prime time programming for such efforts." One e-mailer says the show was excellent, and wonders: "why isn't this on a Tom Brokaw Special on Dateline?" Chris Matthews even stuck around North Capitol Street so the show could air live! Cori Dauber is annoyed at the way it was promoted, though... 10:28:25 PM

The 9/11 Airport Security A Tape: A "Scene-Setter"
Lisa Myers broke the news of the tape on 'Nlghtly News' at 6:30pm, then updated the story for MSNBC's primetime. Aaron Brown called it a "scene-setter" on Newsnight: "A late item leads the program," his staff wrote in the newsletter. "The thud you heard on its arrival around here was the sound of jaws dropping. A never-before-seen video taken at the security checkpoint at Dulles Airport in Washington, on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001." CNN spent twelve minutes reporting on the tape during the 7pm hour, while FOX only mentioned it briefly. As of 5:00am ET, FOXNews.com still doesn't have the video clip online... 10:13:06 PM

9:00pm 'Hardball' Asks: "Was 9/11 Preventable?"
A special edition of 'Hardball' at 9pm tonight will examine "The Missed Opportunities Of 9/11." NBC's senior investigative correspondent Lisa Myers will join Chris Matthews to detail a dozen missed chances. MSNBC.com calls it "an extraordinary investigation of policies, procedures, and unpreparedness;" here is a preview. (Why isn't this airing on Dateline?) 4:28:28 PM

Ted Turner Is Fed Up With Media Consolidation
Ted Turner details his "beef with big media" in Washington Monthly's cover story this month. He says "media companies have grown so large and powerful, and their dominance has become so detrimental to the survival of small, emerging companies, that there remains only one alternative: bust up the big conglomerates." And he cites old-school CNN as an example of how the landscape has changed:

"When CNN reported to me, if we needed more money for Kosovo or Baghdad, we'd find it. If we had to bust the budget, we busted the budget. We put journalism first, and that's how we built CNN into something the world wanted to watch. I had the power to make these budget decisions because they were my companies. I was an independent entrepreneur who controlled the majority of the votes and could run my company for the long term. Top managers in these huge media conglomerates run their companies for the short term. After we sold Turner Broadcasting to Time Warner, we came under such earnings pressure that we had to cut our promotion budget every year at CNN to make our numbers. Media mega-mergers inevitably lead to an overemphasis on short-term earnings."

Read the full article here. (Hat tip: Hotline) 4:27:47 PM

Jennifer Coggiola Becomes An NBC News'er
Former CNNer Jennifer Coggiola was named an NBC News Correspondent today. (She will contribute to Today, Nightly News and MSNBC.) Coggiola was most recently a correspondent for "Wolf Blitzer Reports" and Newsource. She has also reported and produced for Marketsource and CNN Radio. She got her start at CNN as a P.A. on two of CNN's deceased stock shows. Here's the P.R... 4:27:14 PM

CNBC's "Big Idea" Is Back
"Renowned Madison Avenue maverick" Donny Deutsch returns to his CNBC talk show, beginning Sunday, July 25 at 9pm. (Six episodes aired back in February.) "The popular talk show, which tackles today's hottest issues in media and pop culture, is hosted by Donny Deutsch, the colorful and accomplished media executive." I'm not sure how the press release can justify calling the show "popular," though -- it averaged a 0.1 and 70,000 households during Q1... 4:26:21 PM

Confirmed: CNN's Broadcasting Platform On The Convention Floor
CNN officially announced its "Ringside" convention set today. A platform on the delegation floor of the Fleet Center, "not the traditional skybox, will serve as CNN's primary anchor location," the press release says. CableNewser first reported on the network's plans to anchor from the floor yesterday. The "Ringside Set" was made possible "largely because of advances in microphones, earpieces and wireless technology. Anchors and correspondents broadcasting from the platform will use tiny, discreet microphones, state-of-the-art earpieces and wireless technology."
> CNN.com will include a webcam shot from the platform
> "Peter Jennings anchored ABC's coverage of the 2000 conventions live from the floor with the delegates," an e-mailer notes. The platform is the "exclusive" item here. 1:21:37 PM

CNN.com To Offer "Blog-Watch" Via Technorati
CNN.com will use Technorati's technology to offer a "blog-watch" during the Democratic National Convention next week. Quoting the press release: "CNN.com's up-to-the-moment review of numerous Web logs covering the convention marks a first for convention coverage using Technorati, the leading monitor of blogs." The site will also feature its own convention blog. Candy Crowley, James Carville and Tucker Carlson will be among the contributors. 1:20:33 PM

O'Reilly Couldn't Possibly Be A Hypocrite, Could He?
"O'Reilly scolds guest who outed gays, then calls judge a lesbian:" A great headline for a great story by John Cook in today's Tribune. "Fox News Channel's star talk-show personality, Bill O'Reilly, says he is uncomfortable with the practice of outing gay political figures--except, it seems, when he is doing the outing." Read the rest. 1:10:10 PM

Network Talent To Blog For MSNBC's "Hardblogger"
MSNBC.com will unveil a new political blog coinciding with the conventions, a press release said today. "Hardblogger" debuts Friday, July 23rd (at hardblogger.msnbc.com). It will feature "daily postings from MSNBC reporters and analysts including Chris Matthews, Joe Trippi, Ron Reagan, Willie Brown, Dee Dee Myers, Joe Scarborough and Chris Jansing," the press release says -- hopefully one post a day from each person. "Guest 'bloggers' from both sides of the aisle will also contribute"... 12:19:14 PM

"Brokaw In Boston," On MSNBC Next Week
In another sign of the support MSNBC is belatedly receiving from its big brothers at NBC, the network announced today that Tom Brokaw will host a daily program during the Democratic National Convention next week. "Brokaw in Boston" will air from 4 to 4:30pm on MSNBC next Monday through Thursady. It will feature "interviews with key newsmakers on the top convention and political stories of the day." Here's the press release. 12:15:17 PM

Media Notes: Dems Edition: Kerry On NBC, CBS; Edwards On CNN
> "Sen. John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth Edwards, will appear on Larry King Live on Wednesday, July 21," a media advisory says. The interview will be taped this afternoon...
> Segments of Tom Brokaw's interview with John Kerry will air tonight on Nightly News, tomorrow morning on Today, then again on Nightly News Thursday evening. (So why doesn't it air in full on MSNBC Friday?) (Press release)
> CBS's Dan Rather also has a one-on-one with Kerry tonight
> Joe Trippi has a new column on MSNBC.com "that will take people behind the scenes of this 2004 presidential election campaign" 12:01:00 PM

Is MoveOn "Picking A Fight Over A Slogan No One Believes?"
The AP's Frazier Moore offers a commentary on FOX's "Fair & Balanced" slogan: "What's the point of undermining that larger cause by picking a fight over a slogan no one believes but Fox News Channel devotees?," he asks. He notes that the documentary "tackles a larger issue than Fox News' marketing masquerade" -- that is, the handful of corporate giants "whose growing dominion threatens media diversity and even the democratic process." (Hat tip: NewsBlues) 9:57:40 AM

"Outfoxed:" 25,000 Copies Sold Online; DVD Being Shipped To Retailers
"Robert Greenwald's anti-Fox News Channel doc has shot to the top of Amazon.com's DVD bestseller list since going on sale last week," Variety reports. (Gee, didn't this site mention that last week?) "Thus far, Amazon has ordered more than 6,200 copies of Greenwald's film," the story says. "That's in addition to the 25,000 copies of "Outfoxed" sold on the Internet and 3,000 copies ordered by AEC One Stop Group." "Outfoxed" is now being shipped to retailers, "including Tower Records, Virgin Records and Borders Books"...
> UPDATE: An e-mailer puts it in perspective: "Just think, if Oufoxed doubles its sales, it'll be close to the circulation of a small community newspaper!" 9:57:22 AM

Does Anyone Really Believe Carl Cameron Is Biased?
Carl Cameron's take on 'Outfoxed:' "From what I understand, they’re accusing Fox of a variety of journalistic sins, but in the process of accusing us, they’re attempting to prove it by committing them." Joe Hagan calls the tape of Cameron and Bush talking off-air "pretty standard for Washington." He even asks a Kerry campaign spokesperson for comment: "We feel that Carl has been very fair to us," said Stephanie Cutter. But she added that her trust of Cameron doesn't extend to all of FOX News... 8:06:14 AM

Shephard Smith's New Loft
FOX host Shep Smith's new $1.87 million loft in ("liberal enclave") Greenwich Village: "The two-bedroom spread, between Fifth and Sixth avenues, has one and a half bathrooms, 14-foot ceilings, oversize windows and access to the building’s common roof garden," the NY Observer says. The Obv. uses it as an excuse to rehash the J-Lo slip and title the story "Sheppie on the Block"... 8:01:25 AM

O'Reilly Challenges New York Times To Debate On PBS
"I am issuing this challenge directly to the New York Times," Bill O'Reilly said on the Factor tonight. "I will debate any Times editor or columnist on the Charlie Rose PBS program." Apparently Bill talked to Charlie and OKed it. "I'm calling these sleazy guys out," he continued. "You think they'll show up?"
O'Reilly called the New York Times a "brochure for the far-left in America." He offered several "items" as examples, then said A.O. Scott's review of "Outfoxed" amounted to "legitimizing rank propaganda." The story "gleefully attacked FNC, using the distorted work of an ultra-liberal filmmaker," O'Reilly declared. "Scott doesn't care about fairness, he simply wants to demonize FOX News." O'Reilly repeated his false version of the Glick incident, again... 8:31:06 PM

FOX's Convention Strategy: Special Editions Of Regular Shows
The Broadcasting & Cable piece also details FOX's strategy for convention coverage. The story notes that "nearly all of Fox News' big names will base their shows at the conventions, including Greta Van Susteren, Hannity & Colmes, and Bill O'Reilly," and quotes poli-coverage E.P. Marty Ryan: "We already have the strongest prime time news schedule," he says. "So we'll try to cover the conventions with our regular programming as much as possible—the guys and gals who do it for us every day." Brit Hume will "cut into the regular shows with breaking reports and speeches"... 3:34:23 PM

MSNBC's Convention Strategy: Chris Matthews & 'After Hours'
Broadcasting & Cable writes all about convention coverage in this week's issue. It talks about MSNBC's strategy for coverage: "Mark Lukasiewicz, executive producer of NBC political coverage, hopes that bringing NBC news stars into MSNBC's coverage will create new fans for Chris Matthews, who is anchoring the MSNBC's convention team. 'Our key weapons,' he says, 'are Tom Brokaw and Tim Russert.' MSNBC plans to add some late-night pizzazz covering Ron Reagan and Joe Scarborough as they crash convention parties on Convention After Hours." 3:31:45 PM

Media Notes: Kobe v. Press Freedoms; Cohen Becomes CNN Contributor
> Let's see this aspect of the Kobe trial get wall-to-wall coverage: "The Co. Supreme Court... ordered that the transcript of a closed hearing in the Kobe Bryant case not be published, saying that the privacy of the alleged victim and the importance of preserving the state's rape-shield law outweigh the media's First Amendment rights," the Denver Post says.
> This Canadian critic wants our neighbor up north to censor FOX News.
> William Cohen, "former secretary of defense under President Clinton, has joined CNN as world affairs analyst for Wolf Blitzer Reports," a CNN press release said today. Cohen will appear each Monday.
> CNNRadio details its convention coverage plans (P.R.)
> Rupert Murdoch's reaction to yesterday's Doonesbury strip about him: "He was amused by it." (E&P;) 12:33:32 PM

"Outfoxed:" Capitol Hill Film Screening, Q&A; Wednesday
Five left-wing members of Congress will hold a screening of "Outfoxed" in Room HC-5 of the Capitol Building Wednesday evening. At 6pm, a Q&A; session with Robert Greenwald, John Podesta, and Clara Frenk will take place. The film starts at 6:30pm. Representatives George Miller, Bernard Sanders, Maurice Hinchey, Sherrod Brown, and Jim McDermott are co-hosting the screening... (Press Advisory via FR) 12:03:02 PM

"Unfair/Unbalanced:" MoveOn Action Gets Scant Media Coverage
Yesterday's MoveOn press conf. and publicity stunt was quite the event, with reporters and camera crews on hand. But "not one local New York newscast covered the event on any of their programs last night," an e-mailer points out. The only TV program that mentioned the news was Lou Dobbs Tonight -- and half of that short segment was devoted to FOX's response. The AP wire story was picked up by a lot of web sites, but most of them didn't give it much attention. There was no widespread newspaper coverage, either; the only NY paper to mention it was the Sun...
> UPDATE: MSNBC's Countdown talked about the legal actions, too. 12:02:00 PM

"Communists Had Pravda, Republicans Have FOX"
...MoveOn.org declared that in a full-page New York Times advertisement this morning. Ultimately, Fox doesn’t really do the news; they are state of the art mass propagandists," the ad says. "It’s a simple question of false advertising."
> MoveOn Advertisement In The NY Times: PDF 11:42:45 AM

CNN To Anchor Coverage From Convention Floor
For the first time, a major news organization will anchor their political convention coverage from the floor, alongside the delegates. CNN plans to announce the news later this week, but three employees confirmed the news to CableNewser Monday.
In addition, CNN will have six skyboxes in the Fleet Center. "We're going all out for this convention," one source said.
The network hopes to give viewers the experience of being on the floor. Where exactly they will be positioned is unclear (behind the Michigan delegation?). The DNCC unveiled a "unique convention set" yesterday that includes "working offices for Convention staff and media" near the stage.
CNN plans to present their final convention plans to the Television Critics Association on Wednesday the 21st. Except an official announcement about the unique coverage to come from there. "We're all trying to position ourselves as the network to turn to when the Big Event happens," Princell Hair told TVWeek... 9:42:24 AM

MoveOn Action "Reflects The Growing Importance" Of Cable --WSJ
MoveOn's campaign "against Fox News Channel partly reflects the growing importance of cable news channels as the main arena in which these elections are played out," the Wall Street Journal writes today. This type of concerted campaign against a single news outlet is rare, but not surprising given the tenor of this year's hotly contested presidential election.
Conservative Brent Bozell says "they're doing the dirty work of the Democratic party and everybody knows it."
> FOX spokesperson Robert Zimmerman comments to the Journal: "If they can attack Fox News to this extreme, then all news organizations are at risk to be targeted by similar attacks. It's best to ignore nuts." 9:40:58 AM

Coordination: Conventions Are A Challenge For Peacock Family
TVWeek has a round-up of convention plans. It points out that NBC has a lot to coordinate, with MSNBC, CNBC, Telemundo, etc. along for the ride: "My colleagues at the other networks are amazed at what we have to do compared to what they have to do," said Phil Alongi, executive director of NBC News Specials Planning. "These conventions are probably the most challenging of anyone's career, and I think most certainly it's going to test everyone's ability to do it." It'll be a lot easier for the broadcast network, though. "The parties have made our decisions easier because they have taken out most of the news," Neal Shapiro said... 9:29:46 AM

MSNBC Experimenting With New Lower-Thirds?
MSNBC tried on some new graphics last night during "Countdown," stripping a line of text and a "live" bug where the ticker usually resides. They may be going network-wide in the near future, as Rick Kaplan experiments with keeping the lower-thirds to a minimum. The strip of text on Countdown identified the topic; from time to time, larger graphics would ID the interview subject, but usually only the one line appeared. CNN and MSNBC both stand in stark contrast to FOX's style. "Less is more, less is more," one MSN chatter says... 9:28:16 AM

The New York Times Reviews "Outfoxed"
The New York Times 'reviews' 'Outfoxed:' "Mr. O'Reilly's fans are about as likely to watch 'Outfoxed' as the patrons of that bar in Williamsburg are to tune in to 'Fox & Friends.' For the foreseeable future, there will be more shouting, finger-pointing and tuning out, as each side accuses the other of bias, distortion and dishonesty. 9:22:10 AM

"Front Porch Tour" Followed By Cameras, Cables, Correspondents
The AP describes the Dem's "front porch" events: "It might have looked as though Sen. Edwards just stopped by for a folksy chat in this leafy, upper middle-class neighborhood in his home state. But the neighbors and friends were hand picked. A large camera stand stood on the lawn. Satellite trucks lined the street. Electrical cables snaked everywhere. Dozens of reporters and photographers were present. A man pushing a lawnmower was stopped by police from getting any closer." 10:34:51 PM

The CNN Election Express Is Back!
"It's a long time since the snows of New Hampshire," Crossfire said today. "The CNN Election Express has been careening over the rain-slicked roads here in Concord all day," Paul Begala said. "All week, we will be heading toward the Democratic National Convention in Boston." Inside Politics also aired live from the bus. It'll roll on to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, the USS Constitution, and Fenway Park later this week. The daily bus dispatches are back on CNN.com, as well... 10:33:29 PM

! FTC Shouldn't Evaluate News Content, Chairman Says
"I am not aware of any instance in which the Federal Trade Commission has investigated the slogan of a news organization," Federal Trade Commission Chairman Timothy J. Muris said this evening in a statement responding to the "fair and balanced" complaint filed by MoveOn.org earlier today. "There is no way to evaluate this petition without evaluating the content of the news at issue. That is a task the First Amendment leaves to the American people, not a government agency." 6:56:45 PM

...Now It's Up To The FTC
The Associated Press's story about today's legal actions is out, 7 hours after the press conference. "The Federal Trade Commission, which hears all consumer complaints, will now judge whether the complaint has merit, a process that could take months," the story says. A former FTC lawyer tells the wire that "the FTC does not wade in political waters," but Chellie Pingree, president of Common Cause, says the legal actions are "consistent with the First Amendment: "Fox has no obligation under the law to be fair and balanced, just not to market itself as fair and balanced," he said... 6:27:23 PM

Does MoveOn Have A Case? Three Experts Weigh In
So two "legal actions" challenging FOX's slogan "fair and balanced" have been filed (with the FTC and USPTO). Are they legitimate complaints?

"In general, these sorts of cases are very hard to win if only because the defense is usually that the company is just "puffing" -- that is, saying stuff everyone understands is not really true like 'world's best melons,'" explains Michael Froomkin, a Professor of Law at the University of Miami. "But based on what I saw in "Outfoxed' this sort of complainant has more going for it than the usual one."

Attorney Martin Schwimmer, who blogs on the subject, says the terms fair and balanced are "exceedingly vague:" "It's conceivable that Fox, or any news organization, may present individual statements that are false, misleading, inaccurate, libelous, etc. but it seems that establishing that Fox's news coverage as a whole is systematically unfair and unbalanced would be impossible to prove, short of discovery turning up an internal memo that says 'Let's Lie.'"

Even Lawrence Lessig, who has helped "Outfoxed" through its legal hurdles, is skeptical of the "legal actions" announced today: "Words, not lawyers," he suggests to Johnny Dollar. 2:25:44 PM

FOX Calls MoveOn's Actions A "Transparent Publicity Stunt"
FOX News Channel spokeswoman Irena Briganti's response to today's press conference: "While this is a transparent publicity stunt, we recognize all forms of free speech in this country and we wish them well."
> ALSO: "The group of about 50 organizers and lawyers attempted to present Fox officials with a petition, legal papers, and a copy of the DVD of 'Outfoxed,' with little apparent success," Editor & Publisher reports. 2:23:05 PM

AlterNet's "Cancellation Petition" Regarding 'Fair & Balanced'
CableNewser has obtained a copy of the petition for cancellation of the "fair and balanced" trademark, filed before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by the Independent Media Institute, i.e. Alternet. The group "requests that a judgment be entered sustaining the cancellation of Registration."
> "Cancellation Petition" Sent To USPTO Regarding "Fair & Balanced" (PDF) 2:20:31 PM

MoveOn At FOX HQ: "Talk About A Publicity Stunt Gone Bad"
> UPDATE: One press person who watched the "parade" said 20 to 25 MoveOn.org members were on hand. About 15 reporters were present, including camera crews from local TV stations and correspondents for the cable trade publications...
MoveOn.org handed out "Outfoxed" DVD's outside FOX's NYC headquarters today, and unveiled their FTC petition. But: "Talk about a publicity stunt gone bad," a FOX employee writes to CableNewser. "Maybe it was the wet, drizzly weather, but for all of MoveOn's attempt at bravado, they failed miserably." Apparently only a handful of MoveOn members were on hand. "It was a pretty ominous sign to see one of the event organizers nervously surveying the landscape of no-shows and quickly folding up a MoveOn.org banner within minutes of arriving," the staffer says. "And then to watch them repeatedly try to scotch tape their 'petition' to a wet window was even worse. The staffers were trying to peddle DVD's to literally anyone who walked out of the building (which houses numerous other companies) and most people just kept walking and didn't even look at them -- the MoveOn people literally looked like those guys who stand on every street corner in Manhattan trying to peddle discount coupons to strip clubs." 1:45:20 PM

Media Notes: "Big Idea;" Martha & Larry; New CNN Family Member
> Meet the man behind CNBC's "Big Idea" (NYT)
> "The father of Scott Peterson's mistress Amber Frey has written an exclusive letter to FOX News' Rita Cosby and the New York Post." (FOXNews.com)
> Martha Stewart appears on Larry King Live tonight. "I'll be curious to hear the viewer calls on LKL," an e-mailer says. "Will they dare put a viewer on that would either scold Stewart or make her very uneasy?"
> CNN congressional correspondent Ed Henry and his wife Jennifer "welcomed a baby girl to the world" yesterday, the Hotline reports. Mila Taylor Henry weighed in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces, and was 20 inches long...
> Doonesbury "interviews Robert Murdoch about 'Outfoxed!'" 1:32:23 PM

The "Deepening Divide" Between FOX & CNN
I missed this must-read in the Dallas Morning News until Hotline linked to it today: "Fox vs. CNN: a deepening divide" examines how the "partisan divide is deepening on the TV dial." It includes a thought worth pondering from Frank Sesno: "The common ground for public understanding and public information may be destroyed in all of this. The simple question of what happened today becomes something we're in danger of arguing over." "In some ways, the two networks aren't even speaking the same language, as they use dueling spellings and phrases when referring to the same people and places," the story notes, and cites examples. Read... 1:27:45 PM

I Was Almost Kidnapped, FOX Host Reveals On Blog
"A stranger tried to kidnap me when I was 12 years old, growing up in Ohio," Linda Vester writes on her FOXNews.com blog. "I've never revealed that publicly until now." (A segment about "how to protect your child from kidnapping" aired today on 'Dayside.') "It was a classic case," she writes. "I was waiting alone at the bus stop in the morning when a man drove up in his car...He asked for my help in finding out what time the bus came....I stood there answering him, explaining it was due in a few minutes. Then he ordered me into the car. I noticed he was exposing himself as he was talking, and I took off running to a neighbor's house. I escaped and the guy got away." More... 1:20:34 PM

"Outfoxed:" O'Reilly Plays Insider, Psychologist, Film Critic
"Fox does tilt right," O'Reilly said on 'The Radio Factor' today, "but they don't actively campaign for Bush/Cheney." (The following quotes are partly paraphrased, since O'Reilly tends to talk fast, but mostly verbatim.)
> O'Reilly plays insider: "I can tell you from the inside that Republicans are very unhappy [with Fox]."
> O'Reilly plays pop psychologist: "When the I-hate-Bush people see a network that gives Bush a fair shake, they transfer their hatred from Bush to the Fox News Channel.
> O'Reilly plays film critic: "The movie is totally distorted; smoke and mirrors in the editing room, like they usually do." 1:14:10 PM

"Outfoxed:" 'FOX News Watch' Panelists Opine
FOX News Watch discussed "Outfoxed" on Saturday evening. FOXNews.com has already posted the transcript. (It's almost never out this early!) Highlights:
> Neil Gabler: "...To say that this network promotes the Republican view, not the conservative view, but the Republican view is like saying that the pope is Catholic. It's self-evident."
> Cal Thomas: "I think that the reason this network looks so — quote — "Republican" or conservative is by contrast on what the others do. "
> Jane Hall: "I think they left out the reporting. That's what I really fault it [for]."
> Jim Pinkerton: "I've worked in a lot of different places. I could make a movie out of disgruntled employees anywhere I worked." 1:03:21 PM

"Unfair/Unbalanced:" MoveOn Posts Tools To "Take Action"
MoveOn.org's "Unfair and Unbalanced" campaign has begun. On MoveOn.org/Fox/, visitors can "ask the FTC to order Fox News to stop misleading consumers" by sending comments to the Commission, telling other people about the campaign, and helping "reform the media."
> "Who is taking oddds on how fast this will be laughed out and thrown out?," Keith asks. (His bet is 48 hours.) "This group sounds like they have too much money and time on their hands," another person says. The folks at Free Republic aren't very happy... 11:57:28 AM

Liberal Groups Take Aim At FOX's "Fair & Balanced"
At Press Conf., Slogan Is Called "Consumer Fraud and False Advertising"

MoveOn.org and Common Cause have filed a petition with the Federal Trade Commission "asking the agency to stop FOX News' use of the deceptive tagline" Fair & Balanced, the groups announced this morning. Here is the press release.

"'Unfair and Unbalanced But Unwaveringly Republican' would be an honest tagline," said Michael Pertschuk, former Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission under President Carter. "FOX has a constitutional right to argue in public debate that their news coverage is fair and balanced, but it doesn't have the right to market its network services to prospective viewers and advertisers by masquerading as a news network, and by seeking falsely to monopolize the promotional tagline 'Fair and Balanced.'"

The press release says that "MoveOn.org members handed DVD copies of the documentary to FOX employees entering and leaving the News Channel's building in Manhattan before and during the 10AM press conference."

> Here is a copy of the FTC complaint, as first published on this site Sunday.

> Send your reactions to [email protected] 10:25:09 AM

"Outfoxed:" Snippets From House Parties Nationwide
> San Francisco: "Over Sunday dinner, the Bay Area progressive choir gathered in 382 house parties from Piedmont to San Francisco's Bayview to nod along to the latest political season documentary -- this one ridiculing archnemesis Fox News."
> Philadelphia: "Periodically somebody would break out laughing. There were some groans, more than one snicker." Partier Chip Childers: "I watch Fox News for the same entertainment I watched that for."
> Vermont: "More than 100 people showed up at the School of International Training for the showing." U.S. Rep. Bernard Sanders spoke afterwards.
> Dallas: "I don't know if there were very many people in the room who were shocked," one participant said. 9:49:48 AM

"Outfoxed:" Kurtz's Assessment Of The Film
On Reliable Sources yesterday, Howard Kurtz said the problem with "Outfoxed" is that "in skewering Rupert Murdoch's network, it's neither fair nor balanced." His conclusion: "There's plenty to criticize at any news organization, and liberals may love this movie, but it would have been stronger if it had laid off the editing tricks and included some contrary voices." 9:47:01 AM

"Outfoxed:" Marine's Memo Response: It's "Sniper," Not "Sharpshooter"
Remember the memo where John Moody told FOX staffers to refer to U.S. Marines as "'sharpshooters,' not snipers, which carries a negative connotation"? There is one problem, WP's Leiby writes today: "Marines want to be called snipers. 'Sharpshooter' has less luster." More. 9:45:24 AM

McEnroe On Dismal Ratings: "We're Only A Couple Of Weeks In"
McEnroe's take on the poor ratings of his new show: "We're only a couple of weeks in...I'd like to give myself some more time before I did that." 'Did that' is "beating himself up over the ratings (an average of 146,000 viewers the first week)," the TVWeek Insider says. "I'm starting to get a feeling of what I'm doing here...what it is I need to do," Johnny adds... 9:23:06 AM

When The Big 3 Ignore Conventions, What Are The Consequences?
Jim Lehrer, discussing the fact that broadcast networks are trimming their convention coverage: "The huge audiences for television are still at the three commercial networks, and when they say to the American people that these conventions are not important enough to cover, they become, in my opinion, part of the message of the conventions themselves." He says more in this AP piece.
> This snippet from the story is especially interesting: "ABC News' 2004 convention plan starkly illustrates the conflicting forces. It speaks to either indecision, guilt or a visionary view of how these events will be covered in the future, depending on your point of view." 9:22:11 AM

"Alternet Has Filed A Legal Challenge" To 'Fair & Balanced'
Quoting Alternet: "It's time the Fox News Channel stopped using its ridiculously inaccurate "Fair and Balanced" slogan. AlterNet has filed a legal challenge to that trademark and joined a campaign against Rupert Murdoch's partisan network." Details... 12:01:33 AM

"Outfoxed:" House Party Highlights: Conference Call Quotes
> Wes Boyd called FOX "enemy number one in the undermining of democracy." He said MoveOn will work to rebrand FOX "unfair and unbalanced." "They don't even know what journalism is," he added.
> He asked house-partiers to sign a petition that will be sent to the FTC supporting MoveOn's efforts to stop FOX's "deceptive practices." "We want to add hundreds of thousand of signatures to our filing," he said. He asked for a show of hands ID'ing people who will support the petition.
> "The Independent Media Institute...has initiated a trial proceeding in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel the FOX registration for 'fair and balanced,'" Alternet's Don Hazen announced.
> "People who care about living in a democracy care about good journalism," Noah Winer said. "When our news comes from partisan sources like FOX, we lose the ability to make decisions for ourselves."
> Chellie Pingrie, the head of Common Cause, said that FOX "attempts to blur the lines between journalism and partisan opinion."
> Greenwald said the response to the film has "exceeded all of the expectations." He encouraged the house-partiers to "use the film as a tool" to create "the change in the media that we all want." He said FOX affiliates may broadcast the film for free. (Ha.)
> The web site said 16,000 people were listening to the first conference call, which began at 8:50pm and lasted 30 minutes. Another 9,000 people listened to the West Coast feed.
> A lot of the conference call was aimed at broader media 'evils:' "How many of you can commit 10 hours a month for the next year to join national media reform efforts?," one of the survey questions asked... 11:24:01 PM

Exclusive: Read MoveOn's FOX Complaint To The FTC -- Before It's Sent
In a document to be sent to the Federal Trade Commission Monday morning, MoveOn.org complains about "deceptive practices" allegedly used by FOX News. "The Commission should institute an enforcement proceeding against Fox News; order Fox News to cease and desist from using the slogan and mark “Fair and Balanced; and take such other action as may be appropriate to remedy the injury to consumers from Fox News’ deceptive practices." The petition complains about the "open partisanship of anchors and correspondents," "imbalance in guests and panelists," and "imbalance in selection of topics."
> Only on CableNewser: "To The Division Of Enforcement," FTC, From MoveOn.org (PDF) 7:20:29 PM

"Outfoxed:" "Legal Actions" Include FTC Complaint & "Election Issue"
MoveOn.org and Common Cause will announce "two major legal actions" against FOX News -- and now we have a hint at what they are. Two specific issues will be addressed by the legal actions. The trademark "Fair and Balanced" will be challenged at the Federal Trade Commission, CableNewser hears. And the other issue relates to elections. In the film, Greenwald claims that FOX is an extension of the Republican party. Could they be complaining to the FEC...? Details will be released at 10am Monday. (Hat tip: Johnny Dollar) 11:01:42 AM

"Outfoxed" Media Notes: 3,190 House Parties Tonight
> 3,190 house parties will take place across the country tonight to screen "Outfoxed" and listen to a conference call with Al Franken and Robert Greenwald. We'll be listening to the conference call and blogging the details...
> Last night on 'Big Story Weekend,' Rita Cosby reported that her sources suggest Osama bin Laden's health "is on the line." The "Outfoxed" Newshounds use it as an excuse to criticize FOX: Specifically, Rita's statement that the "terrorism inner circle is telling me" about the chatter...
> The Denver Post compares F9/11 and "Outfoxed," and concludes: "These films are overblown in their delivery, but the impulse is correct: We're all media watchdogs now." And the Star-Telegram describes Greenwald as a "Moore disciple." 11:00:09 AM

MSNBC.com: "Network Error" For Old-Fashioned Visitors
Users who are accustomed to typing in "msnbc.com" have been out of luck this morning. Web surfers who use "msnbc.msn.com" are unaffected, but folks who check the site the good old-fashioned way are stopped by an error message. At 6:59am, the site reported a "Network error (gateway_error)" when users attempted to view it. "An error occurred attempting to communicate with an HTTP or SOCKS gateway," it said. (Thanks, Jim.) At 10:30am, a different "Network error" popped up. "A communication error occured," the message said. "The Web Server may be down, too busy, or experiencing other problems preventing it from responding to requests. You may wish to try again at a later time." If you access the site via MSN, it works, and if you type in http://msnbc.msn.com/, it works, but many visitors still rely on the old "msnbc.com" way...
> UPDATE: The problems arose when some navigation changes were being made, a source says. The site was fixed by noon ET. 10:36:45 AM