Inauguration Web Numbers…

The Morning Delivery’s Bill Lucey looks at web numbers for the Inauguration…

MSNBC set a record-breaking 4 million unique visitors in a single hour, as users watched the live video stream of the swearing in and Inaugural address from 11 a.m. – Noon (ET), while registering 16.4 million unique visitors on its site throughout the day.

ABC reports an all-time high of 8.3 million videos views on ABCNEWS.COM from Tuesday, up 96 percent from its previous high

According to preliminary, internal data — CNN.COM generated more than 182 million page views and served more than 36.7 million total video streams on Inauguration Day, including 26.9 million live video streams around the globe, shattering its Election Night streaming record of 5.3 million viewers, while 8.5 million viewers tuned into CNN between 12-12:30 ET, according to Nielsen Media Fast National data.

Fox News and CBS will release their final television numbers later this week, but on its website FOX reports it served 5 million total streams between 6 a.m. and 5:30 p.m; and a spokesperson for CBSNews.com claims their streams on Tuesday set records based on a single event, including more than any of the events around the campaign or election.

Reviewing Chris Matthews’ Inauguration Coverage…

Slate’s Jack Shafer reacquaints his keyboard with a familiar target; Chris Matthews…

Nobody in TV news stir-fries his ideas and serves them to the audience faster than MSNBC’s Chris Matthews. Drawing from a larder filled with old anecdotes, unreliable metaphors, wacky intuition, and superficial observations, the always-animated Matthews steers whatever’s handy into the hot wok that is his brain. The sizzling free-associations skitter through his limbic system, leap out his mouth, and look for a resting spot in the national conversation, where they steam like fresh lava in untouchable heaps.

Anything can set Matthews to cooking, but nothing summons his inner chef like a National Event of Great Importance such as yesterday’s inauguration. If you watched MSNBC’s coverage, you understand why Keith Olbermann wears a body apron and totes a fire extinguisher whenever they co-host: to keep the flying grease from setting his suits aflame.

A couple of hours before the oaths were given, Matthews and the MSNBC team of Olbermann, Eugene Robinson, and Rachel Maddow were chatting, and they spotted Muhammad Ali in the gallery. After Olbermann had his say, Matthews butted in.

“Well, and can I point out something else about him? He beat Sonny Liston,” he said.

Both Olbermann and Robinson agree, but that doesn’t deter Matthews, who is looking for a TV argument.

“Nobody can beat Sonny Liston, and he beat him. And he couldn’t fight again after that,” Matthews ejaculated.

Filling in 10 pm…

The New York Times’ Brian Stelter writes about MSNBC wanting to add a new show at 10pm…

With a higher-rated show at 10 p.m., Mr. Griffin predicts that MSNBC can become competitive with Fox among young viewers.

“It’s almost like we’re one personality away,” he said. Mr. Griffin said the network would find a host for the new program the way it developed Ms. Maddow. She substituted for Mr. Olbermann and appeared regularly on the air. A splashy hiring, like the signing of Deborah Norville in 2004 for a short-lived show, does not seem to be a priority. “I want it to be organic,” Mr. Griffin said.

In an e-mail message, Mr. Olbermann said he was working with Mr. Griffin to develop options for the 10 p.m. hour. He echoed Mr. Griffin’s comments about the need for a complete prime-time schedule. “Losing the 10 p.m. replay is a very small price to pay for a last piece to the puzzle,” Mr. Olbermann said.

Oh boy. That last paragraph is going to start another round of “Keith runs MSNBC” kibitzing…

Update: Could this at all be related to the guy who’s been seated next to Contessa Brewer at 2pm several times the past couple of weeks? I forget his name but he’s just a contributor and it’s been very odd seeing them paired together and I started wondering if he’s being groomed for something…

Press Releases: 01/21/09 (Part 2)

MSNBC (1)

MORE THAN 18.76 MILLION AMERICANS TURN TO NBC NEWS TO WITNESS HISTORY BEING MADE WITH THE INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

NBC NEWS IS THE #1 BROADCAST WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS LIVE FROM WASHINGTON, D.C., DRAWING 12.21 MILLION VIEWERS DURING THE KEY VIEWING HOURS OF 12 – 1 PM

NEW YORK – Jan. 21, 2009 – More than 18.76 million Americans turned to NBC News to witness history being made as Senator Barack Obama became the first African American ever to be sworn in as President of the United States. With Brian Williams anchoring coverage along with Tom Brokaw and Lester Holt, NBC News was the #1 broadcast network in all key measurements drawing 12.21 million viewers from 12 – 1 PM, and 8.65 million viewers from 10 AM – 5 PM, according to Nielsen Fast Nationals. NBC News also won in A25-54 from 12 – 1 PM, with 5.18 million viewers, compared to ABC’s 4.52 million viewers and CBS’s 3.21 million viewers.

MSNBC’s coverage of the Presidential Inauguration averaged 2.95 million viewers and 1.05 million A25-54 between 12-1 p.m. ET, as President Obama was officially sworn in. Between 10 a.m.-5 p.m., the network averaged 2.19 million viewers (766,000 A25-54). In primetime, “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” finished ahead of Fox News at 8 p.m. (969,000 vs. 819,000 A25-54), as did the 5 p.m. telecast of “Hardball with Chris Matthews” (839,000 vs. 775,000 A25-54).

More Evidence O’Reilly was Right…

(via J$)

Ignore the usual Gibson blather and skip over to the 4:30 mark. That’s when things get interesting when Gibson reveals more (alleged) evidence that the MSNBC leftward turn was indeed a business/ratings decision. Somewhere Bill O’Reilly is gloating big time. And, as one of his most consistent critics regarding his over the top war on NBC, I have to acknowledge that he’s earned the right to. Unless of course Gibson is embellishing his story (something that can’t be dismissed out of hand given his history of disingenuous, misleading, and distorted statements)…

Press Releases: 01/21/09

CNN (1)

CNN Dominates Cable News Competition During Inauguration Coverage

Nearly 8.5 Million Viewers Turn to CNN for Inaugural Address; CNN.com Shatters Previous Records

CNN’s multi-platform coverage of the Inauguration of President Barack Obama reached a ratings milestone on Tuesday, Jan. 20, with CNN’s television coverage dominating the competition throughout the day, and CNN.com shattering records across the board during Inauguration Day.

More Americans turned to CNN on television from 12:00 – 12:30 pm, ET (according to Nielsen Media Fast National data), which included the new president’s swearing in and inaugural address than any other cable news network. CNN dominated the competition with 8.497 million total viewers, FNC placed a distant second with 5.488 million, and MSNBC trailed with 3.076 million. In the key demographic adults 25-54, CNN attracted more viewers than FNC and MSNBC combined, with 3.459 million viewers, a 101% advantage over FNC’s 1.722 million, and a staggering 211% lead over MSNBC’s 1.113 million.

From 11:00 am – 2:00 pm yesterday, CNN was also top-rated among total viewers with 6.941 million tuning in, FNC followed with 4.438 million, and MSNBC was a distant third with 2.571 million. This represents the network’s highest 11:00 am – 2:00 pm average in history. In the key demographic adults 25-54, CNN posted 2.811 million viewers, a 104% more than FNC’s 1.379 million and a 204% advantage over MSNBC’s 924,000.

Web Pandering: Update…

Yesterday, ICN criticized CNN’s Photosynth segments as nothing more than glorified tech shilling and noted that the technology was impractical as a journalistic tool because it wasn’t a single moment in time captured but a bunch of different moments in time stitched together to create a fake moment in time and that process would by definition cause anomalies to appear. Well, the folks at Newscast Studio did some digging and found Barack Obama in more than one part of the image…

Though users were supposed to capture the moment Barack Obama placed his hand on the Bible, CNN received and used photos from another moment, it seems. Check out the image above. You can see Barack and Michelle Obama on the left, with Barack about to take the oath of office. But look to the right. Oops. There’s Barack and Michelle again.

Free for All: 01/21/09

What’s on your mind?

Reviewing CNBC’s “Options Action”…

Optionetics’ Chris Tyler reviews the new CNBC program “Options Action”… (via Talking Biz News)

Personally, I do hope Options Action receives the green light and viewers that have empowered Mad Money can find some time for a bit of extra market-related homework/viewing thought worth tuning in for. In the premier show the Anchor Bankers i.e. financials (XLF) were atop the Options Action radar. That should come as little surprise as the group has been leading the broader market’s move lower. It also helps that those names enjoy tremendous participation by option traders even when it’s not necessarily a really mad money market.

Much like CNBC’s Fast Money, which has the “heatseeking” Pete Najarian of OptionMonster.com yapping about unusual option activity, Options Action did begin its mission to inform and educate with some very unusual bearish action to the tune of 20,000 plus contracts in the out-of-money Wells Fargo (WFC) February 15 Put. While that’s nothing out of the ordinary, the show’s Stacey G., an analyst at Susquehanna, did break away from the typical caveman “Me long puts, me long calls” routine.

The Golden Rule…broken…

24/7 Wall St. commits a big no-no and bites the FBN PR hand that feeds it…

Today we got another good story from the Fox Business PR department. This one was an article from the Page 6 gossip column about a CNBC reporter, Becky Quick, who married one of the channel’s executive producers. Maybe Quick gets better treatment because of her “relationship” with the management. At least that seems to be what The Post was hinting.

The queer thing about all these messages from Fox Business is that they do not have anything to do with reporting on the stock market, the economy, the credit crisis, or corporate earnings. The releases are, by their nature, scurrilous. They take away from any reasonable debate over the quality or competition within the news media.

We asked the PR people at Fox Business who the general manager or executive producer at their channel is. 24/7 got a note back saying “I’ll give you a call to discuss. What’s your number? ” When we didn’t call, Fox called us and left a message. But, it seems like an easy question to answer, Who runs your company? Which manager has nothing better to do with his or her time than to get the PR department to send out useless e-mails?

Readers may think we are doing CNBC a favor by taking this position. But, we are not allowed to go on CNBC either, and don’t watch it. Being on TV does not get any extra readers. Watching television business news can make your hair hurt. And, we don’t have a big enough budget to pay for cable.

Everybody gets useless PR emails. But most of us just ignore the ones that aren’t worth following up on. 24/7 apparently does not understand how cable news or cable business news works. Here’s a lesson…

Mark Whitaker Profile…

The New York Observer’s Felix Gillette profiles NBC Washington Bureau Chief Mark Whitaker…

When Mr. Whitaker took over the bureau in mid-summer, he inherited a deep, talented staff full of up-and-coming talents like political director (and newly minted chief White House correspondent) Chuck Todd and savvy, deeply sourced veterans like Andrea Mitchell. But it was also a competitive group that was in the midst of a heated campaign, struggling to find the right balance between broadcast and cable sensibilities, and still coping with the sudden death of their beloved leader.

To make an already difficult job that much more so, Mr. Whitaker took over the bureau at a time when all NBC managers were being asked by upper management to significantly trim their staffs. In November, not long after moving into the bureau, Mr. Whitaker was put in the unenviable position of having to ask his new staff to apply for buyout packages. In the end, a number of talented reporters and producers were let go.

Afterward, perhaps predictably, some grumbles arose at the bureau about Mr. Whitaker’s leadership style, with some staffers questioning why the new boss was putting himself on the air at a time when some management issues still seemed unresolved.

Through it all, Mr. Whitaker has stuck with his low-key, friendly management style. After all, it is the second time in his career that he has taken over a news organization following the death of the organization’s former charismatic chieftain. To wit: In 1998, Mr. Whitaker became the editor of Newsweek, a few short months after the death from leukemia of his former boss, the popular longtime Newsweek editor Maynard Parker.

Inside CNN’s Inauguration Coverage…

The Hollywood Reporter’s Paul J. Gough writes about CNN’s inauguration coverage…

CNN’s telecast, like all the others, were nearly flawless. But after the 11 a.m. hour passed, and former presidents and their wives weren’t yet at their seats, it was clear that things were behind schedule. Just before 11:30 a.m., Laura Bush and Michelle Obama were seated, 10 minutes later than expected. Seven minutes later, President Bush is announced. There’s no chance that in 20 minutes, Vice President Joe Biden can be sworn in, the invocation by the Rev. Rick Warren can be done and the two musical selections performed.

A woman in the CNN control room, on a direct line to the networks’ pool center, picks up the phone.

“CNN to Capitol pool,” she says, then pauses. “Do we expect any change in schedule because they’re running so late?”

There aren’t any changes, things are just going to be late. The president-elect is announced, then steps out on to the Capitol platform to a resounding cheer. CNN split screens Obama along with the crowd in the National Mall, and switches to live scenes in Memphis, Pasadena, Chicago, as well as growing crowds in Harlem and Times Square here in New York. But despite the cheer, things don’t change: It’s 11:45 a.m., when it should have been 11:34 a.m.

The question hangs in the control room, though it isn’t addressed on air yet. Does the oath of office have to be administered by noon, and if it isn’t exactly on time, who is president? Feist, for what won’t be the first time today, pulls up a copy of the Constitution on his computer screen.

Rachel Maddow Interview…

New York Magazine’s Jada Yuan interviews Rachel Maddow…(via J$)

What’s going to happen to Fox News now?

I think they’ll do great. It seems like they’re shaking up their lineup a little bit and doing some things a little bit different. I think soul searching is probably good for all media organizations, and I’m sure they’ll come out of this stronger than ever.

Will liberals stop going on there, now that they don’t have to appease anybody?

When have liberals ever had to appease anybody?

I guess that’s right. Otherwise they wouldn’t be liberals.

I don’t think that Fox was ever a pertinent outlet for liberals. They’ve got Glenn Beck. Maybe he’ll do better there than he did on Headline News. They seem very excited about him and they seem very excited about having gotten rid of Mr. Colms. I don’t watch TV. I know what their lineup is, but I don’t watch. They make so much money I’m sure they’ll do great.

You won’t be poaching conservatives from there to be on your show?

I think I’m doing okay. They can have them.

In Depth: Web pandering…

I didn’t see this live when it happened but CNN is pushing this photosynth technology segment like it’s such a big deal…like it’s the Magic Wall all over again. Let’s step back a minute and examine this, shall we?

CNN is devoting a segment to look at one image captured in time (allegedly…more on the inaccuracy of that in a moment). Putting John King, Mr. “Magic Wall” himself, on to handle this supposedly “elevates” the importance of this segment in the viewer’s mind. And then there’s the blatant appeal for more viewer photos to be submitted via the web. The theory is the more photos there are the more detail there can be in the assembled image. But it’s all just a ridiculous smokescreen…

The Obama Inauguration: Your Reactions…

Post your reactions to today’s Inauguration and the coverage thereof…

Goldman’s Apple Sources…

Vallywag’s Owen Thomas does some detective work. I’ll leave it to you to decide if said detective work was accurate…

The only conclusion to reach here: Either Goldman is puffing up flacks as sources, or his sources don’t exist.

That’s what one former colleague of Goldman’s thinks:

Here’s the key to revealing Goldman — he doesn’t have any sources. And his bosses back in New Jersey don’t know that. His only Apple “source” is a flack, Steve Dowling, who once worked at CNBC as the Silicon Valley (off-air) bureau chief.

The question you should raise — does CNBC’s managing editor know who Goldman’s sources are? He inflates his bogus persona as a Silicon Valley insider by inventing sources. At any legitimate news organization, if you can use an unnamed “source” your boss must know who it is, by name.

Does CNBC follow this practice? (The answer, as I know well, is: no).

I’ve watched Goldman sit at his desk without picking up the phone for hours, then go on the air and say “I just got off the phone with a source inside Google who tells me…”

He flat out makes it up. He IS Jayson Blair. And he’s the only person at CNBC who even tries to get away with it.

Shopping Maria?

Silicon Alley Insider’s Nicholas Carson writes about Maria Bartiromo’s future…

According to a source familiar with Maria’s thinking, she might consider moving to general news if an extraordinary offer came along (say it ain’t so, Maria!). Given the breadth of people she interviews on her show, it would be easy to see her making this transition.

I’ll believe it when I see it…

Free for All: 01/19/09

What’s on your mind?

Glenn Beck Interview…

The New York Daily News’ Richard Huff interviews Glenn Beck…

At Headline News, Beck mixed commentary with interviews, and basically focused on what was happening newswise at the time. The Fox show, called “Glenn Beck,” will be a little more focused than what he did before, Beck said.

“I’m doing a commentary show. It’s really about my world view and how I see things come together,” he said. “I’m not going to do Britney Spears stories. I feel like we’re living in important times.”

But why should anyone care about Beck’s views?

“I’m one guy, kind of with a large middle section depending what time of year it is,” he said. “Who do I think I am? I am absolutely nobody. It’s just that my cubicle, as opposed to others’ cubicles, is wired to a network.”

FNC, re-energized?

The New York Times’ Brian Stelter writes about FNC at the dawn of an Obama Administration…

Scott McClellan, the White House press secretary from 2003 to 2006, said in an interview last week that “a number of people viewed Fox as an outlet that would be more favorable” than other media groups to the Bush administration. He emphasized that this feeling applied to the network’s conservative commentators, not its correspondents.

But the network is showing no concern about the new administration; if anything, it seems re-energized. With a series of program changes this month, Fox News is doubling down on the programming strategy that has made it the No. 1 cable news network for seven years.

Some of the network’s prominent conservative hosts seem invigorated about being back on offense; Sean Hannity, one of television’s foremost voices of opposition to Mr. Obama, introduced a “liberal translator” on his prime-time program last week.

The media world will watch carefully to see whether Fox receives the same treatment from an Obama White House that it received from Mr. Bush’s. And it will wait and see whether Fox can stave off its two primary competitors, CNN and MSNBC, in the 25- to 54-year-old demographic that matters most to advertisers.

Man bites Dog…

Johnny Dollar reviews “Hannity”…

Still, despite the panel, if you are looking for even-handed discourse, Hannity is a shell of its former self. There are ways to improve the situation–the most straightforward would be to book some liberals and Democrats for interviews (if they are willing to endure Sean’s lengthy, list-infested questioning).

But there are those who believe cable news deserves to have at least one nightly left/right debate program. One wonders if it would be so difficult after all to find a co-host who could spark some chemistry with Sean Hannity. Maybe someone with Hannity’s Irish gift for blarney. Years ago, Roger Ailes gave a break to a little-known politico, permitting him to host a news-talk program on the “America’s Talking” channel. He did well enough that Ailes brought him over to CNBC and gave him a high-visibility hour: Politics, with Chris Matthews, later redubbed Hardball. Matthews’s MSNBC contract is about to expire, and while negotiations are ongoing, there has yet to be an announcement.

What if Mr Ailes were to call on his old friend once again, and offer him greater visibility, freedom from having to masquerade (unsuccessfully) as a nonpartisan analyst, and an audience larger than he has ever earned on his own? We have no reason to believe any such thing could happen, and good reason to believe it won’t. But Sean Hannity & Chris Matthews? That would be one hell of a debate show.

Oops…

This is too funny. And not just because CNN made a mistake confusing the Micronesian island of Yap with the Micronesian island of Guam. You’ll find out why I thought this was funny in a little less than three months. But here’s a hint…

Rachel Maddow Profile…

The New Orleans Times-Picayune’s Richard Walker profiles Rachel Maddow ahead of the Tuesday Inauguration…

Tuesday, Maddow will join MSNBC colleagues Olbermann, Chris Matthews and Eugene Robinson from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for live coverage of Obama’s swearing-in and surrounding festivities, then deliver her evening show in its usual 8 p.m. time slot, then immediately rejoin the panel for recaps and nightcaps as the balls and galas and wingdings proceed around Washington, D.C.

“I was briefed on where everybody is going to be and what everybody is going to be doing — it was like learning about the Mars landing,” said Maddow, meeting here last week with members of the Television Critics Association at the January TV Tour. “There’s so many different things going on, and there’s so much equipment and personnel.

“I know I’m going to be part of not the play-by-play, but the color.”

What’s Hot/What’s Not: 01/18/09

What’s Hot:

U.S. Airways surfs the Hudson – In a case of convenient location, the US airways crash on Thursday afternoon brought about a ton of coverage from the nets. I say “convenient location” because if this had happened anywhere else besides New York City (save maybe Washington D.C.), where the networks are located, you can bet your last dollar that we wouldn’t have seen the full court press we got with the talent level we saw.

What’s Not:

Jim Goldman – Goldman took a lot of heat this week for his reporting on Apple and Steve Jobs. Goldman remained defiant, and a tad defensive, over the matter. That only served to turn up the heat on the CNBC reporter. A little contrition would have helped I think.

David Shuster – Technically, this took place the prior week but there was no What’s Hot/What’s Not last weekend. Shuster again stuck his foot in it with an embarrassing interview with John Ziegler, showing that his suspension a year ago didn’t really sink in. This wouldn’t have been an issue if it had happened during 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Shuster’s program. But it happened during MSNBC Dayside, thus polluting NBC News’ reputation as a straight news organization.

Pundits rule – MSNBC’s decision to put its prime time pundits on to cover the Obama Inauguration drew a series of skeptical articles from the MSM regarding the thinking behind the move. And it’s no wonder. MSNBC did a total 180 on its rule of putting a journalist on to anchor political coverage. Phil Griffin’s anemic defense was ridiculed in the (non-blue blog) blogosphere. This says two things: 1) Griffin wants to put his primetime stars on in the hopes of luring more viewers, and 2) MSNBC’s dayside bench is too weak because if they had a Shepard Smith or a Wolf Blitzer there wouldn’t be any question of putting them on. Of course when you’re cutting costs the way NBC has been, you’re going to have a weak bench on MSNBC when all the big money is tied up on NBC talent and MSNBC primetime. It’s kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

CNN.com Profile…

The New York Times’ Brian Stelter profiles CNN.com.

As newspaper revenue collapses and television revenue stagnates, every media company is rushing to reformat news for the digital generation. To that end, they are placing expensive bets in the hope of answering two pointed questions: How will news organizations continue to sustain themselves? And what will the digital newsroom of the future look like?

To a greater degree than most other media companies, CNN, the cable news channel of record, has figured it out. Using page views as a metric, Nielsen ranked CNN.com as the No. 1 current events and global news Web site last year, with a monthly average of 1.7 billion — half a billion views more than its nearest competitor, MSNBC.com.

Analysts say the Web site represents the fastest-growing part of CNN’s revenue, reflecting the sharp increase in online consumption.

For decades, “What channel is CNN?” was a recurrent query when a jury reached a verdict, when the towers burned, and when war broke out. Now, people also ask: “Where do I log on?” In fact, the emergency landing of an airliner last week in the Hudson River generated one of the biggest traffic spikes ever for news Web sites.

Izzy Povich Profile…

Broadcasting & Cable’s Allison Romano profiles Countdown EP Izzy Povich…

Through the years, MSNBC has struggled to find its place against CNN and Fox News, but Povich has enjoyed the ride: “We went through so many shows and so many incarnations, it was never boring. “Most people in TV work on shows that get cancelled and they go somewhere else. I’ve just done that in the same place.”

Still, she admits MSNBC’s years as the ratings laggard have been frustrating. “An old boss used to say that cable news is like a knife fight every night for ratings,” she says. “I don’t like losing.”

But with last year’s wild primary season and general presidential election, MSNBC finally got a chance to find an identity—one that stuck with viewers. In primetime, viewers flocked to hosts like Olbermann and former Air America radio host Rachel Maddow, who offer both opinion and the day’s news, but from a perspective that leans to the left. In 2008, MSNBC’s weekday primetime ratings jumped 100%, with an average of 1.1 million total viewers and 418,000 adults 25-54.

“The way that cable has become, you need more than just news of the day; you need to be opinion and entertainment,” Povich says. “You have to give people more than straight hardcore news.”

But with competition from CNN’s Campbell Brown and O’Reilly at 8 p.m., Povich knows the struggle for viewers will always be fierce. Also, she says, people will scrutinize MSNBC as the Obama administration takes power to see if the network is softer on a Democratic government than it was on the conservative Bush administration.

“The reality is we are going to have to adjust,” she says. “But we call bullshit when it needs to be called on anybody. People say MSNBC is the Obama network, but we will hold people’s feet to the fire.”

What’s Hot/What’s Not: Submissions…

Ok, after a couple of week hiatus it’s time to start What’s Hot/What’s Not for 2009. I thought about bagging it again this weekend because I’m leaving for Monterey tonight as I have more diving to do Saturday but instead I started it a day early. Post your nominations for this week. I’ll post the finalists early Sunday…

The Hazards of Live TV: #24,991

Spin Cycle…

Variety Brian Lowry blogs about Phil Griffin’s appearance at the TCA yesterday…(via TVN)

After having Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews anchor its coverage during the primaries, MSNBC backed off under criticism, announcing in September that the network would alter their roles to commentary and let David Gregory anchor on election night. For next week’s inaugural, however, the two will be back in an anchoring role, along with equally opinionated new primetime host Rachel Maddow.

Asked about the windshield-wiper act after Thursday’s press tour session showcasing Maddow, MSNBC President Phil Griffin (pictured) said he had no problem with his outspoken hosts anchoring in this context and that he’d consider the decision again the next time an election rolled around. “These are our guys. This is our team, and I want to celebrate it,” he said, calling Barack Obama’s inauguration “a day to take a look at who we are.”

Fair enough, though Fox News Channel has pointed out in the past that it keeps resident conservative pit bull Sean Hannity on the sidelines during such news-based events. Speaking of Fox, both Griffin and Maddow dismissed the suggestion that MSNBC has become its left-leaning counterweight, with Griffin stating, “We’re less about ideology than Fox is.”

Does anyone outside of NBC believe that anymore?

Comedy News Network?

Stage Time notes that CNN is adding another comedian to its once all news roster… (via J$)

Comedian Angry Bob has been tapped to appear every Friday on the 3pm weekday edition of CNN Newsroom with Rick Sanchez. The comedian will humorously discuss the biggest stories of the week with Sanchez. Angry Bob made his debut on the news program Jan. 2 where he commentated on the biggest stories of 2008.