Spin Control

The LA Times’ Matea Gold has Phil Griffin spinning like a top over the Matthews/Olbermann pairing for the inauguration…

At the time, MSNBC President Phil Griffin insisted he wasn’t swayed by the critique. Nonetheless, he said he concluded that Olbermann and Matthews “were being restrained” from sharing their opinions when they served as news anchors. To allow them to converse more freely, he made Gregory the lead news anchor for major politics events for the rest of the campaign. Olbermann and Matthews remained a major part of the coverage of the presidential debates and election night but were considered analysts, not news anchors.

Now that the election is over, that distinction seems to have blurred. Gregory, the new moderator of “Meet the Press,” will be contributing to the broadcast network’s inauguration coverage, while Olbermann and Matthews will once again be leading MSNBC’s coverage.

In an interview today, Griffin said he’s comfortable with the role that Olbermann and Matthews will play at the inauguration because it’s “a whole day of color commentary.”

“This is a day of watching the festivities and the pomp and circumstance,” he said.

Griffin said he has “no problem putting our guys out to host programs on big events,” adding: “I want to highlight them.”

So Griffin is comfortable if Matthews and Olbermann should perchance cross the line again? Doesn’t he understand that it was precisely the shoot from the hip opinions of the two that caused an uproar inside NBC News? It didn’t work last year. What’s changed this time around? Eventually, if they host enough events, one or both will say something they shouldn’t and a controversy will erupt. That’s not the point of having someone host national news events, to have a controversy erupt. If the ever opinionated FNC can understand that rule, it shouldn’t be too hard for NBC to understand.

Free for All: 1/12/09

What’s on your mind?

Sean Hannity Interview…

The Hollywood Reporter’s Paul J. Gough interviews Sean Hannity in regards to his new Colmes-less program…

Hannity is flying solo in the 9 p.m. time slot for the first time in 12 years following the departure of his liberal co-host Alan Colmes. Not that he isn’t used to being a solo act. He’s got a popular syndicated radio show and, for the past two years, “Hannity’s America” has played weekends on the Fox News Channel.

“This is not new territory for me,” Hannity said. “But the format and the show itself will be entirely different.”

For starters, viewers will notice that the new show will have more time in general.

“I’m really excited by the fact that we don’t have to rush through guests,” he told The Hollywood Reporter on Friday. “We’ll be able to go into far more depth with the topics, especially the more serious topics.”

In Depth: Talking Head Primetime Invades Daytime…

Ok, I’m supposed to be packing for Monterey right now but I just cannot ignore the above without commenting.

If you were presented the above clip and you were a seasoned viewer of cable news you would have naturally assumed that this sort of in your face back and forth ideological shoutfest was taken from one of the many cable news primetime programs. And you would be wrong. Dead wrong.

And that is what is so troubling about David Shuster’s ridiculous over the top “interview” of John Ziegler. I put “interview” in quotes because it was less an interview than it was an embarrassment for NBC News in general and MSNBC Dayside in particular. It was so wrong on so many levels it defies categorization.

NBC News from Jeff Zucker, to Steve Capus to Phil Griffin have said over and over and over again in defense of Keith Olbermann’s and Chris Matthews’ primetime shows that they’re supposed to be opinion; that the viewer understands there’s a difference between what transpires on NBC News and MSNBC News Dayside and what happens on MSNBC Primetime. Well today’s interview didn’t occur during primetime. It occurred during daytime, during MSNBC Dayside…you know the time of the day when it’s supposed to be about news and not opinion. The supposed line that Zucker, Capus, and Griffin have maintained exists between dayside and primetime was most certainly blurred today, if not outright trampled over. This was a massive mistake.

Blogus Interruptus…

I’m off to Monterey to complete my Advanced PADI certification. Blogging won’t resume until Monday morning…mostly because I live at altitude and you can’t live at altitude after diving. Not for a certain amount of time. So it’s hotels for me…

Free for All – 01/09/09

What’s on your mind?

Blind Item Time…

FTVLive has this…

Which Network Anchors are fooling around with each other?

Both are married to other people and she has stopped wearing her wedding ring.

Another Nielsen Glitch…

And this one is a doozy. Media Post’s Joe Mandese has more…

TV ratings giant Nielsen is getting 2009 off on an awkward foot, disclosing a major technical snafu to clients Wednesday that has caused at least several days of delays for virtually all of its major TV ratings services. The glitch, which was caused by the relocation of the mainframe computing system used to process all its national and local TV ratings, occurred despite a $1 million premium Nielsen paid to the technology provider hired to handle the transition.

Chris Matthews Interview…

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Thomas Fitzgerald writes about Chris Matthews and his non-Senate run…

“There’s a wonderful power in being able to get up in the morning and do and say what you believe,” Matthews said in an interview. “As long as I’m decent and don’t use bad words, I can do pretty much anything I want.”

So on Wednesday, Matthews ended months of flirtation, telephoning Pennsylvania Democrats who had discussed a possible campaign with him to say he would not be running next year. He also told his Hardball show staff.

Hardball and other MSNBC broadcasts were already under attack by Republicans who argued that the network was a propaganda machine for Barack Obama during the race for the presidency. Media ethicists said it would be inappropriate for Matthews to remain on the show if he really were a candidate.

Matthews said he wanted to protect his “integrity” above all, and news coverage Monday of Specter criticizing Obama’s nominee for attorney general intensified his concern.

“That was the point I realized I had to make a decision now, one way or the other,” he said.

CNN Stung by Faked Video?

HotAir.com blogs about CNN maybe falling victim to a faked video…

A little more investigation determined that one of the doctors in the video is notorious terrorist apologist Mads Gilbert. The older brother, meanwhile, is no mere “free-lance cameraman” but the owner of a business that hosts Internet web sites for Hamas. In other words, this looks an awful attempt at propaganda that only a “professional” media outlet with a pre-existing animus to Israel would put on the air without any checking of sources.

CNN has pulled the video from its rotation and its web site, without any explanation or retraction. We’ll see if they own up to their mistake, or simply hope no one notices.

Hannity’s Premiere…

Broadcasting & Cable’s Marisa Guthrie has the details on the premiere of Sean Hannity’s solo show which includes an interview with President Bush…

The new Alan Colmes-less Hannity premieres Monday with frequent Fox News guest Al Sharpton filling the liberal seat on Sean Hannity’s newly christened “Great American Panel.”

Rep. Michelle Bachman (R-Minn.) will fill the seat on the right. (And she should have plenty to talk about given the Senate dispute in her state between Al Franken and Norm Coleman.)

Inauguration Coverage Plans: MSNBC/CNBC

NBC announced its inauguration coverage plans for MSNBC and CNBC…

MSNBC will telecast live outdoors on the National Mall in Washington D.C. as Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, with coverage led by Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow and Eugene Robinson, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. ET. on Tuesday, Jan. 20. MSNBC will continue live coverage from the Mall throughout the afternoon and in primetime, with live telecasts of “Hardball with Chris Matthews” at 5 and 7 p.m. ET; “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue” at 6 p.m. ET; “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” at 8 p.m. ET; “The Rachel Maddow Show” at 9 p.m. ET; and live coverage with Olbermann, Matthews, Maddow and Robinson continuing from 10 p.m.-12 a.m. ET. David Shuster anchors live coverage from 12-3 a.m. ET. MSNBC will also be live throughout the day and in primetime from the Mall leading up to the Inauguration on Monday, Jan. 19.

“Morning Joe” will be live from the Dubliner Restaurant & Pub on Capitol Hill, Monday, Jan. 19, 6-9 a.m. ET and Tuesday, Jan. 20, 6 a.m.-10 a.m. ET, with hosts Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist.

Additionally, MSNBC will also be live from the Mall throughout the day all weekend leading up to Inauguration Day beginning Saturday, Jan. 17 through Sunday, Jan. 18.

CNBC

Inauguration Coverage Plans: CNN

CNN announced its inauguration coverage plans…

Blitzer, Cooper to Spearhead CNN’s The Inauguration of Barack Obama

CNN Blankets Washington, D.C., with Live, Multi-platform Coverage, Analysis of Inauguration Ceremonies; Brown and Cooper to Lead Primetime Coverage

Building upon the network’s record-breaking coverage of the presidential campaign and election, CNN will provide a front row seat for viewers worldwide with live coverage leading up to the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama on Tuesday, Jan. 20, including the swearing-in ceremony and the inauguration parade.

As part of live and in-depth coverage for The Inauguration of Barack Obama, members of the Best Political Team on Television will fan out across the nation’s capital on Inauguration Day to cover every angle of Obama’s official first day in office. CNN anchors Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper guide coverage of the events from the rooftop of the Newseum, a key vantage point along the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route.

“This is one of the most historic events of our time, and CNN will utilize all of our resources to capture the magnitude of the moment,” said Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. “Throughout Inauguration Day and beyond, CNN’s winning political team will continue to offer its trademark independent coverage which has been drawing a record number of viewers throughout this election season.”

Press Releases: 01/08/09

CNN (1)

Sam Feist Named Vice President of D.C.-based Programming for CNN/U.S.

CNN political director Sam Feist has been named vice president of Washington-based programming, it was announced today by David Bohrman, senior vice president and the network’s Washington bureau chief. Feist will continue to report to Bohrman in this role.

“Sam has been a driving force behind the team that led CNN to the most successful ratings year in the network’s 28-year history,” Bohrman said. “CNN’s 2008 election coverage is a great example of where we have been and where we can still go. Sam’s enthusiasm for solid, innovative television makes him a natural fit to lead the Washington bureau’s programming as we prepare to cover the new administration and Congress.”

Free for All – 01/08/09

What’s on your mind?

Blind Item Time…

Page Six dishes…

WHICH married-with-children cable TV honcho has been so helpful to an ambitious reporter who works for him, everyone thinks they’re having an affair – including her boyfriend? Her beau dumped her flat after reading some incriminating e-mails . . .

I heard this story a couple of months ago. It must be getting a lot of play for it to make it all the way to Page Six.

Matthews and Olbermann: Back together again…

In another sign that last year’s posturing by NBC was just that, the Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz notes that Matthews and Olbermann will be back together again front and center for the Inauguration.

Now his short-term future, at least, is set: Matthews and Keith Olbermann will co-anchor MSNBC’s coverage of the Obama inauguration.

So all the talk about having serious journalists for the election was apparently just a way to tamp down what was becoming a troublesome situation for NBC and causing internal strife in the news divsion. Here’s the question everyone should be asking (as I’m sure some inside NBC are asking it): If the pairing of the two in 2008 became toxic for the network as the year progressed, why repeat a mistake?

David Shuster Profile…

The Herald Times Online’s Mike Leonard has a profile of David Shuster. Unfortunately you have to be a paid subscriber to read it. Which guarantees that just about nobody will. Note to MSNBC PR: It doesn’t advance your cause any to get your people profiled with media companies whose websites are locked down tighter than Fort Knox.

Chris Matthews says “No!” to the Senate…

The Hollywood Reporter’s Paul J. Gough writes that Chris Matthews isn’t Senate bound…

After months of will-he or won’t-he speculation, MSNBC “Hardball” host Chris Matthews has opted not to run for Senate in his native Pennsylvania.

Matthews told his producers during a production meeting just before Wednesday afternoon’s “Hardball” that he isn’t running for the Senate. Matthews, his executive producer John Reiss and MSNBC president Phil Griffin declined to comment about the news late Wednesday.

The New York Times’ Bill Carter has more…

Mr. Matthews declined to comment last night, as did executives form NBC News. But one executive said that discussions with Mr. Matthews for a new contract to remain on “Hardball” were continuing.

Update: The LA Times’ Matea Gold has this…

In a routine production meeting before his daily show, “Hardball,” Matthews informed the staff that he was not going to pursue the seat, said network spokesman Jeremy Gaines. The cable host, who is negotiating a new contract at MSNBC, declined to comment.

Tucker Carlson: Done with MSNBC…

Today Tucker Carlson did an online chat with Ana Marie Cox on the Washington Post’s website and the subject of MSNBC came up…(via J$)

Chicago, Illinois: Hey Tucker, Last week, on the Dennis Miller Show, you said it was your last week at MSNBC. Sad Where is your next destination? Print? I actually remember Hitchens saying you should return to print a while back. But print is dying almost as fast as the financial sector. Headline News? Radio? Sabbatical?

Tucker Carlson: I’m actually typing this from a lounge chair outside my villa at Amanyara in the Turks and Caicos, if that gives you some idea. If I’d known how great life could be after cable news, I would have stormed off the Crossfire set six years ago and not come back.

Speaking of, I’ve got a hot stone massage at 3. Time to fire up the golf cart. Thanks for a good time. See you next week.

Press Releases: 01/07/09

CNN (2)

NN’s chief business correspondent Ali Velshi has gone multiplatform on a personal assignment to help his viewers keep afloat amid the current financial crisis.

Right on the heels of the publication of his first book, Gimme My Money Back: Your Guide to Beating the Financial Crisis, Velshi has also gone on-air and online to provide solid advice and information about investments, the current economic situations and personal finance.

On Thursday, Jan. 8, at noon, Velshi goes live for a half-hour on CNN.com, where he will answer viewer questions submitted through iReport.com. In addition, CNN.com has offered created a special section at http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/news/velshi.money/ where users can take quizzes about their financial state, read excerpts from Velshi’s new book and watch video related to the current crisis.

___________________________

CNN, Fortune Partner in Investigation of Bernard Madoff Scandal

Prime-time Special ‘Madoff: Secrets of a Scandal’ to air on Saturday, Jan. 10, and Sunday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m. (ET)

The Hazards of Live TV: #24,989

Not quite sure what to make of this…

Update: After seeing the video of this segment I think this is being wayyy overblown…

State of The Union replaces Late Edition…

The Politico’s Michael Calderone writes about the new John King hosted CNN Sunday program, “State of The Union”…

Last month, CNN announced that correspondent John King would take over the programming hours of 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday mornings, beginning January 18. But when King spoke to Politico at the time about his “marathon” show, it still didn’t have a name.

But according to a CNN source, there is one now: “State of the Union” with John King.

In naming the show, CNN chose one that speaks to both Washington power and the country as a whole, said a source. During the 2008 race, King not only touched down throughout the nation, but also broke down the states nightly with his Magic Wall. (And yes, the Magic Wall will appear on “State of the Union”).”

Free for All – 01/07/09

What’s on your mind?

Covering the Inauguration…

The New York Times’ Brian Stelter writes about the nets Inauguration plans…

“You can feel the excitement in the air,” said Phil Alongi, the executive producer of specials for NBC News.

Sean McManus, the president of CBS News, said the network’s stations have shown strong interest in televising every hour of the proceedings. In fact, when the news division floated the possibility of ending network coverage in the early afternoon, under the assumption that the parade would start to seem repetitious, some of the stations objected.

“We had a lot of affiliates who said that on this historic day they’d rather be doing inauguration coverage than pretty much anything else,” Mr. McManus said.

David Bohrman, the Washington bureau chief for CNN, said the network’s coverage would be longer and more exhaustive than in previous years. “People around the world are going to watch this event,” he said.

Blasting Jim Goldman…

Vallywag’s Owen Thomas takes a big shot at CNBC’s Jim Goldman…

First clip: A CNBC reporter dishes outsidery snark about Apple’s supposedly botched iPhone launch. Second clip: CNBC’s Silicon Valley bureau chief guzzles the Apple Kool-Aid. Is this the same network?

CNBC’s change of tune is a classic cautionary tale. Reporters trade favorable coverage for access to products and executives all the time. But Jim Goldman, the network’s tech reporter, has turned access journalism into a cringe-inducing parody of itself.

When the iPhone launched in the summer of 2007, CNBC didn’t get a review unit. NBC’s Today show did, but a staged call between hosts Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer famously failed. Later that day, a CNBC reporter went on air for an On The Money segment and launched into a tirade about Apple’s botched PR, its unshowered fanboys, and its trouble with the SEC over stock options. (That reporter was not Goldman, as we incorrectly reported in an earlier version of this post; Goldman tells us he was “livid” with the segment.) The rant was acidic, funny, over the top — and, for a cable-news network, shockingly accurate.

After that, CNBC insiders say, Apple’s PR operatives called up executives at the network and threatened to cut off access for good. The show’s producer was called onto the carpet, and soon afterwards left the network; to this day, many employees still believe he was fired under pressure from Apple. (He actually wasn’t, but he told an acquaintance that the Apple incident left a bad taste in his mouth and hurried his exit.)

Alexis Glick Profile…

Delight Magazine’s Greg Archer profiles FBN’s Alexis Glick…(via J$)

At 36, Glick is one of the youngest, most talked about business mavens in broadcasting. In addition to her on-air and behind-the-scenes duties at FBN, she maintains a significant online presence via the popular blogsite, The Glick Report. The blog goes beyond rehashing the events on her morning shows and delivers passionate insights on business and finance—two issues on which, she says, there isn’t a shortage of conversation.

The recent economic crisis immediately comes to mind.

“The most exciting part about covering the economy is that … most people talk about the Great Depression of the 1930s, but now it’s all about The Great Panic of 2008,” she muses. “And, I find that incredibly interesting. What’s so challenging about this market is that it is unbelievably dynamic.”

Not that Glick minds. In fact, she’s used to living on the edge, professionally at least.

“Almost any institution or job that I have had in my life has been like being on the foul line with three seconds left in the game, and do you want the ball?” she notes. “Because, let’s be honest, this work is full of pressure, it’s intense, it’s changing and [you ask yourself]: ‘Do you want it?’ In an environment like this, when so much is changing on a minute-by-minute or hour-by-hour basis, it forces you to be incredibly on top of your ball game. You have to be incredibly bright about what it is going on—well read and well prepared for the tough questions.”

Election rigging?

I missed this last week. The LA Times’ Matea Gold writes about the ratings war at 10pm between AC 360 and On The Record…

CNN was more interested in highlighting the viewership in the key advertising demographic, however. “AC 360” drew an average of 474,000 viewers ages 25 to 54 during the 7 p.m. PT hour, compared with 457,000 delivered by “On the Record.” “Countdown” drew 284,000 viewers in that age group.

Cooper’s win in the demographic can in part be ascribed to the clever way that CNN harnessed interest in the presidential election. While other networks often preempted their regular programming on big political nights to cover the primaries and debates, CNN frequently kept Cooper on as its main anchor during that hour and labeled the show “AC 360.” That enabled the network to include the large viewership for those events in the program’s overall ratings.

According to data from CNN and Fox News, “AC 360” was preempted on just five primary nights, while “On the Record” was off during 11 big political events, including the New Hampshire primary and the State of the Union. Cooper’s show also ran after CNN’s widely watched debates, while Van Susteren’s show was bumped after Fox News’ Jan. 10 debate in South Carolina.

That helped boost Cooper’s overall audience by 63% compared with 2007, while Van Susteren was up 35% year-to-year.

Here’s what I don’t get. Many of us are assuming that CNN’s controversial tactic of labeling special political programming as AC360 was the reason for the Demo win and that it couldn’t have done it without that maneuver. But nobody has come out with numbers conclusively proving that point. A direct head to head comparison of 360 and On The Record minus all the election related specials (debates, primaries, conventions, election night, etc..) would either prove or disprove this point. But we haven’t seen this data. The question is why? It would seem to me that it would be in FNC’s interest to get this info out to prove that point. Why it hasn’t done so is…interesting…and raises questions.

Surgeon General Sanjay Gupta?

The Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz writes about CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta being considered for the position of U.S. Surgeon General…

President-elect Barack Obama has offered the job of surgeon general to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the neurosurgeon and correspondent for CNN and CBS, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.

Gupta has told administration officials that he wants the job, and the final vetting process is under way. He has asked for a few days to figure out the financial and logistical details of moving his family from Atlanta to Washington but is expected to accept the offer.

When reached for comment today, Gupta did not deny the account but declined to comment.

Press Releases: 01/06/09

CNN (1), MSNBC (1)

CNN:

Blitzer Leads The Situation Room to No. 1 Among Younger Viewers in 2008

Throughout a record-breaking year for CNN, more viewers in the 25-54 demographic turned to CNN during the 5 p.m. hour than to any other cable news channel. Additionally, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., was No. 1 among 18-34 and 18-49 viewers in 2008.

For the three hour block, The Situation Room attracted, on average, 81,000 viewers in the 18-34 demo, as compared to the 61,000 viewers who turned to Fox News and the 53,000 viewers who turned to MSNBC. In the 18-49 demo, an average 219,000 viewers watched The Situation Room versus 209,000 and 129,000 who turned to Fox News and MSNBC, respectively.

At 5 p.m., The Situation Room averaged 245,000 viewers in the 25-54 demographic, compared to the 243,000 for Fox News’ Election Headquarters and 197,000 for MSNBC’s Hardball. According to Nielsen data for the year, The Situation Room also beat its competitors in the 5 p.m. hour in the 18-49 demo with 213,000 viewers, versus Fox News’ 190,000 and MSNBC’s 146,000, as well as in the 18-34 demo with 77,000 viewers, compared with Fox News’ 57,000 and MSNBC’s 58,000.