Greg D’Alba Interview…

Multichannel News’ Mike Reynolds interviews CNN’s Greg D’Alba regarding CNN’s upcoming upfront…

Asked about the impact of MSNBC surpassing CNN in viewers and in the demo for the first time during the first quarter (Fox has ruled the cable news ratings roost for 87 months), D’Alba acknowledged that “TV ratings are important and we’ve certainly celebrated our share of wins over the past 18 months…But [MSNBC] is competing on a shorter playing field for any day, week or hour. We have a significant long-field playing advantage.”
Taking a macro view, D’Alba said “it’s about how you define winning. We have a tremendous reach advantage that touches more customers and gives our clients opportunities to sell more products.”

D’Alba said that CNN has already put business on hold for some of its specials, which cover such topics as diversity, financial, cause-related, health, political, thought leaders, technology, environment and women. However, he said couldn’t disclose the clients until the deals “go to order.”

Cody Willard Profile…

The LA Times’ Dawn C. Chmielewski profiles FBN’s Cody Willard…

Leaping from lattes to finance: Despite his unconventional looks, Willard has some serious financial cred, doing stints at investment bank Oppenheimer & Co., at a technology venture capital fund and at a telecommunications company before starting a hedge fund, CL Willard Capital, which he ran for nearly five years. That job was so stressful, he wrote in London’s Financial Times, that he didn’t need an alarm clock. “The knot in my gut that came with the pressure of running other people’s money swelled long before the sun rose each morning.”

Somewhere between the technology boom of the late 1990s and the bust of 2000, Willard also started dabbling in financial journalism, writing columns for TheStreet.com and the Financial Times. He says he can still remember calling his mom to tell her about his writing gig with TheStreet, describing it as his big break.

Cramer Talks Stewart…

The Ohio State University Lantern’s Dan McKeever interviews CNBC’s Jim Cramer…

“Was it a fair fight? No, it wasn’t even a fight. I came on with the idea of taking a high road approach and discussing the issues, obviously [Stewart] came on strictly to try to humiliate me,” Cramer said. “It was brutal. Was he stand-up? Absolutely not. Did he comport himself as a gentleman? Hardly. It was a deposition; he wants to be a prosecutor.”

Cramer was also critical of Stewart’s conduct off-camera.

“He had an animus toward me. At the conclusion of the interview, not on the mic, he said, ‘I picked the wrong guy, I’m sorry,’ but that’s not gonna get out there,” Cramer said. “He just said it to me as just a throwaway. His goal was just to humiliate and destroy me and probably get me fired, and last I looked, I still have a show.”

Glenn Beck’s Comedy Tour…

The AP’s David Bauder writes about Glenn Beck’s upcoming comedy tour…

Glenn Beck, Fox News Channel’s latest sensation, is taking a comedy show on the road for six live performances over six days during the first week of June.

Beck calls his act a “poor man’s Seinfeld” and intends to mix topical humor with his modern-day reimagining of Thomas Paine’s 1776 pamphlet “Common Sense.”

The radio and TV talk show host will start June 1 in Denver, then perform in theaters in Phoenix, San Diego, Kansas City, Houston and Richmond, Va., over the next five days, he said. The Kansas City show on June 4 will air as a live simulcast in select theaters across the country and as a recorded broadcast in theaters a week later, a spokesman for Beck said.

Zain Verjee Co-Anchors CNNI Show…

CNN Observations notes this tweet that Zain Verjee will be co-hosting CNN Today from London with Don Riddell…

Zain launches her new show from London on Monday and she’s very excited. She and Don Riddell will anchor together in fact.

Glenn Beck Interview

The San Antonio Express News’ Jeanne Jakle interviews Glenn Beck…

On those who call him a “fear-monger,” particularly when he presented his series “The War Room,” which made scary predictions about the future of America. (Stephen Colbert spoofed it as “The Doom Bunker.”): “People need to get out of the mode that it couldn’t happen here, that our economy would never collapse, that civil unrest would never happen. … Wouldn’t it be better if we were prepared for any crisis?”

The one TV show he watches religiously? No, not “The O’Reilly Factor” or, heaven forbid, “The Daily Show.”

“I never miss ‘The Office,”’ he said. “And I’ll tell you why. When I married my wife, I used to make her laugh, but she doesn’t find me funny anymore. … Because I love to hear her laugh, I watch ‘The Office’ with her. … she laughs hard and loud.”

Chris Wallace Profile…

Broadcasting & Cable’s Marisa Guthrie profiles FNC’s Chris Wallace…

At Fox News, Wallace is in his element, mixing it up with Beltway insiders. “I love politics,” he says. “I love the strategy of it.”

He’s been known to spar with colleagues, competitors and, in one famed case, a Clinton. In a 2006 interview with the former president, ostensibly to discuss climate-change initiatives, Wallace made headlines when he asked why the Clinton administration had not “put [Osama] bin Laden and al-Qaeda out of business.” And during the most recent election, Wallace took the hosts of Fox & Friends to task on the air for their “Obama-bashing.”

“Whatever he thinks is the appropriate thing to do, he does,” says Sam Donaldson, Wallace’s onetime competitor when both covered the Reagan administration, Wallace at NBC and Donaldson at ABC.

Donaldson recalls Wallace’s tenacity with Ronald Reagan, who was known to be reticent with the White House press. After the U.S. military forced down an Egyptian passenger jet carrying the hijackers of the Achille Lauro, it very nearly sparked an international incident. As Reagan deplaned from Air Force One and headed for his motorcade, recalls Donaldson, “We all jumped on him.” The press corps was asking en masse if the U.S. would apologize to Egypt.

But it was Wallace who got the prime quote. “[Reagan] was about to speed off, and Chris said, ‘Mr. President, do we have anything to apologize for?’ And he reared up and said, ‘No!’ It was a great sound bite. It illustrated what Chris does so well. He knows how to ask the right question.”

Anchor Wars: 04/13/09

Today…

FNC’s Jon Scott and HLN’s Robin Meade…

Final Tally: Meade…

What’s Hot/What’s Not: 04/12/09

What’s Hot:

Ar, Mateys – Somali Pirates dominated what was a slow Easter news cycle the latter half of the week.

Glenn Beck – Beck is a truly spectacle to behold these days…

What’s Not:

Glenn Beck – And that is not necessarily a good thing…

Larry King Live – For being a party to the Jericho/Rourke showdown which climaxed at Wrestlemania 25 last weekend. What’s next? The UFC?

Ed Schultz – Mixed reviews and drooping ratings suggest a rocky start to the new MSNBC 6pm show.

ICN – I mistakenly put the What’s Hot/What’s Not: Submissions post in the Drafts section instead of posting it yesterday morning and only caught on to that just now when I went to check it and couldn’t find it. Sorry about that.

Roger Friedman – Friedman got fired from Fox News for talking about downloading the pirated Wolverine movie.

My stock options – Not only were most of them underwater but those that weren’t worth optioning all expired today because I got laid off.

Neil Cavuto Interview…

The Sacramento Bee’s Claudia Buck interviews Neil Cavuto ahead of Cavuto’s trip to Sacramento…

Amid all the economic bad-news barometers, it’s challenging to keep perspective, especially for those immersed in it daily.

Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto, who’s bringing his New York-based business show to Sacramento’s Capitol on Wednesday, says a dose of reality helps.

“People have to realize it’s never as bad as the media reports on the downside or as wonderful on the upside. You have to have your own inner compass to relate to what’s out there.”

And downturns have their upsides, he notes. “A lot of the biggest and most promising companies started in recessions: Apple, Google and Microsoft.”

Dobbs vs. Olbermann…

(Via Olbermann Watch)

Joe Scarborough Profile…

Newsweek’s Seth Colter Walls profiles MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough.

When it comes to viewership, you cannot stop Fox News—you can only hope to contain it. But while the pioneers of finger-jabbing conservatism still dominate the cable-news ratings, the battle for No. 2 has taken a twist. Last month, MSNBC moved ahead of CNN to claim second place in the evenings. When those Nielsen numbers rolled in, CNN president Jonathan Klein had a rejoinder ready, saying his network was “more than ever the source of reliable news.” The implication was that MSNBC had succeeded by going full-tilt liberal—fair enough if you’re just talking primetime, when Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow occupy the anchor chairs. But Klein couldn’t explain away another milestone. For the first time since it launched in 2007, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” defeated CNN’s “American Morning” among younger viewers—the demographic advertisers prize most. That show is hosted by Joe Scarborough, a former Florida congressman—and a registered Republican.

CNN’s Troubles…

Variety’s Daniel Frankel writes about CNN…

Meanwhile, CNN contends that its regular primetime shows — “Campbell Brown” “Larry King Live” and “Anderson Cooper 360″ — were all flat or up slightly vs. the timeslots in 2008.

The channel’s brass say the primetime plunge isn’t really a problem. They boast that the just-completed first quarter was their most successful since the halcyon days of their 1991 Gulf War coverage, with total viewership across all dayparts actually up 17%.

“Primetime is most meaningful to entertainment networks,” says CNN U.S. prexy Jonathan Klein, noting that his channel sells its commercial time in a more bundled, multiplatform way that differs from most cable networks, which deal more in the typical currency of primetime ratings points.

“We sell against all of our platforms — TV, online, international — and it’s hard to say there’s one particular daypart or hour of the day that matters more,” says Klein, who notes that CNN has generated double-digit revenue growth in each of the last five years.

This may be true, but primetime is where every network spends the big bucks for talent and other resources.

Dylan Ratigan Interview…

Clusterstock’s Henry Blodget interviews Dylan Ratigan…

Blodget: So, you’re one of CNBC’s biggest stars. You’re running one of the most successful shows they’ve got. And you bolt. Why?

Ratigan: A lot of things came together. One, it became apparent to me that there had been some major policy failures in America. While clearly pursuable at a place like CNBC, in my opinion, they are more broadly pursuable from a wide variety of other news platforms.

Blodget: Such as?

Glenn Beck Channels Olbermann…

(watch it all the way to the end)

Uh…the three shot is a nice touch…I guess. All that’s needed now is for Beck to call on Obama to “RESIGN!”…and he’ll have managed to accomplish in a few short months what it took Olbermann years to work his way up to during the Bush Administration. I don’t know what’s scarier, Beck and Olbermann’s success as out of control ideologues, or, the MSM fawning over Beck and Olbermann’s success as out of control ideologues…

Blogus Interruptus…

Blogging resumes Friday sometime. Today’s Anchor Wars will continue, though any votes after 12:30 am ET will not be counted. No Anchor Wars tomorrow.

Press Releases: 04/09/09

CNN (1)

CNN.com Live to stream Funeral Mass for Earthquake Victims in Italy

CNN.com Live, the site’s live, multi-stream video news service, will stream the State Funeral Mass being held in Italy tomorrow for Monday’s Earthquake victims. The service is scheduled to begin at 5 a.m. ET and is taking place at the school campus of the Italian police force, Guardia di Finanza. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is scheduled to attend as well as other prominent Italian political leaders in an exceptional Good Friday funeral mass with full state honors. To access CNN.com Live, go to www.CNN.com/Live and click on the thumbnail images under the “Happening Now” column.

Free for All: 04/09/09

What’s on your mind?

Lester Holt interview…

The Ithican’s Jackie Palochko interviews Lester Holt…

JP: You’ve been in places such as Lebanon, reporting on the war. Was there ever an instance in which you were concerned about your safety?

LH: Obviously when you’re in a war zone, safety is a concern. But I’ve done stories domestically in some high-crime areas, in which I’ve been equally concerned about my safety. … We take a lot of precautions going into war zones. We have security people with us, who can advise us and tell us where to be and where not to go. We do a lot of homework before going.

JP: Do you have advice for aspiring journalists?

LH: Journalism is not dying, but it is changing. We have to adapt. When I got into the business, people didn’t want to hear my opinion, and I didn’t want to give my opinion. That was a taboo. Now we’re seeing a lot more publications and broadcasts that seem to thrive on opinion. More important, I tell people that you have to be good at more than one thing. The economics require you bring a lot more to the table.

Anchor Wars: 04/09/09

The original 64 have been whittled down to 16 as round 3 commences. Today…

CNN’s John King and FNC’s Jane Skinner…

Final Tally: Skinner…

Ebert vs. O’Reilly…

Roger Ebert writes about Bill O’Reilly putting the Chicago Sun-Times in his “Hall of Shame”…

Yes, the Sun-Times is liberal, having recently endorsed our first Democrat for President since LBJ. We were founded by Marshall Field one week before Pearl Harbor to provide a liberal voice in Chicago to counter the Tribune, which opposed an American war against Hitler. I’m sure you would have sided with the Trib at the time.

I understand you believe one of the Sun-Times misdemeanors was dropping your syndicated column. My editor informs me that “very few” readers complained about the disappearance of your column, adding, “many more complained about Nancy.” I know I did. That was the famous Ernie Bushmiller comic strip in which Sluggo explained that “wow” was “mom” spelled upside-down.

Your column ran in our paper while it was owned by the right-wing polemicists Conrad Black (Baron Black of Coldharbour) and David Radler. We dropped it to save a little money after they looted the paper of millions. Now you call for an advertising boycott. It is unusual to observe a journalist cheering for a newspaper to fail. At present the Sun-Times has no bank debt, but labors under the weight of millions of dollars in tax penalties incurred by Lord Black, who is serving an eight-year stretch for mail fraud and obstruction of justice. We also had to pay for his legal expenses.

Free for All: 04/08/09

What’s on your mind?

Anchor Wars: 04/08/09

Today, the end of round 2…

MSNBC’s Brian Williams and CNN’s Erica Hill…

Final Tally: Williams…

Crybaby…

The New York Observer’s Felix Gillette writes about the latest trend in cable news: Emoting…

These days, everywhere you look you see anchors seemingly on the verge of an emotional breakdown. CNBC’s Rick Santelli recently flipped out on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and became an overnight sensation. Political analyst Roland Martin cried at the sight of Barack Obama winning the November election and is now guest-anchoring in prime time for CNN.

With the Big Three rapidly losing prominence in the American consciousness, a fractured network of opinionated, impassioned news sources have brought emotions center stage in the delivery of the news. Making the case against the emotionally dessicated coverage of the supposedly objective networks, especially in an era of breakdown—financial, emotional, ethical—means showing that, well, you’re not afraid to break down.

Mr. Beck may be the most ascendant of the new emotional newsmen. His recent special attracted 993,000 viewers aged 25-54, making it the top-rated cable news show in the key demographic in March. And in a few short months since joining Fox News, he has turned the 5 p.m. hour into the third most popular show in cable news. But Mr. Beck is hardly alone.

Mark Whitaker Interview..

FishbowlDC interviews NBC’s Mark Whitaker…

What has been the proudest moment in your career?

I was the Editor of Newsweek during 9/11 – we did a lot of groundbreaking coverage for a weekly magazine and won a National Magazine Award for General Excellence for it. On a personal level, I also got a big thrill out of writing the Newsweek cover story when Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990. But nothing beats the immediacy of TV. Nine days after the election, I stopped by Andrea Mitchell’s office around 6 pm and she told me that two solid sources had told her Barack Obama was in serious talks with Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State. I called Alex Wallace, who was the EP of Nightly News with Brian Williams and urged her to put Andrea on for a cross-talk with Brian. Half an hour later she had the biggest scoop of the Obama transition. That was a kick.

What has been the biggest challenge in your new position at NBC?

Obviously replacing Tim Russert has been both a huge honor and a big challenge. I’ve approached it by trying to honor everything Tim stood for – toughness but fairness and fierce loyalty to his people and bureau. But also by being true to myself and my judgments and style rather than trying to model myself after him.

Press Releases: 04/07/09

MSNBC (2)

MSNBC.COM LAUNCHES THE ELKHART PROJECT

Groundbreaking editorial initiative tells the evolving story of the national economic crisis through the eyes of local residents at the crossroads of America

ELKHART, Ind. – April 7, 2009 – Msnbc.com has launched “The Elkhart Project,” a special editorial initiative that will tell the story of the nation’s economic crisis through the residents of Elkhart, Ind. The Elkhart Project (http://elkhartproject.msnbc.com) is a sustained and in-depth approach to covering the worst American financial crisis since the Great Depression. Msnbc.com and NBC News will document the personal stories of struggle and survival in this small Midwestern city where the recession has hit hard.

Elkhart, which once enjoyed a thriving recreational vehicle production industry, is representative of many American manufacturing cities now suffering from a shortage of credit for businesses and individuals, rising unemployment, and a skyrocketing number of foreclosures. By January 2009, employment in the Elkhart metro area had fallen 9.4 percent from a year earlier, the worst decline in the nation. Industrial production fell 21.9 percent, also the worst.

“We’re making a commitment to cover this catastrophic national story in a personal and local way,” said Jennifer Sizemore, Editor-In-Chief of msnbc.com. “That’s why we’ve chosen Elkhart, a place with the highest unemployment rate in the country yet a place with hope for recovery – a place where the president has visited and promised help.”

Free for All: 04/07/09

What’s on your mind?

NBC in Transit comes to NYC Rail…

TV Week’s Vlada Gelman writes about a deal to put NBC in Transit in New York City’s rail system…

NBC Everywhere has teamed up with JCDecaux North America and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to bring “NBC in Transit” to 3,000 digital screens.

“NBC in Transit” will be featured at PATH stations and in trains in the areas of the Hoboken, Journal Square and 33rd Street PATH stations. Content will debut on other stations and trains throughout the year.

The screens will display customized NBC segments, local news and weather from WNBC, local lifestyle clips from LX.TV, headlines from MSNBC and CNBC and entertainment clips from NBC Universal programs. They will reach 6.3 million monthly riders, allowing national and local advertisers to geo-target audiences.

Jericho vs. Rourke: Update…

Way back in January Chris Jericho and Mickey Rourke had a bit of a staredown on Larry King Live. Well last Sunday, Rourke did in Jericho at Wrestlemania 25. BigRed08 now looks positively Nostradamus-like with his prediction. I’m still not convinced however. January is still about a month and a half too early for me to believe that Rourke and Jericho were laying the groundwork for this showdown on Larry King Live. I don’t think WWE arcs their storylines that far in advance. Still, the question needs to be asked: Was King and his show used in a promotional stunt?

Cramer to Celebrate 1,000th Episode of Mad Money…

CNBC put out a release on the 1,000 Episode of Mad Money. Obvious question: What will FBN do to commemorate this?

CNBC’s “MAD MONEY W/JIM CRAMER” CELEBRATES ITS 1,000TH EPISODE ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8TH AT 6PM ET

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., April 7, 2009-There’s been 35,892 sound effects, 16,114 miles on the road, 672 CEO interviews, 987 lightening rounds, more than 1,500 booyahs, 1 rant heard round the world AND….1,000 EPISODES.

On Wednesday, April 8th at 6PM ET, CNBC’s “Mad Money w/Jim Cramer” will celebrate its 1,000th episode in front of a live studio audience of Cramerica fans from across the country. The program will feature celebrity congrats, surprise appearances from Cramer’s favorite guests and friends and of course the fiery opinions of the program’s host.

Throughout “Mad Money’s” four-years on the air and its 1,000 episodes, the outlook on Wall Street and the world have drastically changed, but Cramer’s mission has remained the same….to try to make you mad money. Cramer is celebrating this milestone with the Cramericans who are the very reason he does the show each night.