Comcast in talks to buy NBC Universal?

The Wrap’s Sharon Waxman has the story of Comcast in talks with GE to buy NBC Universal…

Comcast, the nation’s leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services, is in talks to buy the entertainment giant NBC-Universal from General Electric, according to knowledgeable individuals.

Deal points were hammered out at a meeting among bankers for both sides in New York on Tuesday, executives familiar with the meeting said.

Two individuals informed about the meeting said that a deal had already been completed at a purchase price of $35 billion.

A spokeswoman for NBC-Universal had no comment. Comcast responded with this statement: “While we do not normally comment on M&A rumors, the report that Comcast has a deal to purchase NBC Universal is inaccurate.”

Update: The New York Times’ Bill Carter has more information…

But executives briefed on the negotiations said Comcast was one of several companies in talks about potentially buying a stake in NBC Universal.

The denial was issued in response to a report on the Web site TheWrap that a deal had been completed.

“While we do not normally comment on merger and acquisition rumors, the report that Comcast has a deal to acquire NBC Universal is inaccurate,” Comcast said.

The executives briefed on the talks, who spoke on the condition that they not be identified, said it was possible that Comcast would seek to acquire the 20 percent of NBC Universal that is controlled by Universal’s former owner, the French company Vivendi.

White House vs. Beck…

The Washington Examiner’s Liz Barrett notes that the White House blog tried to fact check Glenn Beck today…

The official White House blog post for Wednesday said Fox News shows a blatant “disregard for the facts,” listing a litany of Glenn Beck rethoric that does not match up with reality.

The post was written by staffer Jesse Lee, so it wouldn’t be accurate to say President Barack Obama called Beck a liar, though many people would love it if he did.

Entitled “Reality Check: Trying to Turn a Point of Pride into a Moment of Shame,” the blog post starts with Beck’s attempt to smear the Obama administration’s efforts to bring the Olympics back to the United States by saying Vancouver lost $1 billion on the Olympics, when in fact the Vanouver Olympics haven’t even happened yet. They’re scheculed for 2010.

Free for All: 09/30/09

What’s on your mind? Mine’s on crowns…

CNBC Ratings Leak…

Zero Hedge has it (again)…

I’d say more but I gotta go get a crown put in my mouth…

Ducking a Tsunami?

World Business News blasts the nets for not covering the Tsunami enough last night…

There was a major breaking news story last night, the earthquake in the Pacific, and its tsunami warnings. The news networks were terrible at covering it. Wave’s hit New Zealands coasts, and America Samoa is effectively devestated in parts. All the way through, Fox News continued with O’Reilly’s pre-recorded show, and CNN kept with its capitol hill dribble. CNN International didn’t even bother to cover the story in any detail that it deserved.

Well, people have lost their lives. American Samoa is almost devestated by the disaster. The only television platform to pay any attention is TVNZ. A producer there has kept me in the loop thoughout, and he’s been a diamond source of information. Why have the news networks ignored this then?

I did not see last night’s coverage or lack thereof. But I did see it early yesterday afternoon before I had to leave. MSNBC was covering it for like a half hour straight, more than either CNN or FNC at that time. If anything it was too much too soon since the story had only broke like 40 minutes earlier and trying to get information out of a remote location like Samoa, which I have been to (as well as Tonga), that quickly, can be difficult if communication lines are fouled up or people are still figuring out what’s going on.

When dealing with remote locations like Samoa, which I don’t know if it even has local TV (I know Tonga does not and neither does Yap or Palau), getting video out quickly is difficult. Without the video or other pictures, it’s tough to put up any kind of news broadcast about the subject. Even this morning the video that I’ve seen of the damage in Samoa is scattershot at best.

This under-reporting charge was leveled early on in the Tsunami disaster of a few years ago. That didn’t last long as everyone went to the region to cover the multi-country devastation. Will that happen this time with Samoa? No. It won’t. The country is too remote, the devastation not extensive enough to justify it. That sounds harsh but it’s the reality of the situation. Maybe one or two outlets will send someone but don’t be expecting network anchors or reporters out there this time.

Update: The above was written when the death toll was around 30. Now it’s over 100. That changes things. And I was wrong. NBC put Lee Cowan on a plane overnight to get him to Samoa to report for Nightly News.

NBC News vs. ALG: Update…

The Politico’s Michael Calderone writes about the latest news, or lack thereof, in the NBC News/ALG email dispute…

It’s hard to believe that Stone—an NYU professor and 15-year network veteran—would write an email that said “Bite me Jew Boy!” It’s perhaps even more difficult to believe that the network news president would go on the record supporting his staffer without being 100 percent sure there was no wrongdoing.

Understandably, NBC doesn’t want to continue involving their producer in this spat, since as some computer experts have told me, it’s very difficult to prove either way without a third party arbiter looking through both systems. (And I’m far from a computer expert). The network declined to comment further.

“I think it’s a dead horse,” Clews said in an email. “We said what we had to say. They said what they had to say. The next step would be for NBC and ALG to work together to get to the bottom of it all, and they don’t seem to want to.”

It’s easy for ALG to back off now. But for Stone, there’s now an Internet trail linking her to a charge that hasn’t been proven. Shortly after ALG’s first press release went out, the allegation went viral through conservative blogs, Twitter, and later talk radio.

So after doing a whole bunch of chest thumping saying it was going to do this and do that, ALG ends up doing…nothing. NBC stood behind its Producer 100% but when it came to put up or shut up time, ALG has opted to shut up. Yet they still stand behind their charge. In my book, ALG’s action, or lack thereof, says a lot to me about how solid they really view this charge internally.

Q3 Numbers Wrap Up…

Broadcasting & Cable’s Marisa Guthrie writes about the Q3 landscape…

Perennial cable news leader, Fox News Channel finished the third quarter 2009 up among total viewers and news’ target demographic of 25-54 year olds. FNC averaged 2.25 million total viewers in primetime (Monday through Sunday), for an uptick of 2% year-to-year, with 583,000 in the demo for a gain of 5%, according to Nielsen Media Research.

FNC was the third-ranked basic cable network among total viewers behind ESPN and USA. CNN came in at number 20 while MSNBC was 25th.

Led by The O’Reilly Factor (which averaged 3.3 million viewers), the network also had all ten of the top ten cable news programs among total viewers.

CNN finished the third quarter ahead of MSNBC in primetime among total viewers and the demo, topping MSNBC by 19% in total viewers (949,000 to 795,000) and 5% in the demo (288,000 to 275,000). MSNBC beat CNN in the primetime demo for the month of September averaging 284,000 viewers to CNN’s 245,000.

But both networks experienced double-digit ratings erosion in total viewers and the 25-54 sales demographic compared to third quarter 2008 when the presidential campaigns dominated news coverage.

Paybacks are a…

The New York Observer’s Felix Gillette writes about Don Imus’ first day inside the News Corp. building…

Some two and a half years later, on his first day in the heart of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, Mr. Imus took a sidelong glance back at his old lair. “You can nearly see our old office at NBC from here,” said Mr. Imus. “I’m just wondering if they ever found the cocaine in there. It was hidden in the walls.”

These days, of course, many of Mr. Imus’ new coworkers are locked in a multiheaded feud with NBC and would probably like nothing more than to see a team of drug-sniffing police dogs descend on the professional home of the likes of Keith Olbermann. But unleashing Don Imus to compete against NBC, the media company that shunned him in his time of crisis, might be even better.

“I don’t know to what degree Fox will let him nurse any grudge he has at MSNBC while he’s on FBN,” said Aaron Barnhart, the TV critic for The Kansas City Star. “But if the past is any precedent, I’m pretty sure they’ll say, ‘Don, let it rip.’”

When Fox executives first announced the partnership with Mr. Imus back in the early days of September, much of the subsequent media analysis focused on what the programming coup would mean in terms of FBN’s two-year-old, losing rivalry with CNBC. Since launching in October of 2007, as an explicit challenger to NBC’s lucrative cable financial channel, FBN has struggled to attract many viewers. Some critics now argued that the addition of Mr. Imus would finally present CNBC with a serious challenge. Others wondered if FBN was simply giving up on business news altogether. But, at least in the short term, the arrival of Don Imus on FBN is less likely to impact CNBC than it is another NBC franchise—namely, MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

Blogus Interruptus…

Blogging resumes Wednesday afternoon…

Q3 Numbers: CNN…

CNN is noting its Q3 numbers…

CNN Back on Top Among Prime 25-54 Demo in Q3

Most Primetime (M-Su/M-F) Growth of any Network Versus Prior Quarter

Larry King Has Biggest Advantage Among 25-54 Over Rachel Maddow Ever

HLN Posts Best Q3 Ever in Total Day

CNN Digital Network Remains #1 TV and News Property on the Web

#1 Among Total Minutes, Share of Online News, Video and Mobile

September Numbers: MSNBC…

MSNBC is noting its September numbers. Note the news about The Ed Show beating The Situation Room in the Demo. That’s gotta hurt over at the Time Warner Center.

MSNBC BEATS CNN IN PRIMETIME AGAIN IN SEPT AMONG VIEWERS 25-54

MSNBC Pulls Ahead of CNN for 2009 to Date

“The Ed Show,” “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” Beat CNN in the Demo

NEW YORK – Sept. 29, 2009 – MSNBC beat CNN in primetime again in September in the key Adults 25-54 demographic, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. Additionally, 2009 to date, MSNBC has pulled ahead of CNN in primetime in the demo. In September, “The Ed Show” at 6 p.m., “Hardball with Chris Matthews” at 7 p.m. and “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” at 8 p.m. all beat CNN head to head among A25-54. Following are MSNBC ratings highlights for Sept. 2009 and 3Q09:

Press Releases: 09/29/09

MSNBC (2)

THE NETWORKS OF NBC PRESENT “A WOMAN’S NATION”

Maria Shriver to Serve as Guest Editor for a Special Series Examining the State of Women In American Life

Series to Begin Sunday, October 18, with Shriver Appearing on “Meet the Press,” through Friday, October, 23

NBC News Works With Time Magazine on its Corresponding Special Issue on the American Woman

NEW YORK – September 29, 2009 – According to the Department of Labor, women now comprise 49.9 percent of the all U.S. workers – representing half of all workers – and mothers are the primary breadwinners in more families than ever before. In an effort to examine these ground-breaking statistics and the effects they may cause, the networks of NBC will take an in-depth look at the state of women in American life with its wide-ranging series “A Woman’s Nation.” The series will be produced in conjunction with the findings from a study conducted in partnership with The Center for American Progress, The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything.

Free for All: 09/29/09

What’s on your mind?

Charging for a CNN iPhone App…

The AP’s Andrew Vanacore writes about CNN charging for an iPhone app…

Even so, CNN is in relatively new territory as a provider of general interest news. Many in the industry are skeptical that readers will pay for much online beyond business and financial reporting — the kind of stuff that helps people make money. How CNN fares in selling its app on Apple Inc.’s iTunes store for the iPhone and the iPod Touch will be closely watched by other media companies as they struggle with the loss of advertising dollars to the Web.

So why does CNN think readers will pay for its iPhone app instead of choosing one of its myriad free competitors?

Simply put, CNN thinks its app is better.

“It really depends on the quality and nature of what you’re putting into the market,” said KC Estenson, general manager for CNN.com.

Joy Behar Interviews…

HLN is ramping up the PR for its upcoming Joy Behar Show…

The AP’s David Bauder writes about Behar here…

Joy Behar of “The View” should feel comfortable when her prime-time HLN talk show debuts today. The network formerly known as CNN Headline News is making headway with women, even if that wasn’t necessarily the game plan.

Behar, at 9 p.m. weeknights, will follow hour-long shows by Jane Velez-Mitchell and Nancy Grace.

The estrogen-heavy lineup, big on issues like abduction and addiction, airs to an audience that is nearly two-thirds women, according to Nielsen Media Research. It’s not as if men are unwelcome, but when a rerun of Lou Dobbs’ CNN show fell flat in Behar’s soon-to-be time slot, HLN yanked him this summer for Velez-Mitchell.

“You’re aware of it because anyone can see it in the numbers, but it’s sort of a happy coincidence from my perspective,” said Conway Cliff, Velez-Mitchell’s former executive producer who is now putting together Behar’s show. “It happened organically.”

HLN executives downplay the female-to-male ratio because, as Cliff notes, “we want everyone with a Nielsen box watching.”

The New York Daily News’ Richard Huff writes about her here…

Scott Ritter Resurfaces on TV…

Former UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter made a rare appearance on TV this morning. Ritter was a fixture on TV in the run up to the Iraq War in 2003 but dropped off the radar screen/became radioactive (depending on your point of view) after someone leaked out sealed court documents regarding Ritter’s arrest after a police sting operation. Ritter appeared on Morning Meeting with Dylan Ratigan this morning on MSNBC.

CNN Launches iPhone App…

CNN started promoting its new iPhone app this morning on American Morning. Here’s the release on the app. Interesting that CNN is charging for the app. Some other TV shows that have apps, TMZ for example, are giving theirs away for free…

CNN Launches Interactive News App on App Store

New App for iPhone and iPod Touch Includes Live Video, Localization Features and the Ability to Upload iReports

CNN, the No. 1 mobile news provider according to Nielsen, today announced the availability of its CNN App on the App Store. The CNN iPhone App is purpose-built and designed to provide a visually-driven news experience for iPhone and iPod touch users who demand accessibility and convenience.

“CNN’s new app for iPhone and iPod touch simplifies and amplifies news consumption, empowering users to get the news and information they need and want, anytime, anywhere,” said KC Estenson, general manager and SVP of CNN.com. “Simply put, the new CNN App puts the power of the world’s news leader right in the palm your hand.”

NBC’s Special Coverage on Women…

The New York Times’ Bill Carter writes about NBC News’ upcoming special coverage on women…

NBC News will devote a significant amount of time and attention next month to the changing roles of contemporary women, much of it based on a study initiated by Maria Shriver, the one-time NBC correspondent who is married to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California.

NBC is describing the project as an effort to “educate the public on the current state of women in America.” The news division is planning to include coverage related to the study over a full week of its evening newscast and three mornings on the “Today” show.

Ms. Shriver will be a guest on “Meet the Press” Oct. 18 to begin the reports. NBC News is calling Ms. Shriver a guest editor for the coverage. Other outlets owned by NBC Universal also will be involved, including the cable channels CNBC and MSNBC, the Spanish-language channel Telemundo and the Web site iVillage.

FNC’s Graphic Update: Your opinion…

I got this today from an emailer about FNC’s new graphics…

Why has FNC made ther L3′s font big and all uppercase letters?

It looks to big on an SD or HD TV.

Do they plan on tweaking it?

Tweaks take a while to implement when you overhaul everything so I wouldn’t hold my breath if you think the graphics are too big. But the emailer got me to wondering what others thought. What do you think of FNC’s new lower thirds?

FNC Full HD: Update…

Following up on J$ earlier comment of…

Shep Smith sez today is the first day when all programs will be HD. If he’s right that means Cavuto in HD today. Does that mean those weekend taped shows (Cost of Freedom, News Watch etc) will be HD as well?

ICN has learned via a tipster that all the programs using Studio C (i.e. Cost of Freedom) have been moved to other studios. Studio C is currently not being used for over the air programming but is being used for website segments. Your World with Neil Cavuto was already HD capable when it moved into Studio E but they added the sidebars because the graphics package Your World was using at the time wasn’t compatible with HD. Given that the newer graphics package was coming, I don’t think it would have made any sense to overhaul Your World’s graphics for just a few months only to have them replaced again when today’s graphics launch came.

Press Releases: 09/28/09

MSNBC (1)

MSNBC FILMS WILL PREMIERE ITS LATEST DOCUMENTARY, “WITNESS TO WACO,” ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18TH, AT 10 PM ET

EVERY SUNDAY IN OCTOBER, MSNBC FILMS PRESENTS AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT AMERICAN CULTS

NEW YORK—SEPTEMBER 28, 2009—Each Sunday in October, MSNBC viewers will get a unique perspective on some of America’s most notorious cults. At 10 p.m. ET on October 4th and 11th, respectively, MSNBC will air “Will You Kill For Me? Charles Manson and His Followers,” and “Witness to Jonestown.” The 2-hour programs will lead up to the October 18th premiere of “Witness to Waco,” MSNBC’s latest documentary. Wrapping up the month, an encore presentation of all three films will air beginning at 7 p.m. ET on October 25th.

“Witness to Waco” provides an in-depth look into the Branch Davidians, a religious cult led by David Koresh in the late 1980s and early 1990s that ultimately met with a tragic, fiery end. The revealing documentary features candid interviews with survivors of the tragedy and rarely-seen footage of David Koresh and other members of the group inside the compound throughout the siege of the property.

FNC “Letterboxes” HD screen for SD TVs…

FNC has begun airing the full HD sized picture on for SD TVs. It is doing this by shrinking and letterboxing the widescreen HD picture. This is apparently happening world wide as I first heard about this from someone in Australia but it’s been confirmed by someone in New York. This is an interesting way of getting the whole picture on the screen and it allows the network to avoid having to worry about whether something that appears on HD will only partially show up on the SD screen.

Update: Broadcasting & Cable’s Glen Dickson writes about this today. (via TVNewser)

In retooling for all-widescreen production, Fox News Channel was able to increase the size of its lower-third graphics and use larger text fonts. It can also shoot much closer to the sides of the frame without worrying about the HD picture being cut off at the edge when displayed on a widescreen set. That, in turn, means that on a 4:3 set the new letterboxed version of Fox News Channel provides bigger, more legible graphics and more visual information on the screen than the old 4:3 center-cut version.

To prove the concept, Fox created, in essence, a letterboxing lab on the third floor of its Manhattan headquarters, with a wall of flat-panel HDTV sets from various manufacturers alongside several old-school 4:3 tube TVs. Graphics engineers were then able to test how the new HD and letterboxed SD versions would appear on any screen in any picture mode, including the 4:3 standard, stretch, zoom and wide-zoom modes available on most HDTV sets, and ensure that no part of the picture got cut off by overscanning.

“It’s counterintuitive,” admits Fox News Channel senior VP and creative director Richard O’Brien. “You’d think on a 4:3 screen you’d be getting less, because it’s letterboxed. But the way it’s designed, and the way you’re able to make use of the whole width of the screen now, you’re actually able to get more. It’s hard to think that way until you see it, but when we did all the tests, it was a no-brainer that this was the right way to go.”

I think it’s a good move. But at the same time there is a viewing contingent out there that absolutely hates letterboxing of any kind. Movies, TV shows, you name it…

Update 2: This came in from J$…

Shep Smith sez today is the first day when all programs will be HD. If he’s right that means Cavuto in HD today. Does that mean those weekend taped shows (Cost of Freedom, News Watch etc) will be HD as well?

Free for All: 09/28/09

What’s on your mind?

CNBC in Overseas Markets…

The New York Times Brian Stelter writes about CNBC in overseas markets…

The newsroom and studios in Dubai resemble CNBC’s New Jersey headquarters in miniature, complete with a scaled-down version of the giant video wall that the network flaunts. CNBC Arabiya is distinct for its scope: it juggles nine stock markets in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, some of them relatively young and all of them with discrete opening and closing times. The news producers need a spreadsheet to keep track of the trading hours.

CNBC Arabiya, the Middle East’s first Arabic business network, is privately held by a group of investors that Mr. Hall would not identify.

The local channels are part of CNBC’s global strategy. In addition to the United States feed that Americans are familiar with, the company has operated overseas since 1998. It produces two 24-hour channels, one for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and another for the Asia-Pacific region.

The channels were partnerships with Dow Jones & Company until the end of 2005, when CNBC assumed sole control.

“We bring a global perspective, but we tailor it for the regions with those three channels,” said Mick Buckley, the chief executive of CNBC Europe, in a telephone interview.

What’s Hot/What’s Not: 09/27/09

Due to circumstances beyond my control this is going up tonight. Blogging resumes Monday morning…

What’s Hot:

Glenn Beck – I’m starting to sound like a broken record by putting Beck up here week after week but nobody in recent memory has, love him or hate him, so dominated cable news discussion the way Beck has. Even O’Reilly in his best month wasn’t this dominant. Consider Salon’s excellent 3 part article on Beck’s “Morning Zoo” radio days and his journey from there to talk radio lightning rod.

Frog-Gate – It dominated the news cycle for at least a day. Which I suspect was the whole point of the stunt I guess…

Scarborough vs. Beck – Joe Scarborough picked a fight with Glenn Beck this week. Beck responded. Scarborough continued the heat. This one probably isn’t over…

What’s Not:

Rally Caps – A video emerged from a 9/12 rally where an FNC producer is seen whipping up the crowd prior to a live shot on FNC. This was not smart but also overblown.

CNBC’s September Numbers – Someone sent a ratings leak for CNBC to Zero Hedge again. The numbers were bad of course. Now if the numbers aren’t as bad by the end of September then the leaker is also not hot for jumping the gun.

(Punctua-tion “Errors’> – An ad for On The Record appeared in print with a grade school level error. FNC blamed the advertising agency for the error.

My question: Isn’t it supposed to be standard operating procedure for someone working with an ad house to review all ads before they go live just to be safe? Or did this error occur after final approval (in which case the ad agency should be fired for altering an ad that was supposedly the final proof)?

Politics and Glenn Beck Day in Mount Vernon – When you’re a lightning rod, it’s expected that controversy will follow you wherever you go. But what’s going on with Glenn Beck Day in Mount Vernon is ridiculous…

Ed Schultz – Schultz telling viewers that “The Republicans lie. They want to see you dead!” caught a lucky break because Frog-gate was still going on and it sort of buried Schultz’s embarrassing foot in mouth moment. MSNBC didn’t seem to care either way though as evidenced by the dumping Tamron Hall and Alex Witt the last half hour of their shift Friday in favor of bringing Schultz in to anchor the run up to Obama’s G-20 news conference. Bad move, MSNBC. Really bad move.

Small Protest at Beck Day Event…

The Seattle Times’ Susan Gilmore writes about the hordes of people small protest at the Glenn Beck Day event in Mount Vernon… (via J$)

About 30 protesters turned out for the appearance of controversial TV and radio talk-show host Glenn Beck at Safeco Field at midday today, many expressing their displeasure with Beck calling President Obama a racist.

Don Sly of Seattle held a huge, tongue-in-cheek sign that said, “Sure he’s an idiot bigot, but he’s our idiot bigot, Welcome Glenn.”

Sly said he came to Safeco because he wanted to express the concern many people have with the conservative movement in this country.

Glenn Beck’s Zoo Radio Days…

I waited until all three parts were posted before noting this. Alexander Zaitchik writes in Salon about Glenn Beck’s Zoo Radio days and how he got from there to Talk Radio. While there is some of the usual anonymous negative quoting that one would expect in such a piece, I found the story to be rather insightful and it adds a new dimension to some of the shtick Beck does on his TV show…

Contessa Brewer Interview…

Powerline A.D.’s John Curley has an interview with MSNBC’s Contessa Brewer regarding music…

POWERLINE A.D.: What role does music play in your life?


Contessa Brewer: I listen to music on my commute to work. But I especially love music to be on while I’m working on my house. My husband and I have been building our own home, and there’s nothing like tiling a bathroom to the 80s remix.

POWERLINE A.D.: Do you listen to music when you exercise? If so, what genre?


C.B.: Doing yoga – just Zen-like spa music. But I like disco, rap, even some upbeat country for my aerobic workouts.

POWERLINE A.D.: Do you play any musical instruments? If you do, which one(s)?


C.B.: I play piano. Perhaps that should be past tense, I played piano. As an adolescent, I played in church for my dad, who was the pastor. I’ve played for a couple weddings, parties, and other public events. But most recently, I sat down at a piano in a rented house in Saratoga and sparked a sing-along for almost a dozen grown men (my husband and his buddies). That was a surreal experience.

The Toll of Opinion Journalism…

That AP’s David Bauder writes about Opinion Jourmalism and the toll it takes… (via J$)

Only a year ago, MSNBC was so mindful of separating news coverage from opinion that it replace Olbermann with David Gregory as anchor on political night coverage.

Six in 10 Americans consider news organizations in general to be politically biased, according to the Pew study. Perhaps not coincidentally, the number of people who say news stories are often inaccurate (63 percent) is higher than at any time Pew began asking about this in 1985.

With a more relaxed view about mixing facts and opinion, people have a harder time distinguishing between the two, said Marcy McGinnis, a former CBS News executive now a Stony Brook University professor.

“It’s very distressing to be in a world now where I’m teaching young people to be journalists and they’re confused about what they’re seeing on television,” she said. “They wonder why they can’t say what they believe in when they’re doing a news story.”

(MSNBC and Fox officials declined to talk for this story).

NBC News vs. Americans for Limited Government: Update…

NewsBusters Matthew Sheffield writes that NewsBusters has requested the message headers for the disputed email from ALG…

While ALG has posted the text of Stone’s alleged response on its site, it has not yet released the message “headers,” a portion of the email which contains information on the computer that sent the message.

NewsBusters has contacted ALG media representatives and asked for the message header. ALG director of outreach said that the raw message was stored on an office computer unavailable for use over the weekend. “I will have those emailed to you on Monday,” he told us via email.

For its part, NBC has not denied that Stone contacted Rosenwald. The network agrees that she did, but that the contents of her message were simply a request that she not be sent any more news releases. NBC has also not yet released the headers for the message it says was sent.

Unfortunately message headers aren’t a silver bullet. Sending out the message headers would only prove that there was an email that came from NBC. It wouldn’t prove that the email contained the alleged smear. Short of examining in person the email and headers from the recipient’s in box on their computer, which itself wouldn’t eliminate spoofing as a possibility, I don’t think this is conclusively verifiable from ALG’s end. It is however verifiable from NBC’s end.