Free for All: 10/21/09

What’s on your mind?

More Booking Wars…

The Business Insider’s John Carney writes about Charlie Gasparino being banned from going on MSNBC’s Morning Meeting with Dylan Ratigan. This is to be expected since the two networks have been locked in a bitter ratings battle for…hey…waitaminute… MSNBC and CNBC are on the same side. What gives?

We’re told that by a person familiar with the matter that Gasparino has been told he cannot appear on Dylan Ratigan’s MSNBC show to promote the book. It appears that CNBC executives are still upset over Dylan’s defection from the network.

“The Dylan thing is still weird,” one CNBC insider said.

Ok, I’m going to speculate that the bad blood, if this story is accurate, extends to the highest levels at CNBC. That’s the only way a ban could be enforced because it otherwise would have been stamped out by the upper echelons who would instinctively know that cross-network discord in the NBCU family would be frowned upon by Jeff Zucker.

Odd, that this story doesn’t have the usual “we contacted CNBC for comment” blurb in it…

Odd Couple?

The New York Observer’s Felix Gillette writes about FBN’s Sandra Smith and Don Imus…among other things…

The Fox Business Network turned two years old this month. And there is arguably no better way to get a distilled vision of where the channel has been, and where it might be headed, than by watching the daily back-and-forth banter between Ms. Smith and Mr. Imus.

On the one hand there is Ms. Smith, who joined the network for its launch in October 2007. She is sunny, blond, blue-eyed, manicured, glossy, optimistic, self-assured, radiant.

A money honey wed to a curmudgeonly dad: Such are the necessities of TV financial journalism in 2009.

On the other, there is Mr. Imus, who joined the network earlier this month. He is 69 years old, dark, dour, stormy, self-destructive, gruff, weathered.

It’s an arranged marriage between a vivacious market enthusiast and a grouchy, market skeptic, between a money honey and a curmudgeonly dad. They make an odd couple. But such a union is perfectly in keeping with the uncertain hot-and-cold, giddy-and-despairing state of the U.S. economy.

In Depth: Exposing the War on FNC for what it is…symbolism.

I’ve held off writing heavily on the White House’s War on FNC. There wasn’t much that I could say about how stupid, wrong headed, and self-destructive it is that hasn’t already been said elsewhere. But there is one aspect that I want to touch on which really hasn’t been talked about much. That is just how half-hearted, or phony if you prefer, it is.

What exactly makes up the much overhyped White House war on FNC, exactly? A bunch or rhetoric from some White House officials and a handful of rebuffed attempts by Fox News Sunday to get Administration officials on the air. That’s really not much of a war if you really think about how the White House is talking. It’s using terms like “FNC isn’t a real news network”. Ok, setting aside for the moment the validity of that statement, let’s take it at face value and say that FNC isn’t a real news network. Ok, then why hasn’t the other shoe dropped? The other shoe, in this case would be the press credentials for FNC reporters who cover Washington. No point in allowing the crampt spaces in the White House briefing room and the various other cabinet press offices, with people who don’t work for a real news network, is there?

Ahhhh…there’s the rub, and the reason why this story is just a war of words and not a war of actions. If the White House and other Administration outlets started yanking the press credentials for everyone connected with FNC, given their stated belief that FNC isn’t a real news network, it would reap the whirlwind. Every beat reporter would turn on the Administration. And rightfully so, because who’s to say that they wouldn’t be next?

The White House knows that. So it just beats up FNC in the press with no intention of really doing anything about it, aside from putting up a blockade on FNC TV appearances – in effect giving the illusion that it’s walking the walk when the reality is it really isn’t. This is all about symbolism and not actions. It’s about scoring political base points with the left without really doing anything about the “problem”. It’s all political. It’s not substantive.

Vivendi and GE close on deal to sell NBCU stake…

The Wall Street Journal’s Sam Schechner and Jeffrey McCracken write about Vivendi and GE being deep in talks to sell Vivendi’s stake in NBC Universal…(sub req.)

General Electric Co. and Vivendi SA are about $500 million apart in talks over what Vivendi should be paid for its minority stake in television and movie company NBC Universal, according to people familiar with the matter.

That stake is a key element in a potential deal that could give U.S. cable operator Comcast Corp. control of NBC Universal, and eventually usher GE out of the entertainment business. GE currently owns 80% of NBC Universal and Vivendi has 20%.

For months, GE and Comcast have been discussing a potential tie-up involving NBC Universal. In the deal being considered, Comcast would …

WH vs. FNC: Still Going Strong…

The Swamp’s Mark Silva has the latest back and forth between the White House and FNC…

Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, faced a question today from ABC News’ Jake Tapper about the characterization of FOX as not a news network in the sense that, say, CNN is — that’s what White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has said, on CNN over the weekend, and what Communications Director Anita Dunn has said, on CNN over the past weekend.

“That’s a pretty sweeping declaration that they are “not a news organization.” How are they any different from, say…” Tapper asked Gibbs.

“ABC…” Gibbs said.

Tapper: “ABC. MSNBC. Univision. I mean how are they any different?”

Gibbs: “You and I should watch sometime around 9 o’clock tonight. Or 5 o’clock this afternoon.”

Tapper: “I’m not talking about their opinion programming or issues you have with certain reports. I’m talking about saying thousands of individuals who work for a media organization, do not work for a “news organization” — why is that appropriate for the White House to say?”

Gibbs: “That’s our opinion.”

Free for All: 10/20/09

What’s on your mind?

HLN’s Growth…

Broadcasting & Cable’s Claire Atkinson writes about HLN’s recent growth…

Greg D’Alba, executive VP and COO of CNN ad sales, says the channel is “humanizing the headlines.” Whatever the content, it seems to be working for advertisers, who D’Alba says, are increasingly interested in the wider remit of the service. Retail, packaged goods, food and beverage and automotive categories are all spending more ad dollars on HLN. According to CNN, HLN’s first time advertisers include Subway, Pepsi, Del Monte, Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Energizer, Expedia, Fox Searchlight, Sunny Delight and Unilever’s Dove brand.

Additionally, a number of advertisers have returned to the HLN service. D’Alba adds that ConAgra hasn’t been on the channel since 2002 but is back, along with McDonald’s, which hasn’t been on air since 2006, and Aflac, which has been absent since 2001. WalMart, P&G and Pep Boys have all grown their share of spending on the channel, he says.

Subscriber numbers are now 100 million, up from 98.3 million last year, but SNL Kagan estimates net ad revenue at CNN and HLN combined is on track to decline for full year 2009. Kagan, which doesn’t break out separate figures for the two services since they are often sold together, forecasts net ad revenue will be off from $556,297 last year (which was a political year) to $535,799. Kagan suggests CPM’s on the two channels are $5.81. D’Alba says he is recording double-digit ad revenue growth for third quarter versus last year.

Chernin in, Zucker out?

The Business Insider’s Jay Yarrow speculates about Peter Chernin taking over for Jeff Zucker at NBCU if Comcast succeeds in acquiring a majority stake…

Anonymous executives familiar with the deal have said that Zucker would stay CEO if Comcast acquired NBC. Maybe that’s true, but maybe they just want Zucker’s support as the deal unfolds. They could always change their mind in 6 months. It is easier to justify firing Zucker if a competent replacement like Chernin is available.

Under Zucker’s watch the network has fallen completely off the map. His most recent, biggest, bet, the Jay Leno Show is already faltering. The LA Times reported yesterday loal affiliates are frustrated with the low ratings Leno is producing. Local news at 11 pm is profitable, but Leno’s weak lead-in is killing the ratings, threatening their bottom lines.

While he’s struggled with network programming, the cable division is strong.

When Peter Chernin left News Corp., he started his own production company, developing films and television shows. He’s already sold two to CBS. He’s also a personal friend of Stephe Burke, Comcast’s COO.

Related: The NY Times’ Tim Arango writes about Chernin’s involvement in the negotiations between Comcast and GE…

CNN Atlanta HD Update

Following up on yesterday’s HD news on CNN Atlanta, I can now finally, after missing it yesterday, confirm that Atlanta has gone HD. And my emailer is correct. They are using morphed SD video to reach 16:9 mode in the studio to make “almost HD” similar to what the O’Reilly Factor does. Does this mean CNN is saving the full HD cameras for the rumored new studio due to logistical reasons?

Is Time Warner Starting to Freeze out non-DVR HD recording on cable?

Time Warner’s networks, including CNN, have instituted the equivalent of the HDCP record blocking token on Verizon FiOS in New York. This means HD recording and screen grabbing of CNN is now blocked. It’s already blocked for most satellite users (DirecTV has a blanket HDCP lock on everything HDMI related). What makes this interesting is the block is occuring on Firewire connections (as I’m unfamilliar with how Verizon FiOS works hardware wise I can’t say for sure if HDMI is even an option here). Apparently this has not happened yet on other cable systems as CNN HD screen grabs are still popping up.

The question is, is this the first step in a nation wide attempt by Time Warner to restrict non DVR recording of its HD TV content? If so it will be one of the first to do so. My source reports that FNC remains unlocked. As MSNBC is still prohibited from being carried by Verizon FiOS in the NYC/NJ area (yeah, that’s still going on) I don’t know what’s going on there. Update: A commenter with Verizion FiOS and MSNBC access reports firewire recording of the network is still unblocked.

Clarification: Before I start a panic, let me be clear. For Verizon FiOS users, this shouldn’t affect your DVR recording ability. But your ability to record the signal (and probably also recording of a program sitting on your DVR) of a TW network by other means is being blocked. I suppose it would be considered an “anti-piracy” measure but it raises all sorts of “fair use” questions.

Another possibility is this is all a mistake. Microsoft once mistakenly set a block recording flag on Media Center for a channel. After word broke, Microsoft fixed the problem and recording capability resumed.

Mark Lamont Hill Ramifications?

Cliff Kincaid, apparently the one questioning Rupert Murdoch when Murdoch announced Hill’s firing from FNC, continues to rip the network in Right Side News for Hill’s hiring.

If Fox News executives and personalities had done any elementary analysis, they might have discovered that back in 2007, he wrote an article, “Why I Support the Fairness Doctrine,” hyping a study by the Center for American Progress on the alleged need to challenge conservative domination of talk radio. A graphic by the article depicted Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh as the targets of this effort (O’Reilly then had a radio show).

Hill wrote that “the Fairness Doctrine will provide us with a much-needed respite from the conservative media assault that has undermined democratic discourse and social justice.”

Who would have thought that Hill would later regularly appear on O’Reilly’s Fox News show in the name of “fair and balanced?”

All of this adds to my belief that Fox News-and O’Reilly in particular-were bullied into adding this “progressive” voice to their line-up. The problem is that they rushed into it without checking out Hill’s background.

I think Kincaid is making too big a deal out of this. I don’t think FNC screwed up in hiring Hill. They’re far too in tune with what goes on in the internet to have been unaware of Hill’s past. Hill was hired precisely because he was a bomb thrower. It makes for exciting TV for some. However, like MSNBC and John Ziegler, networks sometimes find that bomb throwers who take a confrontational position against their programming, can be more trouble than they’re worth.

More Speculation on CNN.com re-launch…

Ok, one of the pitfalls of traveling un-wired a lot and having a blog is occasionally you miss stuff. And I missed this when World Television & Business News put this up on September 9th. This is rather annoying when you consider that I was paying for internet service from a kiosk part of the time just to try and keep up with what’s going on.

As part of the relaunch, CNN.com’s live streaming service will be considerably curtailed, with a possible significant reduction in live anchored news output. Live anchored streams currently broadcast between 9am ET and 7pm ET, however no redundancies are expected as a result.

CNN.com’s streaming staff have been informed of the developments, however World Business News’ efforts to clarify the situation have gone unanswered.

There’s a news conference scheduled for Thursday on this apparently so we’ll find out what exactly is happening with this re-launch. But if the above is true, it’s another knife in the back of what used to be CNN Pipeline…

Punked…

The Politico’s Lisa Lerer and Michael Calderone write about news organizations, which included Reuters, CNBC, and FBN, getting caught up in a hoax played on the media…

In a story posted Monday morning, Reuters declared: “The Chamber of Commerce said on Monday it will no longer opposes climate change legislation, but wants the bill to include a carbon tax.”

Reuters updated the story to acknowledge the hoax, but it was too late: The Washington Post and the New York Times had already posted the fake story on their Web sites.

“Reuters has an obligation to its clients to publish news and information that could move financial markets, and this story had the potential to do that,” said a Thomson Reuters spokesperson. “Once we had confirmed the release was a hoax, we immediately issued a correction, and in keeping with Reuters policy, the story was subsequently withdrawn and an advisory sent to readers.”

The Yes Men, a left-leaning activist group that often impersonates officials from organizations they oppose, took responsibility for the hoax.

FNC responds to White House with new Ad?

Johnny Dollar found this new ad on FNC which appears to be a response to the White House criticism that FNC isn’t a news network with the tagline “Hard News. Real Reporting”…

One thing I have to complain about is the statement Megyn Kelly makes. Or should I say “reads”…

The best resources from top to bottom

FNC has a lot of things it can lay claim to but this isn’t one of them. Everyone knows CNN beats FNC in the resource department. It has more resources and better infrastructure with a bigger world wide footprint. And everyone in the industry knows this. Including FNC. Whether CNN makes the most or best use of those resources is a separate issue, as is how CNN puts it all together. But on a pure resource to resource comparison CNN wins hands down.

FNC has a lot to crow about with what it has done to the cable news landscape and the dominance it has in the ratings. It doesn’t need to bend the truth on something everyone can easily call BS on…

Update: J$ and I are having a raging dispute on Twitter over this. I will acknowledge, as J$ pointed out, that the use of the term “best” is far more subjective and harder to quantify than using the term “most” which is easily quantifiable. Leave it to a lawyer to start an argument over one word. Very Clintonian. But it’s still a good argument to have. I would concede that FNC probably deliberately chose the word “best” because it is much more ambiguous. I would even go so far as to argue that FNC deliberately did it that way to poke CNN in the eye. Still, I do believe you can make a pretty strong case that it doesn’t have the “best” resources.

Update 2: I just realized that Megyn Kelly’s presence in the ad raises questions about whether the ad is really a White House response video or not. She’s been on materinity leave for over two weeks now. This issue really started heating up only about 9 days ago. That would mean that if this is a response ad, and not something FNC had already been working on prior to this, Kelly would have been called in from maternity leave to do it. Is that possible? Sure. But, is it likely? That’s a good question.

Also, note that everyone is featured from FNC’s M-Fr Dayside rotation except one person: Bill Hemmer. Could have been an oversight, though that seems inconceivable. Still, it is striking to see every news anchor there but one.

Update 3: A commentor notes that another commercial is out that does feature Hemmer so his non-appearance in the other commercial signifies nothing…

HD News…

Both MSNBC and (maybe) CNN made HD adjustments this morning. Morning Meeting rolled out some graphic changes and was rumored to be in full 16:9 mode (which I obviously can’t verify since DirecTV still isn’t carrying MSNBC in HD). CNN apparently rolled out HD in Atlanta this morning but it seems like a bit of a mish mash. I’ve seen Kyra Phillips and Rick Sanchez in full HD, and the crawl and lower thirds are full HD but the open for Sanchez’s show had SD graphics with sidebars including CNN’s Newsroom wipes. An emailer wrote in earlier in the morning, before I tuned in, that it appeared to him that earlier CNN was using upconverted SD for its cameras, however I can’t confirm that.

ICN had written last month that CNN was rumored to be planning on rolling out HD and a new studio in Atlanta in the latter half of October. Well, we’ve (maybe) seen the HD rollout. But the rumored new studio has yet to make an appearance…

Update: Unfortunately, that studio Sanchez and Phillips are at is in NYC, which is already HD ready. So forget that part as it’s a non-sequitur. I guess I’ll have to wait for tomorrow to see Atlanta in action to figure this all out once and for all. Unless a screen grab pops up somewhere before then.

FBN Blockade?

The New York Observer’s Felix Gillette writes about CNN and MSNBC being the latest networks who apparently don’t want their talent appearing on Imus on FBN.

An MSNBC spokesperson declined to comment. But a source at the network told The Observer that Imus viewers are unlikely to see anyone from MSNBC on the show anytime soon, if ever.

As for Mr. Dobbs’ absence on Imus today, a CNN spokesperson confirmed that the network did not give approval for the booking, eventually resulting in the cancellation.

Free for All: 09/19/09

What’s on your mind?

FBN Two Years Later…

Mediaite Steve Krakauer writes about FBN, two years into its existence…

Fox Business Network celebrated their two-year anniversary last week, and with the addition of Don Imus, the FBN brand has been discussed more recently than at any other time in the young channel’s history.

After talking to dozens of people who work or have worked at FBN, work at other business networks, or are part of the financial community, we’ve broken down where the network stands, two years in.

It’s a pretty fair piece overall but I have to ding Krakauer for ignoring the elephant in the room and not asking Magee why, after two years and having more subscribers than a fully rated FNC had at that point in its existence, is FBN still not rated by Nielsen? What exactly is the hold up? People are wondering…

CNN.com Re-Design Coming?

Exchange 4 Media has a story by Shanta Sakia regarding an upcoming re-design for CNN.com. What isn’t clear to me from this article is whether this is a global CNN.com re-design or just for Asia…(via J$)

Close on the heels of a major redesign initiative for the CNN International channel, plans are on for redesigning the CNN website as well, which is expected to be unveiled in about two weeks’ time. William Hsu, VP – News Advertising Sales for Asia Pacific, CNN International, explains more on the organisation’s new media plans and more.

In a conversation with exchange4media, Hsu said, “The redesigned CNN website will be radically different. We are incorporating a lot of new social networking tools into our website. As part of our Internet or new media strategy, we have launched our new CNN iPhone app, which I understand was the most downloaded app for the few days after its launch. That is also very effective as an advertising medium. Mobile advertising is not that big right now, but we think with the iPhone it is going to start a new trend for mobile advertising.”

The iPhone app has been introduced in the US as of now as the iPhone penetration is more there. This app is expected to be launched in Asia in about a year’s time.

Speaking further on the new media plans, Hsu said, “We already have all the various platforms like WAP, Java, and now the iPhone app. Moreover, we are developing something for some other smart phones, we have something with Nokia as well.”

On India, he added, “India has always been a situation where the technology and the infrastructure are not quite there. But I don’t think we actually need to do anything because we already have the technology, so it is actually getting the users to acquire the technology.”

What’s Hot/What’s Not: 10/18/09

What’s Hot:

White House vs. FNC – The story of the White House taking what could only be described as an aggressive stance against FNC dominated the news cycle this week. Ironically, most of the MSM, which is considered by some to be in the bag for Obama, came down against the idea of the White House going to war with a news network.

Marc Lamont Hill fired by FNC – The reasons for Hill’s dropping from FNC remain something of a mystery. What wasn’t mysterious, but was surprising, was that Rupert Murdoch made the announcement of Hill’s departure. This would be akin to Jeff Immelt announcing that Pat Buchanan had been fired from MSNBC. Very odd.

Balloon Boy – I hate putting this up here because it’s just so sensational but it drowned out almost everything else when it happened.

Fareed Zakaria GPS – The show you never watch. I’m putting this up here because the show is the best thing on cable or broadcast news. Period. Nothing else comes close. Week in and week out Zakaria delivers an in-depth, insightful, provocative program which, refreshingly, sheds all the negative aspects of cable news. Panelists discuss the issues without verbal attacks. Talking points are (mostly) not used. Even panelists who are light years apart on the issues are intellectually honest enough to concede a salient point the other side makes. When’s the last time you can remember a show on the air like that? You’d have to go back over a decade. I don’t know if the show will last because it flies in the face of what’s going on with cable news today. So enjoy it while you can. If there’s one must-DVR show out there, this is it.

What’s Not:

Mis-quoting Rush Limbaugh – Another major story running through this week’s news cycle concerned Rush Limbaugh and certain quotes, which Limbaugh never made, that were cited on cable news networks CNN and MSNBC. CNN apologized by the end of the week. MSNBC did more of a tap dance around the issue. A second mis-quote involving Rachel Maddow remains unresolved.

News (mis) judgement – FBN’s decision to cover the balloon boy saga in the last hour of the trading day, while probably juicing the network’s ratings, was a really bad call.

Reporter Boycott of FNC?

Well this is a new twist in the war on FNC. And you can bet it won’t go un-noticed. Slate’s Jacob Weisberg writes about FNC with the usual “FNC isn’t a real news network” shtick but throws in a twist. Weisberg says that all straight journalists should stop making appearances on the channel…

Whether the White House engages with Fox is a tactical political question. Whether we journalists continue to do so is an ethical one. By appearing on Fox, reporters validate its propaganda values and help to undermine the role of legitimate news organizations. Respectable journalists—I’m talking to you, Mara Liasson—should stop appearing on its programs. A boycott would make Roger Ailes too happy, so let’s try just ignoring Fox for a while. And no, I don’t want to come on The O’Reilly Factor to discuss it.

However the comment that will get talked about the most is this one…

Meanwhile, the crybaby Glenn Beck has begun to exhibit a Strangelovean concern about America’s precious bodily fluids, charging the government with trying to invade our bloodstream by vaccinating us for swine flu. With this latest misinformation campaign, Fox stands to become the first network to actively try to kill its viewers.

WH vs. FNC: Round 2…

The Politico’s Mike Allen writes about David Axelrod’s appearance on This Week with George Stephanopolous…

“Mr. Murdoch has a talent for making money, and I understand that their programming is geared toward making money. The only argument [White House communications director] Anita [Dunn] was making is that they’re not really a news station if you watch even — it’s not just their commentators, but a lot of their news programming.

“It’s really not news — it’s pushing a point of view. And the bigger thing is that other news organizations like yours ought not to treat them that way, and we’re not going to treat them that way. We’re going to appear on their shows. We’re going to participate but understanding that they represent a point of view.”

Latino in America Review…

The Baltimore Sun’s David Zurawik reviews CNN’s Latino in America and positively gushes over Soledad O’Brien…

One of the great joys of TV journalism is seeing first-rate correspondents matched up with subject matter that they are passionate about. Think of the late Ed Bradley sitting down to interview a pop culture pioneer whom he admired like Lena Horne, or NBC’s Richard Engel in the line of fire covering a war.

CNN’s Soledad O’Brien achieves that kind of stature with “Latino in America,” a four-hour, two-night documentary series on the experiences of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing minority, beginning Wednesday night at 9.

Some might argue that the 43-year-old journalist had already arrived in that elite company with “Black in America” in 2008 and “Black in America 2″ this year. But while I think her work was first-rate in those shows, there is something extraordinary about O’Brien’s performance and presence in the new Latino documentary.

Another Limbaugh Mis-Quote…

With all the hoopla about what happened with Rush Limbaugh this week on cable news over a quote he didn’t make, another incident surfaced. Or should I say re-surfaced, since it occurred last June. I was unaware of its existence until references to it started popping up in the comments in in regards this week’s mis-quote. NewsBusters’ D. S. Hube writes about Rachel Maddow referencing the bogus quote on her MSNBC program…

I’m sure the talk show host can defend himself just fine; however, the following shows just how low MSNBC will go to trash Republicans and conservatives any chance they get. On last night’s Rachel Maddow Show, the host used a long-known ersatz quote supposedly uttered by Rush Limbaugh to, well, y’know, get some cheap digs in:

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH, CONSERVATIVE RADIO TALK SHOW HOST (discussing Newt Gingrich’s views on Judge Sotomayor): I didn‘t know why he retracted it and I still don’t. I’m not retracting it. Nobody’s refuted it. She would bring a form of racism and bigotry to the court.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

MADDOW: When you get called racist by the guy who says the assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr. should get the Medal of Honor, consider yourself honored. Also, nauseated.

When I heard about this I emailed MSNBC asking if Maddow had addressed this issue since I did not know one way or the other whether she had. That was yesterday morning. It’s been nearly 36 hours since then I have still not received a response.

However Limbaugh himself referenced this bogus statement today in an Op Ed in the Wall Street Journal…

I never said I supported slavery and I never praised James Earl Ray. How sick would that be? Just as sick as those who would use such outrageous slanders against me or anyone else who never even thought such things.

That’s a pretty strong denial. ICN believes Maddow should address this issue, if she has not previously, as soon as possible.

Marc Lamont Hill’s Smoking Gun?

I don’t know how he found it but Johnny Dollar found an interview Marc Lamont Hill gave Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner during which Hill had some not at all kind things to say about Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck. Is this what did Hill in at FNC?

Bill O’Reilly, I would argue, is probably actually a little more moderate than Glenn Beck or Sean Hannity on those issues. For example, O’Reilly doesn’t believe in the birther stuff… But when you look at somebody like Glenn Beck, right? He takes the most extreme right-wing stance you could possibly imagine. Sean Hannity isn’t far behind him. And both of them believe what they’re saying. They’re not lying to you. They actually believe these things. Glenn Beck is deeply invested in the cause he talks about. So is Sean Hannity.

Now the problem is, when they articulate that narrative to a certain sector of the American people, which is deeply homophobic, as well as xenophobic and racist, and there’s all this sort of anxiety about having a black President anyway, it only plays into the narrative. So when you see them saying, Oh my God we don’t want Barack Obama to address school children, what will he say to our children, as if he’s going to read from The Communist Manifesto on national television, what it really is, is: We don’t want this black man around our kids. Even televisually. I mean, that’s what it really comes down to. But no one can really say that, so they smuggle in all of this sort of anti-black, anti-Muslim, anti-everything language and discourse through their superficial critiques.

What’s Hot/What’s Not: Submissions…

Post your nominations for this week’s What’s Hot/What’s Not. I’ll post the finalists on Sunday…

Shepard Smith Interview…

The Dallas Morning News’ Robert Philbot interviews Shepard Smith on WFAA…

You seem to have gained a lot of respect from critics as you’ve gone along on Fox News. Do you think it took people a while to catch up with your style?

You know, I haven’t changed one thing. What I was told when I started anchoring as opposed to reporting – and I’ve been reporting 25 years – is that in the field, you just go try to gather as much information as you can. Hit the high points, because people aren’t going to remember everything, and try to give people all the information you can on the fly. That’s sort of the way it works in the studio.

Juan Williams Incensed…

(via J$)

George H.W. Bush vs. Olbermann/Maddow…

TVNewser writes about President George H.W. Bush calling Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow “sick puppies” and has reaction from both…