Major Garrett Speaks on “The Feud”

The Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Public Policy had FNC’s Major Garrett speak a few days ago…(via J$)

The feud concerns a statement from White House communications director Anita Dunn about Fox News. Garrett said it puts him in an uncomfortable position “as a journalist … and as a person.” “I feel the weight of this on my shoulders perpetually,” he said, “and it makes my job harder.” He says there is still a “wall … a veil” that obstructs his job as a “simple journalist.” Yet Garrett says he doesn’t need White House endorsement; in journalism, “everything is accountable on a daily basis” and on television, “on an hour-to-hour basis.”

MSNBC’s Delicate Tightrope on Limbaugh Mis-Quote…

NewsBusters’ Kyle Drennan notes David Shuster’s non-apology apology for attributing quotes to Rush Limbaugh that never occurred…

During the 3:00PM ET hour of live coverage on MSNBC Friday, co-host David Shuster admitted that racially charged quotes he and other hosts attributed to Rush Limbaugh had not been verified: “MSNBC attributed that quote to a football player who was opposed to Limbaugh’s NFL bid. However, we have been unable to verify that quote independently. So, just to clarify.” Shuster did not formally retract the quote or apologize.

Update: Had wrong link. Fixed.

The Hazards of Live TV: #25,024

Bug off…(via Raw Story via J$)

The Hazards of Live TV: #25,023

Well this doesn’t make CNBC look good…

Marc Lamont Hill Dropped by FNC…

The Hollywood Reporter’s Georg Szalai writes about FNC analyst Marc Lamont Hill being dropped by the network. Unusual. Pundit comings and goings rarely make the trades unless it’s a really big name (e.g. Karl Rove). Also odd, that Rupert Murdoch would have that kind of detailed knowledge of what’s going on with what is essentially a pebble in his big world spanning conglomerate. That suggests Murdoch’s personal involvement in some manner since I doubt Roger Ailes is feeding Murdoch daily bulletins on who’s coming and who’s going at FNC. Though that is, admittedly, a guess on my part.

Murdoch also said that Hill has been fired. He revealed the move after a shareholder had raised the question of how Hill was hired, citing his “reputation of defending cop killers and racists.”

Hill, a frequent guest on “The O’Reilly Factor” and other Fox News shows, has been the target of increasing criticism on the blogosphere for alleged sympathies to controversial figures including Assata Shakur and Mumia Abu-Jamal. Though Hill bills himself as an expert on hip-hop culture, he also drew fire for serving as a liberal foil for various Fox News personalities on subjects far from his stated area of expertise.

Update: Hill responds via Twitter (via J$)

Relax, y’all. Don’t believe the internet rumors.

Update 2: Hill posted this Tweet and then took it down (screen grab via email from J$)

Ok, what’s that supposed to mean? That he got dropped by FNC via email/text message?

Update 3: Looks like Hill is finally acknowledging what has transpired…

In the words of Hov, “On to the next one”…

Rick Sanchez Apologizes for Limbaugh Mis-Quote…

Here’s Rick Sanchez’s on air apology which will be given today on CNN…

“Earlier this week we provided quotes attributed to Limbaugh to illustrate why some people and players felt that Rush Limbaugh was too divisive to be an NFL owner. One of these quotes, which was in a column in the St. Louis Post Dispatch and in a book largely about conservatives, was refuted by Limbaugh. We have been unable to independently confirm that quote. We should not have reported it and for that I apologize. I feel it is important to hold folks accountable when they make mistakes, and that should include myself and my team.”

Free for All: 10/16/09

What’s on your mind?

Blown Call?

Silicon Alley Insider’s John Carney compiles a list of people who “blew” the call on the market upswing. Among the list are FBN’s Cody Willard and MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan. But SAI isn’t playing favorites here. Carney puts SAI’s own Joe Weisenthal on it as well…

This was the rally that made a lot of the smartest people around look like idiots

Almost no one believed that stocks could rise as high and as fast as they have. It was supposed to be a “sucker’s rally.” We were supposed to “retest the March lows.” And stocks were supposed to “run out of steam” numerous times.

But the only suckers this time, were the people who bravely stuck their necks out to call the top, only to watch the market make mincemeat out of their predictions.

Bad Cable News…

The New York Daily News’ Richard Huff has a beef with yesterday’s runaway balloon coverage and cable news…

In the digital age information flew faster than the balloon and there were more questions than answers.

Was the kid ever inside? Did he drop out along the way? Were we going to see a mangled body at the end?

“This had more going for it than the O.J. Simpson slow Bronco chase in terms of compellingness, mystery and the fairytale aspects,” said Syracuse professor Robert Thompson.

“When a story like this breaks, it’s almost inevitable they’re going to cover it.”

When the balloon landed, and emergency crews seemed to spend too much time waiting to rip open the craft, CNN’s Rick Sanchez wanted answers. “I know what you’re thinking – the heck with the ballon, what about the little boy?” Sanchez said.

Rick Sanchez Finally Admits Mistake re: Limbaugh Mis-Quote…on Twitter…

Rick Sanchez admitted that CNN made a mistake on the Limbaugh quote. But don’t bother going on YouTube looking for a CNN clip of it. Sanchez admitted the mistake on Twitter…

i’ve know rush. in person,i like him. his rhetoric,however is inexcusably divisive. he’s right tho. we didn’t confirm quote. our bad.

Press Releases: 10/15/09

CNN (1)

CNN Digital No. 1 TV News Property on the Web in September

CNN Digital Also No. 1 Web Property (Among ALL News and Information online properties) in Total Minutes, Share of Online News, News Video and Mobile

In September, CNN Digital was the Internet’s No. 1 TV news property beating the competition in all metrics, including:

Stick to What You’re in Business For…

Ok, everyone has been watching CNN, MSNBC, and FNC’s coverage of this runaway balloon story. Sounds reasonable right? News channels covering a news story. So what was FBN doing covering it? In the last hour of the market day when trading is going on FBN’s business viewers get to watch video of a hot air balloon flying across Colorado. I only bothered to check the network after the balloon landed just to make sure it was covering business news. It wasn’t. Brilliant. If CNBC did it too they deserve the same amount of scorn but I have not been able to verify yet that CNBC did or didn’t cover it.

Business networks are there to cover business news. What’s a flying balloon with a 6 year old boy supposedly inside got to do with NASDAQ? Or the Dow? Oil Futures? Are mylar producers going to take a hit if the boy was ever actually inside (which as of this writing we’re still not sure)? Is that your business tie in to this sensational live video pandering?

This isn’t the first time FBN has held up doing what’s it’s supposed to be doing for something it’s not supposed to be doing. It interrupted its business newscast to talk about Michael Jackson’s autopsy results.

Business viewers who want to watch stuff like that already know they’ll get it in spades on MSNBC, CNN, and FNC. They have no need to see their business coverage interrupted like this.

Free for All: 10/15/09

What’s on your mind?

Imus vs. Morning Joe?

Page Six dishes with the usual backroom tittle tattle…

A source told Page Six: “Those higher up at MSNBC are unnerved by Imus’ move to Fox Business Network and fear his show could push Scarborough down. They’re putting a lot of pressure on Joe to keep the ratings up. To make things worse, there are multiple scores to be settled.”

Tom Bowman, Imus’ old producer at MSNBC, jumped to Fox Business with him, and is said to have harsh feelings toward Scarborough and his executive producer, Chris Licht. “So they [Imus and Bowman] are out to win,” said our source.

Glenn Beck on SNL?

Mediaite’s Glynnis MacNicol thinks Glenn Beck should guest host SNL. File this under the heading of “pipedream”…

Someone at 30 Rock needs to approach Glenn Beck and ask him to host SNL, pronto. They could use Beck’s opener today in lieu of an audition tape. The White House’s decision to treat Fox News as an opponent might just be the best gift Beck has ever received; between the red phone on set, the grip whose job it is to sit beside it in case the White House calls, the chalkboard, and Beck’s impressions, his opener this evening may have been the best 20 minutes of television you’ll see all day.

Lorne Michaels would need balls of steel to even attempt to lure Beck onto the program considering the pushback he’d get from corporate given the intense feuding between MSNBC/GE and FNC..

Kiran Chetry Profile…

Heather Peterson profiles CNN’s Kiran Chetry in New York Family. (via J$)

FNC could probably have a field day with this subtitle however (emphasis ICN’s)…

When Kiran Chetry isn’t co-anchoring the news on CNN’s popular “American Morning”, she’s busy co-anchoring with her lovely family of four.

The Hazards of Live TV: #25,022

Ok I missed this yesterday which seems inconceivable since I had Matthews on the TV yesterday morning while blogging. TVNewser has Matthews’ non-apology apology. Now, where’s Olbermann’s non-apology apology to Malkin?

Press Releases: 10/14/09

MSNBC (1)

MSNBC PRESENTS AN ENCORE PRESENTATION OF KEITH OLBERMANN’S SPECIAL COMMENT ON HEALTH CARE, FRIDAY 8 PM

National Association of Free Clinics Has Received More Than $800,000 Since Last Week’s Olbermann Special Comment

NEW YORK – Oct. 14, 2009 – MSNBC will air an encore presentation of Keith Olbermann’s program-length Special Comment on health care, Friday on “Countdown,” 8-9 p.m. ET. “Health Care Reform: The Fight Against Death” is a one hour Special Comment by Olbermann on the debate over health care reform and his personal experiences with the health care system in the United States.

As part of the Special Comment, Olbermann called for viewers to donate to the National Association of Free Clinics, in hopes of raising funds for clinics to be held in states including Arkansas, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, Nebraska and North Dakota. Since last Wednesday, the National Association of Free Clinics has received more than $800,000. A link directly to the donation page on their web site can be found at countdown.msnbc.com.

Cable News Ombudsmen?

All Your TV’s Rick Ellis writes about whether Cable News Networks FNC and MSNBC should have an Ombudsman… (via J$)

But while I think that a newly-created ombudsperson position makes a lot of sense, it will only work if the person is given a wide range of autonomy and the ability to take on the stars of the network. Not in an unfair way, but if someone on Fox News or MSNBC accidentally misstates a fact (or just makes up a tidbit because it sounds logical), this ombudsman needs the respect of the talent and the support of the management.

They also need a regular spot on their respective network. They need to be on the air daily, most likely in the early daytime hours. A short several-minute segment should do it, but they need the time to say “here’s the clip, here’s the complaint, this is what I’ve uncovered.” And the reality is that in many cases, they may find the network talent to be correct. Every viewer complaint isn’t valid and every call for a correction isn’t logical. But no matter what the ultimate finding, the viewers need to trust the results and the autonomy of the ombudsman.

Ellis’ question of a cable news ombudsman isn’t a new one. I asked the same question myself two years ago. However Ellis zeroes in too much on the prime time pundits at the expense of the bread and butter news gathering and reporting side of the operation.

NBCU Announces Health Initiative…

In the past I had noted rumors that Nancy Snydermann’s show was part of a new health initiative at GE and it looks like those rumors were true. Broadcasting & Cable’s Alex Weprin writes about the new initiative announced today by NBC Universal…

The Campbell Soup Company has signed on as the inaugural sponsor, and will promote its lower sodium soups and “AdDress Your Heart” awareness campaign on NBC’s Today and on Dr. Nancy Snyderman’s one hour MSNBC program.

NBC will launch new editions of its “The More You Know” public affairs campaigns with a focus on health and wellness, and will launch a cross platform event encouraging fitness and reducing obesity in 2010. iVillage’s relaunched health site, coming in February 2010, will also play a prominent part in the initiative. Healthy at NBCU is a companion program to NBC parent company General Electric’s “Healthymagination” initiative.

Fireworks on Morning Meeting…

The Huffington Post Arthur Delaney writes about an exchange between Dylan Ratigan and The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Tom Donohue…

Then, the interview became acrimonious. Donohue had no response to Ratigan’s assertion that “unless the government and people like you that lobby to the exemptions that allow banks to [speculate with taxpayer money] get out of the way, we will never have fair play again in this country and we’ll have job creation by virtue of taxpayer theft, which is ultimately destructive, and I would argue, treasonous to this country.”

“Boy, when you get on this show, it’s really hard to get four words in without hearing six more,” said Donohue at the end.

“Yes, it is,” replied Ratigan. “Especially when you talk nonsense.”

Ouch.

Free for All: 10/14/09

What’s on your mind?

More White House vs. FNC…

The New York Times’ Brian Stelter writes about the latest back and forth in a war the White House really shouldn’t be playing up because it’s such a loser for them…

Bill Burton, a deputy White House press secretary, said in an e-mail message, “Apparently covering the State Department at a time when there are two wars and important foreign policy issues that emerge every day, there are other things that Fox News thinks those reporters ought to be covering.”

Fox rebutted by saying that it moves resources regularly, “as any news organization would,” to follow the news.

Said Michael Clemente, the senior vice president for news, in a statement: “But when the top military commander is calling for more troops, and the White House is coming down on the military for putting out parts of the troops recommendations, why are they talking about where James Rosen hangs his hat each day, rather than about the strategy for Afghanistan?”

“Mad Money” Goes Back to College Again…

World Television & Business News notes that CNBC is going to do another one of its Mad Money College shows, this time at the University of Oklahoma…

CNBC’s Jim Cramer heads for the Sooner State, as the “Mad Money Back To School Tour” resumes at the University of Oklahoma on Friday, October 30th. The program will broadcast from the university’s Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center in front of a live audience of students.

Jenna Lee Profile…

Marketwatch’s Jon Friedman profiles FBN’s Jenna Lee…

One of Lee’s biggest adjustments has been accepting the notion that she is regarded as a celebrity in some circles.

It helps for her to discuss life as a public figure with her father, former National Football League quarterback Bob “The General” Lee. (Jenna can in turn enlighten her brother, University of Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee, on handling the media.)

Lee has to contend with the blogosphere, in which an invasion of privacy is a fact of life. She doesn’t see herself as a celebrity. When she discusses the blogs, it’s as if she’s talking about another Jenna Lee.

“It’s been surprising how much the viewers want to know about me,” she said. “I’m so focused on the work. I don’t think I’m so interesting. I feel rather unremarkable.”

Lee shakes her head. “To be perceived only as an attractive young woman, that’s not how I view myself,” she said. “It’s not a bother, but it can be confusing when people judge me on the way I look.”

Liz Claman, a veteran TV journalist and a colleague of Lee’s, puts it in perspective: “We’re not doing radio here. We’re doing TV. You have to be presentable and smart.”

More Imus Numbers…

The New York Daily News’ David Hinckley and Christina Kinon write about Don Imus’ numbers last week…

The Imus show, a simulcast of the radio program heard on WABC (770 AM), averaged 148,000 viewers a day for the first week, which began Oct. 5.

That put Fox Business a few thousand viewers ahead of CNBC for the first time since FBN went on the air two years ago. People in the industry, however, cautioned that Imus and CNBC’s morning “Squawk Box” tap different audiences and are not really in direct competition.

“People in the industry”? And who exactly might they be? CNBC? Nobody contacted me for this even though it’s what I would have said…though in a different way.

Yuck…

Keith Olbermann really took it to Michelle Malkin tonight. I don’t think the word “overboard” does it justice. NewsBusters’ Brad Wilmouth writes about tonight’s WPiTW segment…

On Tuesday’s Countdown show, MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann spewed bile at conservative commentator Michelle Malkin, accusing her of possessing “fascistic hatred,” and comparing her to a “mashed-up bag of meat with lipstick on it.” During his show’s regular “Worst Person” segment, Olbermann attacked Malkin for her role in bringing attention to the recent controversy over school children in New Jersey singing a song about President Obama. Blaming the conservative commentator for death threats made against a woman who posted video of the children singing, Malkin was crudely slammed by Olbermann: “She received death threats and hate-filled voice mails all thanks to the total mindless, morally bankrupt, knee-jerk, fascistic hatred, without which Michelle Malkin would just be a big mashed-up bag of meat with lipstick on it.”

Um, what’s the difference between this attack and the “Ho-Pas” incident, which Olbermann subsequently apologized for even though he had nothing to do with that incident? Is it because Mrs. Vitter was a “civilian” and Malkin is a pundit? Seems like a thin excuse to me…

Update: Malkin responds…

In case you were wondering what kind of lipstick we big mashed up bags of meat wear, I prefer M.A.C. Lustreglass in Ornamental or Lipglass in Spite. Because nothing goes better with fascistic hatred!

Update 2: Malkin responds some more on Mediaite…

Reporters and Opinions…

The LA Times’ James Rainey writes about war correspondents Laura Logan and Richard Engel offering opinions on the conflicts in the Middle East…

NBC’s chief foreign correspondent — who came to the Middle East after studying at Stanford, learned Arabic and essentially never left the Islamic world — told Joe Scarborough, “I really don’t see how this is going to end in anything but tears.”

In an interview with PBS’ Charlie Rose he sounded no more optimistic. “I don’t personally think the nation building, winning hearts and minds is ever going to work,” Engel said. “I really don’t.”

It’s easy to see how well-regarded correspondents (Engel once went to the White House, at President George W. Bush’s invitation, to talk about Iraq) get tempted to venture beyond their reporting, particularly with blogs and talk shows constantly urging them to go further.

Still, it’s hard to completely swallow Engel’s assertion to me this week that his statements amounted to no more than analysis. “I didn’t try to offer policy advice,” he said. “That wasn’t my role.”

NBC News President Steve Capus said he “fully supported” his star correspondent, but he also said he called Engel to “quiz” him about the provocative interviews. “I said he has so much to offer in terms of straight reporting and analysis,” Capus said, “that I want him to stick to that.”

It’s an FBN Ratings Flood…

Broadcasting & Cable’s Alex Weprin gets the latest FBN ratings leak (likely from FBN) regarding Imus’ first week on the air. Well I suppose the good news is FBN is slowly running out of new internet places to leak numbers to; numbers which aren’t valid since the network isn’t officially rated by Nielsen yet.

Imus in the Morning averaged a .2 rating and 148,000 viewers P2+ in its 6-9 a.m. timeslot for the week of October 5-9.

That was good enough to just beat CNBC’s Squawk Box, which averaged 145,000 viewers P2+.

Imus premiered on FBN October 5 to 177,000 total viewers, and had a day-to-day retention rate of 75%.

That means 148,000 people tuned in last week to watch Imus not really talk about business much and catch business headlines for a smallish percentage of minutes each hour. Meanwhile if one wanted to know in depth why things are the way they are in the business world during that time period, one would have to tune in to CNBC or Bloomberg.

Imus may indeed start burying Squawk Box in the ratings but it’ll be bury it with people who predominantly won’t be business viewers but Imus viewers. Remember, the bulk of CNBC’s viewership occurs in locations not measured by Nielsen – the term is “out of home” I believe – a point CNBC frequently notes when discussing its numbers. That means CNBC’s target audience, for which the network gets premium advertisers attention, is essentially “off the grid”. If FBN, which is available in fewer homes than CNBC by a near 2:1 ratio, suddenly surges like it did with Imus it likely means home viewers are tuning in and not business viewers (business viewers…the ones that advertisers crave anyways…would tend to be, well, watching from their businesses so they’re “off the grid”).

In other words, direct comparisons between ratings on CNBC and FBN from 6-9 require a more delicate parsing than MSM media writers, who tend to like nice neat headlines that don’t require a lot of explanation, will get into.

I won’t repeat myself and post yet another detailed dissertation on why the leaks need to stop and nobody should post numbers until FBN is officially rated by Nielsen. Instead I’ll note that CNBC has been quiet up till this point. I suspect that if the leaks continue CNBC will respond publicly with some detailed pushback.

“Radio Joe” Dropped in D.C…

The Radio Equalizer’s Brian Maloney blogs that Joe Scarborough’s radio show just lost a key affiliate in Washington D.C.

WMAL-AM’s cancellation of the midmorning program is a double-blow for the MSNBC talker, as the station is owned and operated by his syndicator, Citadel Communications.

That does not bode well for the show’s future in other cities. It’s a clear sign of deep concern at the corporate level and may suggest his future removal from WABC-AM in New York City.

Update: Joe Scarborough just put out two separate tweets regarding WMAL’s numbers for his radio show…

The Joe Scarborough Radio Show grows 72% in an month at WMAL in DC. In NY, more people listen to the Joe & Mika radio show than Beck’s.

Only six months out of the blocks in DC, Mika and I enjoyed our best ratings month yet. Thanks for listening!!!

I’m not sure what this is all about. Is Scarborough noting that the WMAL show had its highest numbers when it got cancelled and he’s thanking those who tuned in? If so, it’s sort of a roundabout way of doing it.