Press Releases: 02/12/10

CNN (1)

News Veteran Tom Bettag Joins CNN as Sr. Executive Producer

Bettag to Take the Reins of State of the Union with Candy Crowley and Reliable Sources

Tom Bettag joins CNN Worldwide as senior executive producer of State of the Union with Candy Crowley and Reliable Sources, it was announced today by David Bohrman, SVP of Programming and Washington bureau chief. Bettag will oversee the Sunday public affairs programming lineup, effective immediately.

“Adding such a renowned producer as Tom to CNN’s lineup further reflects the network’s commitment to serious journalism,” said Bohrman. “Candy now will be a member of a very exclusive team of greats—such as Ted Koppel and Dan Rather—who have had the opportunity to work with Tom.”

“For years, Candy has been one of my favorite reporters. She’s not only tough and fair, but also brings a breath of fresh air to Sunday morning talk. I look forward to joining Candy and the team,” added Bettag. “And I’m thrilled to be part of, what I consider, to be the preeminent news organization in the country.”

Free for All: 02/12/10

What’s on your mind?

Politico vs. FNC: Round 3…

It’s the spat that doesn’t seem to want to end. The latest shot comes from Politico’s Jim VandeHei and Jonathan Martin…

Fox News has been making a serious charge about mainstream political reporters: They hate Sarah Palin.

This is not just wrong, it’s absurd. The reality is exactly the opposite: We love Palin.

And if Palin does not exactly love us, she’s smart enough to recognize how quickly reporters devour every provocative remark she utters. She knows how to exploit our weakness to guarantee herself exposure far out of proportion to her actual influence in Republican politics.

It’s a tangled, symbiotic affair — built on mutual dependency and mutual enabling.

For the media, Palin is great at the box office. Among modern American political figures, she is second only to Barack Obama in generating clicks (for Web sites such as this one) and ratings (for the cable news networks hungering around the clock for fresh material).

Fireworks on Morning Joe…

Politico’s Anne Schroeder Mullins muscles in on Michael Calderone’s turf by writing about a dust up involving Lawrence O’Donnell on Morning Joe this morning…

Former Bush speechwriter Mark Thiessen went on “Morning Joe” Friday morning to talk about national security. But the Bushie wound up on the receiving end of a yelling tirade from Lawrence O’Donnell, who was on the New York set.

The liberal O’Donnell – who’s hosting “The Ed Show” Friday night on MSNBC – wound up yelling at Thiessen, saying he was “lying.” As the show’s hosts tried to get him to stop, O’Donnell grew more irate, talking over everyone. Thiessen had to ask, “Can I get a word in?”

Finally, “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough put an end to it, saying: “Stop. Let’s stop. We’re going to break right now. We’re going to break right now. We’ll be right back and I’m going to be interviewing Mark by myself. We’ll be right back.”

When the show came back from the unscripted break, the show was announced as: “Thiessen Interview Take 2.”

Ouch…

This is kinda embarrassing…(via J$)

Steve Capus: Olympic Torch Bearer…

The Vancouver Sun’s Shelley Fralic writes about NBC News President Steve Capus carrying a torch in the relay to the Olympics…

It was Dick Ebersol, who’s in charge of sports and Olympics for NBC, who asked Capus last November if he wanted a spot in the relay. He hesitated for not one second.

“It was so cool,” said Capus. “Jumping off that [torchbearer] bus into those crowds. They made me feel like a rock star.”

So did his staff back at the International Broadcast Centre in downtown Vancouver, who started taking photos of the boss when he showed up after the relay still wearing his torchbearer uniform and carrying the soot-covered torch.

Capus’s 300-metre relay leg was all downhill, on New Westminster’s cobblestoned Fourth Street as it heads toward Columbia, and the Fraser River, and Capus says he was overwhelmed by the energy and enthusiasm of the crowds who lined the road, by the diversity of the faces of the young and old, and by their unabashed patriotism.

“It’s a wonderfully unifying thing. All these generations, and these beautiful children. I felt like I’d been dropped into a storybook.”

Clinton’s Hospitalization: Your reactions…

I was outside pruning a maple tree and came back in to find Bill Clinton had been hospitalized so I missed most of the cable TV action. So post your reactions to the coverage thereof here…

The Insider following FBN Women?

The Wide World of Women board, and I think this is the first time I’ve ever linked to them, notes that on today’s FBN internet show, Jenna said that a crew from The Insider are following her around so expect a segment in the near future…

More CNBC ratings leaks…

Wow. Two CNBC ratings leaks in one day. The first is from Talking Biz News…

On Monday, CNBC had its lowest rated weekday primetime rating of the year — just 39,000 viwers in the demographic. The previous low had been this past Friday, when it had 44,000 viewers.

The second comes from the site which displaced Zero Hedge as the must leak CNBC ratings to site on the internet, Wall St. Cheat Sheet. Think I’m overstating things? When was the last time you saw a CNBC ratings leak on Zero Hedge? It’s been months. The leaks have moved over to Wall St. Cheat Sheet. *

Last week, I posted the most recent Nielsen Media Research ratings for CNBC. Although 90% of the comments confirmed CNBC programming was not valuable, a few passionate people came quickly to the defense of their favorite financial entertainment network.

The main criticism was I cherry-picked the data and the comps were against high ratings from the time of the market crash. First, the Nielsen ratings are the ratings. I have no pull at Nielsen to manipulate ratings. They were fresh as the morning dew.

Second, it’s true ratings are down against a tough comp from the Great Crash. However, if we rewind back to January 2008, well before the proverbial fan was hit with shit, the CNBC rating comp still tells the same story: people have turned on, tuned out, and dropped out.

* Of course having said what will probably happen next is a leak will get fed to Zero Hedge just to try and make the leaks not too obvious.

Wallace vs. Scarborough…

Chris Wallace responds the Joe Scarborough’s characterization of Wallace’s alleged eyeroll at the end of a Sarah Palin interview…(via J$)

In Depth: Bubba’s Army joins the Brew Crew…is MSNBC paying attention? Update: Hopefully not…

And interesting dance is going on Twitter between Contessa Brewer and the Bubba the Love Sponge Army. I’m not sure how it started but the tweets are flying back and forth…and even Contessa’s Mom is involved…

Contessa’s Mom

@BTLSRADIO Hey Bubba I hear you’re a Contessa fan too!

Bubba

@Contessasmom yes I am watch her everyday while on the air. She’s very impressive. Must be cause she’s got a great mom Just like me! Bubba

Bubba

Everyone follow @contessabrewer !!

Free for All: 02/11/10

What’s on your mind?

Jim Angle Interview…

The Naples News’ Don Farmer interviews FNC’s Jim Angle…(via J$)

Fox News correspondent Jim Angle jokingly describes his job in moderating the former President George W. Bush and former Gov. Jeb Bush appearance here on Feb. 16 as “the Barbara Bush” role.

“My job will be to say, ‘Now, now boys’,” Angle explains.

The Bush brothers’ event is at the Naples Grand Beach Resort, part of the Town Hall Distinguished Speakers series.

I had a chance recently to chat with Angle, whose TV news credentials go back to the Reagan years. He’s been with Fox News since 1996 and is the network’s chief Washington correspondent. His earlier reporting career included NPR, CNN and ABC News.

Second time not as good?

Kate Dailey blogs on Newsweek.com about CNN’s return trip to Haiti with Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta in less than glowing terms…

Don’t get me wrong, as a reporter whose struggled to cover the situation in Haiti from a desk in New York, I’m both thrilled and heartened to see any journalist so determined to keep a spotlight on the issue, let alone a journalist as prominent as Cooper—especially given that we are a full month past the initial quake and now amid a Super Bowl, a series of blizzards, and the coming Winter Olympics.

But as a viewer I was frustrated to see that the show’s reported segments were about as long as the touchy-feely interludes, and they weren’t terribly revealing at that. At one point Cooper wandered through a tent city narrating the scene with only the briefest of exchanges between himself and the city’s inhabitants. At another, Gupta visited a makeshift TB clinic and tried framing this particular public-health threat as a new one for the people of Haiti. It isn’t. Gupta went so far as to stick his microphone in the face of a TB patient—a 20-year-old woman in obvious pain. After explaining that the woman had lost her entire family in the quake and had run out of medicine for her illness, he asked, “How are you feeling?” and then, “Where will you go after this?” After considering those questions, the woman erupted into tears. I mean, come on. How does that help anyone?

More FNC/Politico back and forth re: Bill Sammon?

Did Steve Doocy fire the latest shot at Politico since Michael Calderone and Jim VandeHei teed off on Bill Sammon? Doocy called Politico a “left wing website“…

The Hazards of Live TV: #25,043

Well a double dumb ass on you! – James T. Kirk

Pointless Comparisons…

Ok, I’ve seen a few of these the past few days so Christy D’Zurilla’s blog entry on the LA Times’ website concerning Red Eye besting CNN primetime last week isn’t the first. But it was the one that finally got me annoyed enough to write…

This comparison is beyond stupid. The shows aren’t in the same time slot, aren’t covering the same subject matter most of the time, and have audiences who tune in for different reasons. There is no comparison. It’s completely apples and oranges. It would be like ABC hyping Lost crushing the Today Show on NBC in the ratings.

Media writers should know better than to make these kinds of comparisons. Do you think CNN thinks about Red Eye when its 360, Larry King, and Campbell Brown staffs hold their daily production meetings? Do you think Red Eye’s staff thinks about them when they hold their meetings? Mediaite’s headline “Red Eye Celebrates Third Year By Topping CNN Prime Time Last Week” is purely asinine from a credibility standpoint. It’s a great PR headline though. Might as well slap a bow on it and ship it off to FNC…along with a bill for services rendered.

This just does a disservice to more important stories, namely CNN’s primetime issues and Red Eye’s resilience at an ungodly hour for east coasters. Both are stories deserving notation. But there is no intersection between the two. And sloppy inattentive media writers need to learn that.

Press Releases: 02/10/10

CNN (2)

In a worldwide exclusive interview on CNN and CNNI, Christiane Amanpour interviews actress and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie from Haiti on her reaction to what she has seen, her hope for the future of Haiti and how she will personally work to help the Haitian people. The full interview will air Friday, February 12 on CNNI at 3p (ET), and on CNN U.S. this Sunday, February 14 at 2p (ET).

Amanpour airs on CNN/U.S. on Sundays at 2:00 pm ET and on CNNI Monday thru Friday at 3p ET.

_____________________________

CNN.com to Exclusively Live Stream Jamie Oliver’s 2010 TED Prize Talk

Building on its content partnership with TED, a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, tonight at 8:50 p.m. (ET) CNN.com exclusively will live stream 2010 TED Prize winner Jamie Oliver’s talk in which he will reveal his one wish to change the world. Part of CNN.com’s strategy to grow its Opinion section and present thoughtful commentary, the live video stream of the talk will be available globally from the CNN.com homepage and at www.CNN.com/live1.

As part of the TED Prize, Oliver, celebrity chef and international nutrition advocate, has been granted $100,000 and the opportunity to present his wish to change the world at the TED2010 conference, “What the World Needs Now,” in Long Beach, California held Feb. 9-13, 2010. Oliver is the 16th winner of the TED Prize, which was established in 2005. Prior winners include Bill Clinton, Bono, E.O. Wilson, Karen Armstrong, Cameron Sinclair and Dave Eggers. Last year’s prize was awarded to ocean explorer Sylvia Earle; Jill Tarter, who directs the SETI Institute’s Center for SETI Research; and Jose Abreu, founder of El Sistema, a method of using music teaching to bring about social improvement.

Free for All: 02/10/10

What’s on your mind?

CNN’s “out of home” gambit…

New York Daily Intelligencer’s Chris Rovzar looks at CNN’s use of out of home numbers in its ratings…

CNN could be counting on the away-from-home numbers to be significant when a major news event comes around (they come into play for buyers in advance of major sporting events like the Super Bowl or World Series, where it’s known many viewers will be tuned in at bars). But, Schwartz notes, “it’s pretty hard to predict a major news event,” so that won’t be much help to buyers. Still, CNN’s D’Alba noted to New York, the boost in numbers when you add in the Arbitron-counted away-from-home viewers from the last quarter of 2009 (when there wasn’t a major news event like the Haiti earthquake) is so significant that a breaking news event would only be like a bonus. “Even if these figures are off a few percentage points” because people pay attention to commercials less outside of the home, D’Alba said, “I like what they’re saying.”

“We feel so strongly about the methodology we’re willing to guarantee it. That’s a first for us. What percentage of lift we’ll guarantee will depend on what the marketplace will absorb,” D’Alba said. “I think that most people you talk to would assume that we would have a substantial out-of-home viewership. I think this is a way to effectively quantify that … I think the industry is going that way. We need to get a better grip on what people are consuming outside of the home.” According to Schwartz, though, the industry isn’t quite ready yet. “I’m not really sure at this point in time that it will be a major component of the negotiations,” he said. “The current metric is the majority of the current audience, and what deals are based on.”

Paterson on Imus…

Say what you will about some of FBN’s recent programming decisions like bringing Don Imus onboard and a shift to more politics intermingled with business news, and I’ve said my fair share, but bringing on Imus does have the occasional fringe benefit. Today Imus had the much talked about Governor of New York David Patterson on this morning. Mediaite’s Steve Krakauer writes up the interview…

One of the most talked about as-yet-unpublished stories recently was a topic this morning on Imus in the Morning today, as Don Imus interviewed embattled Gov. David Paterson.

It was Paterson’s first TV appearance since his press conference yesterday – and the Governor didn’t hold back in voicing his anger over the rumors.

Scarborough vs. Sammon…

NewsBusters’ Brad Wilmouth writes about Joe Scarborough commenting on Bill Sammon’s Fox News Sunday comments about the MSM. You have to wonder if Sammon knew full well that this would cause a kerfuffle and said it just to be provocative. That’s classic FNC style…

On Tuesday’s Morning Joe, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough took exception with FNC analyst Bill Sammon for using the word “hate” to describe mainstream media sentiment toward Sarah Palin, contending that “you can’t just say that people ‘hate’ Sarah Palin.” But, while he spent more than two minutes complaining about Sammon’s use of the word “hate,” Scarborough seemed to contradict himself at one point as he ended up using the word “hated” to describe media reaction to the former Alaska governor after she was first chosen as John McCain’s running mate.

The MSNBC host went on to suggest that the media got over their initial feeling of “hate” and “tried” to “start reporting on her down the middle.” Scarborough: “And, by the way, we called out the media when they attacked her without even knowing who she was. And we said they hated her in the press early on without knowing her because she was a pro-life woman. Now, did they get past that and start reporting on her down the middle? They tried. But again, they don’t hate her. I don’t think they under-, a lot of people don’t understand somebody from Wasilla who hunts, who is pro-life. There is a cultural gap. But to just say that they hate…”

FNC eyeing Rubio/Crist debate…

The Swamp’s Mark Silva scoops that FNC is looking to televise the upcoming Rubio/Crist debate in Florida…

One of the hottest Senate races on the horizon – the Florida Republican primary fight between Gov. Charlie Crist and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio of Miami — could be heading for spring training in March with a televised debate.

Rubio, a Miami Republican and conservative giving a long-popular governor and political moderate an unexpectedly tough contest, has agreed to take part in a debate sponsored by FOX News, The Swamp has learned.

Crist, the governor, former state attorney general and state lawmaker long popular in Florida but suddenly facing heated competition within conservative ranks of his party, has not accepted the challenge yet, The Swamp understands.

Margaret Brennan’s Career…

News on Women invited Bloomberg TV’s Margaret Brennan to write about how she got her start in news…

“I’ve been a news junkie for most of my life. From the time I was a little girl, I loved reading the paper and watching the news. I just didn’t know that I would end up with a career on television, telling the stories of how the financial world is shaping the global power balance.

MSNBC Olympics Plans…

MSNBC announced its Vancouver Olympic plans…

“WAY TOO EARLY WITH WILLIE GEIST” LIVE FROM VANCOUVER

Geist To Broadcast Live From the Olympic Winter Games Starting February 10

MSNBC To Provide 100 Hours of Olympic Coverage and Live Updates During The Games

NEW YORK – February 9, 2010 – “Way Too Early with Willie Geist” (MSNBC weekdays 5:30-6:00 a.m ET) goes international starting Wednesday, February 10, broadcasting live from Vancouver, Canada for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. MSNBC’s early morning show will have a late night feel as Geist hosts live at 2:30 a.m. local time, offering viewers all the latest news, politics, sports, and pop culture they need to start their day — or to end it in Vancouver. “Way Too Early” will originate from the International Broadcast Center (IBC) in Vancouver’s downtown waterfront area through February 26. Geist will also report for MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and contribute to NBC News programs from Vancouver.

In addition to daily updates from the IBC, MSNBC will present three live shows hosted by Willie Geist and NBC News’ Lester Holt and Chris Jansing. The 90-minute Olympic update shows will air February 19 at 5:30 p.m. ET/ 2:30 p.m. PT, February 25 at 4:30 p.m. ET/ 1:30 p.m. PT, and February 26 at 5:30 p.m. ET/ 2:30 p.m. PT. MSNBC will also air special live coverage on February 20 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. ET/ 2:30-4:30 p.m. PT and February 21 from 3:00-7:00 p.m. ET/ 1:00-4:00 p.m. PT.

Free for All: 02/09/10

What’s on your mind?

CNN.com stops using AP wire stories for a week…

The Washington Examiner’s Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri write about CNN.com stopping the use of AP wire stories for a week… (via J$)

Sure, broadcast networks “break” news, but they often get a little help from their friends — or, reports from wire services that have reporters stationed on location as events happen.

But for the next week, CNN wants to prove its newsgathering grit by saying no to the Associated Press wire service and relying on its own wires to deliver breaking news.

O’Reilly vs. VandeHei vs. Sammon

Politico’s Michael Calderone writes about Politico’s Jim VandeHei coming on the Factor to criticize Bill Sammon’s comments yesterday on Fox News Sunday…

O’Reilly brought up his research repeatedly during the “The Factor’s” lead story, and said that Sammon “was absolutely right” in his critique. (O’Reilly also mentioned research during his Talking Points Memo before debate).

VandeHei disagreed, telling O’Reilly that “Bill Sammon should not have made that comment.”

“He’s running your news division,” VandeHei told the Fox News host.

“So what?” countered O’Reilly. “That means he can’t be an honest purveyor of information?”

“He thinks all reporters—he thinks Chuck Todd, he thinks other White House reporters, other political reporters hate the tea party movement, hate Sarah Palin?” Vandehei asked. “He has no clue. You wouldn’t even be able to prove that charge to begin with.”

T.J. Holmes Interview…

TheLoop21.com’s Kelli Goff interviews CNN’s T.J. Holmes…(via J$)

11. What was your most important/difficult career decision?
Might sound crazy, but that might have been my decision to come to CNN three years ago. I’ve always kind of viewed myself as a small town boy who wanted to just settle in somewhere and just have an impact on a small community like the little communities I grew up in, so in deciding where I was going to go when I was leaving California where I was working at NBC in the Bay Area when I was looking at my next move and I really was debating about going to a couple of smaller places. I had options in smaller towns to be a local news anchor where you can get out and touch people every day.

At CNN, you have a wider reach but sometimes you feel like there’s a disconnect between you and your audience because you can’t just run into them at the grocery store or at Blockbuster. It may seem silly to some people or crazy like “How in the world could you consider giving up the opportunity at CNN for some smaller place,” but it’s something I did a lot of soul searching on. Glad I made the move I made but it was a a tough call. Much tougher than many people realize.

Fisking FNC’s Bill Sammon…

Politico’s Michael Calderone writes about what Bill Sammon, FNC’s Washington Bureau’s Managing Editor said yesterday on Fox News Sunday regarding the Tea Party Movement and Sarah Palin and the subsequent reaction…

It’s insulting for a top news executive to say that mainstream media reporters on the ground in Nashville — most likely just trying to cover the speeches, listen to what attendees are thinking, and look at where the movement may be headed — are motivated by hatred. (And despite Sammon’s claim, there are some on the left who argue the opposite — that the MSM’s tea party coverage hasn’t been tough enough).

Sammon’s slam prompted a response from NBC White House correspondent Chuck Todd this morning on Twitter: “Come on Bill Sammon, an absurd attack and you know it: that ‘MSM’ hates tea party movement? Please. Didn’t expect a shot like that from u.”