Phillip Yin joins Bloomberg TV…

Talking Biz News reports that Phillip Yin has joined Bloomberg TV as an anchor…

Bloomberg L.P. announced that Phillip Yin has joined the Bloomberg Television network as an anchor and reporter.

Yin will cover Asia Pacific markets, economic and financial news for Bloomberg Television’s 24-hour global business news network, available in more than 240 million homes around the world.

Yin, who is based in Hong Kong, will appear through the morning on “Bloomberg News Asia,” which takes viewers around the Asia-Pacific region from Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney and other locations to offer a comprehensive update on the U.S. market close, the Europe trading day and the day ahead for Asia-Pacific markets.

CNBC Digital has Record Month…

News on News reports that CNBC Digital had its best month ever…

May was a record month for CNBC Digital. According to the latest data from comScore Media Metrix, CNBC.com, the online destination for global business news and expert analysis, was visited by over 6 million unique visitors and generated 326 million page views, making it the best month on record.

CNBC Mobile, which includes CNBC Mobile Web and CNBC’s iPhone App, crossed over the 100MM monthly page view mark for the first time ever. CNBC Mobile Web had its best month ever in terms of page views with close to 61 MM, a 45% increase compared to May 2009. CNBC’s iPhone App also had its best month ever in page views with over 41 MM and in uniques with over 367,000.

Dylan Ratigan Profile…

The Daily Beast’s Lloyd Grove profiles MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan…

Having lunch with Dylan Ratigan is a bit like being sprayed with a fire hose. Actually, it’s a bit like watching his television program.

“At first, people were like: ‘Who is this guy?’ ” the host of MSNBC’s The Dylan Ratigan Show says as we sit outdoors at the Rock Center Café, where he has presented himself unshaven, sporting a beige turtleneck and jeans. “Then they were like: ‘Why is he yelling at everybody?’ Then they were like, ‘Hang on a second, I think he might be here to try and help with honest intent!’ I think we are at that point where people are realizing, however you may feel stylistically, that our intention is to end game-rigging in the government, using 21st Century journalism!”

Ratigan, of course, is yelling—his default mode of communication, ever since his days as a maniacal stock market host on Bloomberg Television and CNBC—and he’s waving his arms in a semaphore of alarm, attracting the anxious curiosity of diners at nearby tables. And despite his resemblance to a budding Howard Beale, the angry anchorman from Paddy Chayefsky’s Network, the 38-year-old Ratigan is appealingly self-aware, happy to acknowledge his hyper-intensity. “Well, it is true,” Ratigan admits. “But we need that guy from Network. At some point somebody has to walk in the room and be like, ‘None of you are solving the problem!’ ”

In Depth: Olbermann Checks Out on Kos…

Keith Olbermann takes his keyboard and goes home…(via Mediaite)

For years, from the Katrina days onward, whenever I stuck my neck out, I usually visited here as the cliched guy in the desert stopping by the oasis. I never got universal support, and never expected it, nor wanted it (who wants an automatic “Yes” machine?). But I used to read a lot about how people here would ‘always have my back’ and trust me this was of palpable value as I fought opponents external and internal who try to knock me and Rachel off the air, all the time, in ways you can imagine and others you can’t.

Now I get to read how we pre-planned our anger because ‘beating up on the President has been good for ratings’.

If I can understand people’s frustration with seeing a speech by a Democratic president criticized in a venue such as mine, why is it impossible for some people here to accept my frustration about the speech? You don’t agree with me, fine. You don’t want to watch because you don’t agree with me, fine. But to accuse me, after five years of risking what I have to present the truth as I see it, of staging something for effect, is deeply offensive to me and is an indication of what has happened here.

In Depth: The Voice of God – Why it Still Serves a Purpose

I noted last weekend in the comments on one thread I noted that I’d been mulling doing a post about the “voice of God” factor and, after some encouragement to do so, here it comes.

I’m old school. I’m a big believer and supporter of the Voice of God factor in TV news. For the uninitiated, the term “voice of God” is a somewhat ethereal term that has subjective aspects to it. Loosely defined it’s widely held to refer to news anchors who the viewer trusts with near implicity in times of big news cycles as if they’re getting the news straight from God.

For me personally, the definition is far more specific. It refers to news anchors who enunciate their words and carry themselves on the air in such a manner as to project a mastery or command of the story with such authority that it resonates through the TV screen directly to you (in a symbolic sense of course) and you come away from the TV thinking to yourself, “Damn. They’re good.”

In truth, no anchor truly has a complete mastery or command of the story in all details. But then that’s the whole point. That voice of God lulls you into thinking they do, or at the very least convinces you they have more than a superficial knowledge of the subject at hand. And those with that talent are self-aware of their limitations. They won’t put themselves in a position where they’re caught flat footed or out of their depth. If they don’t know something, they’ll admit as much up front, rather than allow the viewer to discover that on their own, thus destroying the connection between viewer and anchor. Better to admit your shortcomings and maintain the relationship as an honest broker than try to skate by and hope the viewer doesn’t catch on that you really don’t know much about what you’re talking about.

Larry King to air Gulf Telethon

Larry King mentioned tonight that on he will be holding a Telethon for the Gulf disaster on Monday Jun 21st from 8-10pm ET…

Speech Numbers…

Business Insider’s Joe Pompeo has the numbers from last night’s Presidential address on the Oil disaster and CNN beat out MSNBC for 2nd place…

Dick Armey vs. MSNBC…

Politico’s Kenneth P. Vogel writes about some things Dick Armey said yesterday…

The former House majority leader, who has emerged as a leading figure within the tea party movement as head of the nonprofit group FreedomWorks told reporters at a lunch sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor, that candidates who call themselves tea party leaders are opening themselves up for more negative scrutiny from hostile media outlets, and he singled out MSNBC as a leading antagonist of the tea party movement and its favored candidates.

“Any legitimate newsperson would be embarrassed to see them pretending to be newspeople,” he said of MSNBC. “They’re not news people. They’re political hacks,” he said, specifically citing the network’s liberal hosts Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann. “I’m sorry. I watch that network. I watch that Keith Olberby guy — cracks me up. I know very well he’s never gotten over the Americans beating the Russians in ’80. And he’s got this mean nasty side to him, and it’s entertaining, but don’t tell me he’s a newsperson. It’s a disrespect to the profession.”

Tweet of the Day

CNN’s Carol Costello…

i hate sleveless dresses on reporters and anchors. looks like you’re trying too hard

Keiretsu Interruptus…

TVNewser’s Alex Weprin writes about some behind the scenes jockying going on between certain TV and cable organizations and NBCU/Comcast who are trying to move forward on this merger deal and how the comment period could be extended by several months.

Bloomberg LP, the parent company of business network Bloomberg TV, has asked the FCC to extend its comment deadline on the proposed Comcast-NBC Universal deal by another 45 days. At the moment, comments and petitions opposing the deal must be filed to the FCC by June 21. Bloomberg does not believe that date provides adequate time to put together its comments. The company is requesting the comments period be extended to September 19.

Chris Matthews Interview…

The Huffington Post’s Jack Mirkinson interviews Chris Matthews in conjuntion with his “Rise of the New Right” doc…

Matthews said he thinks the most extraordinary thing in the special is the disfigured images of Obama that some Tea Party protesters have held up in ralles.

“It’s sort of the kind of thing you’d see against American leaders in foreign countries,” he said. “The contempt with which they view their government…this is really personal.”

Matthews said he has a deal with MSNBC to produce several one-off specials a year. “I really like doing them,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is get a big audience, to be honest with you. The bigger audience I get, the more I can do.”

He also praised the recent addition of Lawrence O’Donnell to MSNBC’s primetime lineup.

“I think it’s a good call,” he said. “I think he’s great. I’ve always liked him.”

Press Releases: 06/16/10

MSNBC (1)

May is highest month ever with 154 million online streams

REDMOND, Wash. – June 16, 2010 – The Msnbc Digital Network (msnbc.com) set a new online video stream record in May, skyrocketing to 154 million total online streams for the month.* The record video streams are a 59 percent year-over-year increase from May 2009.* Consumers turned to msnbc.com for breaking news on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, NBC News’ exclusive reports, the latest entertainment updates and ongoing analysis and insight on the day’s top stories.

The Msnbc Digital Network continues to deliver innovative offerings on the consumer’s platform of choice. Viewers have embraced the digital network’s HTML5 video player on the iPad as well as its latest online program, “TODAY in 2 Minutes,” a first look at the news headlines, weather and stories on “Today.” “TODAY in 2 Minutes” is featured on TODAYshow.com and is also available on MSN.com (http://bit.ly/todayin2). The immersive video experiences, combined with original journalism and advanced technology, give viewers more ways to engage with their favorite brands in the Msnbc Digital Network.

Free for All: 06/16/10

What’s on your mind? Mine is on yet another medical procedure I have to undergo in an hour and a half since the last one didn’t work out as planned and had to be aborted. No ominous threats of blog downtime however in this case. Though parts of me could start glowing in the dark that’s not reason enough to not blog. Be back in a few hours…

In Depth: Alex Pareene vs. Mediaite…

Salon’s Alex Pareene ridicules Mediaite over its treatment of Glenn Beck and his new book…

Shortly before this review ran, of course, Krakauer and Mediaite posted their exclusive Q&A with Beck! They asked Beck which character he saw himself as, praised his ability to insert “present-day details” into a book he clearly had his staff knock out in a month, and asked him what he thought about New York.

“You guys are like the only people really that I read about me – everybody else is so boring and trite,” Beck told Mediaite!

Mediaite is the media website launched by Dan Abrams, the media consulting company CEO and NBC legal analyst described by Keith Olbermann — apparently inaccurately, because they do not seem to like each other — as “a fired MSNBC employee.” So congrats, Dan — Glenn Beck likes your media website. The experiment worked! All you had to do to get an exclusive with a major best-selling author is to be consistently, entirely uncritical of everything the man does.

Like all things controversial, and rest assured a lot of the MSM Media writers are paying attention to Mediaite’s “controversial” Glenn Beck obsession – I’ve heard from some – the truth lies somewhere in between what Pareene charges and what Mediaite would likely respond.

Anderson Cooper vs. BP

The AP’s David Bauder writes about Anderson Cooper and his repeated attempts to get BP to appear on 360…

“It’s easy for me to kind of smile about this and almost kind of make a joke about it,” Cooper said on the air. “But it’s not a joking matter.”

BP has run into some trouble with the media during the nearly two-month oil spill, including reporters who have complained about restricted access to workers cleaning up the oil or areas affected by the spill.

Cooper’s harsh words were noteworthy, particularly given a lack of complaints from other networks. They left him walking a thin line between informing his viewers about BP’s unwillingness to answer questions on his newscast or appearing petulant that he’s not getting guests.

“I don’t yell at people,” Cooper said Tuesday. “I’m not trying to embarrass anybody. I think they just need to be held accountable for the public statements. I think they’ll get a lot tougher questions Thursday on Capitol Hill than they would on my program, but it’s their right to pick and choose.”

O’Donnell: The “NASCAR Crash” Factor…

Hot Air’s Allah Pundit offers an interesting analysis for why Lawrence O’Donnell could be the right choice for 10 pm…

What makes this choice intriguing in a way that no other “Countdown” retread could possibly be is one simple thing: When O’Donnell’s temper is triggered, he’s insane. Remember the time he went off on the late Cathy Seipp over public-school teachers and the blogosphere spent the next day or two laughing at his throbbing neck vein? Or the time he spent a segment screeching “liar” repeatedly while John O’Neill tried to get a word in edgewise? Or when he started barking at a GOP consultant about being a chickenhawk? Or just a few months ago, when he had a meltdown on “Morning Joe” over Marc Thiessen’s opinions on counterterrorism and Scarborough was actually forced to cut him off? “Scary Larry” is the very definition of an unhinged liberal when his Irish is up, which can be wildly entertaining if you’re in the mood. Hence my point up above about doing the show right. Is this going to be another Olby-esque hour of propaganda where a bunch of liberal analysts tell O’D what he wants to hear? Or are they going to do something smart and have on a bunch of conservative analysts to see just how far they can make Larry’s neck vein bulge? That would be worth watching. And clipping, and posting. Every night!

Call me an optimist but I hope we as a viewing nation haven’t degenerated to the point where someone gets big numbers because his head explodes all the time. Not even O’Reilly does that consistently. Neither does Ed Schultz. “Scarry Larry”, if the euphemism is truly applicable (I have no opinion), as a format one hopes would wear thin real fast.

Greta Van Susteren Re-Signs with FNC…

The New York Times’ Brian Stelter scoops that Greta Van Susteren has re-signed with FNC, ending the on and off speculation of Megyn Kelly getting that slot…

The new contract will keep Ms. Van Susteren at Fox for several more years, said a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations. There has been talk in the past year that Fox executives could move the opinion host Glenn Beck or the news anchor Megyn Kelly to the coveted 10 p.m. time slot sometime in the future.

O’Donnell: More write ups…

The New York Times’ Brian Stelter writes about MSNBC going with Lawrence O’Donnell at 10pm…

In an interview Tuesday, Mr. Griffin said “the time was right for us and the time was right for Lawrence.”

The 10 p.m. show, which may not have its premiere until the fall, will be “the perfect blending of politics and pop culture,” Mr. Griffin said.

Mr. O’Donnell’s contract will last at least through the presidential election in 2012, according to an MSNBC executive who requested anonymity because the network does not comment on terms of contracts.

I’m going to do a poll on this news…

Update: The LA Times’ Matea Gold also has Phil Griffin talking about this news…

In Depth: MSNBC…why O’Donnell?

When I first saw that Keith Olbermann tweet announcing Lawrence O’Donnell getting his own show my initial reaction was to check further down Twitter to see if this was the punch line to some joke Olbermann had started earlier. But it’s no joke. O’Donnell will now have a 10pm show. But the same question keeps ringing around in my head….why this guy?

If you asked me to compile a list of possible candidates to host MSNBC at 10pm, Lawrence O’Donnell would be down near the bottom of it. Sure he’s been associated with MSNBC for 14 years. Yes, he kept Countdown alive and kicking while Olbermann was off the air after the death of his father. Yes, he’s the safe choice because you know what you’re going to get.

But he is also one of the most boring, most uninspiring choices MSNBC could have made. When MSNBC hired Maddow, they got someone on the rise and not part of the establishment who was generating a buzz and had outside followers that she could bring in to MSNBC. None of those things apply to Lawrence O’Donnell. He’s an “old democrat” long part of the establishment and not considered part of the new progressive movement that Maddow hangs out on. He has no meaningful following and though he is a “name” he has no inherent buzz surrounding him. And he is not likely to bring in fresh new viewers the way Maddow had.

Put it in these terms. Say I run a network and I just got the rights to the NFC conference of the NFL and I want to bring in new viewers in to football and my first decision is to go pull past-his-time Pat Summerall out of retirement for play by play. That’s what MSNBC putting Lawrence O’Donnell on 10pm is for the network. It’s a Pat Summerall move.

Lawrence O’Donnell to get MSNBC 10pm Show…

The news has leaked via Keith Olbermann and Twitter…

Big news: today we signed @LawrenceODonnel to host his own 10 PM show. Our re-air will move to 11PM. Date on both is TBD. Congrats L-O’D

Well that should put a stop to any rumors Elliot Spitzer MSNBC signings for the moment…

Update: MSNBC’s release…

LAWRENCE O’DONNELL TO DEVELOP NEW PRIMETIME PROGRAM ON MSNBC

Longtime Senior Political Analyst to Become Newest Evening Anchor

NEW YORK – June 15, 2010 – Lawrence O’Donnell will host a new weeknight primetime hour on MSNBC. O’Donnell will begin work full-time with the network immediately to begin planning for a new 10 p.m. ET show. The announcement was made by Phil Griffin, President of MSNBC.

FNC Revamps Website…

Johnny Dollar noticed that the Foxnews.com website has been revamped.

FNC’s “Babes”…

Somehow I don’t think FNC is going to take too keen a view of this Allure slideshow…(via J$)

Free for All: 06/15/10

What’s on your mind?

CNBC Expands to Bahrain…

Talking Biz News notes that CNBC is now broadcasting from Bahrain as well as other CNBC World changes and includes a release from the network…

CNBC expanded its reach on Monday, broadcasting live from Bahrain in the Middle East and from its new studio at the Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX) located in the heart of Singapore’s financial district.

S*** Disturbing…

Page Six is in full “Page Six Mode” today regarding CNN and Elliot Spitzer and Piers Morgan…

Ted Turner must be flinging his remote at the wall in despair. CNN, the cable network he founded, is poised to turn its prime-time schedule over to two disgraced public figures, ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer and former British tabloid editor Piers Morgan, in its desperate bid to restore lost ratings.

And get a load of this…

A source said, “CNN is so desperate, they’re totally abandoning Turner’s original vision of impartial reporting. With talent like Spitzer on board, the people hosting the news will be more controversial than any guests they could book.”

That has a familiar ring to it. I’ll leave it to you to figure out who it might be…

Ed Schultz Interview…

Politico’s Patrick Gavin does his usual shtick with Ed Schultz…

You’re president of the United States for enough time to only make one executive decision. What is it?

Campaign finance reform. Turn the elections back to the people and away from the corporations. If you do that, you will get universal healthcare, multinationals like BP won’t own the Congress and it would advance workers rights. I would also set a real path to energy independence.

What’s a common and accepted practice for Americans nowadays that you think we’ll look back on with regret?

Actually believing Fox News is credible.

Steve Doocy Profile…

New Jersey Life Health & Beauty Magazine’s Alex Bachert profiles Fox and Friends’ Steve Doocy… (via J$)

FOX News Channel reporter and resident of Wyckoff, NJ, Steve Doocy, believes that he has discovered the delicate formula necessary to balance fatherhood and fame. When it comes to a successful career and devoted family, Doocy has the best of both worlds. Last week Doocy celebrated an exceptional milestone when his morning show, FOX & Friends, achieved 103 consecutive months as the number one morning program on cable news.

FOX & Friends airs from 6 to 9 a.m. but Doocy heads to New York even before the birds start chirping to prepare himself for the show’s average of one million daily viewers. He is usually out the office door and heading back to New Jersey by noon.

“I haven’t had breakfast with my children for nearly 20 years but I’m there for every supper and practically every lunch.”

Neil Cavuto vs. Shepard Smith?

Neil Cavuto did one of his “Common Sense” segments today and the subject was comparing The Gulf Oil Spill to 9/11…

This was a failure of a company trying to make a lot of cash; a far cry from terrorists trying to make a lot of corpses. One rushed a financial killing, the other just a massive killing — big difference.

The Gulf was an environmental accident; 9/11 was a premeditated attack.

Yes, there were communication breakdowns now as then, but since the president himself fails to take any of the blame for those communication breakdowns now, it’s hard to remotely connect what happened then. If that was his intent. I wonder, because there’s a big difference between livelihoods shattered and lives just gone.

We can try to make good for those who’ve lose livelihoods; little you can do for those who’ve lost lives. One’s alive and struggling, the other’s dead and gone.

I don’t mean to be simplistic, but I do mean to be real and to get us back to reality.

Now Cavuto’s segment concerned things President Obama said regarding the spill and 9/11. But you gotta wonder if buried in there was also a rebuke of Shepard Smith’s comparison of the spill to 9/11…

In Depth: Anatomy of a Denial…

CNN’s been pretty busy today trying to shoot down the Piers Morgan story to almost everyone.

But let’s take a close look at what that “denial” says…and more importantly what it doesn’t say…

Not surprisingly, there is no shortage of people who would love to succeed Larry King if and when he moves on, but rumors that we are close to signing a deal for a Larry King replacement are untrue. We are currently looking at replacing our 8pm program and that is our priority. Larry is a beloved member of the team, and he will continue to be part of the CNN family into the future.

The only thing that CNN outright denies is that the network is “close to signing a deal” for a King replacement. That’s it. Here’s what CNN didn’t deny…

1) That it was talking with Piers Morgan.
2) That it is working on a deal with Piers Morgan.
3) That it is considering Piers Morgan to replace Larry King at some point.

If CNN hired Morgan tomorrow for some such duty unrelated to King’s hour and then later on dumped King and put Morgan on in his place, today’s denial would still be accurate. That’s how much wiggle room there is in it. Though if Morgan were hired for anything at this point it immediately would cause such a firestorm to swirl around King, that I believe Morgan won’t be hired for anything because of the carnage that would ensue.

Just remember, not all denials are created equal…

Free for All: 06/14/10

What’s on your mind?