Bloomberg to Simulcast ABC Election Night Coverage? Update: Definitely not…

Benzinga scoops that Bloomberg will be simulcasting ABC’s Election Night coverage…

According to industry insiders, Bloomberg TV intends to broadcast ABC News’ coverage of the mid-term elections on election night. In other words, when turning to Bloomberg TV, viewers will see the same coverage that they would on ABC. We are the first site to report this news, which is based on reliable sources.

Update: Benzinga has yanked the story from its site. Sounds like the story is false and Benzinga got had…

Update 2: ICN has learned from Bloomberg that the story is false. Benzinga must be looking long and hard at its sources right about now…

Update 3: Benzinga, which says it had site problems last night and that caused the story to disappear temporarily, has an update…

UPDATE 7:00 EST: ABC News executives tells us that while Bloomberg is a client of ABC News and will undoubtedly use some of their material on election night, there will be no greater collaboration between the two news organizations that evening.

Survey Says…Nothing yet…

New News VIPs survey out today but this one comes with a surprise. NBC is apparently getting annoyed by these surveys leaking out on to the blogs and starts the survey out with a warning to the survey taker that they’re not supposed to reveal the contents of the survey to anyone nor to give it to the blogs. And they have to swear on their honor and a pack of bibles, click their heels three times, and bow before a life sized picture of Jeff Zucker that they’ll keep this super-duper secret.

Well the intimidation has worked temporarily. My usual source for the survey has been scared off for the moment. I’m working on calming them down as I type this. But if anyone else isn’t feeling particularly intimidated by NBC’s empty scare tactics, care to fill me in? I hear this one concerns the Sunday News shows…

Shiny Metal Object Time…

Broadcasting & Cable’s George Winslow writes about the latest example of CNN’s continuing obsession with bells and whistles over nuts and bolts story telling…

“I think we were way ahead in 2006 and 2008 with our display technology and the Magic Wall,” says David Bohrman, senior VP and the Washington, D.C., bureau chief for CNN. And while the Wall—a large touch-screen display technology from Perceptive Pixel that allowed CNN anchors to add detailed graphics and data to coverage—worked wonders, Bohrman points out that “all of our colleagues are catching up. To stay ahead, we are working on several fronts to push forward in some really spectacular ways.”

One big development, Bohrman adds, can be found in New York, where CNN is installing equipment to display virtual objects. “It builds on the fundamental technology we used for the Virtual Capitol and the hologram” in 2008, but unlike that hologram experiment, this installation will be permanent and is designed to be used on a daily basis following the election, he promises.

The installation will combine motion capture technology from Motion Analysis, and new graphic rendering equipment from Vizrt, to use virtual objects in “a way no one has ever done before,” Bohrman says.

Here’s a novel idea, and this goes not only to CNN but MSNBC and FNC as well (though mostly to CNN since it’s the biggest serial perpetrator): Try reporting the elections for a change without turning it into some technological dog and pony freak show complete with marionettes (anchors) trained to do things they didn’t go to journalism school for. Just a thought…

Press Releases: 09/20/10

Bloomberg (1)

BLOOMBERG TELEVISION PRESENTS NEW SEASON OF INTELLIGENCE SQUARED

This Monday, September 20th at 9:00 PM /ET, Bloomberg Television will debut the new season of Intelligence Squared US (IQ2 US), the Oxford-style debate series featuring top lawmakers, economists, journalists and pundits discussing provocative issues of the day.

The new season will include debates on subjects from Islam to Big Government and will feature prominent debaters such as former Senator Phil Gramm, women’s rights advocate Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Obama Economic Adviser Laura Tyson, former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and former CIA Director Michael Hayden.

Watch promo here

Tune into Bloomberg Television to see the following debates:

CNBC to air Obama Town Hall Today…

As I was out last week consider this just a late reminder. CNBC will be carrying a President Obama Town Hall today at Noon…

CNBC MEDIA ALERT: CNBC EXCLUSIVE: CNBC TO BROADCAST “INVESTING IN AMERICA: A CNBC TOWN HALL EVENT WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA” ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH AT 12PM ET ON CNBC

WHEN: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH AT 12PM ET

WHERE: CNBC’s “Investing in America: A CNBC Town Hall Event with President Obama”

In a CNBC EXCLUSIVE town hall, President Barack Obama discusses the economy and answers your questions in a special CNBC town hall event Monday, September 20th at 12PM ET hosted by CNBC’s Chief Washington Correspondent John Harwood.

Free for All: 09/20/10

What’s on your mind?