What’s Hot/What’s Not: 10/31/10

What’s Hot:

Toner Death – Friday had the networks go into overdrive as a new Al Queda attack attempt was apparently thwarted. Echoing the post collapse of the twin towers, eyes were glued on flights into this country which originated in Yemen.

Brooke Baldwin – Baldwin has been anchoring the 3-5pm slot since Rick Sanchez was fired. If ICN readers had their way based on the poll I put up, CNN should make Baldwin the permanent anchor for that shift.

Shepard Smith re-signs with FNC – While there was probably little doubt that Smith would re-sign for FNC, it was still a big deal that he did.

David Shuster – Is he done with MSNBC or not. At first it was suggested by Fishbowl DC that Shuster said he was. But later Shuster came out and said he never said he was.

Election time – Not that there was that big a difference in the level of political coverage this week, as opposed to the weeks prior. But it’s finally nearing an end.

What’s Not:

CNN Election Matwitch – They rolled it out early and it should have stayed hidden because it was painfully obvious to all who tuned in that CNN’s Election Matrix twitched badly when the camera would move. There’s could still be time to stop this twitching before election night. Hopefully for CNN they can. Otherwise, it will be the latest in a series of election related gimmicks the network has tried which obviously weren’t ready for unveiling.

Rally for Sanity – It was hyped to death. The actual performance was ok but no way could it possibly match the hype leveled at it before it happened. Worse, everyone was trying to read too hard into what it all meant after it was over. It was a comedy performance by a couple of comedians. Stop trying to elevate it into some watershed moment because you’ll just end up looking silly in the months and years to come when it will likely turn out that nothing came from it.

MSNBC’s non-magic wall magic wall – MSNBC doesn’t have a magic wall. It does have a silly Ipad gimmick that doesn’t look nearly as slick or work as well as a magic wall.

Crow indegestion – I’m still digesting the pile of crow I had to eat at prognosticating that The Last Word would fail. I got it all wrong from the start.

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 night…

David Shuster Not Necessarily Done at MSNBC?

This soap opera just doesn’t seem to want to die. Now this evening, The Political Carnival has talked to David Shuster and Shuster seems to be contradicting Betsy Rothstein’s reporting on Fishbowl DC this morning…(via J$)

Thanks Laffy… you are one of the few people who actually practices the lost art of responsible journalism — by actually asking me if this was accurate or not.

I have never told anybody that I will not come back to MSNBC. As has been publicly stated by MSNBC, my contract runs out in December. At that time, I’m sure we will have an amicable discussion about my future and theirs.

MSNBC Weekend and Election Schedule Update

MSNBC issued an update for its weekend and election schedule…

MSNBC’S COMPREHENSIVE POLITICAL COVERAGE KICKS OFF THIS WEEKEND AND CONTINUES THROUGH NOV. 3

Special Live Primetime Programming on Sunday, October 31

NEW YORK – October 29, 2010 – Leading up to the 2010 mid-term elections, MSNBC will present comprehensive political coverage throughout the weekend and continuing through November 3.

On Saturday, October 30, MSNBC will offer extended live coverage throughout the day. From 9 – 10 am ET, Chuck Todd anchors “The Place for Politics 2010 – Midterm Madness, ” an in-depth look at the nation’s closest races with everything viewers need to prepare for election day. Live news coverage continues through 5 pm ET. The “Hardball” documentary “Rise of the New Right” will re-air at 7 pm ET.

MSNBC’s program schedule for Sunday, October 31 is as follows (all times Eastern):
9 am – The Daily Rundown (live)
10 am to 12 pm – Jansing and Co
12 pm – The Place for Politics 2010 – Midterm Madness anchored by Chuck Todd
1 pm – Andrea Mitchell Reports (live)
2 pm – Meet the Press (as scheduled)
3 pm – The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell (live)
4 pm – The Dylan Ratigan Show (live)
5 pm – Hardball with Chris Matthews (live)
6 pm – The Ed Show (live) from Woodbury, Minnesota at an event for Michele Bachmann’s Democratic challenger Tarryl Clark. Clark will join Ed on set.
7 pm – Hardball with Chris Matthews (re-air of 5p show)
8 pm – Countdown with Keith Olbermann (live)
9 pm – The Rachel Maddow Show (live)
10 pm – The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell (re-air of 3p show)

Bloomberg Election Night Coverage Plans

Bloomberg’s Election Night coverage plans…

BLOOMBERG TELEVISION PRESENTS SPECIAL ELECTION NIGHT COVERAGE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND

-Live Coverage from Bloomberg Television Studios in Washington D.C. and New York-

On Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010, Bloomberg Television will present special election programming beginning at 7 PM/ET in the U.S.

With the mid-term elections potentially bringing about a massive power shift in the U.S. House and Senate, Bloomberg Television will go beyond the results and provide in-depth analysis of how the election could impact the economy, taxes, health care, financial regulation, U.S. relations with China and the nation’s future.

Chief Washington Correspondent Peter Cook and acclaimed interviewer Charlie Rose will anchor live coverage from Bloomberg Television’s studios in Washington D.C. and New York.

Inside MSNBC’s Lean Forward Party…

The New York Observer’s Dan Duray writes about MSNBC’s Lean Forward party last night. Note to Duray: “The green-eyed anchor Contessa Brewer”?!?!?

Later in the evening, Joe Scarborough arrived with his co-host Mika Brzezinski, who trailed close behind as he walked the room. We chatted with one of the upstart producers, who bragged about having read all 174 pages of the midterm elections briefing that had been sent, staff-wide, from Chuck Todd’s political unit in Washington.

The green-eyed anchor Contessa Brewer said she was a fan of the network’s new catchphrase. It was, in fact, her anniversary but she and her husband were pleased to support the cause.

“We’re already doing this, let’s call it something,” Ms. Brewer said of the rationale for the slogan. “It’s a big deal. And really it’s great for our confidence. It’s a great internal strategy, too, to rally the team and get us all under the same ‘Rah-rah-rah, let’s go’ banner.”

Chris Matthews passed by, stopping to kiss her hand as she continued to talk.

If ever something called for a picture…that was it.

In Depth: How to Freak an Anchor…

Sleep well, Chris…

FNC Weekend Changes…

Johnny Dollar noticed that FNC’s Sunday schedule is almost going to look like a carbon copy of M-Fr…

CNN Weekend Schedule Changes…

CNN is making a bunch of changes to this weekend’s coverage ahead of Tuesday’s elections…

SATURDAY, October 30, 2010

SANJAY GUPTA, MD – Airs Saturday 7:30AM – 8:00AM

CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta returns to Haiti as reports emerge of an outbreak of cholera in the already earthquake-ravaged nation. He interviews aid workers and local residents about how the disease is impacting the status of the recovery.

BALLOT BOWL – Airs LIVE Saturday 1:00PM – 6:00PM

CNN will again provide live, unfiltered coverage of significant recent and live campaign events. Members of the Best Political Team on Television will report from events around the country to include Alaska, Nevada, Ohio, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC.

Free for All: 10/29/10

What’s on your mind?

Chuck Todd Profile

CJR Daily’s Joel Maeres profiles NBC Senior White House correspondent and MSNBC anchor Chuck Todd…

Chuck Todd might be the busiest politico on television. Since Tim Russert brought him over in 2007 from National Journal’s The Hotline to fill NBC’s political director role, Todd has been adding to an already vast job description. In 2008, after Russert died suddenly of a heart attack and White House correspondent David Gregory moved to Meet The Press, Todd became co-White House correspondent with fellow NBC newcomer Savannah Guthrie. Then in late 2009, Todd and Guthrie started prepping to launch MSNBC’s The Daily Rundown, the 9 a.m. weekday hour they have co-hosted since January this year.

Rundown is, like many daytime MSNBC shows, a brightly colored and briskly paced mix of politics, news, and good humor. The idea for the Rundown, said Todd, was to take advantage of his and Guthrie’s positions in the White House press corps—and of NBC’s swath of correspondents across the country and the world—to show people what the news of the day would be. Usually filmed in D.C., Todd sees the Rundown as a counterpoint to his favorite political program from the 1990s and early 2000s, CNN’s Inside Politics, which wrapped up the day’s news after it had happened. “I think in the nineties we were all of the mindset in the news cycle where everybody wanted to know what it all means. I think now everybody is in the mindset of: ‘What’s going to happen today?’”

David Shuster (apparently) Confirms his MSNBC Days Are Over…

Fishbowl DC’s Betsy Rothstein is the first person to get David Shuster on the record about his MSNBC situation…

Shuster fact #1: His contract with NBC is up in December. He will not return after being suspended in April.

CNN Stork Sighting…

People Magazine reports that John Roberts and Kyra Phillips are expecting twins…(via All Things CNN)

Kyra Phillips and John Roberts are about to become parents — times two.

The CNN news anchors are “very excited” to announce that they’re expecting twins next spring, they tell PEOPLE exclusively.

Free for All: 10/28/10

What’s on your mind?

CNN En Espanol Anchor Changes…

News on News writes about new hires for CNN En Espanol…

Fernando del Rincon will be based in Atlanta and anchor the new program CNN Investiga. In addition, he will co-host Panorama Mundial, the network’s primetime newscast of record, along with CNN en Espanol Senior Anchor Patricia Janiot. Janiot will also anchor Nuestro Mundo, the network’s midday newscast. Prior to joining CNN en Espanol, Fernando del Rincon worked as an anchor at Univision, Telemundo and Mega TV.

Camilo Egana will also relocate to CNN’s global headquarters in Atlanta. Egana will be in charge of the weekend newscast Mirador Mundial, and the new program Archivo CNN. He was a news anchor at Mega TV.

Mercedes Soler will co-host NotiMujer, a new show targeting women, along with Glenda Umana. NotiMujer will be broadcast from the new production center in Miami and from Atlanta. Prior to joining CNN en Espanol, Soler was a columnist for el Nuevo Herald, a journalism professor and a news anchor/correspondent for Univision.

In Depth: “Waiter? I’ll have the crow please. Medium rare.”

Back in June when MSNBC announced that Lawrence O’Donnell had been picked to fill in the network’s missing piece at 10pm I was skeptical to say the least. I wrote a piece openly criticizing the hiring of O’Donnell. Some of my bigger darts were as follows…

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.

____________

Lawrence O’Donnell’s hiring is an anti-bold risk adverse move. It’s not designed to expand MSNBC’s progressive presence with brash attitude or new views. It’s not designed to inspire or bring in new viewers and generate buzz. It’s designed to preserve what MSNBC already has and not make waves.

A much more daring move, more in the Maddow vein, would be to put Ed Schultz on at 10pm. That MSNBC didn’t do that or turn to some of the others out there in the Progressive movement like the Young Turks or (fill in blank here) suggests that MSNBC either couldn’t or wouldn’t go down this route and went with the safe albeit unexciting and un-energizing establishment choice. Lawrence O’Donnell.

Then O’Donnell’s show debuted and it wasn’t more of the same which I thought for sure was what the network was looking for when it hired him. No. The Last Word was different. The vibe was different. It was still a center left to far left show with a center left to far left host but it came across more like a reasonable show, if one can use the term “reasonable” to describe what it still essentially an ideologically/politically driven primetime program.

Fareed Zakaria Primetime Special

CNN Observations has the details on the upcoming Fareed Zakaria special on CNN…

MSNBC: “We don’t have a Magic Wall, but this is what we’ve come up with…”

MSNBC dayside anchors have begun using a new gimmick. MSNBC doesn’t have a Magic Wall and they’ve fallen behind the competition as a result. But starting this week they do have a “Magic Ipad” or “Magic something that looks like an Ipad but may not be an Ipad”. The anchor holds the pad in their hand and looks down and dawdles on it and whatever they’re trying to do appears on the built in wall screen behind them.

It looks about as hackneyed on TV as you would think it would. MSNBC needs a magic wall. It doesn’t need something that shows the viewer just how badly it needs a magic wall. This looks like either a lower cost alternative or a stopgap measure. Either way it looks silly.

Bloomberg TV Election Night Coverage Plans

Bloomberg TV announced its election night coverage plans…

BLOOMBERG TELEVISION PRESENTS SPECIAL ELECTION NIGHT COVERAGE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2nd

-Charlie Rose Anchors Live from Bloomberg Television’s
Global Headquarters in New York -

On election night this coming Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010, Bloomberg Television will present special programming beginning at 7 PM/ET.

With the mid-term elections potentially bringing about a massive power shift in the House and Senate, Bloomberg Television will go beyond the results – providing in-depth analysis of how this crucial election night could impact the economy, tax cuts, trade, our relations with China and the nation’s future.

Additionally, for the first time, acclaimed interviewer and journalist Charlie Rose will anchor live coverage from Bloomberg Television’s set in New York, starting at 10:00 PM.

Bloomberg Television’s election night line-up of programming includes:

Free for All: 10/27/10

What’s on your mind?

CNBC Election Coverage Plans

CNBC put out a release on its election night coverage plans.

CNBC TO BROADCAST SPECIAL LIVE PROGRAMMING “DECISION 2010: YOUR MONEY, YOUR VOTE” 7PM-MIDNIGHT ET ON ELECTION NIGHT, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND

Special Anchored by CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo And Carl Quintanilla (7PM-11PM ET) And Tyler Mathisen And Amanda Drury (11PM-Midnight ET) Live from CNBC’s Global Headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., October 27, 2010—The economy, taxes and jobs take center stage in the most important mid-term elections in a generation, and CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, will feature comprehensive coverage breaking down what the results mean to the two most important streets—Wall Street and Main Street.

On Election night, Tuesday, November 2nd from 7PM-Midnight ET, CNBC will broadcast a live special “Decision 2010: Your Money, Your Vote,” anchored by CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo and Carl Quintanilla (7PM-11PM ET), and CNBC’s Tyler Mathisen and Amanda Drury (11PM-Midnight ET). CNBC’s Chief Washington Correspondent John Harwood will employ the use of the recently launched CNBC Real-Time Exchange to deliver the election results, trends and analysis as polls close.

The Failed Glenn Beck Boycott?

Brandweek’s Todd Wasserman writes about the Glenn Beck boycott which hasn’t dented FNC’s bottom line…(via J$)

A yearlong attempt to have advertisers boycott Fox News’ Glenn Beck Program—by organizations including StopBeck, People for the American Way and MediaMatters.org—has actually resulted in more than 100 advertisers fleeing the highly rated program. But try telling that to News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch. Fielding questions during a News Corp. shareholder meeting this month, Murdoch flatly denied that the advertisers had pulled out of the controversial show even though many have been quoted on the record. “That’s not true,” said Murdoch. “Maybe four or five have been moved over to [Bill] O’Reilly’s program. [But] no one has taken any money off the channel.”

Well, the last part of his statement, at least, was true. None of the advertisers have left Fox News, and the general consensus is that the net’s not losing any money. That’s because advertisers don’t buy time on specific programs, so those who opt out of Glenn Beck wind up elsewhere on the channel. “I don’t think the overall performance of the cable operations has been hit,” said David Bank, managing director of global media and Internet research for RBC Capital Markets.

CNN’s Election Matwitch

CNN prematurely took the wraps off Election Matrix and so far the results are mixed to me. I haven’t seen a lot of it in action but there’s one thing I am seeing which annoys the hell out of me. The graphics are twitching up and down bad. Really bad. So bad, I’m really surprised they went ahead with the Matrix in that state. It’s the kind of thing CNN doesn’t need; people like me (justifiably) throwing darts ahead of its election coverage. It poisons the well and echoes some of CNN’s less than impressive past technological election related gambles (fake holograms, pie chart troubles, and another instance of VR twitching).

With so much riding on this for the network, CNN needs to stop that twitch now. Before election night.

The Hazards of Live TV: #25,083

I’m going for a record here…most Hazards in one day…

The Hazards of Live TV: #25,082

First fingers, now bleeps (via J$)

Shep Re-signs with FNC…

Deadline Hollywood Daily’s Nellie Andreeva writes that Sheparad Smith signed a new deal with FNC…

Fox News Channel’s signature news anchor Shepard Smith has signed a new multi-year deal to continue as the channel’s lead news anchor as well as anchor of FOX Report and Studio B. Smith’s most recent pact with Fox News inked in 2007 was for 3 years and nets him $7 million-8 million a year. Fox News is expected to announce Smith’s re-signing this afternoon. Smith, who is a guest on The View today to talk about midterm election coverage will also probably address his new contract on the ABC talk show where his Fox News colleague Bill O’Reilly recently made headlines with his visit.

Free for All: 10/26/10

What’s on your mind?

Lori Rothman Interview…

News on News interviews FBN’s Lori Rothman…

News on News: There was a lot of changes at Bloomberg prior to you joining Fox Business, is this one of the reasons for your move?

Lori Rothman: No. I had worked there for 10 years and it was time for a change, time to experience a different way of doing television. I’d always been fascinated with the fast-paced FOX production and editorial style and I wanted to take on a new challenge.

News on News: What does Fox Business have that Bloomberg doesn’t?

Lori Rothman: FOX Business has Bloomberg’s best alumni- Brian Sullivan, Connell McShane, Sandra Smith, Nicole Petallides and Robert Gray.

FBN’s Election Night Plans…

The Daily Record’s Matt Monochio writes about FBN’s Election Night plans in an article that just as much about Neil Cavuto…

Cavuto, a married father of three, will anchor Nov. 2 coverage from dinner time until results are decided. Rather than bringing in analysts to offer political perspectives, Cavuto has a roster of financial-minded guests such as former White House auto czar Steven Rattner; Dick Grasso, former chairman and chief executive of the New York Stock Exchange; Hank Greenberg, former CEO of AIG; and Mort Zuckerman, the CEO of Boston Properties.

There’ll be political commentators, too, such former Govs. Doug Wilder and Gray Davis, Democrats from Virginia and California, respectively, and Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R.-Tenn., among others.

The Hazards of Live TV: #25,081

Looks like Larry King “picked” the right time to leave…