Free for All: 11/12/10

What’s on your mind?

Parker vs. Ziegler…

It’s Kathleen Parker vs. John Ziegler concerning Sarah Palin on tonight’s Parker – Spitzer…

The Hazards of Live TV: #25,085

(via J$)

Free for all 11/11/10

What’s on your mind?

Lou Dobbs Interview…

The Daily Beast’s Howard Kurtz interviews Lou Dobbs…

Fox Business has built its brand by luring Charlie Gasparino, Liz Claman, and Dennis Kneale from CNBC, and also hiring Gerri Willis from CNN.

While Dobbs’ new program will focus on business, he will have broad latitude to sound off on just about anything. “I’m never shy about dealing with controversial issues,” he said.

As the economy increasingly emerged as the country’s dominant story, Dobbs pined for a national platform, and sealed the deal with Ailes over the last two weeks. “I think he missed it,” Magee said.

Dobbs didn’t deny that, saying: “This stuff is in my DNA.”

Press Releases: 11/10/10

CNN (1)

Candy Crowley to Interview President George W. Bush, Jeb Bush for One-Hour Special

President George W. Bush will sit down with CNN anchor and chief political correspondent Candy Crowley in
one of the few interviews he has granted since leaving the White House. Bush: Two Years Later: A Special Edition of State
of the Union with Candy Crowley will air during a one-hour prime time special on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.
ET.

In December 2008, Crowley conducted one of President Bush’s last interviews before he left the White House.
She will check in with the former president two years later on the struggling U.S. economy, the ongoing wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan and his new book, “Decision Points.” Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush will join his brother in the second
half of the interview to discuss their father, their upbringing and the current political landscape.

State of the Union with Candy Crowley airs Sundays at 9 a.m. and noon ET. This Sunday, Nov. 14, correspondent
Joe Johns will act as substitute anchor during the regularly scheduled program while Crowley is on assignment in Miami
for the prime time special. Tom Bettag serves as the program’s senior executive producer.

Lou Dobbs joins FBN…

The LA Times Joe Flint writes this morning that Lou Dobbs will be joining FBN…

Just about a year to the day that he left CNN, Lou Dobbs is returning to cable news, this time as host of his own show on News Corp.’s Fox Business Network.

DOBBS Fox Business Network is expected to announce that it has signed Dobbs as early as Wednesday afternoon. It’s the latest high-profile hire for the cable network, which launched a little over three years ago and is in 57 million homes. Although that is far fewer homes than its chief rival, CNBC, Fox Business last week managed to beat CNBC on election night, both in viewers and the key adults 25-54 demographic.

Dobbs’ show will premiere in early 2011. He will also appear on other Fox Business programming.

FBN is creating an “all first run” primetime. FBN debuted with a primetime full of mostly re-airings of Cavuto and America’s Nightly Scorecard. Now with Freedom Watch debuting M-Fr next week at 8pm ET and Follow The Money following at 9 (presumably), that just leaves 10pm as a re-run. I expect that will change when Dobbs’ show premieres, though the lineup may switch around as a result.

Update: Mediaite’s Steve Krakauer has an interesting tweet to go with his article on this news…

Fox Business Network is becoming not a biz network, but an overflow network for Fox News-type talent

It’s not quite accurate but it’s sort of going in the right direction. The real story here is how FBN has embraced politics and political themes for its business news. This is something that really started on FNC when it ruined the Saturday Business Block by turning it into the Saturday Politics with a bit of Business Block. But it’s a blueprint which FBN has been following the past year or so with increasing intensity during early prime and primetime. The days of “Main Street, not Wall Street” are over as far as primetime is concerned.

You really can’t separate politics from business since the government has a lot to do with how business functions or doesn’t, but FNC and FBN’s approach to the subject is rather interesting. Rather than take a straight on look at the relationship between the two the networks opt for more of a “talk radio” approach which jettisons rationality in favor of jingoism, rhetoric, and a very low signal to noise ratio as far as getting into the causality of business and government – which would of course be boring TV to everyone except maybe economists.

Ratings are the reason for the hiring of Dobbs, the movement of Freedom Watch to five nights a week, and the existence of Follow the Money. FBN prime is taking a page from its bigger sister and is hoping for similar ratings success. The question is will there be enough viewers to go around between two networks that are trying to corner the same space and cater to the same viewers? Or will one end up cannibalizing the other?

Update 2: I would be remiss if I didn’t add that FBN’s dayside trading hour programs are still solidly business oriented. But primetime, even at FBN’s launch, was less so. And it’s getting lesser all the time.

Free for All: 11/10/10

What’s on your mind?

FNC Drops Strategy Room for Fox News Live

FNC has quietly dropped The Strategy Room name from its online live video offering. It’s now calling it Fox News Live. Even the old URL http://live.foxnews.com/strategy-room now redirects to http://live.foxnews.com/.

Musical Desks

Newscast Studio notes that MSNBC is flush with news desks…

John King Loses It?

Page Six dishes on a John King meltdown last week…

The DC-based anchor had a meltdown while anchoring his 7 p.m. show, “John King USA,” from CNN’s New York studio just days before the midterm elections.

After a slew of technical and editorial errors, King lost his cool when his signature and somewhat overworked touch screen malfunctioned.

“I wish I brought a gun to work,” King yelled at studio operators on Oct. 29, according to several CNN sources.

According to a source, Turner Broadcasting System CEO and chairman Phil Kent called King into his office to reprimand him. “Phil has always been a huge fan of King and has always protected him when people were tired of his hothead antics, so this is a blow to him,” the insider said.

Page Six also floats a rumor that King’s show is on borrowed time, a point CNN denies…

Insiders say King has been under pressure since CNN Worldwide President Jim Walton visited the DC bureau in August with an ultimatum: Bring in higher ratings or the show will be killed by spring.

Take THAT MSNBC and FNC…

CNN has a new ad out which pokes sticks in the eyes of both MSNBC and FNC…

Press Releases: 10/09/11

MSNBC (1), Bloomberg (1)

MSNBC

JON STEWART ON “THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW” – NOV. 11

PROGRAM NOTE: JON STEWART WILL SIT DOWN WITH RACHEL MADDOW – THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11 ON “THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW”

NEW YORK – November 9, 2010 – MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow will talk with Jon Stewart, host of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” in an exclusive interview to air Thursday, November 11 on “The Rachel Maddow Show.” This marks Stewart’s first appearance on “The Rachel Maddow Show.”

___________________________

Bloomberg

Lawrence O’Donnell to Host Two Hour Town Hall…

MSNBC announced that Lawrence O’Donnell will host a two hour town hall…

MSNBC SPECIAL TOWN HALL EVENT- NOV. 15

MSNBC SPECIAL TOWN HALL EVENT: A TWO-HOUR DISCUSSION ON IMMIGRATION AND LATINO-AMERICA
NOVEMBER 15, 10PM-12AM

Lawrence O’Donnell Hosts with Voto Latino’s Maria Teresa Kumar live from the University of San Diego

NEW YORK – November 9, 2010 – More than 10 million undocumented immigrants live in the United States. On November 15, MSNBC, in partnership with Voto Latino, will present a special two-hour town hall event taking an in-depth look at the complex issue of immigration in America and the emerging role of the Latino population in American life and politics. The event, hosted by MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell with Voto Latino’s Executive Director Maria Teresa Kumar, will air on 10 p.m. – 12 a.m. live from the University of San Diego.

The special town hall event will examine the state of immigration in the United States including the influence of the Latino voting block on the 2010 midterm elections, how Arizona’s immigration laws have affected national progress, and if the American Dream is still attainable for new generations of immigrants. The discussion will also present viable solutions for moving the country forward. Guests for the town hall will include actress and activist Rosario Dawson, Telemundo’s Jose Diaz Balart, Executive Director of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles Alfonso Aguilar, Democratic strategist and pollster Celinda Lake, and Dr. David Shirk, Director of the Trans-Border Institute at the University of San Diego.

Beware Fake Olbermanns Bearing Emails…

The Upshot’s Michael Calderone writes about a prank on a journalist made apparently by or someone connected to Tucker Carlson…

Tucker Carlson boasted last July that his site, The Daily Caller, bought the domain name for liberal MSNBC host Keith Olbermann. Carlson, a conservative journalist and pundit, even said he would start using the email address keith@keitholbermann.com as a gag.

So it was interesting to see that Olbermann allegedly sent some angry emails to the Philadelphia Daily News’ Stu Bykofsky using the email address keith@keitholbermann.com.

Bykofsky claimed the exchange was “guaranteed 100% for real.”And he later confirmed to Jim Romenesko that he was writing to keith@keitholbermann.com

Although emails were indeed sent back and forth, it wasn’t Olbermann on the other end.

The Hazards of Live TV: #25,084

Chris Matthews…not having a good day yesterday…

Free for All: 11/09/10

What’s on your mind?

More Olbermann…

Slate’s Jack Shafer weighs in…

If the network was hoping to telegraph that it doesn’t think Olbermann’s offense was much of an offense at all—the consensus view of his ideological soul-mates and even some of his ideological opponents—it succeeded hugely. According to Politico, Olbermann wouldn’t have had to serve his suspension had he agreed to deliver an on-camera mea culpa.

But NBC still has some explaining to do. Has it established a new precedent—that, in the future, if any anchor or reporter gives $7,200 to candidates, as Olbermann did, he will suffer only two days in the dog house? Hell, next election cycle Olbermann should give $14,400 in exchange for a four-day suspension, and other MSNBCers should take note of the network’s punishment-per-incident equation and give accordingly.

Decoding Olbermann’s Statement

Forbes’ Jeff Bercovici examines Keith Olbermann’s statement…

On the second and final night of his suspension from MSNBC, Keith Olbermann apologized to viewers for the actions that got him in dutch: to wit, donating $4,200 to three political candidates without clearing it ahead of time with the network.

Wait, make that “apologized.” Olberman’s statement is a classic “Sorry you got so bent out of shape after I ran over your dog” non-apology apology — not an acceptance of blame but a redirection of it. It has a secondary purpose as well: asserting what is, as I’ve pointed out, Olbermann’s now all but unchallengeable primacy over the network, and in particular over his bosses, MSNBC president Phil Griffin and NBC News chief Steve Capus.

Olbermann Comments on Donation Scandal…

The New York Times’ Bill Carter writes about what appears to be an as yet unseen on air a statement from Keith Olbermann addressing the Donation scandal…

In an aggressive statement questioning the legitimacy of his two-day suspension from MSNBC, Keith Olbermann addressed his viewers Monday night, saying that they were responsible for his scheduled return to the air on Tuesday, following revelations that he had contributed to the campaign funds of three Democrats in last week’s election.

In an open letter to “Countdown” viewers, he blamed NBC for creating a donation policy that was “inconsistently applied,” and said he did not know the rule existed. He also, referring to what he called a “ground-rattling” outpouring of support from viewers, said their efforts “should remind us of the power of individuals spontaneously acting together to correct injustices great or small.”

Update: Full statement here.

Update 2: It’s not clear to me whether this statement will be mentioned on countdown or not? I have an inquiry into MSNBC and will update when/if I hear anything.

Update 3: Digesting the full statement, it’s clear Olbermann’s pissed at MSNBC. So pissed that he put out a statement that, while it goes a long way to soothe his viewers, is going to irk people inside 30 Rock. It’s not to the level of Lou Dobbs angrily sticking a finger in the eye of Rick Kaplan by saying on CNN’s air, “CNN President Rick Kaplan wants us to return to Littleton.” during the Bill Clinton’s speech on the Columbine massacre. But it does carry some of the same tone…

Update 4: This statement was a personal statement from Olbermann and presumably will not be referenced on the air.

Free for All: 11/08/10

What’s on your mind?

What Impartiality?

The New York Times’ David Carr writes about things like MSNBC, Olbermann, Election Night, and impartiality…

If MSNBC were really worried about coming off as impartial, don’t you think it would have chosen somebody besides Mr. Olbermann, one of the most rabidly partisan figures in national news, to anchor its election coverage? Even Fox News knows better than to do something like that.

MSNBC is new to the network-as-political-identity game, and its parent company, NBC, is far less comfortable with pure play political programming than the News Corporation — and it shows. MSNBC backed into its current identity, driven by the outsize ratings of Mr. Olbermann, and the success of Rachel Maddow’s frankly liberal take on the world.

So what message is being sent by the suspension, which will end on Tuesday? Apparently, Mr. Olbermann is supposed to fire up the base like a convention keynote speaker at 8 p.m., but conduct himself like Brian Williams the rest of the time.

MSNBC “Blinks”?

From MSNBC…

STATEMENT REGARDING KEITH OLBERMANN – SUNDAY, NOV. 7

From Phil Griffin, President of MSNBC:

After several days of deliberation and discussion, I have determined that suspending Keith through and including Monday night’s program is an appropriate punishment for his violation of our policy. We look forward to having him back on the air Tuesday night.

If you think this is the last of this….you’re probably wrong…

Joe Scarborough’s Whereabouts on Election Night…

The New York Times’ Brian Stelter writes about where Joe Scarborough was on Election Night…

Where was Joe Scarborough on election night? He was 160 miles from MSNBC’s studio, speaking to students at Williams College in Massachusetts with his co-host, Mika Brzezinski, who graduated from there.

Mr. Scarborough’s absence from the biggest news event of the year was noticeable to some viewers, since he is the only openly conservative host on MSNBC. But in retrospect, his choice to stay away from the studio looked wise. It reaffirmed that his morning talk show with Ms. Brzezinski, “Morning Joe,” stands apart from the liberally themed shows at other hours on MSNBC.

What’s Hot/What’s Not: 11/07/10

What’s Nuclear:

Keith Olbermann Suspended Indefinitely by MSNBC – Here’s what we know as of this hour: 1) Keith Olbermann made three campaign contributions to Democrats without clearing it with NBC, per NBC guidelines. 2) Olbermann was suspended by MSNBC 3) The blue blogs and progressives are up in arms, threatening all kinds of boycotts. 4) Some conservatives are siding with Olbermann saying that he’s a pundit and should be allowed to make contributions. Here’s what we’re not sure about: 1) Why Olbermann was suspended, it was thought it was because he didn’t clear the contributions with NBC, per NBC’s guidelines but today reports emerged that Olbermann was suspended for not agreeing to go on the air and fall on his sword. 2) When or if Olbermann will return: MSNBC doesn’t want to lose him but it’s unclear whether Olbermann doesn’t want to lose MSNBC after this suspension.

What’s Merely Just Hot:

Big Election Night for FNC – FNC got big numbers, numbers that beat the broadcast networks, on election night.

Olbermann “suspends” WPiTW – Olbermann decided to yank his WPiTW segment from Countdown.

Jonathan Wald to EP Piers Morgan – Wald got tapped by CNN to helm Morgan’s program.

Cenk Uygur to anchor MSNBC at 3pm this month – Still no official word from MSNBC that Uygur will indeed be anchoring the 3pm ET hour the rest of the month but Uygur was on at 3pm Thursday and Friday…

Brian Stelter and Howard Kurtz appearing together split screen for the first time ever – Kurtz looked like he hated every second of it too…

Rachel Maddow’s “defense” of Keith Olbermann – I put the word “defense” in quotes because I’m not sure it was really a defense, though a lot of her critics are calling it that. It was definitely a big time shot at FNC though…

What’s Not:

CNN Election Matrix – CNN never was able to get the bugs out of CNN Election Matrix, forcing viewers to have to watch as the Matrix jittered and the TV picture, minus the lower third graphics, stuttered.

MSNBC’s All Progressive Election Night Orchestra – The network faced stiff criticism for fronting an election night anchor team that carried nary an NBC journalist. Some of the segments during the night were a travesty, Michelle Bachman’s interview by Chris Matthews being the most discussed example. This spectacle got amplified after the story broke on Olbermann’s Democrat candidate contributions.

Olbermann Surfaces on Twitter…

Keith just tweeted…

Greetings From Exile! A quick, overwhelmed, stunned THANK YOU for support that feels like a global hug & obviously left me tweetless XO

More on Olbermann…

Politico’s Mike Allen writes that Keith Olbermann was suspended for refusing to issue an on-air apology for his campaign contributions…

Network sources tell Playbook that Keith Olbermann was suspended because he refused to deliver an on-camera mea culpa, which would have allowed him to continue anchoring “Countdown.” Olbermann told his bosses he didn’t know he was barred from making campaign contributions, although he is resisting saying that publicly.

If this is accurate, everyone should reset their expectations levels that Olbermann will be back on MSNBC. If he got suspended because he wouldn’t go on the air to say he screwed up, that means that we’re not witnessing the results of a disciplinary action on account of a technical violation – not clearing giving contributions as had been widely believed – but a disciplinary action on account of insubordination and denials – a pissing match.

That is much more serious in terms of describing the state of relations between Olbermann and NBC. We may in fact be witnessing a cable news version of chicken. MSNBC will have to win this game, whether it wants to play it or not (and given Olbermann’s value to the network it definitely doesn’t want to be playing it because of the possible ramifications). And because of that the likelihood that Olbermann could walk is higher today than it was yesterday.

What’s Hot/What’s Not: Submissions…

Post your nominations…other than Keith Olbermann…sorry no lay ups for you…for this week’s What’s Hot/What’s Not. I’ll post the finalists Sunday night…

It’s Campaign Contribution Examination Season…

Politico’s Kenneth P. Vogel writes about a contribution which Joe Scarborough apparently never made…

But Alabama state campaign finance records show a $5,000 contribution in April from Scarborough, the former Republican congressman who now co-hosts an eponymous morning show on MSNBC and writes a weekly column for POLITICO, to Alabama state legislative candidate John Merrill, who said the two have been close friends since they attended the University of Alabama together.

That contribution should have been in the name of Scarborough’s wife, Susan Scarborough, according to Scarborough’s co-host on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski, as well as John R. McGregor III, a representative from the Scarborough’s Pensacola, Fla., bank.

“The Scarborough’s expect John Merrill will amend his campaign report to accurately reflect that reality,” said Brzezinski. “If he does not, I will recommend they file an ethics complaint against him.”

Vogel also turns an eye towards other Cable Newsies including Sean Hannity and Mike Huckabee…

At Fox, Hannity planned a fundraiser this year for John Kasich’s successful Ohio gubernatorial campaign, though the network took issue with his plans to broadcast from a tea party fundraiser.

Hannity and Huckabee – unabashed GOP partisans – have given a combined $20,500 to GOP candidates and causes this year. Hannity gave maximum donations to Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann’s political action committee and John Gomez’s unsuccessful campaign for a New York congressional seat, while Huckabee, who also maintains a political action committee that donates to candidates, wrote $10,700 in personal checks to state and federal Republican politicians.

Keith Olbermann Interview…

And in another case of great timing, The New York Times’ Deborah Solomon interviews Keith Olbermann…obviously before the suspension…

You wrote on Twitter that Stewart had jumped the shark. Are you suggesting his show is in decline?

I said he jumped a small shark. If he believes he has no political viewpoint, that’s ludicrous. For him to now say, ‘‘I’m not in the media, I’m not poised in this world of political expression, I never take gratuitous shots at people or go over the top and I’m not particularly pointed in one direction,’’ each of those things was ludicrous.

But two days later you seemed to have softened, announcing on your show that you were abandoning a popular and vitriolic segment called “Worst Person in the World.’’

At least temporarily but probably permanently.

Have you ever been a guest on Jon Stewart’s show?

No. I was invited in 2003 or 2004, within the first year of my show. We were still in Secaucus, N.J., so to do the show I would have had to have taken the whole day off at that point, and they wouldn’t let me at MSNBC. I will say that there was never another invitation, and I’m not sure why.