Geoff Cutmore Interview

News on News’ Kevin Coy interviews Squawk Box Europe’s Geoff Cutmore for its debut Media Ciritique series. The full interview is available in MP3 form here.

In the interview, Cutmore also explains how he was picked up by CNBC, and the chain of events that led to the mergers in Europe between CNBC and Eurpean Business News, and in Asia between CNBC and Asia Business News.

Geoff Cutmore on Joining CNBC in Europe;

“The way that my career started with CNBC, I was picked up by them in Hong Kong initially, that would be back in 1994-5, they came to Hong Kong to start up an asian operation. They also had a business in London at the time through Financial Times Televsion.

“FT-TV produced the product, but CNBC in the US effectively took the content and then ultimately as the competing businesses decided that the pie wasn’t big enough yet in Asia or Europe to support two business television news entities, EBN merged with CNBC, or took most of the FT-TV people, and in Asia, Asia Business News(ABN) merged with CNBC Asia which I was on at the time, so that’s how we all ended up being CNBC in 1997.”

Press Releases: 12/14/10

MSNBC (1), CNN (1)

MSNBC

‘THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW’ LIVE FROM 92nd STREET Y

Guests Include Paul Krugman, Nouriel Roubini, Michael Moore, Matt Taibbi

NEW YORK – December 14, 2010 – MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow will bring her show uptown for three nights – December 20, 21, and 22 – when “The Rachel Maddow Show” broadcasts live from the famed 92nd Street Y in New York City in front of a live audience. These special editions of “The Rachel Maddow Show” will feature in-depth conversations about the important issues of 2010. Each night will spotlight a different topic with interviews from special guests including award-winning filmmaker and best-selling author Michael Moore, economist Nouriel Roubini, Rolling Stone contributing editor Matt Taibbi, and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman.

Tickets for “The Rachel Maddow Show” live from 92nd Street Y have sold out.

_________________________

CNN

Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin Co-Host CNN’s New Year’s Eve Coverage

Bret Baier Gets New FNC Deal…

The Baltimore Sun’s David Zurawik reports that Bret Baier has signed a new deal with FNC…

Fox News is expected to announce later today that it is signing anchorman Bret Baier to a new multi-year deal.

Baier is on a roll, having recently co-anchored the highly-rated and journalistically-sound election night coverage for Fox as well as finishing second only to Bill O’Reilly in overall audience for the month with his “Special Report” nightly newscast. (Baier’s co-anchor on election night was Megyn Kelly.)

Free for All: 12/14/10

What’s on your mind?

Changes to American Morning…

TVNewser’s Chris Ariens writes about John Roberts leaving CNN’s American Morning and other changes on the way…

CNN’s “American Morning” is not only going to be getting a new EP soon, a new anchor will need to be hired as well.

John Roberts will be leaving the show by the end of the year, heading for CNN headquarters in Atlanta where he will be closer to his fiancee, dayside anchor Kyra Phillips who is pregnant. “We are discussing an Atlanta-based reporting role for him,” CNN president Ken Jautz writes in an email to staff this morning, obtained by TVNewser.

CNN Announced iPad App…

CNN announced the launch of its iPad App…

CNN App for iPad Comes to the App Store

Visually-Rich Design Surfaces Enterprise Reporting and User Comments, Features Live Breaking News Video

CNN today announced its CNN App for iPad is now available on the App Store. The CNN App is designed to provide users with an immersive and visual news experience that takes full advantage of iPad’s expansive real estate and Multi Touch interface. Simultaneous to this launch, the CNN App for iPhone and iPod touch in the U.S. will be available for free, and a major update to the International version will add live breaking news video.

“High quality, world-class journalism is what CNN does best, whether live breaking news, hard-hitting interviews or in-depth investigations, and our iPad app presents that content to the world in a wholly new way,” said KC Estenson, senior vice president and general manager of CNN.com. “This app harnesses the best of what the iPad offers by leveraging striking photos and videos; elegant, multi-touch navigation; and the ability to share content with your friends via social media.”

Christi Paul’s Crusade

The New York Daily News’ Richard Huff writes about a new weekly segment HLN’s Christi Paul is doing…

Some nights, Christi Paul goes home from her job at HLN in tears.

A mother of three, Paul gets caught up in stories of child abuse and murder, which have become regular features of cable news networks.

Fed up, Paul began a series of segments called “Find Our Children,” first for CNN’s website, then for HLN and now TruTV. The pieces are designed to help get missing kids back to their homes.

“I was just sick to death of sitting at that stupid desk and having to tell viewers that there was another kid kidnapped or murdered or molested,” Paul says. “These are the stories that sit with me. I thought there’s got to be a way to help these kids. They’re not lost causes.”

The Politics of the NBA?

TVNewser’s Alex Weprin reports that John King will be doing reports for an NBA TV program…

Sexism?

Eliza Gray writes about Morning Joe, Parker Spitzer, and sexism in the New Republic…

Scarborough should not shoulder all the blame for this dynamic. Brzezinski seems to have settled into a deferential role in which her primary responsibility is to keep order. Like Vanna White, turning over the letters on “Wheel of Fortune,” she keeps things moving, announcing the segment transitions and welcoming viewers back from commercial breaks with niceties like “Pretty shot of New York City!” Her most substantial speeches occur when she reads aloud from the headline stories. During interviews, she rarely asks questions and mainly speaks up to tell the guests good-bye or thank-you.

Brzezinski seems aware of the dynamic, but combats it with little more than eye-rolling. When confronted about Scarborough’s sexism on “The View,” she squirmed in her chair and jokingly called “Morning Joe” contributor Mike Barnicle “my misogynist” in the sing-song way that a teenager would refer to her dreamboat boyfriend. On her personal website, a picture of Brzezinski’s red high heels is captioned: “I click my heels three times to get a word in edgewise with Joe.” Just what every seasoned female journalist needs to keep up with her male colleagues: red high heels. Mika, we’re not in Kansas anymore.

Such sexism is particularly grating because of MSNBC’s purportedly liberal leanings, but the dynamic occurs elsewhere on cable news, like on CNN’s “Parker Spitzer.” I won’t give the show full treatment here, but the similar dynamic deserves consideration, especially since Parker, it seems, no longer has the stomach for it. (Full disclosure: Kathleen Parker is a family friend.)

Free for All: 12/13/10

What’s on your mind?

What’s Hot/What’s Not: 12/12/10

What’s Hot:

John Roberts – Will he stay in NYC? Will he move to Atlanta? All depends on his new deal which the New York Post reported was being worked on.

MSNBC’s Primetime Tax Deal Schism – On one side we have Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow who positively hate the Obama tax deal. On the other we have Lawrence O’Donnell who think it’s the best thing Obama could get.

What’s Not:

Tony Harris – CNN’s Harris will be leaving the network.

Overcovering Elizabeth Edwards – This wasn’t Jackie O. But you would be left wondering why the networks, particularly MSNBC, went to Jackie O. level coverage of the death of Elizabeth Edwards.

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…

Free for All: 12/11/10

What’s on your mind? Mine is on this once a century date…

Piers Morgan vs. Madonna…

Lost in the US TV blog coverage of Piers Morgan’s London bash earlier this week was this headline grabbing moment…reported by the UK’s Daily Express…

Britain’s Got Talent judge Piers, 45, told Day & Night that while he wanted to get President Barack Obama, Mel Gibson and Jack Nicholson on his show the queen of pop Madonna need not apply. “She is so boring.

“She is too vegan for TV. We have Lady Gaga now so Madonna is banned from my show.”

Press Releases: 12/10/10

CNBC (3)

CNBC DIGITAL HAS RECORD NOVEMBER

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. – December 10, 2010 – CNBC.com, the online destination for global business news and expert analysis, had its best November ever in terms of uniques and page views. According to the latest data from comScore Media Metrix, the site was visited by 5.9 million unique users last month, a 33% increase compared to the same time period last year, and recorded 277 MM page views, a 17% increase year-over-year.

CNBC Mobile Web attracted 1.7 MM uniques and scored a record number of page views with 61 MM, a 34% increase over the same time period as last year. CNBC’s iPhone App attracted a record 417,000 uniques who consumed 42 MM page views (Source: Omniture).

Additional November 2010 highlights include:

CNBC “not renews” Matt Nesto?

The Daily Caller’s Jeff Poor writes that CNBC will not be renewing Matt Nesto’s contract. Poor then goes on to speculate about why…

The Daily Caller has learned CNBC reporter Matt Nesto will not have his contract renewed, which is up at the beginning of 2011. Were Nesto’s politics a factor in the network’s decision not to bring him back?

I doubt it. If politics were a reason, Rick Santelli would have been dropped long ago…

Free for All: 12/10/10

What’s on your mind?

Anderson Cooper Interview…

The New York Daily News’ Richard Huff interviews Anderson Cooper concerning a special he’s hosting on CNN Saturday night…

Anderson Cooper has spent a lot of time in Afghanistan embedded with U.S. troops, but he’s never really gotten to see the enemy.

“They come and go, and fade into the night,” Cooper says. “For some people, there’s an air of mystery about the Taliban.”

CNN viewers tomorrow night at 8 will get a chance to see some Taliban fighters in a way they’ve probably never seen before when the network airs “Taliban,” a documentary hosted by Cooper featuring the work of Norwegian journalist Paul Refsdal.

Refsdal got access to some Taliban fighters, and was eventually kidnapped. His escape is covered in the special, as well.

“He took a tremendous risk to do this, he risked his life and got kidnapped,” Cooper says. “I, frankly, would not have done it. Kidnapping is the one thing that freaks me out. I would not have put my faith in the Taliban to keep their word.”

Free for All: 12/09/10

What’s on your mind?

Editorial Control…

The Daily Beast’s Howard Kurtz writes about a set of internal FNC memos that were leaked to Media Matters which are going to cause some discomfort in FNC’s D.C. Bureau…

The memos were obtained by the liberal advocacy group Media Matters. The public option—an alternative insurance exchange for those who could not get health coverage from their employers—would in fact have been run by the Health and Human Services Department. (The provision was eventually dropped before Congress passed the legislation.) The significance of the marching orders is that they were issued to the news division, which aims to be fair and balanced and is run separately from the opinion side, populated by the likes of Hannity and Glenn Beck.

Sammon said in an interview that the term “public option” “is a vague, bland, undescriptive phrase,” and that after all, “who would be against a public park?” The phrase “government-run plan,” he said, is “a more neutral term,” and was used just last week by a New York Times columnist.

“I have no idea what the Republicans were pushing or not. It’s simply an accurate, fair, objective term.”

Other news organizations periodically described the plan as government-run or used the terms interchangeably, but not as part of any edict. While news executives routinely offer guidance about proper wording in news stories, the semantics in this case were clearly favored by the Republicans.

Related: Slate’s Jack Shafer defends FNC…

The MSNBC Primetime Obama Tax Deal Schism: O’Donnell vs. Olbermann and Maddow…

When Lawrence O’Donnell joined MSNBC a couple of months ago, the conventional wisdom was that MSNBC now had three hours of Liberal/Progressive programming (or Socialist in O’Donnell’s self-described case) and the theory was you wouldn’t be seeing much of an ideological change between 8pm and 11pm ET. Well the conventional wisdom may have to be rethought because MSNBC is now presenting a fractured schism between two polar opposites on a major issue dominating our news cycle: Obama’s Tax Deal.

Last night the first two hours of MSNBC prime showed Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow launch full frontal assaults on Obama’s Deal with Olbermann turning in a twelve minute long Special Comment blasting Obama for appease-ism followed by Rachel Maddow doing a methodical dissection of what’s fundamentally wrong with this deal. So far so good. Everyone’s on the same page.

But then the clock turned ten and The Last Word took a decidedly different tact. O’Donnell had on a panel of progressives where he made clear his position that this deal was the best thing Obama could do at this juncture and that a Congressional showdown between Democrats and Republicans over tax policy of the type Olbermann was urging would not work. As part of Olbermann’s Special Comment he cited a statement from Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu that she would do everything in her power to stop this deal. But O’Donnell used his “Re-Write” segment to blast and ridicule Landrieu for that statement. On Twitter today O’Donnell has continued to take a different tone from the Olbermann/Maddow wing with a series of Tweets…

I agree with @nytimes: Democrats should vote for Obama tax deal “because it is the only one they are going to get.”

Liberal critics of the Obama deal say exactly what Pat Buchanan said of George H.W. Bush: he’s weak.

Let’s see if liberal Obama critics can do what Pat Buchanan did to H.W. Bush: destroy him and help elect a President from the other party.

Now just who might those “liberal Obama critics” might include? Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow?

It used to be that the internal MSNBC factionalism pitted Joe Scarborough against Maddow and Olbermann. But on this issue the leading force of push back to the withering progressive attacks by Olbermann and Maddow on Obama’s Tax Deal is a fellow traveler.

This is just the latest example of why The Last Word isn’t the show you think it might be and why O’Donnell continues to be refreshingly unpredictable.

Update: Predictably, the Blue Blogs are not happy with O’Donnell (via J$)

Bloomberg TV’s Ambitions…

NPR’s David Foklenflik profiles Bloomberg TV’s increasing ambitions…

Gross says Bloomberg isn’t searching for a mass audience. Rather, it seeks to attract global thought leaders who are making decisions in the worlds of finance, government and business. In financial centers around the world, televisions at hotels and bars typically include feeds from CNBC or Bloomberg.

But right now, Bloomberg has so few American viewers that it doesn’t even pay Nielsen Media Research to estimate how many people are actually watching.

Historically, the television channel was simply treated as just another way to remind subscribers of the Bloomberg brand — almost as though it were a global billboard.

David Rhodes, the head of Bloomberg Television in the U.S., says the channel now has greater journalistic ambitions.

“Cable news punches above its weight when it comes to its influence,” says Rhodes, the former vice president for news at the Fox News Channel. “It would be hard not to conclude that from looking at the impact of cable news on media today.”

Free for All: 12/08/10

What’s on your mind?

Bloomberg Game Changers impacts Bloomberg.com…

WebNewser’s David Cohen notes that Bloomberg’s “Game Changers” series is impacting traffic on Bloomberg.com…

Episodes of Bloomberg Game Changers account for four of the 15 most viewed videos on Bloomberg.com, with the installment featuring Apple chairman and CEO Steve Jobs coming in at No. 2 on that list and totaling nearly 500,000 views.

That’s good news for Bloomberg.com but it also means it’s bad news for anyone who wants to see the early coverage of the Asia markets with Susan Li on Sunday evening as Bloomberg TV US had been simulcasting Bloomberg Asia at that time but the past few weeks Sunday evenings been inundated with Bloomberg Game Changers blocks and no live Business news. I’m not happy about that.

CNN’s Parker Spitzer Problem…

The New York Times’ Brian Stelter writes about Parker Spitzer and its lack of mojo…

In one sweeping move, the 8 p.m. political talk show “Parker Spitzer” could have turned around CNN’s flailing prime-time ratings, publicly rehabilitated the fallen New York governor Eliot Spitzer, and turned his co-host Kathleen Parker into a television star.

Instead, at the two-month mark, the ratings for CNN’s latest experiment are stagnant. The show has been troubled by backstage tensions that have spilled out in gossip columns and have given rise to speculation — and some wishful thinking among his supporters — that CNN could make Mr. Spitzer the sole host.

CNN executives and the co-hosts flatly ruled out that outcome in interviews last week. Disappointment with the ratings was evident, even as they emphasized that the show was just starting to get its footing.

Press Releases: 12/07/10

CNBC (2)

CNBC ADDS TWO JOURNALISTS

Kayla Tausche Will Join the Network as a General Assignment Reporter

Margaret Popper Will Join the Network as a Senior Producer & Editor

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., December 7, 2010—CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, today announced that Kayla Tausche and Margaret Popper will join the network. Tausche will be a general assignment reporter covering corporate finance and deals, and Popper will be a senior producer helping oversee the network’s banking and finance coverage. Both will contribute to CNBC.com.

“Covering banking and corporate finance is at the heart of what CNBC does best,” said Nikhil Deogun, Managing Editor, CNBC Business Day programming. “The addition of both Kayla and Margaret will immediately add value to CNBC’s viewers and users, and continue to enhance our dominant position as the leader in business news.”

Free for All: 12/07/10

What’s on your mind?

Luke Russert Interview…

The Daily Beast’s Howard Kurtz interviews NBC/MSNBC Correspondent Luke Russert…

He is relaxed, earnest and witty during the rare interview, granted only after months of requests (the NBC publicity team is very protective of him and discouraged me from following him while he works). On camera, though his delivery is greatly improved from his sometimes halting debut, Russert sometimes seems like a class cutup standing up extra straight and trying not to let a curse word slip. That has the effect of restraining his personality, in contrast to his father’s passionate performances.

“It’s a growth process,” admits Russert, who served as MSNBC’s lead reporter yesterday on the tax-cut negotiations. He started as the cable channel’s House reporter in the spring of 2009.

“I do get nervous, just like anybody does, because the subject matter up here is very serious. It’s not like during a cooking segment where I say I use three eggs in my omelet instead of four. You’re always nervous you’re going to say something that isn’t entirely accurate.”

Error Correction…

Mediashift Idea Lab has a story by MediaBug’s Mark Follman about trying to get CNNI to correct an error it made regarding a lower third…

A primary goal of MediaBugs is to help improve communication between the public and newsrooms on error reports; currently we reach out to reporters and editors to let them know when bugs are filed.

Over the ensuing two weeks, I emailed CNN twice using an email form designated on its website for reporting an error. I got no response. That wasn’t entirely surprising because the form’s auto-reply message says, “While we are unable to personally reply to every email, your comments are important to us, and we do read each and every one.”

CNN.com provides no contact information for editorial staff. (My search engine sleuthing for CNN managing editor Jay Kernis’ email address proved unfruitful.) Eventually, I came across a Twitter account on a feedback page for CNN TV, @TeamCNN, whose bio indicates it is “dedicated to assisting our viewers.” After a cordial exchange of messages on Twitter, @TeamCNN asked me to submit the error using another email form, which was different from, though similar to, the one I’d used earlier. It was Nov. 18, three weeks since the bug had been filed. “We will look into it,” @TeamCNN said.

After a couple more Twitter exchanges, there was still no result. Another week had passed. CNN may present itself as on the cutting edge of social media, but clearly it was time to pick up the phone. There had to be a way to reach a real live person in the newsroom, even though the only number I could find anywhere on CNN’s website was buried at the bottom of this About page. It was for contacting the network’s “Copyright Agent.” Googling farther afield, I dug up a number for a main line at CNN headquarters in Atlanta and asked the operator to connect me to the appropriate department. I reached an editorial assistant and explained the situation. He agreed that I should email him the bug report, saying he’d look into it. I sent him the link a few minutes after we hung up. A few days later I followed up at the same email address to check on a result.

John Roberts out at American Morning? Tony Harris out at CNN?

Page Six reports that John Roberts is negotiating a new contract which would take him off American Morning and Tony Harris is leaving the network…

Shake-ups at CNN under new boss Ken Jautz will begin as early as the start of the new year, insiders say. John Roberts is finalizing a contract to leave “American Morning” and start a new life as a CNN national correspondent in Atlanta, where his pregnant fiancée, Kyra Phillips, anchors “CNN Newsroom.” Insiders speculate that handsome newsreader T.J. Holmes, who filled in for Roberts yesterday, is one of the favorites to take over Roberts’ role and anchor alongside Kiran Chetry. “T.J. Holmes has always been groomed for a bigger gig,” an insider told us. Sources also said “CNN Newsroom” anchor Tony Harris will announce to his staff today that he’s leaving the network after six years. Harris, who anchors from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., is expected to leave at the end of the month. A rep for the net work said, “CNN does not comment on con tracts.”

I like T.J. Holmes but Holmes selection would run against the grain in terms of fill-ins who’ve shown up on American Morning the most which is usually a barometer, though not the only barometer, of who’s being evaluated.

Last night I took to Twitter and suggested that there weren’t changes coming to American Morning any time soon because CNN just started running new TV spots featuring Roberts and Chetry with the new AM graphics. Obviously that prognostication may turn out to be misguided in light of this story. But the question that I would have if that is the case is why would CNN throw money away on new spots on the talent for a show when at least 1/2 the talent is leaving?