Press Releases: 04/04/11

CNN (1), MSNBC (1)

CNN

Anderson Cooper 360° EXCLUSIVE – an interview with Eman al-Obeidy, woman who claims she was raped by forces loyal to Libyan leader Gadhafi on tonight 10 p.m. ET

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MSNBC

More than 213.8 million video streams in March tops previous record by 32 percent; Sets new slideshow record with 670 million slides viewed

April 4, 2011 – REDMOND, Wash. — The Msnbc Digital Network set a new site record of 213.8 million total online video streams in March, 2011 – a 32 percent increase above the previous record set in January, 2011.* Millions of consumers turn to NBC News each month to get the latest breaking news, exclusive reports, original web-only stories and updates from around the world. Viewers turned to the digital network for its comprehensive coverage and unique presentation of the breaking news on the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Viewers also turned to the digital network for the latest news and analysis about the nuclear worries in Japan.

The Msnbc Digital Network set a new record for monthly views of photojournalism, with 670 million total slideshow views in March, 2011. The new March record is 63 percent higher than the previous monthly record set in January, 2010 when the site had 412 million total slides viewed for its coverage of the earthquake in Haiti.*

Free for All: 04/04/11

What’s on your mind?

Peter Bale Joins CNN as GM of CNN International Digital

CNN announced that Peter Bale has joined the network as General Manager of CNN International Digital…

CNN names Peter Bale vice president, general manager of CNN International Digital

Peter Bale has joined CNN in the newly created role of vice president and general manager of CNN International Digital, reporting directly to KC Estenson, senior vice president and general manager of CNN Digital. Bale was most recently with Microsoft as International Programming Director for MSN, responsible for content on MSN properties outside the United States.

In this new role, Bale will lead the editorial and commercial functions of CNN Digital outside the United States, articulating the content, product, digital distribution and partnership strategy for the business. He will assume this new position in the late spring, and will be based in London.

Counter to History?

Broadcasting & Cable has an article on CNN hidden behind a pay wall. But the summary reveals a lot…

CNN Pitches Comeback Story

Network tells advertisers it will keep viewers after big stories fade

Part of me wants to say “Well what do you expect CNN to say to advertisers? ‘We’re not going to be able to hold on to the big audience we’ve gained as a result of our big international coverage?’ What perspective advertiser wants to hear that kind of loser story pitch?”

But CNN might as well have made their advertiser pitch that self-destructive because that’s what history has shown over and over again. CNN’s brand is news and the bigger the news the bigger the brand identification. But up against MSNBC and FNC, especially in primetime, when the news isn’t big and opinion and the cult of personality of the show host fills the vacuum, CNN has not been able to compete effectively by sticking with news and non-attention grabbing hosts like Anderson Cooper and John King. The jury is still out on Piers Morgan and Eliot Spitzer and their new shows which haven’t had a chance to run for extended periods during non-big news cycles. But unless Ken Jautz has got a secret new plan we haven’t heard about yet, I don’t see why things will be different this time. Remember, things were supposed to be different the last time. And the time before that. And the time before that.

What this article does do however is cue the media writers to note that CNN, at least publicly, expects things to be different. Now they’ll be watching closely and if (or when, depending on how skeptical you are) CNN again falls behind MSNBC and FNC, the writers will pounce with a bunch of “What happened CNN?” questions…