Joe Scarborough…

…has a website.

AC360 Profile…

Under the banner of “‘Keeping Them Honest’ Segment Catching On”, the AP’s David Bauder profiles AC360. We also get a rare appearance from long time AC360 producer Charlie Moore.

If Anderson Cooper were anchoring today the same 10 p.m. CNN newscast slot he inherited in 2005, executive producer Charlie Moore has no doubt what it would be like. “Obsolete,” he said.

Instead, Cooper and Moore have fashioned a program that’s one part breaking news and one part “truth-telling” squad and it is building momentum. Through early June, “Anderson Cooper 360″ had an average audience of 859,000 people, or 20 percent above 2010, the Nielsen Co. said. Within the younger demographic on which CNN bases its ad sales, the increase is 46 percent. Fox News Channel’s Greta Van Susteren has twice the audience at that time slot, but has gone down 16 percent in a year.

It’s impossible to tell how much Cooper’s improvement is due to a busy year in news – the Japanese tsunami, Arab uprisings, deadly tornadoes and Osama bin Laden killing – and how much it is because of a sharper focus provided by his “Keeping Them Honest” segments.

I would venture, and common sense suggests, the ratings boost is because of the former and not the latter. That being said, I will acknowledge that having stuck with the “Keeping Them Honest” segment for so long AC360 has carved out something of a niche for itself…a niche which kibitzers like Jon Stewart have noticed and appreciate.

John King Interview…

The Huffington Post’s Michael Calderone interviews interviews CNN’s John King ahead of tonight’s debate…

The CNN debate, co-sponsored by New Hampshire television station WMUR and the Union Leader newspaper, isn’t the first time that 2012 candidates have sparred on stage. Last month, Fox News hosted a debate in South Carolina. But Feist and moderator John King each pointed out that Monday’s debate is significant in that several GOP contenders — Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachmann, and front-runner Mitt Romney — will be making their first appearance in a 2012 debate.

“This is a very different field of candidates and they’re in New Hampshire, which is the state that, in many ways, may be the most passionate about the presidential primary process,” Feist said.

King was quick to point out that Fox News’ Bret Baier “did a great job” moderating “an interesting debate” last month, but said that Monday’s bigger roster of candidates, coupled with increased voter interest, makes this debate “special.”

In addition to more podiums on the stage, Feist said that Monday’s event will be “the most sophisticated debate we’ve ever produced in our history in terms of complexity.”

CNN Executive Tension?

The New York Daily News’ Gatecrasher writes about alleged tension between CNN’s Ken Jautz and CNN’s Mark Whitaker… (via J$)

CNN insiders tell us there’s “obvious tension” between CNN Executive Vice President Ken Jautz and the cable news network’s new managing editor, Mark Whitaker, who also has exec VP status. Both have been at their posts for less than a year: Jautz was brought over to fix CNN in September after reviving its sister nework HLN. Whitaker, who was NBC News’ Washington bureau chief, joined CNN in February. “It’s an unsettled situation” because of “potential overlap,” says one source, who adds the two are figuring out “who’s in charge of what.” A CNN rep acknowledges some “overlap” due to a new regime but says there’s “no tension.”

Wilson Surratt Named EP of Erin Burnett’s CNN Show…

This news was expected thanks to TVNewser’s reporting but here’s CNN actual announcement…

WILSON SURRATT NAMED EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF CNN’S NEW PROGRAM WITH ERIN BURNETT

CNN’s executive vice president Ken Jautz announced today that Wilson Surratt will rejoin the network as executive producer of its upcoming weekday general news program with Erin Burnett. Surratt’s appointment is effective immediately and will be based in New York.

“Wil has spent 17 years in newsrooms, control rooms and in the field and he is one of the most inventive and accomplished producers in the television news business,” said Jautz. “We are delighted that he is returning to the CNN family.”

Free for All: 06/13/11

What’s on your mind?

Morning Joe vs. The New York Post…

The Huffington Post writes about the New York Post writing that Joe and Mika pitched themselves to Time Warner’s Jeffrey Bewkes and this morning’s public pushback by Joe and Mika regarding the accuracy of said story…

Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski lit into a New York Post reporter on Monday for publishing what they said was a false item about their conversation with the head of Time Warner.

The item was published in Saturday’s paper. It reported that, at the Mirror Awards for media journalism last week, Scarborough and Brzezinski “buttonholed” Time Warner Chief Jeffrey Bewkes.

Blogus Interruptus…

No What’s Hot/What’s Not this weekend (again? Yikes!). Blogging resumes Monday morning.

Press Releases: 06/10/11

CNN (2)

Voters Play Starring Role in First New Hampshire GOP Primary Debate

Blitzer, Cooper, Crowley, King, Lemon Will Anchor Special Live Coverage from Manchester Beginning Friday, June 10

While Republican presidential primary contenders face-off Monday, June 13 in the first New Hampshire debate of the season presented by CNN, Hearst Television’s WMUR, and the New Hampshire Union Leader, voters will have opportunities to question the candidates in person and online. The debate will feature questions from New Hampshire voters inside the debate hall and potentially from town hall locations in Hancock, Plymouth, and Rochester, New Hampshire. In addition, CNN will solicit comments from its users on CNN.com as well as questions via Facebook and Twitter.

CNBC Digital Numbers for May…

CNBC Digital is noting its number for May…

CNBC DIGITAL SETS NEW MAY RECORDS

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. – June 10 2011 – CNBC.com, the online destination for global business news and expert analysis, had its best May ever in terms of uniques and page views. According to the latest data from comScore Media Metrix, the site was visited by 7.2 million unique users last month, a 20% increase compared to the same time period last year, and recorded 329 MM page views.

CNBC Mobile also scored records for May. CNBC Mobile Web recorded 69 MM page views which represents a 15% increase year-over-year (Source: Omniture). CNBC’s Real-Time iPhone App posted 53 MM page views, representing a 27% increase year-over-year and also saw unique visitors increase by 22% compared to the same time period as last year (Source: Omniture). CNBC’s Real-Time Android App saw a 500% increase in page views year-over-year (Source: Omniture).

Additional May 2011 highlights include:

Free for All: 06/10/11

What’s on your mind?

Bloomberg and HD Part 2…

Newscast Studio’s Dak Dillon has part 2 of his interview with Bloomberg TV Creative Director John Newhouse…

How would you compare this package with other business news channels?

Bloomberg Television looks completely different from the competition. We’re grabbing viewer’s attention through smart imagery rather than over-the-top, ostentatious design.

We’re also displaying more data on the screen, pulling that information from Bloomberg’s worldwide news service and financial data and analytics.

Plus, we’re the only business TV channel using color-coded market indicator chips and other features.

And yet Another Keith Olbermann Interview…

The AP’s Frazier Moore, another name I haven’t typed in a while, profiles Keith Olbermann and his show and gives more of a peak into the direction Current wants to go…

“I think we’ll become a very important home base for independent, progressive thinking on television,” says Current CEO Mark Rosenthal. “Our goal is to get every last one of the viewers who watched Keith before — and then some. And I think we can do it.”

Olbermann says plans already are afoot for the 2012 presidential race, including coverage of the primaries, debates and election night.

“Eventually, the network is going to be all news, information and analysis — certainly in prime time,” he says. “Initially, we hope to sneak up on people. But the ultimate goal is, to be the provider of news analysis for more people than any other cable outlet.

“The goal,” he declares with a confident smile, “is world domination.”

Rebecca Diamond out at FBN…

I don’t recall ever seeing anything about Rebecca Diamond leaving FBN. I got this from an emailer who claims this came from Rebecca Diamond’s Facebook page…which I don’t have access to and therefore cannot verify…

Hi everyone, the twins and I have a routine now; I’ve lost all but 5 pounds of the baby weight; and I have my new home office all set up (a MAC that I need to learn the ins and outs) …. so… I’m now ready to get back to work. But not at Fox!! I’m not going back to FBN. Instead, I’m going to launch my own media biz. More details to come but you will be seeing and hearing a lot more from me. Stay tuned!!!!

In the “For what it’s worth” column a check of the FBN bio page shows Diamond is not present. If this is true and she’s out at FBN you have to think Diamond’s fate was sealed after the Eric Bolling script tampering incident.

Update: Diamond is still listed on FNC’s website however.

Update 2: It’s now confirmed by a commenter that Diamond did indeed post that on her Facebook page. Which obviously means she’s done at FNC and FBN. It also means another error on the FNC bio page needs fixing (see: Huddy, Juliete). Maybe I should go work for them? I seem to find them all..

Update 3: Diamond posted this on her FB page yesterday…

As I prepare to launch this new venture, I would love your input. What would you like to hear, see and read from me? Obviously, it would be business related. But it could also include “inside media” stories, my personal life, trends, live chats, video updates, stock picks, etc. What do you think?

Update 4: FNC confirms Diamond’s gone by deleting her bio from their website the day after I noted that it was still up.

Free for All: 06/09/11

What’s on your mind?

CNN Doubles Down on John King, USA…

Fishbowl DC’s Matt Dominic writes about newly minted CNN Washington D.C. Bureau Chief Sam Feist commenting on John King, USA…

Referring to Page Six’s yearlong campaign against King and the show, Feist told his team, “I want to put a rumor to rest. Senior management is behind ‘John King, USA.’” “The rumors are false and have always been false,” he added.

In Depth: How CNBC has Blown its HD Advantage…

When Bloomberg launched its HD feed a few weeks ago, I wondered whether it was just a graphical change or the video was all HD. Since the rollout has been limited so far – DirecTV hasn’t flipped Bloomberg HD yet and given how long it took to flip MSNBC HD (a year after it started) it will probably be a while – I didn’t know the answer until today. Today I saw a screengrab and the picture is definitely HD.

This leaves one cable news network carried widely in the US that hasn’t gone to full HD. Just one. CNBC. Al Jazeera isn’t carried widely here. Neither is BBC World News. Neither is CNNI but my understanding is CNNI isn’t HD yet either. HLN is HD now but isn’t widely distributed in HD yet.

CNBC was the second network in the US to offer an HD broadcast behind CNN (though CNN’s full rollout to pure HD was excruciatingly long and occurred in stages over a timespan of years). But CNBC’s sole change in HD was graphical in nature. It added an HD wing. It did nothing with the video.

Over the succeeding years, CNBC has stood and watched as it got passed by as FBN launched in full HD, FNC went full HD, MSNBC went full HD, HLN started down the HD road, and now Bloomberg US is in full HD. CNBC is the only remaining US based cable news network not to embrace full HD. And it was the second to launch an HD feed?

This got me to wondering “Why has CNBC stagnated on rolling out full HD?”

Could it be because it didn’t have the facilities to handle HD (Control rooms, etc..)? Well it does. CNBC’s Englewood Cliffs HQ serves as the Master Control backup for MSNBC and NBC Nightly News and it’s hot swappable. If they can control HD for those broadcasts, they can do it for their own.

Is it because CNBC hasn’t made the capital investments in swapping out the old SD cameras for HD versions? According to my sources, they have. Though it’s not clear that they have done it for all their sets. Remember, Englewood Cliffs is huge and has several studios dedicated for specific shows. You can’t just move those HD cameras around. They have to have enough cameras to cover all those sets.

The more digging I did the more puzzling this became. CNBC apparently has the proper infrastructure to handle an HD switchover and yet it has refused to do so. CNBC Europe’s London set is also fully HD capable but hasn’t been switched on. I don’t know the HD status of CNBC Asia’s studios.

One area that may be an issue is the graphics for the shows. CNBC’s wing and crawl may be HD but are all the graphics for all the shows…the splash screens, the animations, etc…now re-rendered for HD display? That would be a costly endeavor but the network has had years to work on this so the cost could have been spread out during that time by doing it in stages to make it more palatable.

CNBC hasn’t commented publicly on the HD subject. Privately however, I’ve heard stories from a couple of sources that the network has no plans to go HD in the foreseeable future. Worse, some of the reasons I’ve heard for that decision are pretty weak. I’ve heard that while the network has HD capability in Englewood Cliffs it has no HD control over remote feeds and trading floors. Well FBN manages just fine. It has full HD cameras on the floor of the NYSE and it has no qualms about showing the odd SD video feed from a remote location. Is CNBC admitting it won’t do what FBN can? All the networks that are currently HD air SD feeds on occasion and seem to have no problem with doing so. And those SD feeds are getting lesser and lesser all the time as more studios and remotes switch over to HD.

This isn’t 2007 with HD just starting to achieve penetration in the market. It’s 2011 and HD is well entrenched. The HD landscape has changed since CNBC first went HD and the network has not kept up. It stood pat. It’s now lagging well behind everyone else even though it apparently has the infrastructure capability to make the switch. This is inexcusable. It’s the stuff jokes are made for. It reflects badly upon CNBC and the network should move with all deliberate haste to launch full HD broadcasts as soon as possible. CNBC is no longer an HD leader. It’s now a straggler.

Survey Says…

In a must read, Forbes’ Jeff Bercovici writes about the Q scores for Keith Olbermann and Glenn Beck. Nut graph…

The extraordinarily high negative Q Scores of Beck and Olbermann are useful in understanding why Fox News and MSNBC grew increasingly unhappy with the hosts even as they continued to pull strong ratings. In effect, both men carry a significant negative brand halo. For a programmer whose job is to build an audience across an entire lineup of shows, that’s a problem.

Gerri Willis Interview…

Benzinga’s Louis Bedigian interviews Gerri Willis about FBN’s Red Ink Week… (via J$)

What do you and what does Fox Business hope to accomplish with Red Ink Week?

Gerri Willis: We want to put a spotlight on wasteful government spending that is draining our federal budget and stealing from our children. It’s an important story that deserves attention.

Can you give us some specific details on the coverage/specials that Fox Business will be airing during Red Ink Week?

Gerri Willis: We are going to do our best to discuss the issues and develop concrete solutions. Additionally, while we will provide broad coverage on a national level, we will also be coming into your back yard reporting on specific issues that face your local communities, so tune in!

Press Releases: 06/08/11

CNN (2), MSNBC (1)

MSNBC

“MORNING JOE” LIVE FROM LOS ANGELES – JUNE 10

Special Broadcast Will Spotlight Crenshaw High School as Part of the “Brewing Together” Relationship with Starbucks

NEW YORK – June 8, 2011 – MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” will originate live from Los Angeles, CA on Friday, June 10 with a spotlight on Crenshaw High School. The show will explore how this Los Angeles community has a made a commitment to improving education for the students at Crenshaw.

“Morning Joe” anchors Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, and Willie Geist will be joined in Los Angeles by guests Mike Barnicle, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Digger Phelps, author and screenwriter John Ridley, Rev. Al Sharpton, broadcaster and author Tavis Smiley, President of the American Federation of Teachers Randi Weingarten, and Starbucks vice president of Global Diversity, Community and Government Affairs Cecilia Carter.

Bloomberg and HD…

Newscast Studio’s Dak Dillon interviews Bloomberg’s Creative Director John Newhouse about the network’s new HD offering…

What brought about the change in graphics?

We’ve been working on Bloomberg TV’s launch in high-definition for over a year. The switch to HD gave us an opportunity to transform our graphics and design, with better colors and more detailed and relevant information on the screen.

Our parent company, Bloomberg L.P., has over 2,000 global engineers that allow us to deliver what investors want: more data. The bottom line is that our screen has three times the data of our competitors – period.

How Not to Make an Argument…

Mike Huckabee whines to Washington Whispers’ Suzy Parker about charges of FNC bias. No, wait…I take it back. This is worse than just whining. It’s disingenuous whining.

Huckabee, a 2008 GOP primary candidate and former Arkansas governor, said he is angered with suggestions that Fox News is biased and said that the charges come from news snobs who are partisans. He specifically named Matthews, Scarborough, and George Stephanopoulos, of ABC’s Good Morning America.

Asked by our Suzi Parker about reports his employer is biased, Huckabee said, “I get really riled when reporters ask about Fox News and the perception that it’s biased.”

During a trip home to Arkansas for a book signing, some local reporters asked him about the cable network’s perceived GOP slant. He has high praise for Fox’s journalists, like Brett Baier, Shepard Smith, Bill Hemmer, and Chris Wallace.

“Those and other Fox journalists have a lot more credibility as actual journalists than do Chris Matthews, George Stephanopoulos, Joe Scarborough, etc., who either were politicians or worked for one or more, yet other networks snobbishly act if they are ‘pure’ and ‘journalism’ and Fox isn’t.”

Oy…Huckabee in trying rebut the charges of FNC bias by the most idiotic and self-defeating of means. He cites Baier, Smith, Hemmer, and Wallace…all as credible journalists. And he’s right. But then he negates his whole argument, not by teeing off on MSNBC’s journalists but by teeing off on MSNBC’s non-journalists, who by default are biased and are essentially paid to be biased.

The thing that chafes FNC the most is when critics throw bias charges out at it and totally ignore their news division talent in the process. Now here’s Mike Huckabee doing the very same thing to MSNBC. He can’t have it both ways, though he tries very hard to here. And then as if to underscore Huckabee’s total lack of understanding of what he’s arguing we get this…

(emphasis mine)

“The news division of Fox I’d put against anyone—those guys operate on the other side of a concrete wall between ‘news’ and ‘programming,’ which is where shows like mine, O’Reilly, Hannity, etc., reside. None of our shows purport to be hard news, but clearly declare them to be opinion shows,” he said.

Well, duh. And yet, Huckabee tries to hold Morning Joe and Hardball to a “hard news” standard he refuses to hold for himself. The one point I will grant Huckabee is how Matthews is used off of Hardball, specifically when he’s anchoring special political coverage. I have complained long and loud about MSNBC using pundits for anchoring political special coverage for years. But that one caveat is not enough to overcome the flood of self-serving sweeping generalization and straw man arguing that Huckabee makes here.

This isn’t an example of Mike Huckabee opening his mouth and inserting his foot. This is Mike Huckabee opening his mouth, getting out a sledgehammer and whomping his foot several times, then inserting it in his mouth. At least as far as his rant on Morning Joe and Hardball is concerned. He’s on far sturdier ground on the subject of George Stephanopoulos. Stephanopoulos is not a journalist but has been cast in that role by ABC.

Another Keith Olbermann Interview…

In another must read, Mark Binelli interviews Olbermann for Rolling Stone…

During the 2008 election, Tom Brokaw publicly criticized you for “going too far” in injecting commentary into your campaign coverage. Do you think there’s something to the idea of keeping a division between opinion and news? Or is the notion of the impartial journalist essentially bullshit?

[Taking a piece of paper from his wallet] You saw I reached before you said the name. Let me read this to you. You can see how old it is—it already came apart. March 5th, 2008, Wednesday morning, 9:45 a.m. “Keith, game ball goes to you for last night. I’ve been at this for 40 years and have a full appreciation for how tricky it is to go from commentator to anchor, get the news out, manage the many egos, make sure lots of different points of view are represented, maintain your own place in the proceedings, you did it all splendidly.” You can see the name of who sent that [Tom Brokaw].

So there you have it. I’ve never shared that with anybody before. Now you have a private comment that he didn’t seem to remember when he made his public comment five months later.

What’s really going to have people yapping isn’t how Olbermann just tried to make Brokaw look two faced…because a lot happened on MSNBC’s air during those subsequent five months that both of Brokaw’s comments could be considered operative without being contradictory. Now the real issue is how the hell did Olbermann anticipate this question to the point that he came prepared with the letter?

Press Releases: 06/07/11

CNN (1), MSNBC (1)

CNN

In a special three-part series, Anderson Cooper 360° examines a shocking “experimental therapy” designed to make feminine boys more masculine. Tune in tonight to see what one family says was the devastating result in a special report titled “The Sissy Boy Experiment.” The series, with additional reporting from CNN.com, begins airing tonight at 10pm ET on CNN with special features found on CNN.com.

His doctors called him “Kraig.” His parents were afraid he was too effeminate and might grow up to be gay. So, at age 4, Kraig was enrolled in a government-funded program at UCLA dubbed “The Feminine Boy Project” where Kraig was plunged into a series of experiments using aggressive aversion therapy. The behaviors judged effeminate were beat out of him—literally and figuratively—and Kraig’s case was judged a success. A success until, at age 38, this “poster child” for changing gender identity disorder was so depressed and disturbed he committed suicide.

In this heartbreaking series, Anderson Cooper speaks with Kraig’s family who blame the therapy for his suicide and will look into the man behind the therapy – Dr. George Rekers – who was later caught up in scandal after hiring a male escort.

_______________________________

MSNBC

MSNBC PRESENTS ‘ERASING HATE,’ THE TRUE STORY OF A SKINHEAD’S REDEMPTION

LAWRENCE O’DONNELL HOSTS—SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 9 PM ET

Keith Olbermann Interview…

In a must read, The Hollywood Reporter’s Marisa Guthrie interviews Keith Olbermann…

The following summer, Olbermann was yanked from NBC’s Sunday Night Football preshow, a move that clearly still irks him. Until then, he had a hand in NBC Sports’ football coverage dating to 2007. Company executives said he was removed from Football Night in America because it interfered with his day job on Countdown. But internally, he was criticized for lacing his commentary with political references, a no-no in the apolitical arena of televised sports. And Olbermann contends Zucker was personally punishing him.

“You are not allowed to disagree with him, or he will exact vengeance,” says Olbermann.

The particular transgression that got him booted? Olbermann says he was caught gossiping about Zucker’s fate at the company after Comcast had announced its bid to merge with NBCUniversal. “There was a lot of speculation about what would happen,” he says. “One surprisingly accurate bit of speculation on every floor of the building was, ‘I betcha they don’t keep Jeff.’ And apparently he heard that I had said this. I was there, and I was a convenient punching bag, and everybody would believe everything they said about me. And so off I went.” (Zucker did not respond to repeated e-mails seeking comment.)

Free for All: 06/07/11

What’s on your mind?

Where will Erin Burnett Land on CNN?

Today’s news from TVNewser that Ali Velshi will get a 5 am show on CNN in addition to his American Morning duties noted that the 1-3 shift will continue to be handled by rotating substitute anchors.

Why do I consider that insignificant news somewhat significant? Because, it raises the possibility, however slightly, that Erin Burnett is not headed to that slot. So, for the sake of argument – and giving me something to do – let’s speculate upon where Burnett is destined to wind up.

When CNN announced Burnett’s hire, a quick survey of its programming landscape pointed strongly to the current vacancy at 1pm as the odds on favorite destination if for no other reason than because it was vacant and had been vacant for some time. Then Page Six came out with its story that John King USA was going to be jettisoned for Burnett. CNN shot that down the same day.

Unfortunately for CNN their “conclusive” statement does not settle the matter and it can blame itself for that. The incredibly complicated pretzel-like PR contortions the network made during the whole Piers Morgan/Larry King saga last year has effectively poisoned the well for the foreseeable future in regards to any statements the network makes concerning future talent/programming decisions. I just can’t take what they say at face value completely, not to the degree I once did back before it allowed the Morgan/King PR Charlie Foxtrot to spin out of control. I mean, you could parse CNN’s statement rebutting Page Six in such a manner that Page Six still winds up being right. Burnett could replace King’s show if King’s show moved for example…like moved to 8pm where another CNN show is struggling and is oft ridiculed as of late given the recent political sex scandals because of the host’s past.

Normally networks have time slots in mind for talent when they hire them…especially when they’re a high profile hire like Burnett was. The fact that CNN “claims”, as of last week’s Page Six story, to not have a time slot decided for Burnett is interesting…interesting bordering on suspicious. Why has it not decided? The options are limited. There’s 1pm-3pm, 3pm-5pm (which would necessitate moving Brooke Baldwin ahead two hours), 7pm, and 8pm. That’s basically it.
It’s not like CNN has tons of options here.

Of the four I listed the 3-5 seems the most illogical but may be where she ultimately lands. This assumes that CNN was dead serious about keeping King at 7pm and is still smarting too much from the beating it took with Campbell Brown at 8 to even consider doing what would almost certainly amount to a full on sequel at the same hour with Burnett. The reason 3-5 makes more sense than plugging Burnett in at 1 is one of programming consistency. Having CNN Newsroom sandwich a branded Burnett show, and you have to figure CNN is going to brand her show, doesn’t make a lot of sense from a flow perspective. So I think CNN would opt to shift Baldwin to 1pm and plug Burnett in at 3 if if was looking to put Burnett on during dayside.

But maybe CNN will pull a rabbit out of its hat and do something totally unexpected. I sense a couple of poll questions coming…

The second one is a variation on the first one but the differences are significant. On the first I ask where you think CNN will put her. The second I’m asking where you think CNN should put her. Answers to the two may not be the same as a result. But I’m curious to see how the differences shake out, if at all.

Press Releases: 06/06/11

CNN (1), Bloomberg (1)

Bloomberg

BLOOMBERG GAME CHANGERS: CHARLES AND DAVID KOCH

This Tuesday, June 7th at 9:00pm ET/9:00pm PT on Bloomberg Television

The richest brothers in the world own a company that most Americans have never heard of…yet their political activism has altered U.S. politics and their family feuds rival those on “Dynasty.”

Tomorrow at 9pm, “Bloomberg Game Changers” profiles billionaires Charles and David Koch, who quietly built a fortune running Koch Industries, an industrial conglomerate with interests in everything from oil and gas to trading and paper products.

Bloomberg Television explores how the brothers’ deeply held Libertarian convictions inspired them to spend millions to founding think tanks and PACs including Americans for Prosperity foundation, a major supporter of Republican candidates during the 2010 midterm elections and beyond.

Weiner Thread

Post it here…

Ali Velshi to get 5 am show on CNN…

TVNewser’s Alex Weprin scoops that Ali Velshi is going to have a new 5am show on CNN. This all but guarantees that Velshi will be permanent on American Morning. Note the part of Weprin’s story that doesn’t make the case that Erin Burnett is getting the 1-3 slot and that it will continue to be anchored by a rotation of fill ins. If that’s accurate, it’s pretty significant. It likely means Burnett is going to early prime or prime. Or they’ll move shifts around so that Burnett comes in at 3, though I think that’s unlikely.

A name and launch date have not been set, but it will likely launch at the end of June or early July. Staffers have already been lined up, with most of the production to come out of Atlanta, while Velshi will be based out of New York.

The program is being described as a stage-setter for the day ahead, while also giving viewers the news that morning, and highlights from the night before. In addition to hosting the 5 AM show, Velshi will continue on as co-anchor of “American morning.”