Erin Burnett Profile…

The St. Petersberg Times’ Eric Deggans profiles Erin Burnett…

It’s what led the thirysomething anchor to strap a bra on her face as a gas mask on MSNBC — yes, the video is still out there in cyberspace — and what Burnett hopes might attract slightly younger viewers who aren’t interested in having Matthews or Fox News star Bill O’Reilly interpret the news for them.

“I do believe that people care about news, they want trusted people to deliver the news, and there’s a modern way of doing the news which does have a point of view and a personality,” she said. “And (on cable news), anyone from 20 to 61, that’s a huge market base that is currently underserved.”

Some might say that audience is already getting served by The Daily Show and Colbert Report. And there’s lots of evidence the steady ratings advertisers love in the evening hours comes mostly from opinionated pundits pressing a very specific, political point of view.

Press Releases: 09/30/11

CNN (1)

CNN, Republican Party of Florida to Produce Key Primary Debate

As Florida plans to move their primary up to Jan. 31, 2012, speeding up the GOP presidential nomination process, CNN and the Republican Party of Florida announced today they will co-host a debate. It will take place at the end of January in Jacksonville, Fla. among the 2012 Republican presidential candidates in the pivotal early voting state.

“With the Florida Republican primary now scheduled for Jan. 31, that state’s central role in helping Republicans choose a nominee is now secure,” said Sam Feist, CNN Washington bureau chief and senior vice president. “CNN is proud to present voters in Florida an opportunity to hear from the candidates one final time before they head to the polls.”

Free for All: 09/30/11

What’s on your mind?

David Gregory Profile…

The Daily Beast’s Lauren Ashburn profiles Meet The Press host David Gregory…

For NBC’s David Gregory, if it’s Sunday, it’s Meet the Press. If it’s Friday night, it’s Shabbat with his wife and three young children.

The 6-foot 5-inch, prematurely gray-haired television host, who spars weekly with the nation’s top politicians, has learned how to leave his boxing gloves at the front door. “We have a great ritual…of lighting the candles and saying our blessings and talking about what we’re thankful for this week,” he says.

It wasn’t always this way. His wife, Beth Wilkinson, whom he met while covering Timothy McVeigh’s Oklahoma City bombing trial, is an attorney and former general counsel for Fannie Mae. She is not Jewish. But since their marriage in 2000, she has encouraged Gregory to understand more about Judaism. “She had a lot of questions about faith, and I didn’t feel like I knew enough to field some of those questions,” he says.

CNN to Host Arizona GOP Primary Debate…

CNN announced that it will televise a GOP Arizona Primary debate in December…

CNN, Arizona Republican Party to Present Presidential Primary Debate

As the race for the Republican nomination intensifies, CNN and the Arizona Republican Party announced today they will co-host a debate among the 2012 Republican presidential candidates in this key Western state on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011.

“Arizona is a key state that will play a pivotal role in helping Republicans choose their presidential nominee,” said Sam Feist, CNN Washington bureau chief and senior vice president. “CNN is honored to provide voters in Arizona and around the country an opportunity to hear the GOP candidates present their vision for the future.”

Press Releases: 09/29/11

CNN (1)

The Anthrax Mystery – CNN’s Joe Johns Investigates
Death by Mail: The Anthrax Letters Debuts Sunday, October 2 at 8:00p.m. and 11:00p.m. ET & PT

CNN’s Joe Johns reports for a documentary investigation into the anthrax letter attacks of 2001. Letters written with jihadist language and laced with deadly anthrax spores were sent via U.S. Mail to members of the news media and Congress in the weeks following the September 11 attacks on New York City and the Pentagon. Five people were ultimately killed and 17 others were sickened by exposure to the letters directed to The New York Post, Tom Brokaw at NBC News, Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and others.

Drawing from recently released FBI and Justice Department documents of what is officially called the Amerithrax Investigation, Johns tells the story of the complex, seven-year investigation into what happened and who was allegedly responsible for the deadly letters, explaining the bizarre turns in the bioterrorism case that extended the nation’s horror.

The Hazards of Bob Beckel…er…Live TV: #25,128

(via J$)

If this keeps up someone is going to have to air disclaimer at the start of every episode of 4 on 1 The Five…

Free for All: 09/29/11

What’s on your mind?

Tamron Hall Profile…

Uptown Magazine’s Sana Butler profiles Tamron Hall…

Decidedly curious and engaging, Hall is interested in people and listens, which makes for provocative interviews. She doesn’t play “gotcha!” but relies more on common sense to ignite a conversation.

“What made you change your mind?” Hall asked former D.C. Chancellor Michelle Rhee on her decision to order an investigation into the school system’s standardized test scores after a USA Today report found irregularities. Hall’s approach resulted in an insightful discussion with a nondefensive Rhee.

Hall also skillfully checks tone in an interviewee’s response and observes body language. Little gets past her. Just ask today’s guest, former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who, unwilling to answer the host’s questions on specific federal programs his party planned on cutting, responded, “Calm down,” while gesturing in a downward motion with both hands.

Hall swiftly ended her pressing and laughed, still expressing her “tell it like it is” style until the end: “Chairman Steele, it was a great pleasure having you on despite the fact you told me to calm down like I was 5.”

Busted!

Remember Craig Crawford’s very public departure from MSNBC in March 2010?

i simply could not any longer endure being a cartoon player for lefty games, just gotta move on to higher ground even if there’s no oxygen

Crawford expanded on that to then Mediaite TV Editor now CNN shill (just kidding) Steve Krakauer…

I haven’t felt like a good fit for MSNBC since the presidential campaign, and the hard turn toward point-of-view programming. No particular event brought this on, just my desire to try other outlets and have more fun. As far as Chris is concerned, on Morning Joe after the West Virginia primary he accused me of always defending Clinton and what he claimed to be her racially motivated campaigning. That’s the problem. Trying to be fair became seen as bias in the new thinking over there. But I do wish my many pals at MSNBC nothing but good things.

Why do I bring all this history up? Because it makes Crawford’s appearance last night on Countdown with Keith Olbermann all the more oxymoronic. If Crawford thought MSNBC’s hard turn to point-of-view programming was incompatible with his inner pundit, how the hell can he stomach going on Current with its even harder turn to point-of-view programming?

I’m sure someone will corner Crawford to see if he can give an explanation that makes sense…

Free for All: 09/28/11

What’s on your mind?

Erin Burnett Profile

Marketwatch’s Jon Friedman profiles Erin Burnett…

“I’m not going to be any less of a playful person,” Burnett told me Tuesday in an interview. “The thing I loved about what I could do at CNBC was that I could have been serious and have fun. I want to do both.”

Burnett pledges: “People are going to know what they are going to get.”

CNN’s promotions of Burnett show a harder edge than we saw at CNBC. On the show’s Facebook page, in which Burnett looks very serious and is not grinning, one of her followers wrote: “Erin, you look like Top Gun ready to climb into the cockpit of an F-16 go supersonic and engage a dog fight with a MIG-24. All you need is a call sign. Very cool!”

But the question is: Can Burnett display Maverick’s charisma? Burnett will have a lot to live up to. At CNBC, the stock market was seen as the star of every broadcast and the anchors and reporters played off the minute-to-minute changes in the ticker. In prime time at CNN, Burnett will be on her own, and she will have to carry the program.

Q3 Numbers: CNN…

CNN is noting its Q3 ratings…

CNN POSTS SIGNIFICANT RATINGS GROWTH IN ALL CATEGORIES AND DAYPARTS DURING THIRD QUARTER 2011

Primetime Grows +47%, Total Day +32% and Dayside +26%

Primetime:

For the third quarter 2011, CNN posted significant ratings gains and grew more than MSNBC and FNC during M-F primetime – increasing an impressive +47% in the key demo (232k vs. 158k) and by +28% in total viewers (710k vs. 553k) compared to third quarter a year ago. MSNBC increased far less, growing 7% in the demo (254k vs. 238k) and 9% in total viewers (879k vs. 808k); while FNC was down -2% in the demo and was up 2% in total viewers vs. Q3 2010.

Total Day & Dayside:

CNN topped MSNBC in total day (6a-6a) in both the key demo (158k vs. 150k) and total viewers (475k vs. 431k) during the third quarter. CNN also grew the most in total day, increasing +32% in the demo (158k vs. 120k) and +21% in total viewers (475k vs. 392k) compared to a year ago. MSNBC was up only 5% in the demo (150k vs. 143k) and 11% in total viewers (431k vs. 387k) and FNC was up 4% in the demo and 6% in total viewers.

Q3 Numbers: HLN…

HLN is noting its Q3 ratings…

HLN POSTS STRONG DOUBLE-DIGIT GAINS IN Q3 11

Q3 Marks Network Milestones and Firsts; Beats MSNBC in Dayside

Prime Programs Including ‘Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell,’ ‘Nancy Grace,’ ‘Dr. Drew’ and ‘The Joy Behar Show’ Surge

HLN experienced significant double-digit gains in Prime (Mon-Sun) and Total Day Q3 11 vs. Q3 10:

In Prime, HLN increased +67% (674k vs. 404k) in P2+ and +49% (192k vs. 129k) in P25-54;
In Total Day, the network surged +71% (451k vs. 264k) in P2+ and +32% (150k vs. 114k) in P25-54.

In addition, Q3 is HLN’s best quarter ever in total day among total viewers, and its best since Q1 09 among P24-54. Moreover, HLN handily outperformed MSNBC in daytime (9 a.m.–5 p.m.) by 33% in P2+ (480k vs. 360k) and 46% in P25-54 (147k vs. 101k) and HLN topped MSNBC in daytime in Q2 as well.

September Numbers: CNN…

CNN is noting its September ratings…

CNN TOPS MSNBC WITH ANDERSON COOPER 360 AT 8P AND 10P

CNN PRIMETIME GROWS 46% WITH NEW LINEUP

September Ratings Highlights

CNN M-F primetime grows +46% (demo) and +34% (total viewers) compared to a year ago.
At 8 pm, Anderson Cooper 360 tops MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell (demo); grows +36% while MSNBC drops -35%.
At 9 pm, Piers Morgan Tonight grows +18% (demo) while MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show is down -15% (demo).
At 10 pm, AC 360 tops MSNBC’s The Ed Show (demo and total viewers).
The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer (6pm) tops MSNBC’s Politics Nation with Al Sharpton (demo); CNN grows while MSNBC loses viewers vs. year ago.
CNN tops MSNBC in total day (6a-6a) and dayside (9a-5p).
CNN.com users consumed nearly 40 million pages of content and more than 2.5 million videos per day.

In September, CNN grew more than any cable news network — increasing +46% in M-F primetime in the key demo adults 25-54 (253k vs. 173k) and +34% among total viewers (769k vs. 574k) vs. last September (2010).

Q3 Numbers: MSNBC…

MSNBC is noting its Q3 ratings…

MSNBC Continues to Top CNN for 3Q 2011

MSNBC Beats CNN at 5p, 6p, 7p, 8p, 9p, and 10p for 3Q 2011

‘Morning Joe’ Tops CNN’s “American Morning” for the 7th Consecutive Quarter

“Morning Joe,” “Hardball,” and “Maddow” Up Double Digits Compared to 3Q 2010

NEW YORK – September 27, 2011 – MSNBC continued to top CNN in primetime for 3rd quarter of 2011, finishing ahead of the formerly dominant news network for the 8th consecutive quarter. MSNBC continues to top CNN in the mornings as well, with “Morning Joe” beating “American Morning” for the seventh consecutive quarter. MSNBC topped CNN at 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 p.m. in 3Q 2011 and “Morning Joe,” “Hardball” at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. and “The Rachel Maddow Show” are all up double digits compared to 3rd quarter of 2010. Following are ratings highlights for 3Q 2011:

Free for All: 09/27/11

What’s on your mind?

John King, USA Changes…

FishbowlDC reports that John King, USA Executive Producer Micelle Janconi will be leaving the show when it changes timeslots in next week…

Not everyone is making the move to John King, USA’s new time slot when the show transition’s from 7 p.m. to 6 o’clock next week. FishbowlDC has confirmed that Michelle Jaconi, the show’s executive producer, will not be joining King in the earlier hour. Sources say that King has a candidate in mind to fill the vacancy but CNN brass has yet to confirm the name of a new EP.

MSNBC/CNN Battle for 2nd Heats Up? Maybe. Maybe not.

I’m not sure what to make of Bill Carter’s piece in the New York Times that MSNBC is in danger of falling to 3rd place in the demo for the months of September…

The ratings results for the month of September show that CNN, long relegated to third place in the prime-time cable news competition, is edging its way back up, while MSNBC is moving in the other direction.

For the month, CNN averaged 257,000 viewers in prime time in the category that counts most to the networks — viewers between the ages of 25 and 54 — because that is where the advertising money goes for news programming. MSNBC was just barely ahead with 269,000 viewers. (Neither approached the leader, Fox News, with 526,000).

What do we know from reading this article? Well we know for a fact that September has been good for CNN and not so good for MSNBC. But beyond that we really don’t know much else. Here’s some of what we don’t know:

- We don’t know for sure if this is a one time aberration or the start of a new trend. We can’t know that for many months yet.
- We don’t know for sure if this is because of Olbermann leaving MSNBC or because of a general malaise amongst progressives concerning the direction of the Obama administration and/or the Democratic party as reflected in the polls.
- We don’t know how Erin Burnett entering CNN’s lineup will impact 8pm or not as its lead in.
- We don’t know how future news cycles will impact the ratings for primetime…though history suggests big news cycles will boost CNN more than MSNBC (depending on the subject matter…politics vs. non-politics)

Press Releases: 09/26/11

CNN (1)

Tory Dunnan Joins CNN Newsource as ‘RunningMate’ Correspondent

Tory Dunnan will join CNN Newsource from WPBF in West Palm Beach, Fla. as a correspondent serving more than 800 affiliates, it was announced today by Paul Crum, vice president of news operations, administration and affiliate services for CNN/U.S.

The 2012 election year promises to be a wild ride as the GOP and President Obama fight to redefine their identities in drastically changing times. From terrorism to taxes, heated issues are adding fuel to a fired-up audience of voters looking for answers. CNN RunningMate 2012 is a market-exclusive source for the personalized coverage, award-winning reporting, and insightful analysis for one of the biggest stories for the next year. Dunnan will report from political events, the first presidential caucus in Iowa and the first presidential primary in New Hampshire, the CNN-sponsored debates, and the political conventions.

“Tory is a driven communicator with a passion for politics. She will help us continue to give our affiliate news partners and their viewers distinctive, first-class coverage of the politics behind the election cycle,” Crum said.

Free for All: 09/26/11

What’s on your mind?

OutFront Preview…

In what is just the first drip in what will be the obligatory flood of stories on the launch of the show, the AP’s David Bauder writes about CNN’s OutFront with Erin Burnett…

The volume of stories presented won’t be as high as traditional newscasts, or a show such as the one led by Fox’s Smith. But Burnett said she wants to look for fresh angles on the day’s biggest stories: During a recent rehearsal where President Obama’s deficit plan was discussed, Burnett interviewed a millionaire who argued against increasing any of his taxes.

“We believe that there really is a space for a news program to be very successful,” she said. Younger people, she said, don’t want traditional newscasts and want to get their news in a livelier format.

Essays will be another element. Burnett has written about the decline of physical books with the growth in e-readers, and talked about the rush of lawyers to get involved in the wake of the Reno air show disaster.

Burnett, 35, and Surratt both want a newscast tailored to her strengths.

“I’m not a good newsreader,” she said. “I’m very casual in my posture and delivery. That could be a negative in a certain atmosphere. But that is going to be part of what defines this.”

What’s Hot/What’s Not: 09/25/11

What’s Hot:

Lester Holt gets Dateline – Holt will succeed Ann Curry at the show.

Cenk Uygur to Current – Maybe not so hot since it was so obvious a move. But it did generate some press, so…

Chris Jansing – Sort of. Jansing’s interview of Representative John Fleming burned up the internet this week and wound up on The Daily Show, though to be fair it was Fleming’s responses to Jansing’s questions that made most of the news…

FNC and GOP Debates – Killing it. Just killing it…

What’s Not:

Chris Hansen – Prior to his recent scandal as revealed by the National Enquirer, Hansen had been the odds on favorite to get the Dateline anchor position. After all, Hansen was the most visible of Dateline’s correspondents.

Michael Holmes leaving CNN|Backstory – Backstory had been Holmes’ baby since it launched. It will survive without him but it won’t be the same…

One too many trips to the well – HLN, hoping to capture lightning in a bottle yet again, announced that it’s going to go gonzo over the Dr. Conrad Murphy trial. Good luck with that…doubt it works this time.

The “New” FNC…

In a must read, The Daily Beast’s Howard Kurtz writes about FNC and Roger Ailes in Newsweek as the 2012 Election season heats up…

Fox, of course, still has its share of Obama bashers. Hannity’s show uses a logo that asks, “Can You Afford Four More?” Ailes calls him “predictable,” but Hannity says he’s not a party man: “I’m a registered conservative; I’m not a registered Republican.” O’Reilly, who chatted up Obama during this year’s Super Bowl, occasionally defends the president against harsh attacks. Ailes says O’Reilly has “moderated” his views and that “Beck scared him”—meaning Beck was so popular on the right that O’Reilly had to find a different niche.

For his part, O’Reilly says he supported most of George W. Bush’s policies and gave Obama’s economic plans a chance for 18 months—before opposing them as unworkable. “I took flak from the far right all day long. They attacked me viciously,” he says. He waves off any talk of moderation and insists he never worried about the now-departed Beck: “He’s a performer, I’m a journalist.”

(Ailes seems to relish the feuding among his stars, saying, “O’Reilly hates Sean and he hates Rush because they did better in radio than he did.”)

Ailes keeps a wary eye on anchor Shepard Smith, who occasionally backs aspects of the Obama record: “Every once in a while Shep Smith gets out there where the buses don’t run and we have a friendly talk.” And Ailes likes to tease O’Reilly: “You gonna suck up to Obama so you can get another interview at the next football game?” Democrats have noticed the change. Says former Obama aide Anita Dunn: “You have the sense that they’re trying to at least appear less of the hyper-partisan political network they had been.”

Don Imus Gripes About his TV Ratings…

…and takes a shot at his own audience…

Mark Whitaker Interview…

Beet.TV’s Andy Plesser interviews CNN’s Mark Whitaker…

What’s Hot/What’s Not: Submsissions…

Post your nominations for this week’s What’s Hot/What’s Not. I’ll post the finalists on Sunday night…

Emily Chang Profile…

7×7 SF’s Anna Pan’s profiles Bloomberg’s Emily Chang…

In 2009, the news spotlight was on Emily Chang, who was reporting for CNN from China on a Communist Obama T-shirt. With the camera rolling, she found herself detained in a market in Beijing by more than a dozen officers because she refused to surrender the politically incorrect shirt. These days, she has to face a lot less controversy as cohost of Bloomberg West, a tech news show for Bloomberg TV that reaches 250 million homes.

Press Releases: 09/24/11

CNBC’S “DREAMLINER: INSIDE THE WORLD’S MOST ANTICIPATED AIRPLANE” WILL PREMIERE ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH AT 9PM ET

Tuesday, 9/27/2011 (ALL TIMES IN ET):

9:00 PM DREAMLINER: INSIDE THE WORLD’S MOST ANTICIPATED AIRPLANE

10:00 PM DREAMLINER: INSIDE THE WORLD’S MOST ANTICIPATED AIRPLANE

12:00 AM DREAMLINER: INSIDE THE WORLD’S MOST ANTICIPATED AIRPLANE

1:00 AM DREAMLINER: INSIDE THE WORLD’S MOST ANTICIPATED AIRPLANE

Free for All: 09/23/11

What’s on your mind?