Saturday, January 08, 2005
Cast Your Vote
It's time for you to have your say. CNN Blog is proud to debut it's first blog poll. We will try and have a NEW poll to kick off the week every Sunday. To get things started let your voice be heard on if it's time for CNN to move on from wall to wall coverage of the tsunami disaster. It's a simple YES or NO answer. And we've got to mention that this is not a scientific poll by no means.
# posted by ATN @ 11:27 PM 
CNN "Turning the Tide", All Weekend
CNN's special coverage of the tsunami disaster fills the weekend schedule once again. CNN-International's newest hire, Hugh Riminton is hosting the special report "Turning the Tide" several times over the course of the weekend. He hosts one 30 minute segment followed by another 30 minute pre-recorded segment introed by the "on duty" CNN-US anchor. Riminton's segment seems to be broadcast live, complete with CNN-I graphics and the whole bit. Once again no Next at CNN or In The Money this weekend. BUT CNN Presents returns this week with a program call "Reasonable Doubt."
# posted by ATN @ 3:38 PM
Klein: “If we’re going to succeed, we have to stay on important stories and own them.”
Source: Broadcasting and Cable There's a great article in B and C highlighting new CNN President Jon Klein's first days on the job. B and C calls it "Baptism by Water." You'll find the article HERE. Below are some quotes from the article:
To capture the “true impact of what happened,” Klein says, “we’re letting people tell their stories. It’s in the DNA of this place to do that. If you open the spigot at this network, trust the instincts of the people in the field, you get powerful work.”
“If we’re going to succeed, we have to stay on important stories and own them,” says Klein. “We’re going to cover the war on terror and homeland security the way we covered the tsunami.”
“The conventional wisdom in the business is that you look at the Fox News Channel and emulate what they do,” says Klein, in a subtle dig at MSNBC, which is planning to give Carlson a prime time show. “I’d rather trust my instincts.”
“You have to embrace the institution and love it more than you love your own ideas,” he says. “CNN suffered the same problem that AT&T faced when the Baby Bells were born. When you’re the only game in town, you don’t take the competition seriously. You become uncompetitive. You need a slap in the face to make you sit up and take notice. In a strange way, Fox has done us a favor by waking up the sleeping giant. We are fully awake and a little pissed off and ready to go do what we’re better at that anybody in the world.”
# posted by ATN @ 12:58 PM
LA Times: "CNN Has Renewed Its Commitment to the Primacy of Hard News"
Source: LA Times Here's a great article from Tim Rutten of the LA Times discussing the coverage of the tsunami disaster. Below is a portion of the article.
The experience of the three American cable news networks was particularly instructive. All of them drew more viewers, but the most dramatic increase went to CNN, the most traditional and — shall we say, mainstream — of the trio. In the week after the tragedy, CNN's daily audience increased 38%, while its prime-time viewers grew by a striking 46%. Fox News, cable's ratings leader, experienced more modest gains of 20% and 25%, respectively.
There's a simple explanation for the disparity. While Fox is a series of chat shows linked by snippets of fragmentary information, much of it derived from other sources, CNN not only has maintained its domestic and international news-gathering capabilities, but — in recent weeks — also has renewed its managerial commitment to the primacy of hard news. Because it was able to draw on the resources of its own Bangkok, Indonesian, New Delhi and Hong Kong bureaus, as well as CNN International's network of regular stringers, CNN had more than 80 journalists on the scene within days of the disaster. Fox News had 30. The BBC, whose audience grew at an even greater rate than CNN's, had more than 100 people in the field. The battered BBC had audience increases of as much as 50% for some of its regular nightly news programming.
Real news is covered in the same way that real wars are won: by putting enough boots on the ground.And only the much-maligned mainstream media have the ability to put those boots where they belong. In the face of such evidence, it's time to consider what an America — or, for that matter, a world — without mainstream media really would look like.
# posted by ATN @ 11:54 AM
Friday, January 07, 2005
The Ratings See-saw
Source: TV Newser
Thursday Prime-time Numbers
>FNC: Shep: 1,459,000 / O'Reilly: 2,713,000 / H&C: 1,991,000 / Greta: 1,438,000
> CNN: 7p: 594,000 / 8p: 743,000 / King: 1,042,000 / 10p: 717,000
> MSNBC: Matthews: 476,000 / Olbermann: 386,000 / 9pm: 386,000 / Scarborough: 356,000
**************************************************
BUT CNN's numbers are up:
Since the tsunamis struck on Dec. 26, CNN's ratings have risen about 40% versus a year ago (but FNC is still easily #1). The following numbers are from 12/26/04 to 1/4/05, versus 12/28/03 to 1/6/04:
"Versus the same time period a year-ago, CNN and Headline News are the #1 and #2 networks in regards to growth for both Total Day and Primetime in both P2+ and P25-54," the network says. Total day, CNN is up 34% in P2+ and up 46% in the 25-54 demo versus the year-ago #'s. In primetime, CNN is up 44% in total viewers and up 98% in the demo.
In the last week and a half, CNN has averaged 626,000 viewers. FNC has averaged 942,000. In primetime, CNN has averaged 1,057,000 viewers. FNC has averaged 1,409,000. In that time period that calculates to: CNN is up 30%, FNC is up 17% and MSNBC is down 5% compared to last year, tvnewser reports. In primetime, CNN is up 34%, FNC is up 20%, and MSNBC is down 11%.
Since the tsunamis hit, MSNBC has declined 5% in P2+ and 11% in P25-54 in total day compared to the year before. In primetime, the bleeding is worse: Down 17% in P2+ and 22% in the demo, compared to the same time period a year ago. "Headline News is outdelivering MSNBC in total day for both P2+ and P25-54," CNN notes.
# posted by ATN @ 7:18 PM
Nancy Grace Gets Prime-time Gig on HLN; Formal Announcement Next Week
A source tells CNN BLOG Nancy Grace will be hosting 8-9pm show on Headline News opposite PZ on network and O'Rielly on FNC. Formal announcement to come Wednesday 01/12. Grace is(was) a contributer/fill-in host for Larry King Live and also hosts a program on Court TV.
# posted by ATN @ 4:02 PM
What Would We Do If There Wasn't Coffee Shop Talk
Source: TV Newser It seemed to be a popular rumor on Thursday. "Zahn out, Heidi in at 8pm," an e-mailer declared. "Zahn out," a couple TVSpyers say. But the rumors of an 8pm shakeup are untrue, CNN president Jon Klein told TVNewser Thursday night.
"I have been thinking in general that Heidi is really strong on the air, and I'd like to find ways to use her more often in primetime in general," he explained -- "not on any specific show, but as a reporter on our primetime shows." He called Collins "bright, articulate, intelligent," but said "there's no specific plan other than to try to get her to do more reporting.
"Klein said he has been "taking stock" of CNN's many correspondents -- "trying to familiarize myself with them" -- and he hopes to highlight their abilities. "I think you're going to see a number of CNN correspondents appear more regularly in primetime, as part of our effort to enhance our storytelling," he said.
And what about the rumors that Paula Zahn Now may come to an end? "Paula Zahn is an extraordinary talent who we are going to be in business with for quite some time," Klein said. He said Zahn is "very important to us," and noted that she has "held down the fort" during tsunami coverage this week.
# posted by ATN @ 8:24 AM
The Doctor Is In
Source:CBS Marketwatch Here's a great article on Dr. Sanjay Gupta's experience in tsunami ravaged. CNN-I Managing Editor Chris Cramer says Gupta was an excellent choice to send to help cover the disaster.
"Sanjay was a very quick and easy choice" to help CNN cover the tsunami story, Chris Cramer, the managing director of CNN International, noted. "The medical expertise he brings as a journalist is unique."
HERE'S the full interview.
NOTE: This is the first of a two-part series examining how CNN is covering the tsunami crisis. Part 2 will appear on Monday.
# posted by ATN @ 8:16 AM
Where Are They Now
Today we feature a former CNN'er who wore many hats at CNN Center. Darla Miles held several positions with CNN in Atlanta, including freelance weekend anchor for CNN Headline News. Darla, who is fluent in Spanish, also served as a producer for CNN en Español, and was part of the team that launched CNN en Español from six weekday newscasts to a 24-hour network. She has also worked for CNN Radio Noticias. Not sure of the time period in which Miles worked at CNN, though. What's Darla doing now? After leaving CNN Darla made her way to WJBF NewsCHANNEL 6 in Augusta, Georgia where she served as the Aiken Bureau Chief. Today, Darla is at WTVD/ABC 11(serving Raleigh/Durham North Carolina) where she is a general assignment reporter.
# posted by ATN @ 8:10 AM
Thursday, January 06, 2005
CNN may broadcast "Inside Politics" from GWU
Source: GW Hatchet GW University officials say CNN is "planning" to broadcast the show "Inside Politics" at the Jack Morton Auditorium following the cancellation of "Crossfire," which has aired live from GW since April 2002. "This opens up more opportunities for GW students," Mike Freedman, GW's vice president for Communications, said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon. "We were thrilled to have 'Crossfire' here for three years, and we are most pleased to be continuing (CNN's) terrific partnership with GW."
Failing to land another CNN show would mark the loss of a valuable recruiting tool for the University. The 2005 Kaplan/Newsweek college guide dubbed GW the "hottest school for political junkies," partly because of its affiliation with "Crossfire," and dozens of students volunteer and intern for the show.
# posted by ATN @ 9:21 PM
All Tuckered Out
I am hoping this will be the last post for the Tucker story, well maybe until MSNBC finally makes public it's plans for a prime-time program centered around the former Crossfire Screamer. Wanna know what happened on Tucker's last day? You'll find a complete summary of what happened at CNNFan.com. Thursday's program featured highlights of Carlson's time co-hosting the program.
# posted by ATN @ 6:03 PM
Crossfire To Become Part Of 'Inside Politics'
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer Big changes at CNN's Crossfire: The format is toast, and Tucker Carlson is leaving the toaster.
Crossfire will morph from a 30-minute verbal steel-cage match to a 10-minute civilized discussion folded into Judy Woodruff's hourlong Inside Politics, says new CNN/U.S. boss Jonathan Klein.
The changes will be made in the next few months. The cohosts are conservatives Carlson (until tomorrow) and Robert Novak and libs James Carville and Paul Begala.
Klein says he agrees with Jon Stewart of Comedy Central, who blasted Crossfire as high-decibel "partisan hackery" during a guest appearance in October.
We need to lower the temperature," says Klein, a CBS alum. "It's time for us to do a better job of informing our audience in an engaging way, as opposed to head-butting and screaming.
Carlson, 35, says he flew to CNN's Atlanta headquarters to give his notice April 30. "I love parts of Crossfire, but I felt it was time to do something new. I have no complaints. CNN couldn't have been nicer to me."
NEW NEW NEW
A source tells CNN BLOG, "Shakeups may come cause there's lots going on, but don't look for any outside hires." " Klein is not into development, just improvement in working with the best exsisting talent at CNN."
# posted by ATN @ 3:56 PM
Another CNN "Talk Show" Gone; ALSO Carlson: "I can't wait to work for Rick Kaplan"
Source: Washington Post According to an article in the DC POST Capital Gang will be canceled.
ALSO in the same article Tucker Carlson expresses his desire to work at MSNBC:"I can't wait to work for Rick Kaplan," Carlson said. "He's a great producer. I would host an infomercial if he would produce it."
# posted by ATN @ 1:54 PM
Klein: CNN wants to do "roll-up-your-sleeves storytelling,"
Source: NYT There's a great article in The New York Times Today concerning the "letting go" of Tucker Carlson and other changes on the way for CNN. Posted below are some quotes from the article.
Mr. Klein said, "We just determined there was not a role here in the way Tucker wanted his career to go. He wanted to host a prime-time show in which he would put on live guests and have spirited debate. That's not the kind of show CNN is going to be doing."
Instead, Mr. Klein said, CNN wants to do "roll-up-your-sleeves storytelling," and he said that was not a role he saw for Mr. Carlson. "There are outlets for the kind of show Tucker wants to do and CNN isn't going to be one of them," he said.
Mr. Klein said he wanted to move CNN away from what he called "head-butting debate shows," which have become the staple of much of all-news television in the prime-time hours, especially at the top-rated Fox News Channel. "CNN is a different animal," Mr. Klein said. "We report the news. Fox talks about the news. They're very good at what they do and we're very good at what we do."
"Crossfire" may be continued "in small doses" as part of the political coverage on CNN's other programs, Mr. Klein said.
# posted by ATN @ 8:15 AM
Cooper Hosts Tsunami Special Tonight
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Anderson Cooper will host "Saving the Children" at 10pm eastern tonight. CNN president Jon Klein said tonight's special will "push beyond the headlines to get at some gripping stories of the children who are involved." Klein said the program may expand beyond one hour, depending on what reporters and producers come up with. "It's tricky producing something like this when you don't have full communication with producers in the field," he said.
# posted by ATN @ 8:05 AM
Where Are They Now
Former CNN Congressional Correspondent Jonathan Karl is in the "Where Are They Now" spotlight. Karl joined CNN is 1998 as congressional correspondent. During his time on Capitol Hill, Karl was the first to report on two of the most significant congressional stories in recent years: Senator Jim Jefford's decision to leave the Republican Party and Trent Lott's decision to step down as Senate Majority Leader. And in 1998, Mr. Karl was the first reporter to obtain the Starr Report, one of the most sought after political documents in recent years. What's Jonathon doing now? Well he left CNN for ABC NEWS where he serves as aSenior Foreign Affairs Correspondent covering the State Department. He reports for World News Tonight With Peter Jennings, Nightline, and other ABCNEWS programs.
# posted by ATN @ 8:03 AM
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
MSNBC Not Saying Much(but they are talking) About Tucker Carlson
Source: Variety(subscription required) Now that Tucker Carlson is officially gone from CNN, as rumored, will he land at MSNBC? BUT of course MSNBC is keeping it's mouth shut, except to say(as reported by Variety) "We think Tucker Carlson is a great journalist."
If Carlson signs with MSNBC, he will be reunited with prexy Rick Kaplan, who signed Carlson and helped develop his career at CNN before moving to MSNBC.
In addition to CNN, Carlson is under contract through June with PBS for a weekly half-hour show, "Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered," which has addressed topics including the death penalty and the war in Iraq.
# posted by ATN @ 8:24 PM
Carlson GONE From CNN;Klein Pouring Water On Crossfire?
Source: Miami Herald (free registration required) CNN said goodbye to pundit Tucker Carlson on Wednesday, and with him likely the "Crossfire" program that has been the granddaddy of high-volume political debate shows on cable television.
CNN will probably fold "Crossfire" into its other programming, perhaps as an occasional segment on the daytime show "Inside Politics," said Jonathan Klein, who was appointed in late November as chief executive of CNN's U.S. network.
Klein on Wednesday told Carlson, one of the four "Crossfire" hosts, that CNN would not be offering him a new contract. Carlson has reportedly been talking with MSNBC about a prime-time opening replacing Deborah Norville.
"His career aspirations and our programming needs just don't synch up," Klein said. "He wants to host his own nighttime show and we don't see that in the cards here. Out of respect for him and his talent, we thought it would be best to let him explore opportunities elsewhere."
An MSNBC spokesman had no comment on CNN's decision. "We think Tucker is a great journalist and we're exploring our options for a new 9 p.m. show," said MSNBC's Jeremy Gaines.
UPDATE: Tv Newser reports: CNN president Jonathan Klein traveled to Atlanta on Tuesday to pitch an 11pm program hosted by Carlson. Jim Walton vetoed the proposal, because the Lou Dobbs repeat at 11pm is a major moneymaker for the network.
# posted by ATN @ 5:19 PM
Klein on "flood the zone" Comment
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer Gail Shister writes: New CNN/U.S. president Jonathan Klein "totally" regrets using the phrase "flood the zone" to describe his network's coverage of the disaster to a reporter Monday.
"It was a horrible choice of words," he says. "I was intending to convey the idea that we can place more correspondents and producers on a story than anyone else. In sports, that's known as 'flooding the zone.'...
"It certainly wasn't intentional. It's not the kind of person I am. I've got to watch my tongue."
The story ran in Tuesday's edition of USA Today and was brought to the world's attention by Drudge. Anyone wanna make a bet that the "one news exec" was none other than Matt Drudge himself?
Consider the source!
# posted by ATN @ 4:20 PM
CNN 25
Source: CNN.com The CNN.com staff has put together a special CNN 25 section. The section a time machine and other special features.
A special "on-air" celebration is scheduled for 8 p.m., Sunday, January 16. It's being billed as Top 25 Innovation Miles O'Brien hosts an hour-long count down of the Top 25 innovations and reveals the most important innovation since 1980.
# posted by ATN @ 1:02 PM
Critic: Anderson Cooper Emotes in Sri Lanka
Source: NY Observer Check out this article about Anderson's experience covering the tsunami disaster so far. You'll find the article HERE
Cooper: "The truth is," he said, competing networks "can’t really cover things. I don’t want to sound like I’m selling the company, but CNN, whatever you think about it, invests a ton of money all the time on having a ton of people around the globe reporting stories. Experience and capabilities really matter. I personally feel proud of the work CNN has done. It’s at a time like this that you say, ‘Yeah, there’s something good about having a variety of bureaus.’"
# posted by ATN @ 8:27 AM
Where Are They Now
Today we feature former CNN-Headline News Anchor Charles Molineaux. Charles started his career at CNN at CNN's financial news operation in New York City. Molineaux then moved to Atlanta and became an anchor for Headline News. Before CNN Molineaux was a reporter for for CBS' nationally syndicated newsmagazine, "Day and Date", as well as CBS affiliate WCBS-TV, and WB station WPIX. SO what's Charles up to these days? Well it looks like he is a morning news anchor for CBS 46 Morning News in Atlanta.
# posted by ATN @ 8:12 AM
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Tyndall:CNN and FNC NOT In The Same Business
Source: AJC This article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is a must read. Provides details of CNN's coverage from the phone call alerting CNN-I Managing Editor Chris Cramer of the disaster to the dispatching of the many correspondents that have flooded the area since. Read the article HERE.(free registration required)
Here are some quotes from the article:
"What this does is reaffirm the distinction between CNN and Fox News," said media analyst Andrew Tyndall, who writes the weekly Tyndall Report about television news.
"They're not in the same business," he said. "Fox did very well when the election was on because it's much more of a political and opinion-based network. CNN did better with the tsunami coverage because it's a much better news-gathering operation. This is a total morale boost for CNN no matter what the financial benefits may be."
Tyndall maintains that the perception of a belated reaction by those networks is unfounded.
"We monitor the networks' nightly newscast, and there's no evidence they didn't jump on it immediately," he said. "There's never been a global natural disaster with this intensity of coverage. The networks initially had trouble getting people to the scene because of the logistics. That was a problem CNN didn't have because of CNN International. There was no evidence they failed to get there because of an editorial decision that this wasn't an important story."
Fox News has shuttled a staff of about 30 to work with British news groups with which it is affiliated, giving the channel "a surprisingly robust operation," according to Kevin Magee, vice president of news programming.
He takes issue with any notion that Fox focuses mostly on closer-to-home issues and pales as a news-gatherer.
"We present fair and balanced news, whether it's international or domestic," he said. "On the weekend, we do more live news than the other guys. All our [weekend] shows were overwhelmed with tsunami coverage."
"There are literally millions of stories to report on the scene," Klein said. "It's not where we are repeating ourselves. I don't think it's reached that point yet."
# posted by ATN @ 9:10 PM
CNN Tops FNC In Saturday Primetime
Source: TvNewser CNN's decision to air wall-to-wall tsunami coverage on New Year's Day resulted in a rare ratings win for the network, TVNewser reports. In primetime on Saturday, CNN beat FNC among total viewers and in the 25-54 demo. In total day, CNN beat FNC in the key demo, but FNC still had more total viewers.
# posted by ATN @ 5:52 PM
The End For Tucker on CNN? --Straight From the Horse's Mouth
A CNNFan message board poster says Tucker announced today, Tuesday was his last day on Crossfire. Quoting the forum poster on what Tucker said, "This is the last day that James and I are on television together and I want you to know that I am enjoying every minute of it."
I also heard one of the guest's on Tuesday's Crossfire commenting to Carlson something about, "this is your last day and you didn't have him on the program."
Update: CNN.com has finally posted a transcipt of todays Crossfire . Here's what was said:
CARLSON: Thank you, James. This, by the way, is the last day James and I are on television together. I want you to know that I'm enjoying every moment of it.
Later in the program :
Rahm Emmanuel:So, he should do it. Well, why don't you -- listen, before you leave CNN, why don't you invite him on and ask him that question?
Tucker's contract is up on Tuesday, January 11th. He leaves Crossfire on Thursday. This week had planned to be his last week on the program anyway. Maybe CNN is giving him a couple of days to pack his things and hit the road for MSNBC.
# posted by ATN @ 5:34 PM
CNN "On the Rise" Gets Sponsor
Source: ADWeek UPS will begin sponsoring "On the Rise," a weekly segment on CNN that profiles successful small businesses, on Jan. 12, the company said.The four-minute segment will air each Wednesday during the NewsNight With Aaron Brown program, CNN's flagship evening newscast.
"On the Rise" has been a monthly program since 2002 and never had a sponsor, said Greg D'Alba, chief operating officer of sales and advertising at CNN. In addition to becoming a weekly segment this year, "On the Rise" will be aired on CNN Radio, which is distributed by Westwood One, CNN Airport Network, CNN.com, and CNN Money.com.
# posted by ATN @ 3:46 PM
The Tale of Two Cable News Network's Tsunami Disaster Coverage
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer Inquirer Columnist Gail Shister writes in Tuesday's edition about the network "stars" covering the disaster. The article has a couple of quotes from the cable news head honchos.
CNN has about 75 staffers on the ground in the region - about 25 more than any of the broadcast networks. The cable channel dispatched 50 troops from its bureaus around the world "immediately" after the story broke Dec. 26, Klein says. "Unlike our domestic competitors, we didn't need to scramble to send our domestic people over," says Klein, a CBS alum. "Because we are based in so many places around the world, this was our 'quick reaction' team.
"When we focus on a story, there's no bigger footprint in the world."
As the disaster's aftermath stretches into its second week, "we want to bring a new dimension to the storytelling," Klein says. "We're upping the ante by sending more troops to the scene."
Over at Fox News Channel, several anchors have volunteered to go on-site, but the network is "happy, delighted, extremely impressed" with its team of almost 30 field reporters and producers, says Philly-born Kevin Magee (yet another Temple alum), vice president, programming. "At this point, it's a wildly disparate story. Our anchors can probably do a better job of pulling together and disseminating information in New York than they can standing on a beach over there."
# posted by ATN @ 9:24 AM
A Late Start On Tsunami Story
Source: USA Today Below are quotes from several folks in the broadcast news industry on the response of covering the deadly tsunami's that struck over the Christmas holiday.
This is one of those stories nobody quite understood in the first couple of days exactly what this was going to be," says ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff, reporting Monday from Colombo, Sri Lanka. "The White House didn't understand it, journalists didn't understand it, and aid organizations didn't understand it.
The Asian tsunami is "one of those dauntingly horrible logistical stories to get to," making travel extremely difficult, says CBS News chief Marcy McGinnis. "There are better uses for an anchor than having him stand in the middle of rubble — with no disrespect to the people who are standing in the rubble," McGinnis says. Rather boarded the USS Abraham Lincoln as it traveled to the region and will report from it for 60 Minutes on Wednesday. He anchored The CBS Evening News from Thailand Monday.
CNN's Jonathan Klein says that with producers and correspondents already stationed around the globe, CNN was "able to flood the zone immediately" since last week and now has more than 75 staff members reporting the story. CNN has gone wall-to-wall on the disaster: "We plan to keep our foot on the accelerator — but be very sensitive to when enough is enough."
That probably will take some time, Fox News vice president John Stack says. "A story like this has different chapters every two or three days," such as the outpouring of relief from the U.S. government and its citizens.
# posted by ATN @ 12:25 AM
Carlson Still Dodging the Million Dollar Question
Source: Washington Post DC Post Reliable Sources Writer Richard Leiby writes: Will he or won't he? "Crossfire" pundit Tucker Carlson continues to artfully dodge reporters who want to know whether he's headed for a hosting gig at MSNBC now that his CNN contract has expired. "Everyone's been nice to me," he told the Los Angeles Times in an article published yesterday. It must be that cute bow tie.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Here's a bit of an article from the the Philadelphia Inquirer about the Tucker Carlson situation:
Odds are 60-40 that the spunky Crossfire conservative cohost will join MSNBC in the 9 p.m. slot recently vacated by Deborah Norville, says an MSNBC executive, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Carlson's contract was up Dec. 1. At the request of new CNN/U.S. boss Klein, he agreed to extend it for six weeks, until Jan. 11.
Klein is hot to keep Carlson, 35, but the exec acknowledges he probably would have to give him a new assignment. That's why Carlson, for the first time, filled in for vacationing Aaron Brown all last week on his 10 p.m. NewsNight.
"I needed to see the full range of Tucker's capabilities, instead of him just sitting across a desk and yelling at some guy," Klein says. "He wants to grow, as anyone does."
Says Carlson: "I'll know soon what I'm doing."
P.S. MSNBC chief Rick Kaplan and Carlson are major buds. Kaplan hired Carlson when Kaplan was CNN president.
# posted by ATN @ 12:03 AM
CNN's Tsunami Disaster Coverage Continues to Get Notice
Source: The Financial Times Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Channel surged ahead of arch-rival CNN in the ratings last year, as the right-leaning network's coverage of the presidential election and war in Iraq captured the mood of at least half the nation. However, the Asian tsunami disaster left Fox scrambling.
Not only did the event occur on December 26, a day when most anchors and producers were on Christmas vacation, but it involved part of the world where domestic-focused Fox has none of its own reporters.
While CNN, the only US news network with a strong global presence, was able to mobilise its correspondents in the region and fly in big-name reinforcements, Fox had to rely on untested freelancers, some of whom appeared to have never stood in front of a television camera before.
The contrast was reflected in the ratings, with CNN's audience up more than 70 per cent.
The only part of the story Fox appeared comfortable reporting was the ideological dispute over whether the US was giving enough aid. Fox anchor John Gibson asked a guest why US taxpayers should be expected to "rebuild hotels . . so Swedes can go on vacation in Phuket again".
# posted by ATN @ 12:02 AM
CNN-International Finding An American Audience
It seems CNN-International is becoming a hit with viewers in the US. Tim Cuprisin with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes: The networks did their part, mostly in regular news broadcasts. And CNN, Fox and MSNBC all devoted ample time to the story. But thanks to the failure last month of CNN's financial channel, CNNfn, some cable viewers got to see CNN's international feed for continuing coverage of the tsunami's aftermath. CNN International has inherited CNNfn's spot at Channel 100 for Time Warner digital subscribers.
And CNN International was the best place to experience this almost unimaginable story. Unlike channels targeting American viewers, it dropped almost all normal features for wall-to-wall reporting.
Jon Klein, the new president of CNN/US says "CNNI is one of the many unfair advantages CNN has in covering any international story. We were able to get 50 correspondents, producers and camera men on the scene immediately."
# posted by ATN @ 12:01 AM
Where Are They Now
This time around we feature Bernard Kalb. Kalb was the founding anchor and a panelist on the weekly CNN program Reliable Sources for a decade. From Moscow to Peking, from Antarctica to Saigon, from Jerusalem on the diplomatic shuttle to other Middle East capitals, Bernard Kalb has traveled the globe for more than three decades as a correspondent covering world affairs for CBS News, NBC News and The New York Times. Beyond his experience in both print and television journalism, he also has had the unique advantage of seeing the world from the other side of the podium, having served as assistant secretary of state for public affairs and as a spokesman for the State Department for two years, until October 1986. So what's Bernard doing now? Well, Kalb travels widely as a lecturer and moderator at home and abroad on subjects ranging from U.S. foreign policy to the media.
# posted by ATN @ 12:00 AM
Monday, January 03, 2005
CNN 'Then and Now'
CNNFan.com is reporting special "CNN 25th Aniversary" tributes have started airing on CNN-International. The spots are being called 'Then & Now' and feature bits of the network's history since going on the air June 1, 1980.
Additional INFO
A CNNFan message board poster says the spots on CNN-US are called CNN 25. The poster says one of the segments aired at around 1.50pm eastern time on Live From.. and the segement focused on how CNN covered the story of the miners that were trapped underground in 2002. The segment was sponsored by johnson and johnson, and was more like the IBM sponsored CNN/TIME Business Influentials.
# posted by ATN @ 9:10 PM
Klein: We're not pulling any punches in our coverage
Source: Associated Press Here's an article comparing how newspapers and tv news networks are dealing with covering the tsunami disaster. CNN-US Chief Executive Jonathan Klein is quoted in the article as saying, "We're showing an awful lot of the horror. It's just a question of degree. A long shot or a medium shot of a father carrying his dead child out of the water is acceptable. We're not pulling any punches in our coverage."
# posted by ATN @ 5:46 PM
CNN Sends in MORE Re-inforcements TO Tsunami Ravaged Countries
CNN-US anchors Anderson Cooper and Soledad O'brien have joined the host of other CNN reporters in the tsunami ravaged countries. Cooper broadcasted live from Sri Lanka on Sunday night and O'brien reported live from Phuket on Monday morning's edition of American Morning. Meanwhile, CNN Special Report-"Tsunami disaster," correspondents report live from the frontlines on the latest developments in the tsunami disaster is scheduled for tonight at 7p.m. eastern. The special will pre-empt Anderson Cooper 360 AND Paula Zahn Now.
NEW DEVELOPMENT
CNN Deploys Aaron Brown, Anderson Cooper, Sanjay Gupta, Soledad O’Brien and 70 Others to Region Source: CNN Pressroom
In a demonstration of its power as an international news network, CNN continues to offer unprecedented round-the-clock coverage of the tsunami disaster in South Asia, having deployed to the region 74 of its top anchors, correspondents and producers as well as state-of-the-art broadcasting technology including two satellite dishes.
Starting tonight, the network offers “CNN Special Report: Turning the Tide,” a prime-time report anchored by Paula Zahn in New York and Anderson Cooper in Sri Lanka. The report will air each weekday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Aaron Brown, who travels to Banda Aceh, Indonesia, today, will report live for “Turning the Tide” starting Tuesday, Jan. 4.
Much of the tsunami disaster coverage this week culminates in “Saving the Children,” a documentary anchored by Cooper and Christiane Amanpour to air on Thursday, Jan. 6., at 10 p.m. Amanpour, CNN’s chief international correspondent, tells the dramatic story of Sri Lankan orphans rescued through quick thinking and serendipity as well as that of a 7-year-old boy reunited with his father after surviving a devastating train wreck caused by high waters.
“Ever since Sept. 11, the demand for global news has soared,” said Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. “As our coverage of the tsunami disaster demonstrates, our network is uniquely qualified and positioned to satisfy that demand with an international news operation that runs round the clock. Our producers, anchors and correspondents offer relevant, human reports of survival, suffering and heroism as only CNN can provide.”
Thanks to Markus at CNNfan.com on the heads up on the press release
and MORE
An Associated Press article has this quote from CNN spokesperson Christa Robinson: CNN had 50 reporters, producers and crew members at the scene within 48 hours of the disaster, Robinson said. Now that the breaking news is giving way to stories about the rebuilding effort, that's better suited to the in-depth look the network's anchors can give on their shows, she said.
# posted by ATN @ 2:58 PM
Schonfeld Q and A on CNN's Tsunami Disaster Coverage
ONLY ON CNN BLOG
CNN Blog asked CNN co-founder Reese Schonfeld some questions to get his take on CNN's weekend wall to wall Tsunami Disaster coverage.
Did it use it's resources wisely? so - so.
Was the wall to wall coverage too much? . After first 36 hours should have gone to one three to five minute update package freshly updated each half hour. Well written, well organized graphicked with updated information, short sound bites from reporters in critical areas. Then go on to the rest of the news.
Do you think it would be a good idea for CNN-US to air at least a couple of hours of CNN-I during the overnight hours versus re-running the prime-time shows? CNN-I you betcha.
CNN Blog asked CNN co-founder Reese Schonfeld some questions to get his take on CNN's weekend wall to wall Tsunami Disaster coverage.
Did it use it's resources wisely? so - so.
Was the wall to wall coverage too much? . After first 36 hours should have gone to one three to five minute update package freshly updated each half hour. Well written, well organized graphicked with updated information, short sound bites from reporters in critical areas. Then go on to the rest of the news.
Do you think it would be a good idea for CNN-US to air at least a couple of hours of CNN-I during the overnight hours versus re-running the prime-time shows? CNN-I you betcha.
# posted by ATN @ 11:52 AM
Winter 2005 Critics Poll: Election Coverage Hits a Sour Note with Critics
Source: TV Week Television critics dutifully selected those networks they felt provided the best and worst political coverage for the Winter 2005 Critics Poll, but many emphasized that nearly all the channels failed to adequately cover the election.
"The general lack of investigative reporting, the tiptoeing around campaign claims and the failure to question the need for war will haunt the major media outlets for years to come," said Joanne Ostrow of The Denver Post. "Shame on the 24-hour cable networks in particular for being an echo chamber for spin, false claims and for focusing on the horse race aspects."
Jonathan Storm of the Philadelphia Inquirer agreed.
"[Networks] were disgracefully caught in the expert (Republican) and unremarkable (Democratic) diversions of the candidates and their support teams," he said. "Fox News has successfully changed the definition of political coverage from analytical reporting to mindless pontification and all the other organizations are deplorably following suit."
As for the worst network coverage, some critics reiterated the common complaint that Fox News Channel is conservatively biased. "A bunch of talking heads saying the same thing at different decibels," said Mark McGuire of the (Albany, N.Y.) Times Union.
Critics gave PBS, NBC and Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" the highest marks. Citing "NewsHour" and "Frontline," Melanie McFarland of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer noted, "Both programs go to the heart of the issue as opposed to focusing on the useless statistics in the horse race."
# posted by ATN @ 12:44 AM
Final Countdown for Crossfire Co-host
December 31st has come and gone and the wait is on to see if CNN will make a bid to keep Crossfire co-host Tucker Carlson on it's team or let him go to rival MSNBC. It has been reported MSNBC is trying to woo the Crossfire screaming head to fill a vacant spot in it's prime-time schedule. Deborah Norville announced in mid-December she will end her gig at MSNBC by mid-January. Now with Carlson's contract up, he is a free man BUT did he convince CNN management that he is worthy of a counter-offer? It just might prove to be an interesting week.
# posted by ATN @ 12:03 AM
Chinoy: "This is the job. We have to do it."
Source: CNN.com CNN Reliable Sources Host Howard Kurtz interviewed CNN reporter Mike Chinoy on covering the tsunami disaster.
KURTZ: But what about the personal difficulties of journalists covering the story? I spoke with CNN's Mike Chinoy in Indonesia and asked him what kind of toll this was taking on him personally to cover death and destruction on this kind of scale.
CHINOY: It's really tough, Howie, on several levels. On the most elementary level, it's just hard to do the story. The conditions are very tough. When we arrived a few days ago, we flew up here, we got off the plane, we had no place to stay, we had no transport. This town, Banda Aceh, is completely devastated. The first thing we did is we talked somebody into driving us around, and within a few minutes, we found a mass grave, where there were a thousand bloated bodies being shoveled into a pit, and I talked to a 30-year-old woman who had lost her entire family. All her family members were missing, and presumed dead, and she had found the body of her 3-year-old in the street and had brought it to this horrible pit of death, to give it to the people to throw in there. Scenes like that just churn you up inside. And you have to wear a mask because the smell is so bad. Eventually, we found accommodation. We were sleeping on the floor in a, kind of, an old, unused hall, but one night this week, we had three big aftershocks, we all had to run outside, and so I'm now sleeping outside in a sleeping bag. We're using a generator to power our equipment. And literally everywhere you go there are decomposing bodies in the streets and rubble and devastation on the scale I've never seen.
KURTZ: But aside from the very difficult...
CHINOY: So it's tough personally to see it, and it's -- and...
KURTZ: And on that point, is it also difficult to keep your feelings out of it? I mean, you're reporting on this mass devastation, destruction, death, children. I mean, how do you keep your eye on the ball and provide the information without just feeling emotionally overwhelmed?
CHINOY: Well, you know, you just, kind of, have to bite your lip and say, "This is the job. We have to do it." I think there's a reckoning that will come, and it will probably come later. We've all been pretty upset, and physically nauseated and emotionally very upset by a lot of what we've seen, but it's a job and the focus on the job, I think, is a way that you manage emotionally to keep going. But it's harder than anything I've ever dealt with in my career. And my producer and my cameraman, who have been with me for years and years, all over the third world, all over Asia, feel the same way.
KURTZ: Just briefly, with so many tens of thousands of people having perished, how do you try to illustrate the story, kind of bring it to a human level?
CHINOY: Well, you go out on the street and you see this, kind of, macro level, everything is wrecked. But then almost anybody you stop has an unbelievably compelling story. I've heard about, you know, people who were in boats, who were tossed around by the tidal waves and managed to survive, people who lost everything. And they all have a story, and they're all individuals, and they seem very willing to talk about it, in spite of the trauma. And so the focus on the individual illustrates the broader disaster.
# posted by ATN @ 12:02 AM
Where Are They Now
Ok I found this one as a surprise as I didn't know this: Lauri Duhe used to work at CNN and MSNBC. Dhue hosted MSNBC's "Special Edition" and she also was substitute news anchor for "The Today Show" weekend edition on NBC. Dhue began her tenure at MSNBC in April 1999 as the anchor of "Newsfront." Prior to her stint there, she worked at CNN where she served as anchor for weekend programs such as "CNN Saturday," "CNN Sunday," "World View" and "The World Today." So what's she doing now? Well I guess everybody knows Laurie can now be seen on Fox News Channel. Dhue joined FOX News Channel in September 2000. She currently serves as the primetime news update anchor, as well as a host of weekend specials.
# posted by ATN @ 12:00 AM
