Saturday, May 21, 2005
UK to get CNN On The Go
Source: Indiantelevistion.com Television on mobile is all geared up to be the next big thing as UK provider Orange, rolls out a mobile handset service, which will offer customers top TV shows and channels.
Channels such as Cartoon Network and CNN will be made available for a monthly subscription of £10. This will be UK's first TV-on-the-mobile service, which will allow customers to watch news, sport and entertainment programmes on their phone.
# posted by ATN @ 2:25 PM 
CNN Survivor Week..Will CNN Survive?
Did you survive Crime Week on CNN prime-time this week? Hope you did, because next week is "Survivor Week". A promo currently running on CNN says to expect "stories of survival" all next week during prime-time. How bout a "News in Prime-time Week"? Now there's an idea.
UPDATE: BTW, it looks like Paula Zahn survived a week off and will return next week.
# posted by ATN @ 11:47 AM
Anniversary Week Begins May 30th
The promos are running and Larry King Live will be helping CNN celebrate it's 25 Anniversary the week of May 30. The promo says former President George H. W. Bush and wife Barbara will be guests that week. Also former President Bill Clinton and if I heard correctly Barbara Walters will be on during the week and will be interviewing Larry King. BTW, Larry is celebrating his 20th Anniversary at CNN this year.
UPDATE: I knew I forgot a couple of the scheduled guests the promo said would be appearing. An e-mailer reminded of the others: Vice President Dick Cheney and Liz Cheney AND Dan Rather.
# posted by ATN @ 11:40 AM
Friday, May 20, 2005
Guilty or Not, Here She Comes -- Nancy Grace Brings Mob Justice to CNN
Source: San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub writes: Since CNN earlier this year positioned "Nancy Grace" as the centerpiece of the Headline prime lineup, the channel has enjoyed a short-term ratings bonanza. But if executives in charge of the once-respected cable news station are getting a good night's rest, then they haven't been watching her bizarre coverage of the Michael Jackson trial and a dozen other sensational cases.
If one looks at every page of every transcript since "Nancy Grace" debuted three months ago, the program more closely resembles a torch-bearing mob than the "legal issues" show that CNN promised. Grace has created her own parallel universe in which guests are berated for advocating due process, panelists are invited back frequently if they make ad hominem attacks and suspects are seemingly guilty until proven innocent.
Grace's mob-mentality panel discussions aren't illegal, or even especially unique. In picking Grace's show as the prime time centerpiece for Headline News, they're using the same hateful-language-attracts-viewers template that Bill O'Reilly has used to win the time period. But Grace's rants are even more dangerous, because they turn the simplest principles of our judicial system upside down. MORE
# posted by ATN @ 6:13 PM
TW Chair in Hot Seat Over Stock Price
Source: Associated Press Time Warner Inc. chairman and chief executive Richard Parsons faced angry questions at the company's annual shareholders meeting Friday as people expressed frustration over the company's sluggish stock price.
The rancor came despite the fact that the company had announced earlier Friday that it would begin paying a regular quarterly dividend of 5 cents per share beginning in September. The last time the company paid a dividend was in December 2000.
"Don't tell me you're going to give me a nickel. I don't need your nickel,'' Hortense Friedlander, a retired shareholder, said as part of an extended tirade. "You insult my integrity when you tell me you're giving me a nickel when you're getting $16 million,'' she said, referring to Parsons' compensation in 2004.
Other shareholders also peppered Parsons with questions over the company's stock, which has underperformed other media companies as well as the S&P 500 index over the past four years.
Time Warner's stock fell 10 cents to $17.65 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. That was about 75 percent below the level it reached prior to the deal announced in early 2000 where it agreed to be acquired by America Online Inc. MORE
Time Warner is the parent company of CNN.
# posted by ATN @ 4:54 PM
CNN's Kagan Responds
Source: Beltway Buzz Received an email from CNN anchor Daryn Kagan this morning. As anyone who is familiar with Kagan’s work knows, she is one of CNN’s better anchors who displays an admirable level of balance and enthusiasm in her work. Here’s her response to yesterday’s Bill Hemmer gossip item:
“As someone who co-anchored with Bill Hemmer for three years here at CNN, let me GO ON THE RECORD telling you a thing or two.
Unlike some who learned their craft in the plush environment of network news departments, Bill was ‘raised’ in local news in Cincinnati and CNN Atlanta, both environments of scarcer resources. He knows how to his job well with very few resources and support.
Yes, he has more resources since moving up to New York and a show that CNN considers one of its most important. But I'll tell you this — give Bill Hemmer the resources of a shoestring and he can anchor and report anybody in this business under the table.
Whatever is happening between Bill and CNN on contract negotiations is between them. However, I can assure you that whoever employs Bill will have one of the most enthusiastic, eager, and capable people in the business. They will be lucky to have him. THAT is what people are saying in the hallways of CNN. And to THAT I proudly sign my name.
Daryn Kagan.”
# posted by ATN @ 12:32 PM
GWU to Host Some CNN Programming After Crossfire is Gone
Source: The Daily Colonial CNN confirmed Thursday that their infamous political debate show “Crossfire,” which tapes daily at GW’s Jack Morton Auditorium, will end its live broadcast on Friday, June 3.
Michael Freedman, vice president of communications and GW’s liaison with CNN, said via e-mail that the university received confirmation on Thursday afternoon from the network on the conclusion date.
“After June 3, CNN production from the [Jack] Morton Auditorium will go on hiatus as the network continues to develop new programming,” he said.
“I remain confident the partnership will continue and that GW will host some CNN programming on campus as this all evolves,” Freedman added.
Though production at GW will cease, a “Crossfire”-like segment will continue with the show’s hosts in an expanded edition of “Inside Politics” beginning Monday, June 6 from the network’s Washington bureau. This show, which now airs during the hour preceding “Crossfire,” will be expanded to an hour and a half, with an unknown host; its current anchor, Judy Woodruff, announced that she would retire from the show when her contract expires June 3. The news network canceled the show in January, yet never gave a specific date on when the show would exactly end, leading to uncertainty among all participants of the CNN-GW relationship, from producers to student volunteers.
Officials at the network and at GW all said that the ambiguity was due to a network reshuffling, as CNN worked with itself to revamp their programming to better compete with the two other news networks.
It is still unknown of GW’s role in CNN’s future, especially after a CNN memo revealed last week that the network was going to increase the airtime of their lead anchor Wolf Blitzer, to occupy a three-hour bloc in the afternoon, between 3 and 6 p.m. Blitzer usually works out of CNN’s Washington bureu near Union Station, and it is unclear whether he would bring his show or any segment of his new show to GW.
Freedman, however, continues to say that he is confident that the network will return. “The partnership has been an unqualified success for the University and CNN has been—and continues to be—a terrific partner,” he said.
# posted by ATN @ 8:07 AM
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Get "Fascinated" This Weekend
Yep it's time for another rant. This could also serve as a warning. Anyway it looks as though you will have 6 opportunities to catch the CNN25 Special: Top 25 Fascinating People. The program hosted by "headline maker" Bill Hemmer debuted last Sunday night. So if you missed it last weekend you'll have plenty of chances to see it this weekend. Don't get me wrong I have enjoyed the CNN25 Specials, just wish CNN wouldn't repeat the same one all weekend. I really hope CNN will make the specials available to buy on it's merchandise website. It's been quite awhile since CNN has produced a special video.
# posted by ATN @ 9:57 PM
Wednesday #'s
Source: Inside Cable News
Total Day
FNC - 798,000 viewers / CNN - 337,000 viewers/ MSNBC - 180,000 viewers/ HLN - 209,000 viewers
Prime Time
FNC - 1,625,000 viewers / CNN - 690,000 viewers / MSNBC - 324,000 viewers / HLN - 373,000 viewers
7PM FOX Report with Shepard Smith - 1,319,000 viewers/ 7-9pm Anderson Cooper 360 - 408,000 viewers/ Hardball - 283,000 viewers
8PM O’Reilly Factor - 2,082,000 viewers/7-9pm Anderson Cooper 360 - 408,000 viewers/Countdown with Keith Olbermann - 281,000 viewers/Nancy Grace - 568,000 viewers
9 PM Hannity & Colmes FNC - 1,379,000 viewers/Larry King Live - 1,037,000 viewers/Abrams Report - 325,000 viewers
10 PM On the Record w/Greta Van Susteren- 1,413,000 viewers/NewsNight w/Aaron Brown- 581,000 viewers/Scarborough Country - 367,000 viewers
Total Day
FNC - 798,000 viewers / CNN - 337,000 viewers/ MSNBC - 180,000 viewers/ HLN - 209,000 viewers
Prime Time
FNC - 1,625,000 viewers / CNN - 690,000 viewers / MSNBC - 324,000 viewers / HLN - 373,000 viewers
7PM FOX Report with Shepard Smith - 1,319,000 viewers/ 7-9pm Anderson Cooper 360 - 408,000 viewers/ Hardball - 283,000 viewers
8PM O’Reilly Factor - 2,082,000 viewers/7-9pm Anderson Cooper 360 - 408,000 viewers/Countdown with Keith Olbermann - 281,000 viewers/Nancy Grace - 568,000 viewers
9 PM Hannity & Colmes FNC - 1,379,000 viewers/Larry King Live - 1,037,000 viewers/Abrams Report - 325,000 viewers
10 PM On the Record w/Greta Van Susteren- 1,413,000 viewers/NewsNight w/Aaron Brown- 581,000 viewers/Scarborough Country - 367,000 viewers
# posted by ATN @ 9:26 PM
Please Don't Hurt 'Em Hemmer
Source: National Review I’ll finally be getting to the morning news update in a moment. In the meantime, some fun gossip outside the range of my normal coverage. For those of you who suffer through CNN’s American Morning, or are at least familiar with the program, you may enjoy this.
The inside talk is that CNN is trying to “squeeze out” American Morning co-anchor Bill Hemmer in favor of Miles O’Brien. Apparently, Hemmer has lost much of what support he had this week with his public complaints about his offer to become CNN’s White House correspondent.
A network source says Hemmer, “has no idea how to do anything himself. When he does interviews, producers do everything, from writing his scripts to doing most of his interviews and footage is cut to make it look like he’s working.”
Or, maybe someone’s just been watching too much Broadcast News.
# posted by ATN @ 6:12 PM
Larry King Can't Testify for Jackson
Source: Associated Press The judge in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial ruled Thursday against allowing CNN host Larry King to testify for the defense, saying his testimony would be irrelevant.Judge Rodney S. Melville ruled after listening to King's account of a conversation with an attorney, Larry Feldman, who represented the accuser's family.
Without the jury present, King said that Feldman told him the accuser's mother was out for money and referred to her as "wacko."
Testifying earlier for the prosecution, Feldman denied making such statements about his clients, saying, "It is absolutely privileged, and if anybody tells you that, they are absolutely lying."
After listening to King's account, the judge ruled that King's testimony would not impeach Feldman's testimony, and King left the court.
# posted by ATN @ 6:07 PM
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
LK to Testify in Jackson Trial Thursday
Source: Contactmusic.com Larry King will meet his scheduled day in court Thursday (19MAY05) in the MICHAEL JACKSON trial after all.
The TV star had been expected to redate his testimony to next Tuesday (24MAY05) - the same day as fellow chat show host JAY LENO - after learning his attorney wouldn't be available for today's planned court appearance in Santa Maria, California.
But King will appear, as expected, Thursday morning.
According to US news show CELEBRITY JUSTICE, King will take to the stand before another major defence witness, actor CHRIS TUCKER's girlfriend AJA PRYOR, who sources claim spent a significant amount of time with Jackson's child molestation accuser and his family
# posted by ATN @ 11:14 PM
Items of Interest
- CBS Cancels '60 Minutes Wednesday'
- Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Rick Santorum wants to put a gag on the National Weather Service
- Susan Grant, EVP, CNN News Services interviewed about upcoming change to CNN online video content
# posted by ATN @ 7:57 PM
Tuesday #'s
Source: TV Newser
Total day: FNC: 852,000 / CNN: 388,000 / MSNBC: 195,000
7pm: Shep Smith: 1,297,000 / Cooper (7 to 9pm): 433,000 / Hardball: 339,000
8pm: O'Reilly: 1,997,000 / Cooper (7 to 9pm): 433,000 / Countdown: 389,000 / Grace: 328,000
9pm: H&C: 1,440,000 / King: 1,194,000 / Abrams: 277,000 / Mad Money: 72,000 (scratch)
10pm: Greta: 1,335,000 / NewsNight: 500,000 / Scarborough: 369,000
# posted by ATN @ 7:55 PM
News Blackout Imposed On Bloody Protests
Source: IFEX.org As reports emerge about the killing last weekend of hundreds of protesters in Uzbekistan's northeastern city of Andijan, IFEX members say authorities are maintaining an information blockade by expelling journalists from the town and obstructing foreign television news broadcasts.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports several incidents in which foreign journalists have been harassed by authorities. On 14 May 2005, crews from Russia's Ren TV and NTV were briefly detained as they tried to enter Andijan. Police barred them from reporting in the city and ordered them to leave.
Correspondents for Reuters and the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) were briefly detained by police on 13 May and left Andijan the next day, fearing retaliation by Uzbek security services.
As of 16 May, foreign television channels, including BBC and CNN, remained inaccessible in Uzbekistan, and Russian television stations were unable to transmit news programmes into the country. Uzbek state television has broadcast only brief official statements about the situation, without video footage.
Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) says no journalist has been able to report from Andijan since 14 May.
Freedom House has called on Uzbek authorities to allow international media, UN officials and human rights monitors into Andijan to verify reports that hundreds of people were shot and killed by security forces on 13 May 2005. The government has denied that security forces killed civilians.
# posted by ATN @ 4:49 PM
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
FNR Admits "Error"
Source: Billboard Magazine This is a week or so old BUT we sure didn't see it on any other blog now did we?
Fox News Radio has revised its claim to have been first on the April 2 news of Pope John Paul II’s death. The network now says it went on the air for affiliates at some time after 2:56 p.m. EST.Last month, Fox claimed to have been first with the news, saying it first reported the pope’s death at 2:55 p.m. However, ABC News Radio disputed this claim.
ABC provided Billboard Radio Monitor with proof that it was, in fact, first with the radio report of the pope’s death. ABC affiliates were advised of the news at 2:55 p.m. and were able to take the special report from ABC News Radio at exactly 2:56 p.m.
“We do a one-minute closed-circuit countdown before our reports. In this countdown, we tell stations the topic of our bulletins or special reports so they can decide whether to take the report on their station. This allows many stations to go on-air and break the headline of our reports, then take our reports themselves,” ABC News Radio VP Steve Jones says.
CBS, CNN and AP Broadcast each have similar, closed-circuit systems for advising their radio affiliates of bulletins. AP Broadcast affiliates also have the benefit of the AP wire service, which is the organization’s preferred method for informing AP Broadcast affiliates of upcoming bulletins
A representative for Fox News Radio says the radio network aired its first radio report at 2:56:03 p.m. Fox was unable to provide audio proof supporting this claim or offer an affiliate that aired the report at this time.
# posted by ATN @ 11:45 PM
Do the Exits Continue? Who's Next?
Here's some loose change from the tip jar:
National correspondent Frank Buckley is Leaving CNN LA to take a job at KTLA.
AND
Weather anchor Orelon Sidney is history. Word has it she left at the end of April. Hmmm...this could explain why she hasn't been on the air for awhile.
# posted by ATN @ 11:10 PM
AB Disgusted?
Are the anchors feeling the pressure these days at CNN. An e-mailer points out Aaron Brown "sounds like he is under siege from management" in Tuesday's NewsNight e-mail. Check it out:
Good Evening,
Some one along the way decided that programs would do a bunch of crime-related stories this week. The ones we have tonight turned out really well because the underlying issue is fascinating. There is no doubt that DNA changed a lot about cops and robbers. But as you will see, tonight, just having the science is only half, maybe even less, the fight. We'll show you how Ohio, faced with a huge backlog of unsolved crimes and no money to pay for the DNA testing that might solve them, came up with a solution. It didn't please everyone but it did solve a lot of cold cases. Nissen reports tonight on the difference between CSI, the T.V. show, and real life.
The science of memory also comes into play. A woman is raped and makes a point of remembering every detail of her attackers face. She helps police find him. Is he the right guy? Is memory as reliable as we think? This is one of those eye-opening stories and our guest on memory, Elizabeth Loftus, fills in a lot of blanks as well.
Off the crime beat, we are looking at two very good news- of-day stories. One involves that old question, when is a terrorist a freedom fighter. if ever. In this case, an anti-Castro activist is at the center of a drama with international implications. Also, there was a blowup before Congress in the ongoing Oil for Food investigation. A British politician finds himself accused of profiting from Iraqi oil sales under Saddam. Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota made a big deal of the accusation. Was it true? Was it a set up? That story tonight as well.
A few other odds and ends. The program is live, so am I. It is nice to be back in something approaching normal. Your notes over the last few days and weeks are not lost on me. As always, I appreciate them and take them to heart. Hope you'll join us tonight at 10pm Eastern.
Aaron
# posted by ATN @ 10:44 PM
Monday Prime #'s
Source: Inside Cable News
Prime Time
FNC - 1,588,000 viewers
CNN - 581,000 viewers
MSNBC - 288,000 viewers
CNBC - 314,000 viewers (aired The Contender from 8-9 and a Walmart special from 9-11)
Headline News — 261,000
25-54 Prime Time
FNC - 410,000 viewers
CNN - 161,000 viewers
MSNBC - 108,000 viewers
CNBC - 179,000 viewers
Headline News - 92,000
Prime Time
FNC - 1,588,000 viewers
CNN - 581,000 viewers
MSNBC - 288,000 viewers
CNBC - 314,000 viewers (aired The Contender from 8-9 and a Walmart special from 9-11)
Headline News — 261,000
25-54 Prime Time
FNC - 410,000 viewers
CNN - 161,000 viewers
MSNBC - 108,000 viewers
CNBC - 179,000 viewers
Headline News - 92,000
# posted by ATN @ 8:34 PM
Gupta to Throw Out First Pitch at Braves Game
Source: Press Point In honor of Asian Heritage Month, the Atlanta Braves invite fans to celebrate Asian Heritage Night at Turner Field, on Monday, May 23rd, as the Atlanta Braves take on the New York Mets at 7:35.
CNN Senior Medical Correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
# posted by ATN @ 8:31 PM
Stirring Up a Hornet's Nest
CNN fans aren't happy with the recent changes at CNN. From the new graphics to the prime-time magazine line up to the Bill Hemmer shake-up. Check out the discussions in the CNN Fan forum.
# posted by ATN @ 4:21 PM
CNN Founder Has Jobs for Grads
Source: Concord Monitor Wagging his finger and grinning as he spoke, Ted Turner delighted the crowd at the New England College commencement yesterday, inviting graduates to work at his restaurant chain, giving pointers on how to make friends at a bar and joking about not being able to afford retirement.
The media mogul scored frequent applause during his freewheeling address, but he also hit several serious notes, challenging the latest generation of graduates to effect social change.
Outlining what he dubbed the four greatest challenges facing the world, Turner - who has contributed more than $1 billion to global charities - called for an end to nuclear weapons, the creation of a 21st-century "Marshall Plan" for switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy, the redistribution of wealth to build a worldwide middle class, and the abandonment of military-centric government ways.
"I'm about the hundredth richest man in the world, and I think there ought to be inheritance taxes, too. And I don't like taxes particularly. But if you don't have inheritance taxes, Bill Gates's family - in another 50 or 75 years - is going to own the whole country, and everybody's going to be working for Bill Gates. (And then) there won't be an opportunity to go into the food-service business."
Or, this plea for a reduction in America's defense budget, which he said represents more than half of the globe's $800 billion in annual military spending:
"Are we hated that much that we've got to spend more than everybody else put together on military might just so we can terrify all these little countries? . . . You know, we're always picking on Panama, or Grenada, or, you know, Iraq - some little country. You know how many combat aircraft Iraq put in the air in our war with them? Anybody know? Zero. . . . I mean, we already had taken care of them in '91. We already beat the poo out of them. And then we stomped on them again. Hahaha!
"Well, anyway, hopefully we'll win that war. We should, God knows. I just hope we don't fight anybody our own size. Anyway, war is obsolete completely. The nations that are going to be successful in the future are the ones with the best technology, the best education, not the biggest tanks and airplanes. I mean, come on! That's old paradigm. Anyway, have a great career. And don't forget, if all else fails, there's Ted's Montana Grill."
# posted by ATN @ 11:57 AM
Critic: Where's the News on Cable News Channels
Source: North County Times North County Times online editor Andrew Kleske Writes:
"When I began my career in the newspaper business, a favorite pastime was visiting one of the news stands that sold out-of-town newspapers to compare coverage and gather ideas.
In those days, MTV still played music videos, as its name implies, rather than show-biz banter and endless re-runs of poorly contrived reality shows. And in those days, CNN primarily delivered news, rather the odd mix of talk shows, shouting matches and news programming we see today.
One could not help but be amazed at the power, the immediacy and the style of a 24/7 international news station at a time when newspaper circulations were dropping.
But as the business of delivering information evolves, it appears the cable news channels are beginning to get a taste of their own medicine. Study after study shows the Internet is stealing the news audience away. A recent Carnegie Corp. survey indicates the Internet will be the top choice for news within three years, but one doesn't need to look at studies to make this assumption. One merely needs to look at the Web sites, including CNN's own well-done site." MORE
# posted by ATN @ 11:45 AM
Hemmer Pissed at FTVLive Leak
Source: Washington Post Bill Hemmer, co-anchor of CNN's "American Morning," may leave the cable news network after being told that executives want to shift him to the post of senior White House correspondent.
"It is no secret that other outlets have expressed interest in me," Hemmer, whose contract expires in the fall, said last night. "CNN has offered me a position at the White House, a good position by many estimations, but I am weighing my options. . . . What does CNN have for me to continue doing there?"Hemmer, 40, a 10-year CNN veteran who shares morning anchor duties with Soledad O'Brien, did not sound happy that the Web site FTVLive reported last night that he is being replaced on "American Morning."
"So CNN leaked word; that's the tactic they've chosen," he said.
Hemmer, who for the moment is barred from negotiating with other networks, said he is weighing the White House post -- recently vacated by John King -- against his enjoyment of living in New York. But a person close to him said Hemmer was concerned that moving from anchor to correspondent would be seen as a demotion.
If Hemmer leaves the network, it would be the latest in a series of personnel shake-ups that include Tucker Carlson's defection to MSNBC. Veteran anchor Judy Woodruff said recently she is leaving CNN but that her decision was not related to the network's decision that she would no longer host "Inside Politics." CNN President Jonathan Klein has announced plans to cancel "Inside Politics" and "Crossfire" and replace them with a three-hour afternoon show anchored by Wolf Blitzer.
Hemmer said he must decide whether to continue in some capacity at CNN or whether there is "another venue that is more worthwhile" for his career.
# posted by ATN @ 10:00 AM
Monday, May 16, 2005
FTVLive: Hemmer Leaving AM
Source: FTVLive CNN insiders tell FTVLive that anchor Bill Hemmer is leaving the show American Morning and will be replaced by Miles O'Brien.
Sources say that Hemmer will now be based out of DC, but no word yet on what his role will be. Hemmer was named co-anchor of American Morning in 2002 along with Soledad O'Brien.
# posted by ATN @ 10:40 PM
Censoring on LKL?
Did anybody else notice the moment of silence at about 9:50PM EDT during Larry King's interview with Robert Blake. Apparently Blake was trashing Larry and LKL's producer and CNN silenced the audio. There was about a 5-10 second moment of silence.
UPDATE: And there was another funny moment towards the end of the Blake interview. A caller asked Blake when he would take on Nancy Grace. Blake didn't know who Grace was and King tried to act dumb when asked. King responded, "She's the one who has the show on......" Very funny when someone calls in on a program on CNN/US asking about a program on HLN. Way to go CNN, see you ought to have left HLN doing the NEWS not talkshows.
UPDATE: 11:25pm EDT The LKL transcript cleary identifies the point where audio was cut during the interview:
KING: By the way, the friends who weren't friends afterwards, do you hold bitterness toward them?
BLAKE: I'm not a bitter kind of person. Maybe I missed that day in school. I get angry, I get sad, but you talk about bitter, I don't know. Maybe you've got some producer or some boss here who says, well, maybe if you step on Robert Blake's...(AUDIO GAP)
KING: ... because I said to you during the break, I would imagine the worst thing in the world is to be behind bars for something you didn't do. I could not imagine anything worse. Maybe a child dying is worse. That would be the worse thing. So if that happened to me, I'd be bitter.
BLAKE: I wasn't behind bars. I was behind a steel door. Bars are better. You get to deal with people. I was behind a steel door with a little glass in it.
So it seems the censoring was done to keep a vulgarity off the air. I bet CNN producers weren't happy with the trashing either.
UPDATE: 05/17/2005 LKL was not censored for International viewers says e-mailer: "When CNNI on the Asia Pacific feed broadcast LKL, it wasn't censored at all. At one time Robert Blake dropped in "bullshit" and the bit gap in the audio was penis, except not that polite. Thought it strange that CNNUS had it censored, while CNNI had no problem with us hearing it."
# posted by ATN @ 9:50 PM
LK Expected to Take Stand in Jacko Trial Thursday
Don't expect Larry King to venture far from LA this week. The Associated Press is reporting: "Jackson spokeswoman Raymone K. Bain said the defense expects to call CNN's Larry King to testify Thursday. The defense is expected to ask whether attorney Larry Feldman once said during a breakfast meeting with King that the accuser's mother made up the molestation story. Feldman has denied that story."
# posted by ATN @ 7:35 PM
Cooper on the Move
Do you have 2.2 million dollars to spare? If you do you can buy Anderson Cooper's loft home. If your thinking about moving to NYC and looking for a home, it's for sale. Tour the home on the real-estate company's website.
An e-mailer adds Coop's apartment would be a great buy for any celebrity: "Cooper's co-op apartment is located in downtown Manhattan. The sale price $ 2.2 million for celebrities is more than affordable. There is also a tax deduction of 55%. Maintenance only $1,602, is a steal....you could not rent a closet in Manhattan for that amount."
Hey that sounds like a sales pitch to me..lol.. Sorry, that's way too much for this rural Arkansas resident. I barely can afford a tank of gas for my pick-up.
# posted by ATN @ 5:21 PM
Grace Under Fire
Source: LA Times It's apparent Tim Ruttin isn't one of Nancy Grace's five hundred thousand or so fan but why should Grace care she's the one with the prime-time gig on the soon to be second place news channel, CNN/Headline News. Below is how Ruttin describe the rising cable news star:
It isn't just the habitual snarl, the narrowed eyes or the improbably arched brows. It isn't the name-calling; God knows, that's become as ubiquitous a feature of cable news as that irritating crawl. It isn't even the sneer, though that deserves special attention as the rhetorical equivalent of a black hole, an aberration in the fabric of normality, where the awful weight of absolute certainty seems to overpower mere gravity.
Ruttin continues: CNN proudly describes Grace as "one of television's most respected legal analysts" and is happy to provide interested parties with a detailed account of her legal education and career, right down to her stint as a business law instructor in Georgia State University's school of business. There is, however, one inconveniently disturbing detail on which CNN maintains a studied silence: On three occasions involving three separate cases, appellate courts have cited Grace for unethical behavior while she was a Fulton County prosecutor.
Is any of this relevant to Grace's work as a CNN commentator?"I think it is," said Jane Kirtley, the Silha professor of law and journalism at the University of Minnesota, "partly because Nancy Grace holds herself out as a great champion of truth, justice and the American way." Moreover, prosecutors have an ethical duty to seek justice and not simply to win cases. "CNN's justification for putting her on the air as a commentator is her career as a prosecutor, and that makes her ethical conduct then highly relevant to the work she's doing now," Kirtley said. That's particularly true, because Grace brings "more than an orientation to her show. She has a pro-prosecutorial agenda," which she clearly hopes to persuade her viewers to support.
Read the complete article HERE.
# posted by ATN @ 4:59 PM
Friday #'s: Headline News Beats Mothership In Prime
Well the inevitable has happened. Headline News has beat CNN/US in Prime-time viewership. Below are Friday's numbers from TV Newser:
Primetime, total viewers: FNC: 1,417,000 / HLN: 383,000 / CNN: 345,000 / MSNBC: 195,000 / CNBC: 180,000
Primetime, 25-54 demo:FNC: 358,000 / HLN: 155,000 / CNBC: 108,000 / CNN: 107,000 / MSNBC: 71,000
# posted by ATN @ 4:38 PM
Mag: CNN is the Industry Leader in "TV's Dumbest, Meanest and Vainest Anchors"
Source: New York Daily News The No. 2 cable news network is the industry leader in "TV's Dumbest, Meanest and Vainest Anchors," a feature in the upcoming debut issue of the new, improved Radar magazine, a corporate cousin of this newspaper.
The mag's "secret industry poll" of television agents, on-air personalities and producers places three CNN anchors (Paula Zahn, Rick Sanchez and Heidi Collins) in the "dumb" category, calls one (Aaron Brown) "vain" and identifies two (Lou Dobbs and Jeff Greenfield) as "mean."
Greenfield - who has always struck me as a nice guy during the two decades I've known him - concedes the accuracy of Radar's anecdote about his screaming at an underling when he worked for ABC News.
"It indeed happened 13 years ago, and it was bad behavior. It was a useful lesson, and I'd like to think I'm not the same guy," Greenfield manfully admitted. "I don't know which is worse - being considered dumb or mean. I'd rather not be considered either."
Fox News spokeswoman Irena Briganti said only: "We wish Radar the best on yet another relaunch."
And CNN's Christa Robinson noted: "People will say anything to sell magazines."
# posted by ATN @ 12:28 PM
Court TV Outpacing CNN In May
Source: New York Times The trial of Michael Jackson has been very good for Court TV's ratings. Since late February, when the circuslike proceedings began, the Nielsen estimates for its all-Michael-all-the-time daytime programming are up 100 percent in households compared with the same period last year. Through last Monday, an average weekday during the trial has brought in an audience of 416,000, which is 146 percent more viewers than the channel drew in those months last year.
The numbers for the daily programs of Court TV's stars - Catherine Crier and Nancy Grace, the table-pounding former prosecutor - have increased even more strikingly, and in the first two weeks of May, the channel outpaced CNN in viewers. Trying to capitalize on these bumps - and to overcome advertisers' squeamishness about buying time during anything lurid - Court TV announced in March that it would separate its daytime programming from its entertainment-focused prime-time shows, renaming its weekdays Court TV News.
# posted by ATN @ 12:14 PM
Cosby to MSNBC: Who's Doing the Spinning
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer Pretty good article by Gail Shister on the FNC/MSNBC/Rita Cosby saga. Cosby says, FNC made her "several" contract offers, but she chose to split. FNC says it didn't renew her contract and no offers were made.
"This was 110 percent my decision," Cosby, 40, says. "They offered me several contracts, and I chose not to accept them. I think they would have loved for me to stay. I know they're disappointed I didn't."
We report. You decide.
"I wasn't unhappy," Cosby insists. "I totally understood. Fox is doing terrific in prime time. The chance of turnover is fairly minimal. They have a lineup that works."
Competing with her old shop "is going to be interesting," says Cosby, who'll be up against O'Reilly reruns at 11 p.m. "I've always believed that you just work your heart out and do the best you can, and not think about the other guys."
# posted by ATN @ 8:10 AM
What Happened To Bobbie Battista?
Source: US News.com Whenever reporters bail out of journalism into public relations, they're sure to get razzed by ex-colleagues for "crossing over to the dark side." But former television anchor Bobbie Battista makes no apologies for her midlife job change. Back in November 2001, Battista ended her 20-year career at CNN--she was one of its original newscasters as well as one of its most recognizable faces--to cofound Atlanta-based Atamira Communications along with three other former CNNers.
"Nine eleven had a little to do with it, and when you're hitting 50, you want do something different," says Battista, who will be 53 in July. But perhaps an ever bigger motivation was the change in management and ownership at CNN. In January 2001, Time Warner, CNN's parent company, merged with America Online. And in July 2001, a new CEO was named to run the network. "I didn't think the merger was good for the company, and I didn't think the revolving door of management was good for the company." Battista sensed CNN was drifting away from its heritage of serious news. "They were closing bureaus and doing more talking-head voice-overs. There was more bottom-line pressure. So I opted to take my leave." MORE
# posted by ATN @ 8:06 AM
TW Looking to Increase It's Spanish Speaking Audience
Source: Multichannel News Time Warner Cable plans to launch “Nuestra Tele,” a new suite of Spanish-language and Hispanic-themed video services, in 15 markets next month.
Officials said the aim is a bigger impact with Spanish-speaking and bilingual customers, adding that the package can be customized to fit local needs.
The entry-level service, available for $24.95-$29.95 per month, delivers all local Spanish-language broadcast networks, plus key thematic Hispanic channels catering to kids, music, sports and other genres. It also includes local English-language broadcast affiliates.
Among the available channels: Univision, Galavisión, mun2 television, CNN en Español, Canal Sur, Sorpresa!, Cine Latino, Fox Sports en Español, Discovery en Español, MTV Español, Puma TV, Video Rola and Eternal Word Television Network
# posted by ATN @ 12:20 AM
Moyers Defends PBS, Takes Aim at `Radical Right'
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch Bill Moyers denounced on Sunday the right wing and top officials at the White House, saying they are trying to silence their critics by controlling the news media.
He also took aim at reporters who become little more than willing government "stenographers." And he said the public increasingly is content with just enough news to confirm its own biases.
Moyers spoke in St. Louis at a conference on media reform.
Moyers said those in power - government officials and their allies in the media - mean to stay there by punishing journalists "who tell the stories that make princes and priests uncomfortable."
Moyers described those officials as "obsessed with control" of the media. He said they are using the government "to threaten and intimidate."
Moyers answered for the first time recent charges that public television in general and he in particular have become too liberal.
Those charges are from Kenneth Tomlinson, chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and, in effect, Moyers' boss at the network.
Tomlinson, a Republican, paid an outside consultant $10,000 to keep track of the political leanings of guests on Moyers' show, "Now." Moyers left the show last year but is back on public television as host of the series "Wide Angle."
Ernest Wilson III serves with Tomlinson on the board that oversees public broadcasting. He said PBS outranks the Fox News Channel, CNN and all the broadcast news networks in a survey that asked whom the public trusts.
"We are, by far, the most `fair and balanced,'" he said, a reference to the motto of Fox News. MUCH MORE
# posted by ATN @ 12:00 AM
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Details are Here: CNN to Add Free Video to Its Web Site
Source: New York Times With demand growing for advertising space on the Internet, CNN.com plans to enhance and reorganize its Web offerings, adding free features that it hopes will attract both viewers and ad dollars.
In June, CNN will make video clips free on its Web site for the first time, dropping a $4.95 fee, said Susan Grant, executive vice president of CNN News Services. Other major news sites, including the ones run by Fox News and CBS News, already provide free video; CNN and ABC News had chosen to make it a subscription service.
Separately, in the fall, CNN will offer a paid service that will give subscribers access to the CNN video archive going back to 1996. The cable network has not disclosed what it will charge for this.
Update: 05/16/2005 8:24am- Multichannel News has COMPLETE details.
# posted by ATN @ 11:17 PM
Prime, Overnight Schedule Changed During "Crime Week"
Looks as though the CNN program schedule will be altered somewhat this week as the network goes in "Crime Week" mode. First change on the schedule is Paula Zahn Now will be pre-empted to bring you a special 2-hour edition of Anderson Cooper 360. BTW, the online TV schedules describes the program as, "Anchor Anderson Cooper and Terry Baker report from New York." Who is Terry Baker??
Anyway getting back to the schedule change, with AC 360 being a 2 hour program, 360 will be repeated overnight instead of NewsNight with Aaron Brown. AC 360 will be seen from 1-3am; LKL from 3-4am and Lou Dobbs from 4-5am.
UPDATE: 11:04pm An AC 360 staffer confirims what I assumed but didn't post, Terry Baker is Anderson's Producer.
# posted by ATN @ 8:20 PM
NBC'er Joins CNN-- I Guess It's Now Official
Pic from TV Heads
Even though she has been on the air at CNN for over a month now, TV Spy says Jennifer Eccleston has officially joined CNN as a foreign correspondent. Previously, Jennifer was a correspondent at NBC NEWS and a contributor for FNC.
# posted by ATN @ 7:58 PM
Is Fake News Better Than Real News?
Source: The Free Liberal Much has been made about the alleged biases of various cable news networks. Fox News Channel is of course the Republican, pro-Bush, flag-waving channel and CNN is known among conservatives as the “Clinton News Network” and is believed to be a handmaiden of the Democratic Party. Sure, there are other cable news stations out there, most notably MSNBC, but perhaps the best cable “news” show really isn’t “news” at all. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is – through critical analysis and biting jokes at the expense of politicians and their media lapdogs (especially cable news) – filling a critical void that has been completely ignored within the mainstream media.
Stewart’s influence is unmistakable and it is not likely to wane in the near future. According to February 2005 figures from Nielsen Media Research, new episodes of the show attracted an average of 1.5 million viewers for the month – up 32 percent from February 2004. That was more than twice the size of CNN’s average prime time audience that month and almost equal to the prime time viewership for the Fox News Channel. Here’s hoping Stewart will be around for several more years using his program as a platform to poke his media counterparts and politicians in elected office in the eye.
Read the complete article HERE.
# posted by ATN @ 5:40 PM
FNC Speaks Out On Cosby's Leaving
Source: Variety FNC has confirmed all the speculation on the internet in tht Rita Cosby wanted a prime-time program. An FNC rep had this to say to Variety: "She became expendable because she wanted a primetime show and we didn't have a spot for her."
MSNBC execs say the net's primetime sked hasn't been finalized. Cosby's show, which is in development, will debut in the fourth quarter. She also will serve as a special correspondent at the net.
Makes one wonder if Geraldo will meet the same fate.
# posted by ATN @ 5:32 PM
CNN Top For Travellers
Source: AME Info.com The 2005 International Air Travellers Survey has seen CNN reconfirm its position as the channel of choice with global air travellers. Among a target audience of decision makers earning €80,000 or more per year or taking at least six air trips, CNN reaches 25% more viewers every day than BBC World, the nearest competition. In addition, 46.5% of those earning more than $200,000 a year watched the network, compared to just 32.2% for BBC World.
# posted by ATN @ 11:20 AM
CNN Correspondent to Speak at National Women’s Hall of Fame Dinner
Source: Finger Lakes Times CNN news correspondent Maria Hinojosa will be the speaker at the National Women’s Hall of Fame signature dinner June 4.
The event begins at 6 p.m. at the New York Chiropractic College. Entertainment will be Johnny Russo’s East Hill Classic Jazz Trio, along with silent and live auctions.
Hinojosa is a New York-based correspondent for CNN, covering urban affairs. Since joining CNN, she has covered numerous stories and events for the network — including the Amadou Diallo case verdict and CNN’s Sept. 11 coverage, which earned her two Emmy nominations.
Hinojosa was the first Latina woman to produce a documentary for CNN Presents, a program titled “Immigrant Nation: Divided Country.”
# posted by ATN @ 1:14 AM
