Saturday, August 06, 2005
Novak Hopes to Return to CNN "Soon"
What can I say, this story just won't die. Anyway, in an Associated Press article Bob Novak says he hopes to return to CNN: "I overreacted, and I apologized for it," Novak said Saturday. "That's all I have to say." He said that he and the CNN network had mutually agreed that he should take time off. But he said that, despite reports, he did not think the network used the word "suspension" and he hoped he would soon return to work." Read full article HERE.
# posted by ATN @ 11:54 PM 
Ludwig Becomes Grace Regular
This from TV Spy: Dr. Robi Ludwig is now a regular guest on Monday's edition of "Nancy Grace" on CNN Headline News. Robi also appears on "Today," "The Early Show," "Oprah," and Court TV. She is a practicing psychotherapist in Manhattan.# posted by ATN @ 11:46 PM
Last Day for The Turnaround?
Was today's edition of The Turnaround the last? The program's page on CNN.com has been removed AND it was there yesterday. Dolans Unscripted signed off last week after the announcement last month from CNN's Jon Klein it was being axed right along with the The Turnaround.
UPDATE: An e-mailer pointed out the program's webpage is still up BUT it is NOT listed in the dropdown box of programs anymore. It was yesterday.
UPDATE: An e-mailer pointed out the program's webpage is still up BUT it is NOT listed in the dropdown box of programs anymore. It was yesterday.
# posted by ATN @ 12:56 PM
Anchor Go Round Weekend
Was kinda nice to see more LIVE news on CNN this morning versus taped programming. I was gonna post something after I had a couple of Dr Pepper's to get my brain jumpstarted BUT an e-mailer sums up the morning quite nicely:
"Fredericka Whitfield co-anchored CNN Saturday Morning along with Tony Harris this morning. Fred was sitting in for Betty Nguyen. The two noted that this was their first opportunity to anchor together since Harris joined the network last spring. The broadcast began at 7 with breaks at 8:30 and 9:30 for Housecall with Dr. Sanay Gupta, and Open House with Gerri Willis, respectively.
Also note Jacqui Jeras did the weather with no mention of Rob Marciano being away, though I expect he is on vacation.
This also marks the first time that CNN went live with news since cancelling Dolans Unscripted. Klein and CNN had promised live news with Betty, Fred, and Tony beginning this weekend.The Turnaround however is still on tap and about to air as I write this."
The e-mailer adds, "The switchoff with Fred and Tony may be in order to allow the two to skip out to the National Association of Black Journalists conference down there in Atlanta. Suzanne Malveaux was slated to sit as a panelist on a number of panels. Suzanne will talk about election politics, and politics and religion. Soledad O'Brien is slated to be a panelist and discuss being a working mother and journalist."
> Gerri Willis is covering the anchor desk Saturday afternoon.
UPDATE: Catherine Callaway anchored the Saturday afternoon shift on Headline News.
UPDATE: 7:36pm EDT Joe Johns once again hosted On The Story. One can only wonder if Joe is the new host and what happened to Kyra?
"Fredericka Whitfield co-anchored CNN Saturday Morning along with Tony Harris this morning. Fred was sitting in for Betty Nguyen. The two noted that this was their first opportunity to anchor together since Harris joined the network last spring. The broadcast began at 7 with breaks at 8:30 and 9:30 for Housecall with Dr. Sanay Gupta, and Open House with Gerri Willis, respectively.
Also note Jacqui Jeras did the weather with no mention of Rob Marciano being away, though I expect he is on vacation.
This also marks the first time that CNN went live with news since cancelling Dolans Unscripted. Klein and CNN had promised live news with Betty, Fred, and Tony beginning this weekend.The Turnaround however is still on tap and about to air as I write this."
The e-mailer adds, "The switchoff with Fred and Tony may be in order to allow the two to skip out to the National Association of Black Journalists conference down there in Atlanta. Suzanne Malveaux was slated to sit as a panelist on a number of panels. Suzanne will talk about election politics, and politics and religion. Soledad O'Brien is slated to be a panelist and discuss being a working mother and journalist."
> Gerri Willis is covering the anchor desk Saturday afternoon.
UPDATE: Catherine Callaway anchored the Saturday afternoon shift on Headline News.
UPDATE: 7:36pm EDT Joe Johns once again hosted On The Story. One can only wonder if Joe is the new host and what happened to Kyra?
# posted by ATN @ 12:12 PM
Friday, August 05, 2005
Stewart Has Fun With Novak Incident
Will this be the last post about the Novak incident? Who knows! Anyway, Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show had a little bit of fun in 'reporting' the incident on Thursday night's program. You'll find the video clip HERE.
# posted by ATN @ 10:47 PM
Klein on Novak Situation
According to an article in Broadcasting and Cable, CNN is still deciding Bob Novak's future at the network. The article says, "CNN President Jon Klein who was off yesterday when the incident occurred as well as today, said he has not yet spoken with Novak and does not know when they will speak, although he said a discussion between them did not necessarily have to occur before the network decides its future plans for Novak.
“At some point I’m sure we’ll speak to each other but there’s nothing imminent or scheduled,” Klein said. “[Novak]’s actions speak for themselves so we’ll just have to see. His actions kicked all of this off, so I don’t know how much more discussion is necessary for the network to decide what to do about it. I think our actions speak for themselves for now and we’ll just see how it plays out.”
Novak, who has contributed to CNN since Jun, 1980, was slated to be a contributor to CNN’s new afternoon Wolf Blitzer-hosted political show, The Situation Room, which starts Monday (Aug. 8). But Klein said he was unsure if that was still the case.
“This obviously throws that up in the air,” Klein said. “Again, we’ll just have to see how all this plays out.”"
UPDATE: 7:01pm EDT An article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has additional quotes from Jon Klein:
"He's an intelligent guy. He's an insightful guy with extremely good contacts," Klein said. Novak, Klein added, made a valuable contribution "up until" Thursday's incident.
Klein said the Plame investigation isn't a factor in deciding whether Novak has a future at CNN. "One can take the incident on its own," Klein said. "On its face, walking off our air and using expletives is not acceptable."
“At some point I’m sure we’ll speak to each other but there’s nothing imminent or scheduled,” Klein said. “[Novak]’s actions speak for themselves so we’ll just have to see. His actions kicked all of this off, so I don’t know how much more discussion is necessary for the network to decide what to do about it. I think our actions speak for themselves for now and we’ll just see how it plays out.”
Novak, who has contributed to CNN since Jun, 1980, was slated to be a contributor to CNN’s new afternoon Wolf Blitzer-hosted political show, The Situation Room, which starts Monday (Aug. 8). But Klein said he was unsure if that was still the case.
“This obviously throws that up in the air,” Klein said. “Again, we’ll just have to see how all this plays out.”"
UPDATE: 7:01pm EDT An article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has additional quotes from Jon Klein:
"He's an intelligent guy. He's an insightful guy with extremely good contacts," Klein said. Novak, Klein added, made a valuable contribution "up until" Thursday's incident.
Klein said the Plame investigation isn't a factor in deciding whether Novak has a future at CNN. "One can take the incident on its own," Klein said. "On its face, walking off our air and using expletives is not acceptable."
# posted by ATN @ 6:17 PM
AC Does Rose
Anderson Cooper is scheduled to appear on The Charlie Rose Show Monday( 08/08/05). The Charlie Rose Show can be seen on most PBS stations. Check check listings for time.
# posted by ATN @ 6:01 PM
RIP IP
Today was the last program for Inside Politics. Today's IP anchor Candy Crowely very took a look back at the first broadcast back in 1988. The inaugural broadcast was anchored by Mary Alice Williams and Bernard Shaw. The Situation Room will take over the slot held by IP. Thirty minutes will be taken away from Live From... to accommodate the new three hour program which debuts Monday.UPDATE: IP signed off with a look at how it all began and a sneak peak at The Situation Room. Here's how the last few minutes of IP went:
CROWLEY: INSIDE POLITICS has covered a lot of amazing political stories over these many years. Among the most memorable, the wild three-way battle that was the 1992 race for the White House, the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, and that 2000 Florida recount.
Today is our last show in this current format. But come Monday, CNN will continue to go inside politics as we launch "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer. The reporting depth and newsmaker interviews you've come to depend on with INSIDE POLITICS will be a part of "THE SITUATION ROOM" every afternoon starting at 3:00 p.m. Eastern.
Wolf joins us now with some more details.
WOLF BLITZER: We're going to spend a lot of time on politics, Candy. We're not going to shortchange the political scene here in Washington, around the country, indeed, around the world, by any means, especially during that 4:00 hour, when our viewers have come so used -- are so reliant on CNN for getting the inside political story.
They're still going to get it. They might even get a lot more of it, depending on what that political story is. So the good news is that CNN's commitment to covering the world of politics here in the nation's capital, around the country, that commitment is rock solid.
CROWLEY: So give us a larger view of all the three hours.
BLITZER: What we're going to do -- all three hours will be part of "THE SITUATION ROOM." And we'll take our viewers in, show the viewers what's happening. Our commitment, first and foremost, is to getting the news, getting it on the air as quickly and as responsibly as we can.
But the 3:00 hour, we'll devote a lot of attention to the whole world of security, whether national security, homeland security, personal security, our economic security, all of that will go in. The 4:00 hour is going to be a lot of politics. The 5:00 hour we're going to talk about what has happened on this day.
It's going to be a new way of bringing the news. And we've been rehearsing, and we've been practicing. And you, Candy Crowley, and all of our political team, will be directly involved, very aggressively.
CROWLEY: In fact, I'm told we'll see you Monday.
BLITZER: I'll see you Monday.
CROWLEY: Thanks very much.
BLITZER: Thanks, Candy.
CROWLEY: Thanks, Wolf. It is now time to say goodbye to INSIDE POLITICS. I am Candy Crowley. And "WOLF BLITZER REPORTS" starts right now.
# posted by ATN @ 5:00 PM
Novak Speaks About Incident
Source: Associated Press Robert Novak apologized Friday for swearing on the air and walking off a CNN set, but said it had nothing to do with the federal probe sparked by his revelation of a CIA officer's name in a 2003 column.
"I apologize for my conduct and I'm sorry I did it," he said in an interview.
CNN has pulled him off the air indefinitely. Novak said "I'll follow their guidance" on when he returns.
CNN correspondent Ed Henry said afterward that he had been about to ask Novak about his role in the investigation of the leak of Valerie Plame's identity, which Novak has repeatedly refused to comment on aside from some references in his column.
"That had nothing to do with it, absolutely nothing," Novak said. "I was sorry he said that."
"I apologize for my conduct and I'm sorry I did it," he said in an interview.
CNN has pulled him off the air indefinitely. Novak said "I'll follow their guidance" on when he returns.
CNN correspondent Ed Henry said afterward that he had been about to ask Novak about his role in the investigation of the leak of Valerie Plame's identity, which Novak has repeatedly refused to comment on aside from some references in his column.
"That had nothing to do with it, absolutely nothing," Novak said. "I was sorry he said that."
# posted by ATN @ 1:37 PM
CNN Gets New Perch in NYC
Source: CableWorld It didn't take long for another cable network to claim the landmark rooftop in New York's Columbus Circle that until recently served as the perch for A&E's Biography sign. A CNN sign now sits atop the building, which is close to Time Warner Center, home of CNN's parent company. CNN confirmed that the network has taken over the lease for the rooftop space but would not comment on construction or leasing costs, or on whether the new sign would one day--like the full-service Biography sign--provide New Yorkers with time and weather updates.# posted by ATN @ 12:22 PM
CNN's 'Situation'
As Inside Politics gets ready to wrap-up its run on CNN today, The Situation Room is getting geared up to debut on Monday. The Orlando Sentinel gives us a preview of what can be expected from The Situation Room. Here's how CNN's top exec Jim Walton describes the program: "We're going to try to be transparent," says Jim Walton, president of the CNN News Group. "We're going to try to allow the viewers to know what we know as we know it."Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S., says the fast-paced program will showcase Washington and world correspondents, as well as top-notch analysts and commentators. Those include CNN's Jeff Greenfield and Bill Schneider, as well as former Crossfire hosts Paul Begala, James Carville and Robert Novak. MORE
Well I guess we can write off Novak on the contributers list after yesterday. Anyway, The Situation Room replaces Inside Politics and Crossfire. The Situation Room debuts at 3pm EDT Monday.
# posted by ATN @ 9:21 AM
CNN/I's Marketing Campaign to Honor 25 years
Source: Television Point CNN has announced the launch of an aggressive, multidimensional marketing campaign in India, as part of the global celebrations to commemorate the network’s 25th anniversary.The campaign will primarily focus on the impact and influence of CNN on the world and world events, and is targeted at the network’s viewers, general public, businessmen, decision-makers and opinion leaders. The campaign spread across print, television, outdoor, Internet, in-flight commercials mediums will see promotional offers and interactive contests that will be run through various platforms such as wireless/mobile, Internet, Crossword bookstores and Barista Coffee Shops.
Announcing the launch of CNN 25th Anniversary marketing campaign, Miran Shah, Director - Affiliate Relations and Marketing for CNN, Turner International India Pvt Ltd, said, "CNN created the concept of 24x7 news and radically changed the way the world consumes news. This Multi-pronged and interactive campaign we are launching seeks to reinforce the message that CNN has been the most influential news organisation in the world."
CNN has also tied up with Crossword, a leading bookstore in the country, to place a CNN Desk along with a laptop at select Crossword bookstores in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
# posted by ATN @ 12:48 AM
Thursday, August 04, 2005
CNN's Plans For Early Shuttle Landing Monday
Space Shuttle Discovery is slated to land at 4:37 a.m. ET Monday at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to Broadcasting and Cable, CNN's morning anchor and space specialist, Miles O'Brien, will be live from Florida and co-anchor a special 4 a.m. hour of news with Carol Costello, who will be in New York.UPDATE: 8/05 5:07pm EDT An e-mailer adds this: "Headline News will begin its shuttle landing coverage at 4AM eastern on Monday with Christie Paul anchoring."
# posted by ATN @ 11:55 PM
CNN Suspends Robert Novak for On-air Outburst
Source: Reuters CNN issued a public rebuke to syndicated columnist and political analyst Robert Novak and asked him to "take some time off" after he uttered a profanity and walked off the set during a live broadcast on Thursday.The on-air outburst by Novak, 74, came when the conservative commentator was interrupted by liberal political strategist James Carville during a discussion of the upcoming U.S. Senate race in Florida on CNN's "Inside Politics" show.
"Bob Novak's behavior on CNN today was inexcusable and unacceptable," the network said. "Mr. Novak has apologized to CNN, and CNN apologizes to its viewers for his language and actions. We've asked Mr. Novak to take some time off."
A publicist for Novak at CNN said the veteran columnist had no additional comment.
Novak has been a regular CNN contributor since his days as a conservative commentator on the public affairs show "Crossfire." His newspaper column is syndicated nationally.
Read the complete article HERE.
UPDATE: This from the Associated Press: "CNN suspended commentator Robert Novak indefinitely after he swore and walked off the set Thursday during a debate with Democratic operative James Carville."
UPDATE: 08/05 12:20am EDT Crooks and Liars has a blog round-up of the incident. I really liked this comment from Wonkette: "Novak Takes His Lack of Balls and Goes Home. Does this mean that MSNBC will give Novak his own show?"
UPDATE: 08/05 12:55am Mediabistro's Fishbowl DC says the clip was available on CNN.com.
# posted by ATN @ 9:46 PM
Novak Gets "Time Off" for Comment
This from Fishbowl: CNN's not happy about the bullshit Bob Novak just pulled:
"Bob Novak's behavior on CNN today was inexcusable and unacceptable. Mr. Novak has apologized to CNN, and CNN apologizes to its viewers for his language and actions. We've asked Mr. Novak to take some time off," said a CNN spokeswoman.
UPDATE: Media Matters has the video!
"Bob Novak's behavior on CNN today was inexcusable and unacceptable. Mr. Novak has apologized to CNN, and CNN apologizes to its viewers for his language and actions. We've asked Mr. Novak to take some time off," said a CNN spokeswoman.
UPDATE: Media Matters has the video!
# posted by ATN @ 6:33 PM
Grace Tops ALL CNN Prime-time Programs Wednesday
Source: Drudge
FOXNEWS HANNITY/COLMES 2,466,000
FOXNEWS O'REILLY 2,449,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 2,384,000
CNNHN NANCY GRACE 787,000
CNN PAULA ZAHN 604,000
CNN LARRY KING 590,000
CNN AARON BROWN 566,000
MSNBC SCARBOROUGH 339,000
MSNBC TUCERK CARLSON 273,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 272,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY/COLMES 2,466,000
FOXNEWS O'REILLY 2,449,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 2,384,000
CNNHN NANCY GRACE 787,000
CNN PAULA ZAHN 604,000
CNN LARRY KING 590,000
CNN AARON BROWN 566,000
MSNBC SCARBOROUGH 339,000
MSNBC TUCERK CARLSON 273,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 272,000
# posted by ATN @ 5:35 PM
Novak Blows Top Live on CNN
Pic from Think Progress.org
This from an e-mailer: BOB NOVAK WALKS OFF CNN 'THS IS BULL'*HIT'... Host Ed Henry ended segment by telling viewers he had told Novak in advance he would ask him about the CIA leak case. Henry said CNN hoped to get Novak to answer such questions in future...
Thanks to several other e-mailers as well for the tip! I was in a teacher's workshop this afternoon. THANKS!!
Here's a transcript of the incident from Think Progress.org:
Novak: Just let me finish what I’m going to say James, please I know you hate to hear me —
Carville: He’s got to show these right-wingers that he’s got a back bone, ya know? Wall Street Journal editorial page is watching. You show ‘em you’re tough.
Novak: You know I think that’s bullshit. And I hate that. Just let it go.
Novak removes his microphone and walks off the set.
UPDATE: The complete transcript of Novak's grilling is now up at CNN.com.
# posted by ATN @ 5:28 PM
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Court TV Beats CNN During Daytime in Key Demos This Summer
Source: Court TV Press Release Continuing its 2005 momentum into the summer months, Court TV News SM stands as the #2 ranked cable news network during daytime among both Adults 18-49 and 25-54 for Summer to-date (June-July). Court TV News's daily average deliveries of 112,000 Adults 18-49 and 137,000 Adults 25-54 trailed only Fox News Channel and were +15% / +189% more than CNN and +90% / +104% greater than MSNBC. The network's average total viewers (325,000) marked an increase of 22% over the same period in 2004.Court TV News's biggest personalities, Catherine Crier and Nancy Grace, are enjoying a hot summer, as both of their programs earned #2 time period rankings among cable news networks for delivery of A18-49 and A25-54, as well as for household rating. Catherine Crier Live, which airs Monday-Friday at 5pm, delivered 517,000 daily total viewers (36% over year-ago), while Nancy Grace: Closing Arguments (Monday-Friday, 3-5pm) is averaging 376,000 total viewers (31% over last year).
Court TV's Seriously Entertaining SM Summer to-date primetime .8 household rating average ties last year's outstanding performance. Premiere episodes of original Court TV primetime series, such as the network's signature Forensic Files, Psychic Detectives, North Mission Road, and Body of Evidence, earned an average .9 household rating and 939,000 total viewers.
# posted by ATN @ 9:03 PM
Cable Rare Bright Spot for Time Warner
Source: MultiChannel News Strong growth in its cable operations wasn’t enough to offset declines in filmed entertainment and cable networks at Time Warner Inc., as revenue declined by 1% and adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization dipped 3% in the second quarter.Fueling the declines was poor performance at its film unit -- revenue was down 15% and adjusted OIBDA dropped 45% on difficult comparisons with the year-ago period, when the studio released blockbusters in its Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter series of films.
At the company’s cable networks, revenue rose 5% but adjusted OIBDA declined 4%, mainly due to higher programming and marketing costs at its Turner Broadcasting System Inc. division for new original series and sports. MORE
# posted by ATN @ 7:26 PM
24-Hour News Channel Aimed at Black Americans Planned By Attorney
Source:Scripps Howard Florida attorney Willie Gary is expanding his cable television portfolio by creating the nation's first 24-hour news channel geared specifically toward black Americans.
The administrative offices of MBC News: The Urban Voice, as the network will be called, will be based in Fort Pierce, Fla., Gary said this week.
Gary said MBC News is expected to debut by the end of the year in 10 million households. It is expected to cost about $25 million to launch and initially will employ about 75 people.
"This is a major breakthrough in television news," Gary said.
"MBC News will have a tremendous impact by broadcasting the positive aspects of African-American culture, which are too often ignored by other networks," he said.
"We see a lot of negative images of African-Americans on TV," he said. "Some of it is justified. News is news. If a black man is arrested or charged with murder, it should be reported. But I also want to balance the news by showing a black man graduating." MBC News will be Gary's second national TV operation.
He owns sister channel Major Broadcasting Cable Network, dubbed MBC, which bills itself as providing original, wholesome programming to African-American families and urban communities.
The lineup on MBC, which debuted in 1998, includes movies, sports, talk shows and specials. That network reaches about 25 million households in 48 states, Gary said.
"What we're trying to do is cover the news 24/7 from an urban perspective. We'll be patterned after CNN, with some of the bells and whistles, including magazine and issue-oriented shows," said Gary.
The administrative offices of MBC News: The Urban Voice, as the network will be called, will be based in Fort Pierce, Fla., Gary said this week.
Gary said MBC News is expected to debut by the end of the year in 10 million households. It is expected to cost about $25 million to launch and initially will employ about 75 people.
"This is a major breakthrough in television news," Gary said.
"MBC News will have a tremendous impact by broadcasting the positive aspects of African-American culture, which are too often ignored by other networks," he said.
"We see a lot of negative images of African-Americans on TV," he said. "Some of it is justified. News is news. If a black man is arrested or charged with murder, it should be reported. But I also want to balance the news by showing a black man graduating." MBC News will be Gary's second national TV operation.
He owns sister channel Major Broadcasting Cable Network, dubbed MBC, which bills itself as providing original, wholesome programming to African-American families and urban communities.
The lineup on MBC, which debuted in 1998, includes movies, sports, talk shows and specials. That network reaches about 25 million households in 48 states, Gary said.
"What we're trying to do is cover the news 24/7 from an urban perspective. We'll be patterned after CNN, with some of the bells and whistles, including magazine and issue-oriented shows," said Gary.
# posted by ATN @ 6:04 PM
CNNRadio to Discuss Future of Space Flight
Source: CNN PressRoom CNNRadio will air a special live one-hour program focusing on the future of NASA’s shuttle program. The program will be hosted by CNN’s American Morning anchor and space correspondent Miles O’Brien for the nearly 2,000 CNNRadio affiliates.The program, “The Future of the Shuttle,” will air live Thursday, Aug. 4, from 2-3 p.m. (ET) and will be produced by CNNRadio supervising producer Sherri Maksin. The program will discuss the progress of the current Discovery mission as well as NASA’s decision to ground the shuttle fleet. MORE
# posted by ATN @ 4:21 PM
Yahoo Using CNN Video...Still Has Some Tweaking to do
At the first of the week Yahoo! announced it was gonna start using CNN and ABC News content on Yahoo! News website. Chris Gaither of the Los Angeles Times made this observation yesterday after the Toronto plane crash: "The company still has some tweaking to do. For a short time Tuesday, a CNN.com story about an Air France plane crash in Toronto featured Yahoo ads offering flights on Air France. "
# posted by ATN @ 9:02 AM
More July #'s
Source: Hollywood Reporter Fox News -- which had its highest ratings of the year -- averaged 988,000 total viewers (up 24% from July 2004), including 295,000 in the adults 25-54 demographic (up 9%), according to data released Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research. CNN averaged 385,000 total viewers (up 3%), including 144,000 in the key demo (up 7%); Headline News averaged 208,000 total viewers (up 31%) and 104,000 in the demo (up 42%). MSNBC averaged 201,000 viewers (down 1%), including 84,000 in the demo (up 12%).In primetime, Fox News increased 38% to 1.9 million viewers, while CNN dropped 3% to 713,000 viewers and MSNBC dropped 11% to 280,000 viewers. Headline News continued to show strength in primetime, up 99% to 413,000 viewers to remain solidly in third place.
CNN's "Larry King Live" fell 15% to 1 million viewers; seven Fox News shows drew more viewers, including "The Big Story With John Gibson," a daytime show, which averaged 1.1 million viewers. The top show of the month remained "The O'Reilly Factor," averaging 2.4 million viewers, ahead of No. 2 "On the Record With Greta Van Susteren," which averaged 2.2 million viewers for a 58% increase.
# posted by ATN @ 8:49 AM
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
CNN I's 'Quest' Gets Sponsor
Source: The Peninsula Qatar Airways and CNN International yesterday announced a major collaboration as part of an integrated communications solution developed by the international news broadcaster: 'Quest', a new monthly half-hour feature programme will now be sponsored by Doha-based Qatar Airways, and is set to become a key part of CNN's programming schedule.This new monthly series puts CNN's Richard Quest in front of some of the world's greatest and most influential figures in their field as he goes in quest of the excellence that drives the world.
The partnership with Qatar Airways includes sponsorship of the monthly program on
CNN and the dedicated web site on CNN.com international edition, www.cnn.com/quest, online advertising across the international website and a series of 60 second vignettes to run alongside Qatar Airways' advertising spots.Rani Raad, vice president CNN advertising sales, Middle East, Africa and Southern Europe, added: "We are delighted to have developed this sponsorship vehicle for a client of Qatar Airways' caliber. Through 'Quest', CNN enables Qatar Airways to reach its target audience of senior international business travelers, around a highly relevant programming proposition. We are delighted to partner with Qatar Airways as we continue our longstanding support of the travel and tourism sector with creative new initiatives."
# posted by ATN @ 11:57 PM
Canadian Plane Crashes Prompts CNN/US Overnight Line-up Change
Anderson Cooper 360 will be repeated overnight on CNN/US NOT Lou Dobbs Tonight. The crash of an airplane in Toronto, Canada prompted BREAKING NEWS coverage during a portion of Lou Dobbs Tonight. AC 360 has picked up the re-run slot of LDT.
In covering the plane crash, Inside Cable News says CNN was first with the news followed by FOX and MSNBC.
UPDATE: An e-mailer says Wolf Blitzer and Miles O'brien were on during the entire 6pm EDT hour.
# posted by ATN @ 6:59 PM
End of July #'s
The end of another month means another round of monthly numbers. Inside Cable News has the all the #'s for ya, INCLUDING the Program Ranker. Worth mentioning IS: HLN's Nancy Grace averaged more viewers than all CNN programs with the exception of Larry King Live, NewsNight with Aaron Brown and Paula Zahn Now. All the others were left behind. Now surprise FNC is once again on top. Check out all the numbers HERE.
Just for those curious, American Morning seems to have done better. In July it comes in at 17th place versus 20th place for June. In July AM averaged 449,000 households and 495,000 total viewers VERSUS 401,000 households and 434,000 total viewers in June.
ALSO worth noting is #'s for Your World Today seemed to have increased in July. Last month YWT averaged 323,000 households and 355,000 total viewers. Compare those #'s to June when YWT averaged 258,000 households and 276,000 viewers.
UPDATE: According to info from Broadcasting and Cable, The Weather Channel's numbers were up 57% in July to 444,000 total viewers, due to a boost from the month’s hurricanes and tropical storms.
# posted by ATN @ 5:17 PM
Holloway Coverage Overload?
There's no sign the Natalie Holloway story is going away anytime soon AND there are two more articles out today that ask why all the attention is being paid on the Holloway story and not other missing people cases. The first article is from Men's News Daily and the second is an opinion piece from Randy Beamer of WOAI.com.
# posted by ATN @ 4:40 PM
Monday, August 01, 2005
Grace Gets Closer
Nancy Grace is inching ever so closer to the million mark in viewers for your prime-time HLN program. According to numbers from Inside Cable News, Nancy Grace had 942,000 viewers Friday night. Thus beating Anderson Cooper 360 which had 502,000 viewers, Paula Zahn Now, which is on at the same as Grace, had 437,000 viewers, NewsNight with Aaron Brown had 553,000 viewers. Larry King Live is the only CNN program Grace didn't beat. LKL had 1,084,000 viewers. The repeat of Nancy Grace garnered 482,000 viewers at 10pm. NewsNight airs LIVE during the Nancy Grace re-run.In prime-time average numbers, CNN had 691,000 viewers while HLN garnered 615,000 viewers. In the 25-54 demo in prime-time, HLN beat CNN. HLN had 225,000 viewers in the demo to CNN's 168,000 viewers.
Nancy had a pretty good program Monday night. Will it be the one that sends Grace over the million mark?
# posted by ATN @ 10:30 PM
Turner Exec Searches for Winning Propositions
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has interviewed CNN Jim McCaffrey, executive vice president for operations and strategy, Turner Broadcasting System. Below is an excerpt from the interview:Q: You joined Turner in 1995, when Ted was still in charge. How has the company evolved? Is it a good place to work?
A: It's a great place to work. The culture has successfully evolved from very much an entrepreneurial culture to become a more professional culture. The company has culturally moved as it had to move, but the company has really been able to hold the legacy of what Ted was doing.
Q: There are new initiatives at Turner on the interactive side, from GameTap to CNN Pipeline, a forthcoming online video news offering. Is this a big part of the company's future?
A: Unquestionably, it's important. How big, we don't really know. We're reasonably certain these businesses are going to grow profitably. We do not turn our backs or get defensive about changing technology and consumer habits.
On balance, the future of media represents far more opportunities for Turner Broadcasting than risks. So GameTap is a very important initiative for us. Not only is it an entry into a huge segment, the games business, it also is a direct-to-consumer product. That's an interesting and exciting new space.
Q: Aside from what's going on at Turner, what are some interesting media developments?
A: Certainly the direct-to-consumer distribution of content. ... This offers the next big horizon. Right now, the content that people are getting is not necessarily content that requires high speed. As broadband connectivity speeds come up, consumers will demand — and we're seeing this in different places around the world, Japan being one of the best examples — better content choices. You're just beginning to see video search. That will be a very interesting space.
Q: Advertising is changing quickly, too. How are advertisers supposed to reach people these days? Is the 30-second TV ad really falling off in value?A: We are not seeing any degradation in value of the 30-second ad. That said, we have to be able to develop supplemental and complementary and, if necessary, replacement advertising formats. That may be a 30-second commercial on CNN with 10-second spots on CNN.com ...
Read the complete article HERE. (free registration required)
# posted by ATN @ 4:02 PM
CNN, Sports Illustrated Recruit Top 25 Sports Figures of Quarter Century
Source: CNN PressRoom CNN, in a collaboration with Sports Illustrated magazine, examines the Top 25 sports personalities of the past quarter century in a series of weekday segments and an hour-long special presenting the most intriguing figures in sports since CNN first went on the air on June 1, 1980.“CNN 25 Top 25 Sports Characters,” an hour-long special hosted by CNN Headline News sports anchor Larry Smith, will premiere on Sunday, Aug. 7, at 8 p.m. (ET) and will re-air on Saturday, Aug. 13, at 8 p.m. (ET). The program will profile the likes of the late NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Sr., skateboarder Tony Hawk and retired basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
CNN asked the editors of Sports Illustrated to come up with the list of the top 25 sports characters, identifying the one aspect that made each of these athletes stand out from the crowd through their combination of personality and athletic skill.
“These 25 athletes aren’t just playmakers—they’re newsmakers,” Smith said. “They’re legends who we expect to make headlines as well as make us cheer. ”
The rankings will also appear online, where viewers can rank the innovations themselves or provide their thoughts and memories on how these innovations changed their lives. This list and other topics pertaining to CNN’s 25th anniversary can be found at www.cnn.com/cnn25.
# posted by ATN @ 3:13 PM
NAM on Dobbs Watch
Howard Kurtz writes this in today's DC Post Media Notes column: Lobbying groups can blog, too, it turns out. The National Association of Manufacturers has started an unusually personal one just to slam Lou Dobbs.The CNN anchor, who serves up his strong views on trade and immigration on his nightly news show, has his share of critics, but few are as harsh -- and monomaniacal -- as the "Dobbs Watch." The industry group's blog has called him "xenophobic" and "sanctimonious," assailing the "anti-trade, anti-immigration rants" of "a demagogue who stirs the basest instincts of a segment of the population in the interest of ratings."
Dobbs, whom CNN promotes as being on a "crusade," calls the Web site "silly. . . . The National Association of Manufacturers is not supporting American manufacturing but rather U.S. multinationals who want to outsource American jobs. Their pathetic blog is an expression of the corporate supremacists who are leading NAM but not representing their manufacturers. They use personal attacks because the facts don't support any of their faith-based libertarian economic philosophy."
Pat Cleary, NAM's senior vice president, is unapologetic about the blog he writes, saying its tone is "irreverent, tongue-in-cheek and a little subversive." He says that Dobbs "is wrong about trade" and that "his message runs counter to ours in such a persistent and fundamental way that I thought it was time to talk about that."# posted by ATN @ 2:26 PM
O'brien Does The Daily Show
American Morning Anchor and CNN Space Correspondent Miles O'brien is scheduled to appear on The Daily Show w/Jon Stewart Thursday, 8/4/05; Comedy Central; 11pm ET.
# posted by ATN @ 2:15 PM
Former CNN'er Wins Unfair Dismissal Case
Source: UK Press Gazette Employment practices at CNN’s London bureau have been condemned by an employment tribunal.Former writer and producer for the rolling news channel Elena Cosentino has won her case for unfair dismissal after the tribunal ruled that CNN was wrong to insist that she worked nights. Consentino was made redundant in April 2004 after four years in her job.
She argued that the death of her fiance in a motorbike accident had left her with serious medical problems and unable to work nights. Cosentino was seeking £190,000 in damages and the tribunal is expected to make a ruling on the size of the award in the next few weeks.
UPDATE: MediaChannel has alot more details of the tribunal.
# posted by ATN @ 9:46 AM
Yahoo Secures Deal to Use CNN and ABC News Video
Source: Associated Press ABC News and CNN.com plan to start providing video news feeds to Yahoo Inc.'s news site, the companies have announced. CNN.com will offer daily video clips and ABC will offer on-demand video content, Yahoo officials said in a statement late Sunday.Video will be available for free to Yahoo users and supported by advertising.
"The addition of CNN.com and ABC News video to Yahoo! brings two of the world's most respected and valuable news providers to the Internet's largest audience," Scott Moore, vice president of content operations for Yahoo, said in a statement.
# posted by ATN @ 9:28 AM
Foreign Broadcasters to be Kept off Indian Skies
Source: rediff.com Things could get tough for foreign news broadcasters that uplink from outside India. The downlinking policy, which is on the anvil, proposes to ban them from airing content as well as advertising meant for India.
Only channels owned 74 per cent by Indians can uplink from India. CNN, BBC, Bloomberg TV and Euronews will be at the receiving end of the proposed policy.
Any foreign news channel aired in India, as per the policy, will have to be a standard international feed and should not be designed specifically for India. MORE
# posted by ATN @ 12:37 AM
Saddam Trial to be Broadcast LIVE on TV
Source: Associated Press Iraq's national security adviser said Sunday he expects Saddam Hussein to go on trial before mid-October and said the trial would be telecast throughout the Arab world.
Mouwaffak al-Rubaie told CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" that Iraqis would be able to see that Saddam has "gone into the past and gone with the wind."
He said he hoped Saddam would be tried publicly before the Iraqi Special Tribunal before Oct. 15, the day Iraqis are to vote whether to ratify a new constitution. MORE
Mouwaffak al-Rubaie told CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" that Iraqis would be able to see that Saddam has "gone into the past and gone with the wind."
He said he hoped Saddam would be tried publicly before the Iraqi Special Tribunal before Oct. 15, the day Iraqis are to vote whether to ratify a new constitution. MORE
# posted by ATN @ 12:07 AM
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Study: Sunday Talk Shows Lack Black Guests
This from the DC Post: Only 8 percent of the guests on the major Sunday-morning talk shows over the past 18 months were African Americans, with three people accounting for the majority of those appearances, according to a new study by the National Urban League.
The study analyzed NBC's "Meet the Press," ABC's "This Week," CBS's "Face the Nation," Fox television's "Fox News Sunday" and CNN's "Late Edition." It found that more than 60 percent of the programs that aired during the 18-month period had no black guests. "Meet the Press," the talk show with the largest number of viewers, had no black guests on 86 percent of its broadcasts, the study said.
Read full article HERE.
# posted by ATN @ 10:34 AM
Can the Future of TV Be Seen on the Web?
The future of TV is the web. This USA Today article has a quote from the head of CNN.com: Growing audience interest. While Web video is in its infancy, it's getting a foothold in the workplace among people without TVs but with high-speed Internet. Prime time in this new medium: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. "They check whether the world is OK or some water-cooler thing," says CNN News Services' Susan Grant.
Read the full article HERE.
# posted by ATN @ 10:29 AM
PZN Begins Personal Security Series Monday
Source: CNN Press Room As part of CNN’s continual “Security Watch” coverage, Paula Zahn Now will air “Safe at Home,” a four-part series, airing Aug. 1-4, on personal and homeland safety and security issues in the United States following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Each night, the show will reveal results from a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll detailing Americans’ willingness for increased security measures and intrusions on privacy. MORE# posted by ATN @ 1:54 AM
