Saturday, August 20, 2005
Amanpour Featured In O, The Oprah Magazine
As WHAC mentioned a week or two back CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour is featured in the September 2005 edition of O, The Oprah Magazine. Featured on the publication's website is a portion of the interview Oprah conducted with Amanpour. Oprah and Christiane discuss several topics including: Do Americans care about international news?; Amanpour's family and juggling family life and career; and covering the Bosnia war. You'll find the audio HERE.
# posted by ATN @ 4:41 PM 
CNN Makes News with WMD Special
Source: Editor and Publisher A documentary to be aired on CNN this Sunday night on the "intelligence meltdown" on Iraq before the U.S. invasion is already making news. On Friday, CNN said that in the program, "Dead Wrong," a former top aide to Colin Powell calls his involvement in the former secretary of state's presentation to the United Nations on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction "the lowest point" in his life."I wish I had not been involved in it," Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, a longtime Powell adviser who served as his chief of staff from 2002 through 2005, told CNN. He said the information in Powell's presentation came from a document he described as "sort of a Chinese menu" that was provided by the White House. "It was anything but an intelligence document," he added, with some assertions based on the word of known fabricators.
While the long-awaited program is sure to revive interest, and anger, over the administration's false selling of the war on the basis of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, it may well leave the press off the hook. Yet it was the media's swallowing of the false claims in Powell's crucial speech that enabled the march to war to continue. MORE
“Dead Wrong—Inside an Intelligence Meltdown” to Air Aug. 21, 8 p.m. (ET)
# posted by ATN @ 4:11 PM
Costas Admitted on Air 'His Misgivings' on BTK Topic
On Wednesday night's edition of Larry King Live Bob Costas wasn't much in favor of the night's topic, the BTK killer. During the program he had this to say:
COSTAS: Larry Hatteberg of KAKE-TB in Wichita, in your view is Dennis Rader enjoying what's going on now? He's a much bigger celebrity. Outside of Wichita he was not as well-known as other notorious types. Now he is extremely well-known. Is he enjoying this?
LARRY HATTEBERG, KAKE-TV: Bob, he absolutely loves it. He loves to see us talking about it tonight and I'm sure if he's watching television, if he has access to a television set tonight that he's absolutely enjoying every piece of publicity he's getting from this because that's really what he lived for. He liked being in the limelight. He liked seeing his name in the paper. He liked hearing us talk about him on television, and that was one of the thrills.
One of -- his thrill was, of course to kill, and to torture, but the other aspect of it was he loved to be in the media limelight and he loved to manipulate it. We've said this many times, he was like a master puppeteer. He manipulated the public, the police and the media.
And we were all being pulled by Dennis Rader, the master puppet puppeteer and he loves this publicity. And a lot of people have said the best thing can happen to Dennis Rader is to put him in a cell and turn the light off and not give him access to any radio or any television and that would be a terrible punishment for Dennis Rader.
COSTAS: Larry, you've been around this for a long time, obviously, especially in Wichita and upon his capture, beyond Wichita. This is a news-worthy item but there's a lot of peripheral coverage. I have serious misgivings about this program right here, righjt now.
HATTEBERG: True.
COSTAS: Do we contribute to an atmosphere which is not so much informative as it is voyeuristic. What's the positive purpose of this?
UPDATE: 4:56pm ET Newshounds is reporting the hosts on Fox and Friends on FNC took some jabs at Costas today.
MORE 5:54pm ET Page Six has adds this: "BOB Costas, who has been covering for Larry King on CNN, balked Thursday night because he didn't want to do the Natalee Holloway story. Chris Pixley hosted instead. The Alabama teen's disappearance in Aruba has been covered ad nauseam. It's possible CNN brass didn't argue with Costas and try to change his mind because his ratings have been so dreadful. "Costas averaged just 222,000 viewers in the 25-54 demographic, which is 30 percent lower than what King usually averages," a TV insider tattled to PAGE SIX. CNN said comparisons were skewed because of King's tribute shows to Peter Jennings, which featured news legends such as Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw."
COSTAS: Larry Hatteberg of KAKE-TB in Wichita, in your view is Dennis Rader enjoying what's going on now? He's a much bigger celebrity. Outside of Wichita he was not as well-known as other notorious types. Now he is extremely well-known. Is he enjoying this?
LARRY HATTEBERG, KAKE-TV: Bob, he absolutely loves it. He loves to see us talking about it tonight and I'm sure if he's watching television, if he has access to a television set tonight that he's absolutely enjoying every piece of publicity he's getting from this because that's really what he lived for. He liked being in the limelight. He liked seeing his name in the paper. He liked hearing us talk about him on television, and that was one of the thrills.
One of -- his thrill was, of course to kill, and to torture, but the other aspect of it was he loved to be in the media limelight and he loved to manipulate it. We've said this many times, he was like a master puppeteer. He manipulated the public, the police and the media.
And we were all being pulled by Dennis Rader, the master puppet puppeteer and he loves this publicity. And a lot of people have said the best thing can happen to Dennis Rader is to put him in a cell and turn the light off and not give him access to any radio or any television and that would be a terrible punishment for Dennis Rader.
COSTAS: Larry, you've been around this for a long time, obviously, especially in Wichita and upon his capture, beyond Wichita. This is a news-worthy item but there's a lot of peripheral coverage. I have serious misgivings about this program right here, righjt now.
HATTEBERG: True.
COSTAS: Do we contribute to an atmosphere which is not so much informative as it is voyeuristic. What's the positive purpose of this?
UPDATE: 4:56pm ET Newshounds is reporting the hosts on Fox and Friends on FNC took some jabs at Costas today.
MORE 5:54pm ET Page Six has adds this: "BOB Costas, who has been covering for Larry King on CNN, balked Thursday night because he didn't want to do the Natalee Holloway story. Chris Pixley hosted instead. The Alabama teen's disappearance in Aruba has been covered ad nauseam. It's possible CNN brass didn't argue with Costas and try to change his mind because his ratings have been so dreadful. "Costas averaged just 222,000 viewers in the 25-54 demographic, which is 30 percent lower than what King usually averages," a TV insider tattled to PAGE SIX. CNN said comparisons were skewed because of King's tribute shows to Peter Jennings, which featured news legends such as Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw."
# posted by ATN @ 3:05 PM
Give WNT to Gibson
Has ABC News President David Westin been dropping hints all week on who will get the job of replacing Peter Jennings on World News Tonight? A Broadcasting and Cable article suggests he has and the person who will wind up with it will be Charlie Gibson.Here's an excerpt from the article:
"A week after Peter Jennings’ death, ABC’s flagship newscast changed its name from World News Tonight With Peter Jennings to simply World News Tonight. In an e-mail to staffers announcing the move, ABC News President David Westin noted that “of all people, Peter insisted on accuracy.” Then Westin added that “the unrelenting standards, the demanding focus on broadcasting the news from around the world, and an unwavering commitment to fairness that were the hallmarks of Peter’s career remain the core values of World News Tonight.”
Given those criteria, it’s obvious whom Westin should choose as Jennings’ successor: Charlie Gibson. "
Read the full article HERE.
# posted by ATN @ 12:59 PM
Everybody Can Be a Reporter
Pretty good article from Broadcasting and Cable on the uprise of citizen journalism. Cell phones and other gadgets enable ordinary citizens to get involved in gathering the story. AND it's happening from local to national news outlets. Read the entire article HERE.
# posted by ATN @ 12:36 PM
Friday, August 19, 2005
MORE on Costas Refusing to Host Thursday's LKL
Source: Associated Press While some cable TV hosts are making their living off the Natalee Holloway case this summer, Bob Costas is having none of it.Costas, hired by CNN as an occasional fill-in on "Larry King Live," refused to anchor Thursday's show because it was primarily about the Alabama teenager who went missing in Aruba. Chris Pixley filled in at the last minute.
I didn't think the subject matter of Thursday's show was the kind of broadcast I should be doing," Costas said in a statement. "I suggested some alternatives but the producers preferred the topics they had chosen. I was fine with that, and respectfully declined to participate."
Costas' manager declined to elaborate on what Costas didn't like about the topic.
Thursday's guests included Beth Holloway Twitty, the girl's mother; a television reporter; and an investigator in the case. Seven of the show's 10 guests talked about the missing girl, the other segments were about the BTK killer.
The Holloway case has been a big attraction on cable news networks during a slow news period, with Fox News Channel's Greta Van Susteren getting record ratings as she's paid almost nonstop attention to it. Reports of Costas' decision first surfaced on the mediabistro.com Web site on Friday.
"There were no hard feelings at all," Costas said. "It's not a big deal. I'm sure there are countless topics that will be mutually acceptable in the future."
Wendy Walker, senior executive producer of "Larry King Live," described it as a mutual decision for Costas not to do the show because he was uncomfortable with the subject matter.
"We love having Bob ... and since 'Larry King Live' covers an extremely extensive palate of subjects, there will always be shows that he will enjoy hosting," she said.
His decision is reminiscent of Keith Olbermann, the former sportscaster who left his MSNBC news show in the late 1990s in part because he was asked to repeatedly cover the Monica Lewinsky story. Olbermann is back now for his second run at MSNBC.
UPDATE: This from an e-mailer: "That's a big deal since the story hit the AP.... Who looks bad? CNN, Costas or both? I'd say CNN for hiring his dumb ass. He shouldn't have taken the job if his personal views were going to get in the way. He knew what the gig was, LKL covers a wide range of topics. I don't see how this "press" could be good for either of them."
# posted by ATN @ 6:14 PM
Costas Refuses to Host Thursday Night's LKL?
TV Newser is reporting Larry King Live sub host Bob Costas refused to be apart of Thursday night's program about Natalie Holloway and the BTK killer. TVN has these statements from the Costas and LKL executive producer:
"I didn't think the subject matter of Thursday's show was the kind of broadcast that I should be doing. I suggested some alternatives but the producers preferred the topics they had chosen. I was fine with that, and respectfully declined to participate. There were no hard feelings at all. It's not a big deal. I'm sure there are countless topics that will be mutually acceptable in the future."
--Bob Costas
"Bob decided he was not comfortable with the subject matter that we were covering on the show. So it was a mutual decision for him not to do it. We love having Bob guest host the show and since Larry King Live covers an extremely extensive palate of subjects, there will always be shows that he will enjoy hosting."
--Wendy Walker
Senior executive producer, Larry King Live
"I didn't think the subject matter of Thursday's show was the kind of broadcast that I should be doing. I suggested some alternatives but the producers preferred the topics they had chosen. I was fine with that, and respectfully declined to participate. There were no hard feelings at all. It's not a big deal. I'm sure there are countless topics that will be mutually acceptable in the future."
--Bob Costas
"Bob decided he was not comfortable with the subject matter that we were covering on the show. So it was a mutual decision for him not to do it. We love having Bob guest host the show and since Larry King Live covers an extremely extensive palate of subjects, there will always be shows that he will enjoy hosting."
--Wendy Walker
Senior executive producer, Larry King Live
# posted by ATN @ 5:34 PM
AM Says Goodbye to Steetside Set and Hello to Time Warner Center Monday
American Morning said goodbye to its studio in the Time Life building in Manhattan this morning. The crew will begin broadcasting the program from a temporary set in the Time Warner Center on Monday while a new newsroom set is constructed in the coming months. Here's a transcript of the exchange this morning concerning the move:
O'BRIEN: We're vacating this set. This couch will be eBay in about 20 minutes.
WALLACE: Remember, Jack Cafferty used to get e-mails from people, wondering where do you get the couch?
O'BRIEN: Where do you get a couch like this?
WALLACE: Yes. Now you'll find out.
O'BRIEN: Let us explain to you. We are .7 miles away, three- quarters of a mile away, from the control room. Take a look at the control room. Now there's some people there, I think. Yes, I hear their voices.
COSTELLO: There they are.
WALLACE: There they are.
O'BRIEN: Oh my goodness, they have faces. Which one is my boss? Kim, where are you?
WALLACE: There, she just waved.
O'BRIEN: That's Kim. There's -- Alex is around. There's Ted, and everybody. And we're going to be actually very close to them. And I'm not sure if they're happy about that, but we're happy that we're moving to Time Warner Center to some new digs. We'll be in temporary digs for a while, and then we're going to have a spectacular new set toward the fall. And the window set is now moving on.
COSTELLO: It is moving on.
WALLACE: Sad to leave, but...
COSTELLO: It is.
WALLACE: ... nice to move on...
O'BRIEN: We'll be back on Monday.
WALLACE: ... to bigger and better places.
VELSHI: Everybody, carry a box on your way out.
COSTELLO: We're like the Jeffersons, we're moving on out.
VELSHI: There's been no news on this show for the last hour and a half because everybody's just piling things up. It's like, we've been hearing news about things happening -- it's like, we'll get to it later.
O'BRIEN: We're vacating this set. This couch will be eBay in about 20 minutes.
WALLACE: Remember, Jack Cafferty used to get e-mails from people, wondering where do you get the couch?
O'BRIEN: Where do you get a couch like this?
WALLACE: Yes. Now you'll find out.
O'BRIEN: Let us explain to you. We are .7 miles away, three- quarters of a mile away, from the control room. Take a look at the control room. Now there's some people there, I think. Yes, I hear their voices.
COSTELLO: There they are.
WALLACE: There they are.
O'BRIEN: Oh my goodness, they have faces. Which one is my boss? Kim, where are you?
WALLACE: There, she just waved.
O'BRIEN: That's Kim. There's -- Alex is around. There's Ted, and everybody. And we're going to be actually very close to them. And I'm not sure if they're happy about that, but we're happy that we're moving to Time Warner Center to some new digs. We'll be in temporary digs for a while, and then we're going to have a spectacular new set toward the fall. And the window set is now moving on.
COSTELLO: It is moving on.
WALLACE: Sad to leave, but...
COSTELLO: It is.
WALLACE: ... nice to move on...
O'BRIEN: We'll be back on Monday.
WALLACE: ... to bigger and better places.
VELSHI: Everybody, carry a box on your way out.
COSTELLO: We're like the Jeffersons, we're moving on out.
VELSHI: There's been no news on this show for the last hour and a half because everybody's just piling things up. It's like, we've been hearing news about things happening -- it's like, we'll get to it later.
# posted by ATN @ 5:17 PM
Turner Sides With North Korea on Nuclear Energy
Source: CNSNews Billionaire environmentalist and media mogul Ted Turner believes Washington should give in to North Korea's demand to keep its civilian nuclear energy program. That demand is a key sticking-point in disarmament talks and an area of emerging disagreement between the U.S. and its South Korean ally.
The CNN founder visited North Korea last weekend to discuss his vision of turning the demilitarized zone dividing the peninsula into a conservation park. Half a century of minimal human activity in the strip of no-man's land has enabled rare plants, animals and bird life to flourish. MORE
The CNN founder visited North Korea last weekend to discuss his vision of turning the demilitarized zone dividing the peninsula into a conservation park. Half a century of minimal human activity in the strip of no-man's land has enabled rare plants, animals and bird life to flourish. MORE
# posted by ATN @ 7:14 AM
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Columnist: Stop Watching Cable 'News'
Here we are with another article about the over coverage of the Natalie Holloway story. But William W. Savage III of The Oklahoma Daily offers up some good advice, if people would just stop watching the coverage, the channels would move on to something else:
"Be your own information filter, and don’t be distracted by pointless coverage designed to pull heart-strings and boost ratings. The benefits of TV news are extremely limited, and if people stopped watching, eventually their proliferation would cease."
Read the full article HERE.
"Be your own information filter, and don’t be distracted by pointless coverage designed to pull heart-strings and boost ratings. The benefits of TV news are extremely limited, and if people stopped watching, eventually their proliferation would cease."
Read the full article HERE.
# posted by ATN @ 9:06 AM
Columnist: Media's Quest for Diversity Fades
Eric Deggans writes a column in response to comments made by Jesse Jackson about the lack of black people anchoring programs on cable and at the networks. Deggans quotes Jackson as saying, ""Not one black (person) leads a show on CNN, or Fox News or MSNBC," he said, voice rising in a preacherly cadence. "Doesn't that offend you?" Deggans points out that Soledad O'brien hosts CNN's American Morning.
The column also addresses the overload coverage and the alleged bias in covering the Natalie Holloway story. Here's what CNN President Jon Klein had to say, "You don't want to be lazy in just slapping a moniker on something," he said. "The question is: Over a period of time of viewing, do you come away understanding the news of the day? At CNN, there's no doubt of our conviction and no doubt we are walking the walk."
Read the complete column HERE.
Hmmmm....just realized Deggans mentioned O'brien and CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta but failed to mention weekend anchor Fredricka Whitfield.
The column also addresses the overload coverage and the alleged bias in covering the Natalie Holloway story. Here's what CNN President Jon Klein had to say, "You don't want to be lazy in just slapping a moniker on something," he said. "The question is: Over a period of time of viewing, do you come away understanding the news of the day? At CNN, there's no doubt of our conviction and no doubt we are walking the walk."
Read the complete column HERE.
Hmmmm....just realized Deggans mentioned O'brien and CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta but failed to mention weekend anchor Fredricka Whitfield.
# posted by ATN @ 1:26 AM
CNN Announced 'Young Journalist Award'
Source: Business Line CNN on Wednesday announced the third edition of the "CNN Young Journalist Award."Mallika Kapur, reporter and producer for CNN International, said that this award is open to media persons, between the ages of 22 and 28, from electronic, online and print media, in India and Pakistan.
This year there is a new category - Cameraperson of the year- to recognise the importance of the cameraperson in newsgathering. The last date for submission of entries is October 15.
Entry forms can be obtained either by writing to Turner offices or by logging on to the CNN Web site.
# posted by ATN @ 12:23 AM
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Fair? Balanced? A Study Finds It Does Not Matter
Source: New York Times The share of Americans who believe that news organizations are "politically biased in their reporting" increased to 60 percent in 2005, up from 45 percent in 1985, according to polls by the Pew Research Center.
Many people also believe that biased reporting influences who wins or loses elections. A new study by Stefano DellaVigna of the University of California, Berkeley, and Ethan Kaplan of the Institute for International Economic Studies at Stockholm University, however, casts doubt on this view. Specifically, the economists ask whether the advent of the Fox News Channel, Rupert Murdoch's cable television network, affected voter behavior. They found that Fox had no detectable effect on which party people voted for, or whether they voted at all.
An appealing feature of their study is that it does not matter if Fox News represents the political center and the rest of the media the liberal wing, or Fox represents the extreme right and the rest of the media the middle. Fox's political orientation is clearly to the right of the rest of the media. Research has found, for example, that Fox News is much more likely than other news shows to cite conservative think tanks and less likely to cite liberal ones.
You'll find much more HERE.
Many people also believe that biased reporting influences who wins or loses elections. A new study by Stefano DellaVigna of the University of California, Berkeley, and Ethan Kaplan of the Institute for International Economic Studies at Stockholm University, however, casts doubt on this view. Specifically, the economists ask whether the advent of the Fox News Channel, Rupert Murdoch's cable television network, affected voter behavior. They found that Fox had no detectable effect on which party people voted for, or whether they voted at all.
An appealing feature of their study is that it does not matter if Fox News represents the political center and the rest of the media the liberal wing, or Fox represents the extreme right and the rest of the media the middle. Fox's political orientation is clearly to the right of the rest of the media. Research has found, for example, that Fox News is much more likely than other news shows to cite conservative think tanks and less likely to cite liberal ones.
You'll find much more HERE.
# posted by ATN @ 10:46 PM
CNN About to Get Towed Out of Crawford?
Source: Blogcritics.com From the sound of someone Miles O'brien was interviewing from Crawford, Texas this morning, aka DC West, CNN isn't welcome there. Watch the video HERE.
Additional: This from an e-mailer: "I was watching when all this transpired. The guy Miles was talking to was something like an alderman, city council person, whatever, and he was commenting in general about all of the hullaballoo this Cindy Sheehan and her group were creating and how the locals were reacting and that MOSTLY it was the people coming in from outside to support Sheehan that were causing traffic issues. It really sounded like the guy was halfway joking with Miles about the CNN truck, but was using it as an example as how the situation, traffic-wise, was getting out of hand. Read/heard later that the CNN truck was still there."
Additional: This from an e-mailer: "I was watching when all this transpired. The guy Miles was talking to was something like an alderman, city council person, whatever, and he was commenting in general about all of the hullaballoo this Cindy Sheehan and her group were creating and how the locals were reacting and that MOSTLY it was the people coming in from outside to support Sheehan that were causing traffic issues. It really sounded like the guy was halfway joking with Miles about the CNN truck, but was using it as an example as how the situation, traffic-wise, was getting out of hand. Read/heard later that the CNN truck was still there."
# posted by ATN @ 5:48 PM
MSNBC.com Takes Top News Site for July...CNN.com Comes in Third
Source: ZD Net Most popular news sites in July 2005: MSNBC, Yahoo! News, CNN by ZDNet's ZDNet Research -- Nielsen//NetRatings published the list of most popular news sites in July 2005.MSNBC - 27.4 mln usersYahoo! News - 27.3CNN - 22.8AOL News - 20.0Knight Ridder - 8.7Tribune - 7.9USA Today - 7.8NY Times - 6.8Google News - 5.8ABC News - 5.6.
# posted by ATN @ 5:43 PM
Just remembered Monday, August 15th was WHAC's first birthday. I think you will agree the blog has come a long way since then. Looking at a new look. Have not made up my mind on it. I guess I will just have to do like the NIKE commercial says, JUST DO IT!
# posted by ATN @ 12:13 AM
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Jennings Tribute Puts ABC News on Top
Source: Associated Press World News Tonight topped the evening news ratings for the first time in more than a year -- the increased viewership amounting to yet another tribute to Peter Jennings.The longtime ABC News anchor died of lung cancer Aug. 7. The following day's World News Tonight, largely devoted to Jennings's legacy, was seen by 10.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. The broadcast hasn't had that many viewers in August since 1998.
World News Tonight won each night last week except Wednesday, Nielsen said.
ABC's two-hour prime-time tribute to Jennings last Wednesday was seen by 9.4 million people. That would have put the program in Nielsen's top 10 for the week, but the company doesn't rank shows that air without commercials.
World News Tonight averaged 8.9 million viewers (6.3 rating, 13 share) while NBC's Nightly News had 8.2 million viewers (6.0, 13) and CBS Evening News 6.3 million (4.6, 10).
# posted by ATN @ 11:20 PM
CNN Chief Overrun With E-mails Opposing Roberts Ad
Source: AJC CNN's Jim Walton got the message people were upset with the network's airing of an ad that targeted Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. More than 10,000 messages, actually.
A pro-life group that didn't like an ad created by NARAL Pro-Choice America marshaled a mass e-mail campaign that hit Walton's inbox over the weekend. In a note Monday to fellow executives, Walton, the network's president, said the phone would be the only way to reach him for a while, given that his e-mail was temporarily clogged.
The campaign focused on a controversial ad that attacked Roberts. CNN and others are often hit by such orchestrated efforts, but CNN spokeswoman Laurie Goldberg said that most e-mails go to a general inbox, not an individual executive, and the numbers are usually lower.
The e-mail campaign is a reminder that the Web is a key factor in modern lobbying of big organizations, especially on hot-button political issues. The NARAL ad was blasted by critics for claiming Roberts sided with violent anti-abortion activists. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who supports abortion rights, was one those who called the ad unfair.
NARAL pulled the ad late Thursday because of such complaints, but that didn't stop Fidelis, a Chelsea, Mich., Catholic organization that opposes abortion, from going after CNN. Fidelis used a Web site called CNNbias.org to solicit e-mails.
Fidelis President Joseph Cella said the group deliberately targeted Walton. "We feel that the day-to-day decision-makers need to hear directly from the public," he said Tuesday.
But Goldberg said CNN doesn't pay attention to mass campaigns. "We welcome individual feedback," she said. "When a message is clearly mass produced, that counts as one e-mail."
For the record, CNN also ran a pro-Roberts ad from Progress for America that countered the NARAL spot.
A pro-life group that didn't like an ad created by NARAL Pro-Choice America marshaled a mass e-mail campaign that hit Walton's inbox over the weekend. In a note Monday to fellow executives, Walton, the network's president, said the phone would be the only way to reach him for a while, given that his e-mail was temporarily clogged.
The campaign focused on a controversial ad that attacked Roberts. CNN and others are often hit by such orchestrated efforts, but CNN spokeswoman Laurie Goldberg said that most e-mails go to a general inbox, not an individual executive, and the numbers are usually lower.
The e-mail campaign is a reminder that the Web is a key factor in modern lobbying of big organizations, especially on hot-button political issues. The NARAL ad was blasted by critics for claiming Roberts sided with violent anti-abortion activists. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who supports abortion rights, was one those who called the ad unfair.
NARAL pulled the ad late Thursday because of such complaints, but that didn't stop Fidelis, a Chelsea, Mich., Catholic organization that opposes abortion, from going after CNN. Fidelis used a Web site called CNNbias.org to solicit e-mails.
Fidelis President Joseph Cella said the group deliberately targeted Walton. "We feel that the day-to-day decision-makers need to hear directly from the public," he said Tuesday.
But Goldberg said CNN doesn't pay attention to mass campaigns. "We welcome individual feedback," she said. "When a message is clearly mass produced, that counts as one e-mail."
For the record, CNN also ran a pro-Roberts ad from Progress for America that countered the NARAL spot.
# posted by ATN @ 9:53 PM
Worm Bites Other News Orgs Other Than CNN
Source: Associated Press Infected firms include CNN, the New York Times and Caterpillar. Computers running on Windows 2000 were targeted.
Trend Micro security analyst David Perry said the worms are known as: Rbot.cbq, SDBot.bzh and Zotob.d.
They spread across the Internet Tuesday.
I also have read that ABC News was affected right along with the Associated Press and MSNBC.
MORE from Netcraft:
A computer worm disrupted the networks of U.S media organizations today, but has had no visible impact upon major web sites. The worm, which uses a vulnerability in Windows PnP to target Windows 2000 machines, knocked computers offline at CNN, ABC News and the New York Times. The damage appears to be limited to internal corporate networks, as the web sites of the U.S. Fortune 100 show no unusual outages, including the 18 companies in the index hosted on Windows 2000. Likewise, Britain's FTSE 100, which has 36 sites running on Win2K, shows no suspicious performance problems either.
Trend Micro security analyst David Perry said the worms are known as: Rbot.cbq, SDBot.bzh and Zotob.d.
They spread across the Internet Tuesday.
I also have read that ABC News was affected right along with the Associated Press and MSNBC.
MORE from Netcraft:
A computer worm disrupted the networks of U.S media organizations today, but has had no visible impact upon major web sites. The worm, which uses a vulnerability in Windows PnP to target Windows 2000 machines, knocked computers offline at CNN, ABC News and the New York Times. The damage appears to be limited to internal corporate networks, as the web sites of the U.S. Fortune 100 show no unusual outages, including the 18 companies in the index hosted on Windows 2000. Likewise, Britain's FTSE 100, which has 36 sites running on Win2K, shows no suspicious performance problems either.
# posted by ATN @ 9:42 PM
CNN Gets Bit By Worm
Apparently CNN was bit by the computer worm that shut down computers across the world this afternoon. Here's an e-mail from a tipster noting the alert sent to stations:
-URGENT.TECHNICAL.ALERT
STATIONS WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPEIRENCING AN INTERUPTION IN DISTRIBUTION BECAUSE OF THE WINDOWS COMPUTER WORM.
WE ARE MOVING TO LINEAR FEEDS. OUR FIRST FEED WILL BE AT 7:00 PM ET ON NEWSOURCE CHANNEL ONE.
PLEASE MONITOR THE AUDIO ALERT BOX FOR UPDATES.
CNN-ATL 08-16-05 1817EST
UPDATE: Here's a screen grab of HLN while the news was breaking:
Pic from CNN Coverage Notes. CNN Coverage Notes has more pics HERE. CCN notes the following observations:
>>The overlays are on for the Headline Prime News Break.
>>The CNN/US ticker came back around 7:11pm.
>>There is no ticker on CNN/US or CNN/HLN. CNNFan.com Forum member halju is reporting that CNNi’s ticker is also gone.
>>Music was not playing at the very start of the breaking news, however it is working again.
>>CNN Headline News is following another Developing Story about a car chase in Los Angeles.
UPDATE: I'm posting this a little late BUT here's an email from a CNN'er: "I work for a CNN NewsSource affiliate, and we've been told that their digital video systems have been hit by a computer worm and they can't send out fiber feeds. Also, if you notice, Wolf Blitzer has not been able to do anything but do in-studio interviews. No live shots for at least 15 minutes. Any word on this?"
UPDATE: 9:38pm CNN/HLN has returned to normal. The scrolling news ticker is back. ALSO this from an e-mailer: "MSNBC was also affected - they still don't have their ticker back. You'd think these hot shot cable companies could afford something more up-date than Windows 2000."
UPDATE: 8/17 5:55pm ET Note: MSNBC never has a scrolling ticker in primetime. I didn't know that because I don't get MSNBC. The original e-mailer e-mailed me back to correct it. Thanks!
-URGENT.TECHNICAL.ALERT
STATIONS WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPEIRENCING AN INTERUPTION IN DISTRIBUTION BECAUSE OF THE WINDOWS COMPUTER WORM.
WE ARE MOVING TO LINEAR FEEDS. OUR FIRST FEED WILL BE AT 7:00 PM ET ON NEWSOURCE CHANNEL ONE.
PLEASE MONITOR THE AUDIO ALERT BOX FOR UPDATES.
CNN-ATL 08-16-05 1817EST
UPDATE: Here's a screen grab of HLN while the news was breaking:
Pic from CNN Coverage Notes. CNN Coverage Notes has more pics HERE. CCN notes the following observations:
>>The overlays are on for the Headline Prime News Break.
>>The CNN/US ticker came back around 7:11pm.
>>There is no ticker on CNN/US or CNN/HLN. CNNFan.com Forum member halju is reporting that CNNi’s ticker is also gone.
>>Music was not playing at the very start of the breaking news, however it is working again.
>>CNN Headline News is following another Developing Story about a car chase in Los Angeles.
UPDATE: I'm posting this a little late BUT here's an email from a CNN'er: "I work for a CNN NewsSource affiliate, and we've been told that their digital video systems have been hit by a computer worm and they can't send out fiber feeds. Also, if you notice, Wolf Blitzer has not been able to do anything but do in-studio interviews. No live shots for at least 15 minutes. Any word on this?"
UPDATE: 9:38pm CNN/HLN has returned to normal. The scrolling news ticker is back. ALSO this from an e-mailer: "MSNBC was also affected - they still don't have their ticker back. You'd think these hot shot cable companies could afford something more up-date than Windows 2000."
UPDATE: 8/17 5:55pm ET Note: MSNBC never has a scrolling ticker in primetime. I didn't know that because I don't get MSNBC. The original e-mailer e-mailed me back to correct it. Thanks!
# posted by ATN @ 7:42 PM
Chapin Named CNN’s New York Bureau Chief
Source: CNN PressRoom Edith Chapin, CNN’s Midwest regional bureau chief, will become the network’s New York bureau chief, it was announced today by Jack Womack, senior vice president of domestic news operations and administration for CNN/U.S. As the New York bureau chief, Chapin will coordinate CNN coverage in New York and the Northeast region.
“Edith brings an amazing breadth of bureau experience to New York,” Womack said. “Not only has she guided our leading coverage from the Midwest, she has an intimate knowledge of our New York bureau having served as deputy bureau chief there in the past.”
“While I’ve enjoyed covering and developing reports from the Midwest for CNN, I’m excited about working in New York City again,” said Chapin, who assumes her new responsibilities on Aug. 29. “Few things compare with the energy and thrill of directing news coverage from one of the most news-oriented cities in the world.”
As CNN’s Midwest regional bureau chief, Chapin oversaw newsgathering efforts in the network’s bureaus in Chicago, Dallas and Denver. Previously, she served as deputy bureau chief and managing editor of the New York bureau, where she helped coordinate coverage of the Sept. 11 attacks and the aftermath. Before that, Chapin was based in London and reported on events in Bosnia, Rwanda and Northern Ireland during the 1990s. She was also part of CNN’s team covering the Persian Gulf War in 1991.
“Edith brings an amazing breadth of bureau experience to New York,” Womack said. “Not only has she guided our leading coverage from the Midwest, she has an intimate knowledge of our New York bureau having served as deputy bureau chief there in the past.”
“While I’ve enjoyed covering and developing reports from the Midwest for CNN, I’m excited about working in New York City again,” said Chapin, who assumes her new responsibilities on Aug. 29. “Few things compare with the energy and thrill of directing news coverage from one of the most news-oriented cities in the world.”
As CNN’s Midwest regional bureau chief, Chapin oversaw newsgathering efforts in the network’s bureaus in Chicago, Dallas and Denver. Previously, she served as deputy bureau chief and managing editor of the New York bureau, where she helped coordinate coverage of the Sept. 11 attacks and the aftermath. Before that, Chapin was based in London and reported on events in Bosnia, Rwanda and Northern Ireland during the 1990s. She was also part of CNN’s team covering the Persian Gulf War in 1991.
# posted by ATN @ 4:52 PM
Monday, August 15, 2005
HLN Tweaks Graphics
These CNN Fans noticed the very slight change in the lower thirds on HLN. Compare for yourself. The one on the top is from today, the bottom one is from Friday.
Pics from TV Heads
Pics from TV Heads
# posted by ATN @ 2:29 PM
CNN en Español Holding Journalism Competition
Source: International Journalists' Network The Spanish-language version of CNN will honor Latin American broadcasters whose original works reflect their vision of the region for the next 25 years. CNN en Español’s first journalism competition seeks to recognize excellence in Latin American journalism, as part of CNN’s 25th anniversary festivities.
The TV network will select a winner and five finalists. The winner will receive a three-day, all-expenses-paid trip to Atlanta, Georgia, as a special guest of CNN en Español. The winner will visit the network’s production studio and meet its staff. The winner will also have the chance to include his or her work in a special program in December and also on the network’s Web site.
The finalists’ work also will be included in the special program, and those journalists will receive promotional items from CNN en Español. Candidates can register via mail or the Internet by October 20. Brazil and Puerto Rico are excluded from participating.
”CNN en Español is dedicated to promoting excellence in journalism, and with this competition we aim to encourage investigation and creativity among our Latin American colleagues and offer them the opportunity to gain hemispheric exposure for their works,” said Christopher Crommett, vice-president of CNN in Spanish. A panel of network executives and managers will choose the winners.
Additional info can be found HERE.
# posted by ATN @ 11:58 AM
Little Bit of Old and New
What was suppose to be the debut of a new logo and branding for The Weather Channel halfway took place today. In between the local on the 8's and commercials we see the new TWC logo and slogan, 'Bringing weather to life', BUT apparently cable viewers still see the old logo on the black bar. An e-mailer suggests maybe they are phasing the new logo in.
UPDATE: I have gotten several e-mails from blog readers they now have the new logo. One e-mailer says it's up to the cable operators to update the software for the local info. I still have the old logo on the black bar.
UPDATE: 2:06 ET My cable system has updated the software for the local conditions weather bar and it has the new logo. I have to agree with an e-mailer that the new logo really sticks up too much. It needs rounded edges.
UPDATE: 5:00 pm ET Below is a screen grab. Thanks to CNN Coverage Notes!!
UPDATE: I have gotten several e-mails from blog readers they now have the new logo. One e-mailer says it's up to the cable operators to update the software for the local info. I still have the old logo on the black bar.
UPDATE: 2:06 ET My cable system has updated the software for the local conditions weather bar and it has the new logo. I have to agree with an e-mailer that the new logo really sticks up too much. It needs rounded edges.
UPDATE: 5:00 pm ET Below is a screen grab. Thanks to CNN Coverage Notes!!
# posted by ATN @ 9:19 AM
Klein Pleased with TSR
Marketwatch's Jon Friedman writes about The Situation Room today. In the article CNN President Jon Klein says he is pleased with the program," "It has gone beyond our expectations," he said. "It's exactly what we want to convey to the audience -- nothing but hard news."
The new 3 hour program debuted last week.
Read the complete article HERE.
The new 3 hour program debuted last week.
Read the complete article HERE.
# posted by ATN @ 12:16 AM
Sunday, August 14, 2005
CNN Veteran Featured in Mag
An e-mailer dropped WHAC this note: "Just wanted you to know that in the September issue of Oprah Magazine, Oprah does a very long, rocking interview with Christiane Amanpour. She talks about the stories she's covered, she's proudest of her work in Bosnia, feels "shame" over not being able to cover Rwanda as it should have been, the things that make her happiest are her husband and son, she would like to have another child, but she's 47 1/2, and something I wouldn't expect, she is a Cream fan, she talks about seeing Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker & Jack Bruce at Royal Albert Hall. One interesting quote, when Oprah asks her where she sees herself in 5 years, Christiane says "I don't rule anything in or out," she ends her answer saying "if we don't respect our profession and we see it frittering away into the realm of trivality and sensationalism, we'll lose our standing."
It's a great interview. There is also a picture of her with her son, Darius, although it was taken in July 2000 when he was 3 months old."
# posted by ATN @ 7:46 PM
Former CNN'er Comes Home
An e-mailer makes this observation: "A former CNNer returned today. Former HLN and Airport Network anchor Stacey Elgin filled in for Renay San Miguel today, anchoring the 12noon- 6pm shift. Elgin most recently signed as a freelancer with a local Atlanta station. She had left the network to be married and live and work in North Carolina."
# posted by ATN @ 3:18 PM
30-Minutes of News is Plenty for Networks
Great editorial in The Keene Sentinel about the network news programs and how they should stay with the 30-minute news format. The writer took several jabs at the cable news channels in the piece as well. Below is an excerpt:
"You don’t hear the news people at ABC, CBS and NBC talking about 60-minute newscasts these days, thanks in part to the impossibility of it all, but also thanks to the proliferation of cable-satellite news channels. For in recent years these channels — CNN, Headline News, MSNBC and Fox News Channel — have shown that longer news programming does not necessarily translate into more complete news programming.
All four of those channels devote substantial time to news each evening, but it’s news infused with — and often obscured by — attitude.
On CNN, anchor Lou Dobbs is conducting a nightly crusade against illegal immigration. That may or may not be a worthy effort, but his program often resembles a tent show more than a newscast.
Also night after night, on the now misnamed Headline News channel, Nancy Grace shrieks her personal prejudices regarding the judicial system. It is a creepy exercise.
Meanwhile, Fox is busy being Fox — expertly putting a right-wing spin on everything in sight. And people on also-ran MSNBC are trying in vain to out-Fox Fox.
For a decade or more, observers have been predicting the demise of the networks’ evening newscasts, and someday those predictions will surely come true. Ratings have been slipping. But for now the programs still command healthy audiences — between 25 million and 30 people collectively each night — figures that dwarf the ratings for the cable shouters.
That’s probably because the network news departments are still able to perform a service in 23 minutes that their cable rivals are unable or unwilling do hour after hour after hour. We hate to say this about the once most trusted man in America, but Walter Cronkite was wrong."
"You don’t hear the news people at ABC, CBS and NBC talking about 60-minute newscasts these days, thanks in part to the impossibility of it all, but also thanks to the proliferation of cable-satellite news channels. For in recent years these channels — CNN, Headline News, MSNBC and Fox News Channel — have shown that longer news programming does not necessarily translate into more complete news programming.
All four of those channels devote substantial time to news each evening, but it’s news infused with — and often obscured by — attitude.
On CNN, anchor Lou Dobbs is conducting a nightly crusade against illegal immigration. That may or may not be a worthy effort, but his program often resembles a tent show more than a newscast.
Also night after night, on the now misnamed Headline News channel, Nancy Grace shrieks her personal prejudices regarding the judicial system. It is a creepy exercise.
Meanwhile, Fox is busy being Fox — expertly putting a right-wing spin on everything in sight. And people on also-ran MSNBC are trying in vain to out-Fox Fox.
For a decade or more, observers have been predicting the demise of the networks’ evening newscasts, and someday those predictions will surely come true. Ratings have been slipping. But for now the programs still command healthy audiences — between 25 million and 30 people collectively each night — figures that dwarf the ratings for the cable shouters.
That’s probably because the network news departments are still able to perform a service in 23 minutes that their cable rivals are unable or unwilling do hour after hour after hour. We hate to say this about the once most trusted man in America, but Walter Cronkite was wrong."
# posted by ATN @ 12:59 PM
