Saturday, July 01, 2006
Former Shuttle Commander-Now CNN Commentator More Nervous Watching a Launch
Former shuttle commander turned CNN space commentator Eileen Collins says she's more nervous watching a launch than actually being in the commander's seat. Below is an excerpt from an article from the Associated Press:
"Last year, Eileen Collins sat on more than a million pounds of explosive fuel, strapped into a space shuttle.
Saturday she sat in a director's chair waiting for a liftoff that didn't happen for seven of her former colleagues _ more anxious than she was as shuttle commander.
"I am much more nervous watching a launch," said Collins, 49, who retired from NASA two months ago and was working as a TV commentator this weekend. "When I'm in the orbiter, flying my own mission, I'm very calm."
In July a year ago, all space exploration attention was focused on Collins who was about to lead the first shuttle mission since the Columbia disaster in 2003.
This time around she's working for CNN, hanging out with reporters at the Kennedy Space Center media compound. The first female space commander shared anecdotes with television anchors about her time in space. And she kept in touch with NASA public affairs officers for updates on a thruster heater problem that threatened the launch before the weather finally forced the mission to be scrubbed. Another launch will be tried Sunday afternoon.
Collins left NASA in May to spend more time with her husband and two children. She hasn't decide what her next job will be but hopes it's in the space industry."
"Last year, Eileen Collins sat on more than a million pounds of explosive fuel, strapped into a space shuttle.
Saturday she sat in a director's chair waiting for a liftoff that didn't happen for seven of her former colleagues _ more anxious than she was as shuttle commander.
"I am much more nervous watching a launch," said Collins, 49, who retired from NASA two months ago and was working as a TV commentator this weekend. "When I'm in the orbiter, flying my own mission, I'm very calm."
In July a year ago, all space exploration attention was focused on Collins who was about to lead the first shuttle mission since the Columbia disaster in 2003.
This time around she's working for CNN, hanging out with reporters at the Kennedy Space Center media compound. The first female space commander shared anecdotes with television anchors about her time in space. And she kept in touch with NASA public affairs officers for updates on a thruster heater problem that threatened the launch before the weather finally forced the mission to be scrubbed. Another launch will be tried Sunday afternoon.
Collins left NASA in May to spend more time with her husband and two children. She hasn't decide what her next job will be but hopes it's in the space industry."
# posted by ATN @ 7:33 PM 
The Shuttle is about to launch and dang my cable is out. No fear though, I'm watching coverage via CNN Pipeline. Not sure what's showing on CNN/US but Miles O'brien is doing a great job of coverage on CNN Pipeline. Alongside Miles is NASA's Eileen Collin as they continue coverage even though the launch is on hold for now.
# posted by ATN @ 1:46 PM
Friday, June 30, 2006
LKL Helps CNN Win Prime
The Larry King/Star Jones interview helped CNN garner enough viewers to top FNC for the evening. According to numbers posted by TV Newser, Larry King Live averaged 2,984,000 Thursday night. The interview helped CNN average 1,638,000 total viewers in prime-time. FNC averaged 1,600,000. CNN also won in the demo averaging 530,000 and FNC averaging 386,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo. When was the last time CNN won in total viewers and demo during prime-time?
# posted by ATN @ 10:55 PM
Anderson Cooper 360° to Air Gulf Coast Special on Wednesday, July
Source: CNN Press Release Anderson Cooper and a team of CNN correspondents will share inspiring stories of unsung heroes from the Gulf Coast region in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina during a Wednesday, July 5, special. In addition, country music superstars Faith Hill and Tim McGraw will join Cooper for a revealing tour of St. Bernard Parish and the lower 9th Ward on the same day of their benefit concert in New Orleans.
The special, “American Heroes: Giving Back to the Gulf,” airs during Anderson Cooper 360° on July 5, beginning at 10 p.m. (ET)
CNN’s correspondents will report on everyday people performing extraordinary acts of kindness and courage to help those whose lives were interrupted by Hurricane Katrina. Segments include:
· Correspondent Gary Tuchman talking with a Mississippi man who, in spite of his own loss, helped establish an animal rescue organization headquartered in his own home;
· Correspondent Randi Kaye introducing viewers to a 26-year-old master’s degree student in New Orleans who put his studies on hold to help Katrina victims rebuild their homes;
· New Orleans-based correspondent Susan Roesgen sharing a piece about a Dallas-based charity that went to Nike and other corporations for donations for an athletic department in Pass Christian, Miss.; and
· Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen profiling a young leukemia patient who is also an avid fisherman and whose dock was rebuilt after Katrina by a group of New York City firefighters.
The special, part of CNN’s continuing commitment to covering the Katrina-ravaged Gulf Coast, will include a look at progress made in the region since Katrina as well as a realistic look at what needs to be done. Also during the special, Hill and McGraw will sit down with Cooper backstage at their New Orleans’ “Soul 2 Soul II” concert, the proceeds of which, including ticket and merchandise sales, will go to Hill and McGraw’s charity, Neighbor’s Keeper Foundation. Parts of the concert will be broadcast live during Anderson Cooper 360°.
The special, “American Heroes: Giving Back to the Gulf,” airs during Anderson Cooper 360° on July 5, beginning at 10 p.m. (ET)
CNN’s correspondents will report on everyday people performing extraordinary acts of kindness and courage to help those whose lives were interrupted by Hurricane Katrina. Segments include:
· Correspondent Gary Tuchman talking with a Mississippi man who, in spite of his own loss, helped establish an animal rescue organization headquartered in his own home;
· Correspondent Randi Kaye introducing viewers to a 26-year-old master’s degree student in New Orleans who put his studies on hold to help Katrina victims rebuild their homes;
· New Orleans-based correspondent Susan Roesgen sharing a piece about a Dallas-based charity that went to Nike and other corporations for donations for an athletic department in Pass Christian, Miss.; and
· Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen profiling a young leukemia patient who is also an avid fisherman and whose dock was rebuilt after Katrina by a group of New York City firefighters.
The special, part of CNN’s continuing commitment to covering the Katrina-ravaged Gulf Coast, will include a look at progress made in the region since Katrina as well as a realistic look at what needs to be done. Also during the special, Hill and McGraw will sit down with Cooper backstage at their New Orleans’ “Soul 2 Soul II” concert, the proceeds of which, including ticket and merchandise sales, will go to Hill and McGraw’s charity, Neighbor’s Keeper Foundation. Parts of the concert will be broadcast live during Anderson Cooper 360°.
# posted by ATN @ 1:34 PM
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Cafferty Tells It Like It Is
HERE'S a pretty good Associated Press article about The Situation Room's Jack Cafferty. senior executive producer of political programming for CNN/U.S says Cafferty is a major key in why TSR is doing so well:""In many ways, he‘s the voice of the Everyman on our program," said Sam Feist, senior executive producer of political programming for CNN/U.S., with "The Situation Room" among his responsibilities. "He just wants to hold our political leaders accountable, and he takes it very seriously."
Feist called Cafferty "a major factor in why the show is doing well." Compared to a year ago, "The Situation Room" has improved ratings in each of its time slots by double digits, with the competitive 7 p.m. hour up 12 percent from a year ago, movement that matters for CNN as it battles front-runner Fox News Channel."
AND what about getting his own CNN program:
"When asked, Cafferty said he would love a program of his own but wouldn‘t say whether he‘s in discussions with CNN management. (Feist declined to comment.) The brass know what he has to offer and that, as Cafferty makes clear, is unlikely to change."
# posted by ATN @ 6:43 PM
First on WHAC: CNN to Offer Live Coverage of Discovery Launch On-Air, Online
Source: CNN Press Release As the only broadcast network to air every NASA shuttle launch live, CNN plans to continue that tradition across numerous platforms with live footage both on-air and online of the Space Shuttle Discovery launch on Saturday, July 1. Coverage includes live reports on CNN/U.S., CNNRadio and CNN Pipeline as well as an hour-long launch day special.The special, "Shuttle Discovery: Miles O'Brien Reports" will air on Saturday from 3-4 p.m. on CNN/U.S. to coincide with Discovery's scheduled liftoff at 3:48 p.m. CNN space correspondent and American Morning anchor Miles O'Brien and Eileen Collins, commander of the previous shuttle mission and the first female shuttle commander, will host the special.
Online, CNN Pipeline, CNN.com's on-demand broadband news video service, offers its own launch special with O'Brien and Collins on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. with live, anchored coverage continuing through the launch. The service also will provide numerous reports and NASA feeds throughout the day.
The Discovery launch will mark NASA's first manned space flight since the previous Discovery mission in July 2005 and only its second since February 2003 when the space shuttle Columbia broke up during re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. O'Brien had reported extensively on the Columbia prior to the flight and led the network's coverage of the disaster, subsequent NASA hearings and safety reviews. O'Brien had been accepted by NASA to be the first journalist to travel aboard a shuttle flight before the loss of the Columbia space shuttle.
O'Brien provides several shuttle-related packages about flight training and preparations for Saturday's launch that will air this week on American Morning. CNN's technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg will offer live shuttle reports starting on Friday, June 30.
CNNRadio plans to offer regular shuttle reports on Friday, June 30, beginning at 6 a.m. and on Saturday, July 1, beginning at 9 a.m. Correspondent Lisa Goddard will report live from Kennedy Space Center for both days. On launch day, the network also will provide one-minute special reports at :30 past the hour from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. A clean feed of the launch audio from NASA will be available to affiliates through NewsLink.
# posted by ATN @ 11:53 AM
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Radio Station Just Says NO to FNC Radio and Yes To ABC News
From The Cincinnati Post: The WLW-AM (700) experiment with Fox Radio News is over. Starting today the area's top-rated news/talk station reverts to being an affiliate of the ABC radio news network.
The switch doesn't mean all that much to listeners, since the station's newscasts are locally anchored with an emphasis on local reporting. But when national news is covered, it means listeners will hear the ABC news team instead of Fox radio reporters.
Last August WLW dropped its almost two-decade affiliation with ABC, perhaps the most respected radio news network, picking up the fledging Fox Radio product. It was part of a landmark deal signed last year between WLW owners Clear Channel and Fox that brought Fox's then tiny radio news presence to some 500 Clear Channel stations, with many abandoning ABC affiliation.
Darryl Parks, operations manager for Cincinnati Clear Channel AM stations, said the move was made because, "The Fox brand just fit better on 'KRC, which is heavy with the conservative talk, than it does on WLW."
The switch doesn't mean all that much to listeners, since the station's newscasts are locally anchored with an emphasis on local reporting. But when national news is covered, it means listeners will hear the ABC news team instead of Fox radio reporters.
Last August WLW dropped its almost two-decade affiliation with ABC, perhaps the most respected radio news network, picking up the fledging Fox Radio product. It was part of a landmark deal signed last year between WLW owners Clear Channel and Fox that brought Fox's then tiny radio news presence to some 500 Clear Channel stations, with many abandoning ABC affiliation.
Darryl Parks, operations manager for Cincinnati Clear Channel AM stations, said the move was made because, "The Fox brand just fit better on 'KRC, which is heavy with the conservative talk, than it does on WLW."
# posted by ATN @ 10:11 PM
LKL Receives Graphics Makeover
These CNN Fans, and I myself noticed the new intro and graphics for Larry King Live Tuesday night. I noticed them but figured they had been on before because it had been awhile since I have been off from work to catch the program.
# posted by ATN @ 9:58 PM
Klein Defends Jolie Interview
The Associated Press has a pretty good article summing up the great ratings CNN pulled in for the Angelina Jolie interview last week. 1.33 million people tuned in for the interview last week. Below are a few quotes from Klein about the interview:
> "I don't know of any news organization that would not have talked to Angelina Jolie," said Klein, "and I also don't know of any other news organization that would have aired that interview as the apex of a day's worth of coverage ... of that important issue. It was both good journalism and well within the brand of CNN."
> Klein said CNN hadn't actively sought the Jolie interview; she came to the network because of its track record covering international issues. For instance, Christiane Amanpour just spent a week with refugees in Uganda, he said.
CNN's one-day focus on World Refugee Day during most of its programs on June 20 - immigration-focused Lou Dobbs was a notable exception - mirrors what the network has done recently on other issues, including lung cancer and the Dubai ports, he said.
"You don't spend the whole day covering immigration or the whole day covering Dubai ports because you think you're going to get huge numbers for that," Klein said. "These are not sexy subjects. But we've done that in the past and we'll continue to do that in the future."
> "The public will always sniff out a fraud," he said. "Since Anderson is so obviously the real deal, I don't think there will be any backlash that sticks. There will be an increasing number of people who will want to throw darts at him, but I think they will bounce off harmlessly."
AND Oh and a thought for the people at FNC that call CNN the 'Celebrity News Network'. I don't guess you ever watch your own channel since you constantly have the Hollywood actors on your programs HUH? Just last week there was Whoopi Goldberg on one of your prime-time yackfests!
> "I don't know of any news organization that would not have talked to Angelina Jolie," said Klein, "and I also don't know of any other news organization that would have aired that interview as the apex of a day's worth of coverage ... of that important issue. It was both good journalism and well within the brand of CNN."
> Klein said CNN hadn't actively sought the Jolie interview; she came to the network because of its track record covering international issues. For instance, Christiane Amanpour just spent a week with refugees in Uganda, he said.
CNN's one-day focus on World Refugee Day during most of its programs on June 20 - immigration-focused Lou Dobbs was a notable exception - mirrors what the network has done recently on other issues, including lung cancer and the Dubai ports, he said.
"You don't spend the whole day covering immigration or the whole day covering Dubai ports because you think you're going to get huge numbers for that," Klein said. "These are not sexy subjects. But we've done that in the past and we'll continue to do that in the future."
> "The public will always sniff out a fraud," he said. "Since Anderson is so obviously the real deal, I don't think there will be any backlash that sticks. There will be an increasing number of people who will want to throw darts at him, but I think they will bounce off harmlessly."
AND Oh and a thought for the people at FNC that call CNN the 'Celebrity News Network'. I don't guess you ever watch your own channel since you constantly have the Hollywood actors on your programs HUH? Just last week there was Whoopi Goldberg on one of your prime-time yackfests!
# posted by ATN @ 5:36 PM
CNN Beats FNC in Demo Saturday Primetime
CNN continues to get about half the total audience of FNC BUT beats FNC in the 24-54 demo again in primetime this past Saturday. According to numbers reported by TV Newser, Saturday during Primetime CNN averaged 189,000 viewers in the demo while FNC had 153,000. Heck even MSNBC averaged more viewers in primetime than FNC. MS averaged 163,000 in the demo. CNN beat FNC in the demo at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm and 10pm. even though FNC nearly doubled CNN in total audience. Sounds like there maybe a house cleaning coming to FNC soon.
# posted by ATN @ 3:08 PM
Monday, June 26, 2006
CNN Brings in the Numbers Friday Primetime
CNN might have had only about HALF of the total audience of FNC BUT beat several of the FNC programs in Prime-time Friday. TV Newser reports at 7PM The Situation Room had 204,000 viewers in the 25-54 demographic while FNC's 7pm program had 168,000 viewers in the demo. Larry King Live beat FNC's programming in the demo at 9pm. LKL had 281,000 viewers in the demo to FNC's 225,000. The biggest of the gap came at 10pm with AC 360 having 195,000 viewers in the demo to FNC's 187,000. What's so mind blowing is AC 360 had 574,000 total viewers to FNC's 1,016,000 viewers. CNN had just over half of FNC's total viewers and STILL overwhelmingly beat FNC in the demo. Maybe it's FNC who is on the "deklein!?!"
# posted by ATN @ 10:49 PM
Sunday, June 25, 2006
PipeLine Expands Its Weekend LIVE Programming
This from a tipster: "I was just watching the "dot com" desk on CNN. They mentioned Pipeline (US) will be on weekends now starting at 1pm. So I guess thats 1pm - 8pm Sat & Sun."
Update: Another tipster adds: "Actually pipeline will be doing a one hour show at 1PM on saturday and sunday. not broadcasting for 8 hours."
Update: Another tipster adds: "Actually pipeline will be doing a one hour show at 1PM on saturday and sunday. not broadcasting for 8 hours."
# posted by ATN @ 11:12 PM
