WRAP: A Summary Of Today, July 26

If you only read one TVNewser post today, read this one. All of today's broadcast news in 64 words:

1: CableNewser becomes TVNewser; 2: The Kerry camp tried to restrict two broadcast interviews; 3: The media outnumber Dem delegates by 3 to 1; 4: A Q&A with Mark Lukasiewicz; 5: ABC News Now premiered; 6: Rick Kaplan is in Boston; 7: NBC begins newscasts for cell phones; 8: FNC preferred O'Reilly to Gore's speech; and 9: The cablers' convention coverage varied greatly.

On NewsNight, Aaron Brown summarized the day in three sentences: "All that's preceeded tonight, all of the primaries, all of the fundraising, selecting the VP, everything — it was all the appetizer. The main course went on the table today. This campaign is on."

Conventions: Different Approaches On Cable

CNN placed viewers directly in the middle of the convention, and focused on the stories and soap operas inside the Fleet Center. If the broadcast was eligible for an Academy Award, CNN's floor platform would deserve Best Supporting Actor. At times, it seemed the anchors were awash in a sea of democracy. Some segments were better than others, but overall it made for great television.

FNC stuck with its "Murderers' Row in its usual batting positions," as TVWeek put it this week. Their coverage, anchored from a well-positioned skybox, wasn't as intimate or compelling as CNN's, but it offered its bread and butter of interviews and debates with a red white and blue backdrop.

MSNBC harnessed its diverse team of pundits. They took turns sitting across from marathoner Chris Matthews at Faneuil Hall, chatting about the political topic du jour. The crowd surrounding the Hardball set were electric, but the coverage seemed pretty far removed from the convention itself. Kudos for finally killing the crawl during Bill Clinton's speech!

Convention Coverage: Broadcast Coverage Tidbits

> NBC's Tom Brokaw and ABC's Peter Jennings anchored live from the convention floor. Dan Rather looked dull from his skybox by comparison.

> On CNN, CBS podium correspondent John Roberts was visibly stretching, yawning, clapping his hands together and preparing for a live report.

> Tom Brokaw put the event in context: "While America is at war, the economy is stumbling along, the nation is deeply divided along partisan lines..."

> Frankly, I am surprised the broadcast nets aired the 9/11 tribute. It was beautiful, yes; but wouldn't the public have been better served if the Big Three had aired excerpts of Gore and Carter's speeches?

FNC Ignores Gore, Carter Speeches

"Is FNC really covering the convention?," an e-mailer asks. CNN and MSNBC paused for the National Anthem, while O'Reilly kept on talking. CNN and MSNBC aired Al Gore's speech, while O'Reilly bloviated. CNN and MSNBC aired Jimmy Carter's whole speech, while FNC aired four minutes, then broke away to interview Bill Bennett. Half a dozen e-mailers quickly predicted that FNC wouldn't ignore the Republican convention.

"Bill O'Reilly made a point of saying that the Al Gore speech would NOT be carried during his show," Newshounds says. "True to his word, it was not...All the people without cable will never hear [Gore's] important message because it will be reduced to out of context soundbites and partisan attacks."

But H&C has interviewed Howard Dean and other liberals. "They seem to have no problems getting key Democratic guests," another e-mailer notes...
> Update: 10:07pm: FOX aired a tape of Gore's speech at the start of the 10pm hour, as a 9/11 tribute aired on the broadcast nets... // 10:29pm: FNC is also airing Hillary's speech live and uninterrupted.
> Update #2: "There's only one [network] with the audacity to keep on blathering during the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner... Fox!," Keith Olbermann blogs. "Couldn't Bill O'Reilly and Dick Morris just pretend for a moment that they don't think themselves bigger than the national anthem?"

Convention Coverage Tidbits: From 8 to 11pm

> Judy Woodruff: "This is not your father's Democratic party."

> Peter Jennings said his coverage would "go with the flow."

> Bill O'Reilly promised a "No Propaganda Zone" on the Factor.

> The CNN placards were back behind MSNBC's live shot position this evening.

> "The first two hours of the convention showed pretty well why the networks don't want to cover more of the convention," this on-site blogger says.

> Vanessa and Alexandra Kerry talked to Larry King on the convention floor. (Larry called them "two beautiful ladies.")

> Joe Scarborough, previewing Clinton's speech: "Elvis is in the arena"

> As Reverend David Alston spoke around 10:15pm, it was difficult to hear the CNN anchors on the floor.

> CNN's Tucker Carlson said the convention has been boring so far: "I'm all for disarray and chaos, but we haven't seen it here yet."

> CBS and ABC ended their coverage less than two minutes after Clinton wrapped up.

> Willie Brown described tonight's conclusion as "vintage Bill Clinton." "I thought he did a really really really good job," Mara Liasson said on FNC. Tom Brokaw called Clinton a "great modern political performer." Tim Russert agreed and said the speech was "very clever."

> Send your impressions to tvnewser@mediabistro.com.

ABC News Now: "A Brand New Adventure"

"ABC News Now" has 55% coverage across the country, a press release said today. Here is a chart of the local affiliates. "Welcome to a brand new adventure for ABC News," Peter Jennings said at noon, as Jimi Hendrix played in the background. Sam Donaldson related this moment to Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone. Roger Simmons has a first-day review, along with screen grabs and video clips. I'm watching it right now via AOL...

What To Watch: Affleck, Dean, Heinz Kerry

> Larry King will interview Ben Affleck at midnight ET

> Teresa Heinz Kerry will appear on NewsNight (11pm)

> Howard Dean will chat with Hannity & Colmes (9pm)

> FOX and CNN will be live until 1am. MSNBC 'After Hours' will air until 2am.

> ABC's 'Nightline' spends a day with the Boston police department tonight (Press Release)

Convention Circus: "The Best H.S. Reunion"

> Paul Begala says the convention is like "the best high school reunion you can imagine" (CNN.com)

> MSNBC's "Brokaw in Boston" premiered at 4pm. He interviewed the governors of Kansas and Pennsylvania. "This is what MSNBC was meant to be!, an e-mailer says...

> "How will the network and cable coverage weave "Shove It" into tomorrow's Heinz Kerry speech?," National Journal wonders.

> "Why is it that all the cable news coverage of the DNC is with Republican talking heads?," an e-mailer asks. "What are the chances that Dems will be on every channel for the RNC? Not so much."

"NBC Mobile" Unveiled: Newscasts Via Cell Phone

Beginning today, NBC News and MSNBC anchors will host brief newscasts accessible via cell phone. The service, called NBC Mobile, was announced today by Bill Wheatley in an internal memo. The short newscasts will be produced specifically for the cellphone screen several times a day. In addition, a mixture of other reports and interviews will be offered. Sprint is the first distributor; others are expected to sign on in the months ahead. Here is a demonstration.

Continue: Memo From Bill Wheatley Announcing NBC Mobile

Convention Circus: Stewart/Brokaw; Porta-Potties

> "Jon Stewart's been hanging with Brokaw," Andrea Mitchell blogs.

> Getting to the media porta-potties: "You only have to go through two separate metal-detector checkpoints to get there, past the ABC News banner with a 10-foot-high picture of Peter Jennings." (Kurtz)

> Bill Richardson is giving 45-50 interviews today (CNN.com)

> Even Jay Leno is covering the convention... (P.R.)

Convention Sightings: Rick Kaplan, Ron Reagan...

> MSNBC prez Rick Kaplan seemed amused last night as several folks outside Faneuil Hall waved red CNN signs behind MSNBC's live shot. As Chris Matthews played 'Hardball,' Kaplan schmoozed with Willie Brown and David Nyhan, one observer says. Matthews signed several of the CNN placards after the show...

> "Is Ron Reagan part of the convention ... or covering it?," ABC's Noted Now asks. "Trailed by a gaggle of reporters, [he] told AP's Will Lester: 'I'm working for MSNBC, I can't.'"

> CNN's Eason Jordan was spotted leaving the Boston Marriott Copley Place with Mariane Pearl Sunday afternoon...

> "Did you catch Tim Russert and Tom Brokaw sitting all cozy [near] John Kerry on Sunday night at [Fenway Park]?," an e-mailer asks...

> Jimmy Carter at CNN's floor platform, for an interview with Judy Woodruff this afternoon.

Convention Circus: Hairspray Horror; Skybox Shots

> "Tom Brokaw has secured the first big exclusive network interview at the [convention], talking tonight with former President Bill Clinton," an NBC P.R. says.

> Journalists at the Fleet Center are facing long lines, MSNBC.com says. One TV reporter was told she couldn't take her hairspray inside. "How can we do television without hairspray?," she complained...

> National Journal has a detailed map of the media's convention facilities (PDF)

> Greta has snapshots from her convention skybox.

> CNN.com's convention blog is now online

Michael Moore Attacks Network Execs

"They like to wear flags on their lapels, but how many children of network news executives are in Iraq?," filmmaker Michael Moore asked today. "Nine hundred kids are dead because these f***ers haven't done their job." National Journal says his visit to the Fleet Center this morning caused a commotion. (Photo)
> Update: 1:49pm: TNR has a story about it online. Moore said the American press "haven't been telling the truth for four years ... Why won't our journalists ask the hard questions?"
> Update: 3:10pm: CNN.com's blog recounts Moore's spat with Bill Hemmer

And Now, "ABC News Now"

Most people haven't realized it yet, but this day is historic. ABC's digital broadcasting experiment has commenced. "ABC News Now" premiered at noon ET, with a ribbon-cutting by Peter Jennings. At 12:30, Bob Woodruff began the first of several "Speakers Corner" segments that will air during the convention. Later today, Peter Jennings anchors "Politics Live," Hari Sreenivasan talks to Michael Moore, and Tamala Edwards offers the "bloggers buzz." Here is the schedule grid, and an FAQ about the channel.

Convention Circus: The Two Big Stories

There are two big stories worth following at the conventions, CNN's Wolf Blitzer tells Jon Friedman: The "bounce" and the security. "Will John Kerry be able to use this convention to beat a Bush the way Bill Clinton used the convention in 1992 to beat a Bush?," Wolf asks. "Who knows what is going to happen here?"

Convention Q&A: Mark Lukasiewicz, NBC News

In a Q&A with TVNewser, Mark Lukasiewicz, the executive producer of NBC News' political coverage, says that this week's coverage is a culmination of hard work:

"Convention planning starts more than a year ahead of time. For NBC, the challenge is not only the complex logistical set-up at a place like the Fleet Center, but the demands of coordinating programming for all of our different platforms."

He also discusses convention security, MSNBC's strategy and the high level of public interest in the campaign:

Continue: Q&A: Mark Lukasiewicz, Executive Producer, NBC News

The Ticker:
Ashleigh Banfield's Wedding?; MSNBC's BlogAds

> ...Since "Media Notes" is a boring title, I've renamed this collection of media items (Thanks AMC!)...

> Has anyone heard how Ashleigh Banfield's wedding went? It was set to happen July 24...

> ABC's Morning Show Wrap: Kerry's first pitch gets wide play; "shove it" is noticed; a Hillary blockade.

> MSNBC is advertising on BlogAds. A promo for Hardball appeared on Instapundit, Atrios, TalkLeft and other sites this weekend.

Convention Circus: 3:1 Media To Delegate Ratio

> Yes, that voice you heard on CNN's pre-convention special last night was James Earl Jones. He's the voice that declares "This Is CNN" twice an hour, but his voice-over role has been increased for the network's political coverage...

> The New Republic dissects the networks' "defense of diminished [convention] news coverage."

> "CNN is cutting significantly the number of journalists and support personnel at the convention in Boston compared to past levels - but there will still be a lot of people around," Baltimore Sun notes.

> The world's news media are "outnumbering delegates ... by three to one," Media Nation notes. (Via IWantMedia)

> Bush's surrogates "threw an intimate dinner for 20 media types last night at Saraceno's" in Boston, CNN.com notes. "Excellent mussels; calamari was bland."

Convention Circus: "Things We Will Know By Midnight"

ABC's Note sums up "things we will know by midnight:"

10. How quickly the CNN control room will realize that their anchors can't hear a bloody thing on the floor when the going gets loud. 15. How many hours it took for the press to render all 20 portapotties unusable. 17. If self-respecting print reporters have tired of writing about bloggers with even fewer readers than they have.

Speaking of ABC, "News Now" premieres at noon...

'Outfoxed' Has Boosted FNC's Ratings

"Recent attacks on Fox News Channel by liberals — most notably by the documentary Outfoxed — have actually helped ratings," Peter Johnson writes in USA Today. "Fox's total viewer numbers are up 13% since July 8 over the same period last year; CNN is up 1%, with MSNBC down 9%."

"We're up in households, viewers and all demographics," FOX VP Bill Shine tells Multichannel News. "We'd like to thank Robert Greenwald."

> Also: "Fox's influence far exceeds its reach," a prof writes in the Miami
Herald.

2.0: New Name, New Place, Same 'Newser

Gee, does something look a wee bit different around here?

> Meet mediabistro.com. This is the first in a series of blogs that are joining the mb family. They —we!— Connect Media Professionals to New Opportunities — and to Each Other. (Great tag line!) Sign up for the daily news feed and browse their courses and events. (I'm shilling, and they didn't even tell me to!)

> Discover the "Big Three." The name change isn't random. Starting today, I will cover the broadcast networks along with the cablers. But I promise to avoid "growing pains."

> Read all about it. 2.0 will have more of the content you're used to. A Q&A with Mark Lukasiewicz is coming later today; Judy Woodruff follows tomorrow. I'll be live-blogging convention coverage and offering behind-the-scenes snapshots. And there are some surprises in store for the fall.

> Stay in touch. My contact info has changed: the new e-mail address is tvnewser@mediabistro.com, the new AIM name is BrianTVNewser, and the anonymous form is in a new place (the link is on the left side).

Press/Election Panel: Must-Read Excerpts

What did you do Sunday night? I curled up on the couch and watched C-SPAN's webcast rerun of Harvard's "Press and the Election" panel. Highlights:

Jim Lehrer's comments about the importance of convention coverage were applauded: "The fact that your three networks decided it was not important enough to run in prime time, the message that gives to the American people is huge. It's not a programming decision."

Later in the discussion, the anchors addressed the possibility of expanding the nightly newscasts. Brokaw said the "greatest single disappointment" of his tenure was not expanding to an hour. Dan Rather suggested that one of the Big Three could someday try a primetime, hour-long show that melded the Nightly News, 60 Minutes and Nightline. "But I wouldn't bet the double-wide on it," he concluded.


Continue: Excerpts From "Press & The Election" Panel

Kerry Team Tries To Restrict Brokaw, Rather Interviews

Via Jim Rutenberg in the New York Times, the very best way to ensure that the interviewers will ask tough questions:

"The [Kerry] campaign went so far as to try to limit the kind of questions Mr. Brokaw and Mr. Rather were to ask Mr. Kerry here on Wednesday afternoon. The staff wanted the questions to concern Mr. Kerry's expectations for the convention, nothing more, according to people at both networks. It was the sort of terms-setting that few have dared to ask of network anchors. The request was swiftly denied."

The first question they ask should be: "Sen. Kerry, why did you attempt to place restrictions on this interview?"

Convention Circus: CNN's Platform Blocks WV Delegation's View, FOX Notes

Quoting Ed Bark's Dallas Morning News story: "At a production meeting earlier Sunday morning, [Brit] Hume also wondered aloud whether Fox should devote any on-air attention to CNN's newest wrinkle, a convention floor anchor platform that might be blocking the view of several state delegations." Hume called the "little floor stage" a "hoot." FOX decided to devote a few seconds to it: On Sunday night, Major Garrett pointed out that the view of the West Virginia delegation is obstructed by CNN's platform. "These Democrats will see more CNN anchors than party leaders," he said...