Roger Ailes believes that other media organizations "are just telling you what's wrong. There's never a good story about this country," he tells Brian Lamb in a C-SPAN interview set to air this weekend. Multichannel News (subreq) has obtained a transcript of the interview, and printed a few highlights online today: "As an example of news bias, he noted that 95% of the U.S. labor market is employed, but the media harp on the 5% who are jobless." More...

Georgia Democratic Senator and strong Bush supporter Zell Miller will join the Fox News Channel as a contributor beginning in January 2005, the network announced today. "I am excited to be joining FOX News Channel and am eager to contribute to the continuing success of the network," Miller said in a press release. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has details...

Former CNN president Reese Schonfeld believes CNN Headline News is committing "news suicide" by scheduling blocks of "appointment viewing" in primetime.

"There's one primary reason to watch Headline News: It's always there when you want it to be. For five hours a day, they're going to take it away," Schonfeld said in an interview with TVNewser today. "I think it's news suicide for them."

Schonfeld stressed that tuning to HLN is habit for viewers. But with the addition of longer-form programming, "they're going to be doing the exact same thing the other networks are doing."

Traditionally, viewers don't gravitate to news headlines in primetime -- they prefer entertaining programming. But "lower ratings in prime are the price you pay" for airing a reliable news wheel, Schonfeld said. "Unfortunately, the people who run [CNN] are searching for an answer that may not exist."

> Also: "Ted Turner must be in a hospital suffering from a heart attack," one e-mailer quipped last night. "Headline News built its reputation on allowing the audience to get the headlines quick, fast, and easy in a 30-minute format and now they want to turn completely away from that in primetime?," another e-mailer asked. "Are they trying to drive viewers to another network or what? Or is that the real master plan here--to drive the audience AWAY from CNN Headline and hopefully towards CNN?"

> Update: 2:50pm: "Sometimes I think TV execs screw themselves by having creativity-a-phobia," Dan says via IM. "Why can't they try something no one else does? Do we need an Abrams Report knock off? And don't we have enough ET/Insider/Extra/Access Hollywood/Inside Edition programs? Grrr..."

Headline News continues to beat MSNBC during the daytime, according to Nielsen ratings information. In the month-to-date, between 9am and 6pm, HLN has earned a 46% lead in P2+ and a 48% lead in P25-54 over MSNBC. In the coveted 25-54 demographic, Headlines has also outdelivered MSNBC by 30% in total day ratings.

MSNBC beats Headline News in primetime, where CNN's headline service has been traditionally weak. In the 25-54 demo, MSNBC has beat HLN by only 17% between 6pm and 12am, and by 13% between 8 and 11pm. See why CNN's executives believe appointment viewing could help?...

Tom Brokaw did not take viewers with him. On Brian Williams' first full week as NBC Nightly News anchor, the broadcast won all five nights and averaged 11% more viewers than ABC and 45% more viewers than CBS. Here's the press release. The week before, when Brokaw signed off, NBC's ratings increased: Its evening newscast led ABC by 31% and CBS by 61%. But compare last week to November, and it's clear that NBC's viewership has not eroded:

Nov. 22-26: Led ABC by 12% and CBS by 44%

Nov. 15-19: Led ABC by 11% and CBS by 43%

Nov. 8-12: Led ABC by 11% and CBS by 45%

Nov. 1-5: Led ABC by 19% and CBS by 47% (Election boost)

Oct. 25-29: Led ABC by 10% and CBS by 45%

I'm still wondering what Peter Jennings meant last night when he made a comment about cable news while introducing a package about the Scott Peterson trial. "We often wonder what sort of a trial it might have been without cable television," Jennings said on World News Tonight.

Who's "we?" And what exactly is Peter saying? Is he blaming cable news for forcing the networks to cover the story? Is he suggesting the verdict would have been different? Or the recommended punishment?

Through an ABC representative, TVNewser asked Jennings to expand on his comments. He has yet to respond.

"Peter Jennings may be a broadcast snob when it comes to the Peterson trial, but his brethren at Good Morning America covered the case wall to wall this morning," a viewer pointed out this morning.

> Also: RatherBiased.com says Dan Rather doesn't seem to like the case, either.

Only on TVNewser: Ronaldo Santos updated CNN Headline News employees on the network's new primetime schedule at a staff meeting Monday afternoon, two sources tell TVNewser. Beginning early next year, here's how it looks: A legal show at 7, an entertainment show at 8, and an hour of news from Atlanta at 9. The legal and entertainment shows will re-air from 10pm to midnight.

Single-anchor news cut-ins will air at the top and bottom of the legal and entertainment shows. Mike Galanos and Erica Hill will anchor the 9 to 10pm newscast, an insider said. "Other talent assignments, including for new shows, are to be announced," one of the e-mailers said.

One CNNer speculated that the two new shows would air from CNNfn's soon-to-be-defunct studios overlooking Columbus Circle in NYC. (The newsroom and view are both spectacular.)

"One anchor shift was eliminated and all non-editorial operations were placed under CNN/US-HLN umbrellla," another source said. "Looks like there won't be any big layoffs, per se, as Rolando told us that all the people that will be let go, already know, and it's just a 'handful.'" The layoffs are not new -- the staffers involved (mostly on the technical side) had already been informed. A CNN representative stressed that no new layoffs were announced -- Monday's meeting was merely an update for staff.

Some CNNers aren't so sure about the new plan for primetime. "Legal and entertainment shows?," one staffer questioned. "Can't we leave that to CNNCNBCMSNBCFOXCOURT and whatever else network covers that stuff?" Apparently not. It sounds like an effective way to avoid stealing CNN's audience, though. The question of whether or not "Blue Sky" will snag young viewers is up in the air for now.

On his MSNBC.com blog, Dan Abrams explains "why we covered the Peterson case so much and so often:"

"It is a question I get nearly every day, and my answer will be unsatisfying to some. News purists would argue that only the most important news should be covered -- the news that affects the future of nations or issues that could affect life or death for most people. The outcome of the Peterson case will not impact international nuclear proliferation nor lead to peace in the Middle East. Anyone who tells you we are covering one of the more important stories of the day is a liar. But it is a fascinating story, more newsmagazine than pure news. This story gives an insight into both our legal system and into the darkest sides of humanity. So many can see something in themselves in either Laci or even Scott. They were where so many couples had been, or strive to be: young and relatively successful..."

Here's more of Dan's take...