NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams is on the way to the region hit hardest by last week's tsunamis, TVNewser has learned. Williams will report from the Aceh territory in Indonesia beginning Monday night.

> The decision was made on Saturday, an NBC rep says.

> Williams will be the first of the weekday nightly news anchors to report from the devestated region.

> NBC's John Seigenthaler was expected to anchor the weekend NN from Sri Lanka on Saturday, according to this P.R., but Lester Holt anchored from NYC.

> "I think that someone from NBC will be appointed as Dan Rather's replacement. After all, they have the #1 morning show and #1 evening news broadcast. Hijacking one of their bigger talents (Couric, Lauer, Brown, Holt, Seigenthaler, Russert) would be a significant blow. Also, I think that Rick Kaplan is going to make a lot of changes at MSNBC. If Tucker Carlson comes over, his show will flow. I also forsee some other big changes coming over at NBC..... including something big for Natalie Morales, IMO."

> "I predict a major overhaul at CNN. Tucker will get his primetime show. Paula and Aaron will both be leaving. Anderson will almost go to CBS, but will end up staying with the network. And all of these changes, plus more, will bring CNN's ratings closer to Fox, but won't surpass them."

> "FNC will continue to grow. Few moves necessary on programming, as numbers speak for themselves. Something is really working well there, much to my amazement. O'Reilly will continue to top FNC."

> "CNN becomes a stronger, more defined cable news network under the leadership of Jon Klein. No longer will the network mock others. It will set itself apart."

> "I predict (and hope) for an 11:00 PM show from CNN--something different, edgy, and perhaps even a little funny."

> "Pamela Thomas-Graham will get promoted within the GE family, Steve Friedman will take the top office. (Bruce Perlmutter will try but fail to get it!) McEnroe will give extensive interviews to mags like New York, blaming CNBC for his own disastrous performance. Liz Claman will be dubbed the new Money Honey since she now has the top-rated show on the net. Jonathan Wald will take a larger role in the network, and everyone there will be looking over their shoulder for FOX."

> "Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes will unveil a Fox Business Channel by Summer '05. They will be wise to steal some key talent from CNN's ranks to make it happen. Pamela Thomas-Graham will most likely not have a job at CNBC because she has done such a poor job during her tenure. That place needs a serious overhaul and some new blood."

> "No CBS Evening News Anchor will be named. They will have someone like John Roberts anchor until they get a "big get" like Katie Couric or Lester Holt...or BOTH! The CBS Evening News with Katie and Lester."

> "Peter Jennings will almost catch Brian Williams but audience movement after Rather steps down will put an end to that."

> The only prediction I have is that Peter Jennings will raise up at #1, while Brian Williams will slip to #2, and regardless of CBS choice (including even Katie Couric), they will remain #3 in the ratings race.

> "On the heels of a successful expansion to seven days of programming, and support from wildly popular primetime lineup, Good Morning America becomes the number one morning program."

> "Bill O'Reilly will finally quit ducking David Brock (of Media Matters for America) and have him in the Factor. O'Reilly will get so mad at Brock that his head will explode - clearing the way for Fox's new show The Hannity Factor."

> "2005 will be the year of the news networks. Fox will not gain much viewers, but CNN and MS will."

> "Most major news organizations will require free-lance crews to start shooting HD and then not want to pay more for camera rental/gear packages."

> Lou Dobbs gets 7 p.m. CNN timeslot. Anderson Cooper gets 8 p.m. CNN timeslot. Zahn is off primetime. Microsoft sells off its share of MSNBC. Kaplan gets fired. Abrams. Olbermann canceled. CNN's ratings increase with Klein's intervention. Fox bids for world domination."

> "In 2005 MSNBC will continue to fail to live up to the abilities it has in news gathering, resources, personnel, and programming. The promise and viability of MSNBC has never been properly utilized, resulting in a generally boring product."

> "A new Fox biz channel will give CNBC the competition that CNNfn never did. Look for Fox Radio syndy packages and cross pollination. Big radio dollars Murdoch will gladly pick up when he is also getting adverts for new biz cable channel."

> "Speaking of CNBC, they do not understand still that business news is Main Street, not Wall Street. Unless they broaden perspective and coverage, then numbers will fall. Prime time is a total disaster. Saving it means creativity and bucks. Will they invest both in 05?"

> "CNN will continue to dumb down the USA outlet's product, more so than they already have. Anderson Cooper will be moved, as will Paula Zahn, and Larry King will announce his voluntary departure before the end of the year. Nancy Grace will be on CNN much more (a good reason to tune out. Her voice alone cracks mirrors). Crossfire will continue to fizzle out and will leave by end of 05."

> "I predict that CNN will fire or lose Lou Dobbs. the dude is boring."

> "Prediction: Tucker Carlson will go to MSNBC and the show will be a flop and MSNBC will be looking for yet another "flopper" by the end of the year."

> "Fox News Channel gradually loses share of the viewing audience, although remains No.1, due to improved performance from both CNN and MSNBC."

> "Fox will hire Rudi Bakhtiar"

> "After trying a new primetime schedule in early 2005, Headline News will return to normal by December."

> "Jon Klein and CNN will rediscover news in 2005 with more hard news and far less talk and titillation."

> "Tucker Carlson will stay at CNN and host his own show. After subing for Aaron Brown, I understand why Jon Klein would want to keep him."

> "MSNBC will still have low ratings. They should ditch the large desk so that the male viewers can see the female hosts legs. Might improve ratings. MSNBC needs to figure out who they want to host and stick with it. Entertainment shows on the weekend won't make it. Tucker Carlson will stay at CNN and be given at hour long show in Zahn`s time slot. I'm predicting that 2005 will be Larry King's last year on CNN. He's going to retire thus leaving another the 9pm est slot open. Dan Rather's successor will be one of the top news stories of 2005. If a woman is chosen it will make a statement about CBS."

> "In order for MSNBC to regain itself in ratings for Newsforce, they actually need to to appoint news anchors teams permanently for their news hours. People like change but not as much as permanence. You don't let your anchors decide to work when it best fits them and you don't choose freelancers to be subs over your hired staff, because shows a lack of confidence on the network's part."

> "PTG will be out at CNBC. MSNBC will see no year over year growth in ratings during daytime. CBS Will fire Fager and Hayward. Fox Biz Channel will look good but not have good ratings... but CNBC's ratings will go up. I will curse at this business - and then realize - it beats working."

> "100% lock - More liberal bitching as Fox News continues to undermine the liberal legacy media's ability to manipulate the perceptions of the American public. Libs seem to favor "diversity" only on their terms, when it serves their interests."

> "Lou Dobbs will get a primetime show and it will be a success. Fox News will continue to provide the most eye candy -- both male and female -- to delighted viewers. FOX News will continue to be the ratings leader. MSNBC will improve in the ratings, but will not find the magic formula that it seeks. CNN's ratings will improve significantly only if foreign news dominates in 2005. FOX News will continue to be the news channel version of "Without a Trace." Chris Matthews will continue to scream tough questions at his guests. Bill O'Reilly will continue to ask questions of his guests in order to provide his own answers to the questions. FOX News will remain the unblushing tabloid news king."

> "Joe Klein will have newscasters like Wolf Blitzer reporting the news, morning noon and night. He will bring fresh blood into leading news along with new graphics and keep it utterly professional journalism."

> "I think News Corporation will launch a business news network during 2005. There will be a change at the top at CNBC. I think the new primetime at Headline News will be a failure."

> "CBS News will hire a woman to replace Dan Rather. MSNBC and CNN will endure upheaval and revamping. NBC's "Today Show" will get rid of the old, tired faces and freshen it with young talent as well as return to a hard news format with a "Fox & Friends" touch."

> "These are my dream predictions. I know, I know. It'll never happen. Alan Colmes will be gone. Ron Reagan will be banished. Tony Snow will be back in prime time. Joe Scarborough will move to Fox. Jon Scott will get more air time. All three of the Friends on the weekend "Fox and Friends" will be replaced. The week day "Fox and Friends" stars will stay forever."

> "Fox News Channel will likely see a demise in ratings, coming off an election year."

> "CNBC will stay in the basement, ratings-wise. At 9pm, conservatives don't care a wit about Dennis Miller's conservative schtick - they're tuned to Hannity & Co. on FNC. At 10pm, Donnie Deutsch will nosedive into McEnroe territory, most likely from the get-go. MSNBC will continue to stagnate, as its hemmed in by its many hosts, few of whom bother to learn the facts before they spout off - and do so (9 times out of 10) in favor of Republicans. If Tucker ends up there, he'll feel right at home. Likewise, Fox News will go the way of the Cro-Magnon, as the hypocrisy of their hosts will become all too real - without liberals in control, they have no one to blame but Bush & the Republican leaders in Congress ... which they dare not do, lest big brother Ailes stomps on 'em. The winners? CNN and CNN Headline News. CNN because it is a tad more liberal than the others, and as such will fill the anti-establishment nook Fox News has had to itself in recent years. (My theory is this: ever since Watergate, the public wants to distrust its government. FNC is to cozy w/the Repubs to actually criticize 'em. CNN is not.) In a similar vein, CNN Headline News will be the biggest winner, as its new E!-like primetime will attract more eyeballs ... sad fact is, most "average" folks don't give a damn about hard news. But they do give a whit about the latest Hollywood blockbuster..."

> "The enraged viewing public will finally rise up in a glorious vengeful rage and storm into the cable news networks to wreak a cleansing, transfigurational havoc. With their bare hands they will destroy the evil news-obliterating graphics machines that spew garbage upon their TV screens and block out news video in a perpetual orgy of cable news self-mutilation and audience abuse. They will chase the legions of bimbos and fossils out of the anchor chairs and banish over-emoting, self-purpleizing prose (Aaron, are you listening?) and supine, fetishistic Bush Administration boot-licking (take it down a couple hundred notches, Roger). They will muzzle comically lousy Jon Klein ideas like the emphasis on YOUR SECURITY. They will pound their desks upon the table of truth and demand that fresh, brand-new on-air talent be aggressively recruited and given a shot. They will demand that Roger, Rick and Jon provide them with beautifully packaged, entertaining, well-written, smart and clutter-free news and hot debate, with truly balanced opinions and tastefully restrained graphics. And they will shower the cable news networks, once thus cleansed and purified, with rivers of golden ratings and engorged treasuries."

"Catastrophes are one of the few universal human experiences. So much of our film and literature is based on elemental events. Something in our DNA relates to it. So when a disaster like this happens, we're as a people all drawn to it, even though it's on the other side of the world. I was watching one of those home videos on CNN, and it was horrifying in its simple reality. You see how fast a wave comes in, you immediately recognize it for what it is, you can't deny it - and you're suddenly on the street level experiencing it."

--Filmmaker Jay Russell, in the Baltimore Sun (subreq)