Cable News Wars

The LATimes' Matea Gold updates what the two-week old non-truce between FNC and MSNBC has meant for ratings:

The renewed feud appears to have benefited O'Reilly, whose show "The O'Reilly Factor" averaged nearly 3.5 million viewers between Aug. 3 and 13, the nine days following the news of the supposed truce. That's 7% higher than his average viewership so far this year and 12% more than his average this quarter, which began June 29. He also recorded more than a million viewers in the key 25- to 54-year-old demographic twice last week, his largest showings among that age group this year.

"Countdown With Keith Olbermann" pulled in an average of 1.17 million viewers between Aug. 3 and 13, down 4% from his year-to-date average but up 13% for the quarter.

So here's where we stand on day 10 of the non-truce:

On his show tonight Bill O'Reilly went after the White House asking, "Has the Obama administration declared war with Fox News?" due in part because, "CNN and MSNBC generally support Pres. Obama especially in the healthcare arena," said O'Reilly. "Our ratings are already soaring because we don't denigrate the protesters like many other TV news organizations do, they're dying, we're on fire."

He's right. Last night, O'Reilly posted another big night with 3.19M Total Viewers and 856K in the A25-54 demo. Fox News beat CNN, MSNBC, HLN, and CNBC combined in Total Viewers and in the A25-54 demo in primetime.

Meanwhile, on his show tonight, Keith Olbermann went after O'Reilly and his investigation last night into the "evil empire" GE. Olbermann quoted from a new AP story from David Bauder which included reaction from General Electric on O'Reilly's story. "We usually do not respond to the misleading and inaccurate claims made on this program because very few people take them seriously," said spokesman Gary Sheffer, "but [Tuesday's] report took this smear campaign to a new low."

Olbermann then said O'Reilly should be fired for the report: "If I -- or any actual reporter, like me -- had gotten as much wrong in any story as Bill O'Reilly got wrong in this one, I'd be fired in 15 minutes. As he should be now!" And Olbermann did the segment without the O'Reilly voice.

Fox News maintains an agreement to end personal attacks allows for each network to cover the other, and their corporate parents, as news warrants.

• Poll: Are you tired of the GE/Olbermann vs. News Corp./O'Reilly feud yet?

As always, both clips from tonight's shows, after the jump...

continued...

We've been on top of the "cease-fire" story for two weeks, though it seems like a lot longer. TVNewser wants to know how you feel about it in this poll.

> Previously:

• O'Reilly Follows Big Ratings Night with Slamming of "Evil Empire" GE
• Group Calls on GE to Take Pressure off Olbermann. What Pressure? Asks Olbermann
• "Making Both Sides Look Bad"
• Olbermann Mocks FNC; O'Reilly Silent

Monday night's "O'Reilly Factor" was the leader of a big ratings night for FNC. Bill O'Reilly saw his first 1 million-plus viewer telecast in the A25-54 demographic for the year (1.07M A25-54, 3.81M Total Viewers). In prime-time Total Viewers, FNC averaged 3.107M with none of it's programs dipping below 1 million viewers between 5pmET and midnight (even the 11pm rebroadcast of O'Reilly had 1.657M Total). Interestingly, it was all on a night we noted for O'Reilly's trumpeting how strong the FNC ratings have been.

O'Reilly followed that up with today's show and heavy criticism of GE. First showing images and statistics of American soldiers injured by IEDs, O'Reilly then pointed to an FBI investigation into American companies who may have shipped parts to a foreign company called Corezing International, which were eventually used for roadside bombs. He then said, "The Factor has been told, but can't confirm that the General Electric corporation is under suspicion in the case," and summarized the previous reports he's made about Iran, GE, and CEO Jeffrey Immelt. (Video below.)

Shortly after, O'Reilly had a segment we'd previously heard might be aired last night: a look at comparisons a recent NYTimes column had drawn between GE's accounting and the now-notorious accounting practices at Enron. Glenn Beck made an appearance to reiterate what he broadcast on his own show Monday and had the following conversation about GE with O'Reilly:

O'Reilly: We think they are a...evil empire? I don't know.

Beck: Wait a minute, do you really?

O'Reilly: You know, I don't like what they do. I don't like how they handle themselves. I don't like NBC Cews. I don't like any of that, but I may be overstating it.

Beck: They may not be evil?

O'Reilly: As evil as I think they are.

Beck: I love this, America. You have got two pretty smart people sitting here having a discussion whether a company is evil. I think there is a good chance.

O'Reilly: They are polluters. They have distorted their news agency to be -- promote a presidential candidate. They gotta pay 50 million in fines for cooking the books. A whole bunch of other things in play. I mean, you tell me.

If there's actually a cease-fire, it's the worst one in the history of armistices. Videos after the jump.

continued...

While questions remain about the future of the so-called "cease-fire" between MSNBC and FNC, the events of the past two weeks have left GE taking plenty of criticism. Media watchdog FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting) are now calling on GE to take the supposed pressure off of Keith Olbermann and his colleagues at MSNBC in the name of free expression. They offer contact info for Jeffrey Immelt and Gary Sheffer asking readers to:

"Call on General Electric to renounce any corporate agreement to limit the expression of Countdown host Keith Olbermann and other MSNBC/NBC journalists."

As we saw last week, Olbermann has demonstrated that he and Countdown have not exactly been buckling under pressure. This resumption of the back and forth criticism, though, might only be temporary.

Also, Johnny Dollar indicates that on tonight's O'Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly will again go after GE, which comes in the wake of a NYTimes column describing some of GE's accounting practices as "eerily reminiscent of Enron." We'll find out this evening whether or not the feud stays alive.

> Earlier on TVNewser:

A Temporary Resumption of the O'Reilly-Olbermann Feud? Don't Bet on It

FNC vs. MSNBC: Immelt and Ailes Meet; Agree to End Personal Attacks

Was Olbermann Ready to Quit if a Truce Was Called?

A week after a story appeared on A1 of the NYTimes, Brian Stelter updates his reporting with new information (this time on B1) and reiterates the original premise: attempts are being made to salvage "what was essentially a cease-fire between MSNBC and the Fox News Channel." The long-running feud, Stelter writes, "temporarily resumed" this week.

Based on the insiders from both networks we've talked to throughout the week, don't expect the resumption of the feud to be temporary.

"Despite the renewed tensions," Stelter writes, News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch "and his counterpart at G.E., Jeffrey R. Immelt, are still seeking a truce in a feud that has embarrassed both companies, said three employees at the companies with direct knowledge of the situation." Stelter continues:

The deal extends beyond the prime-time hour that Mr. Olbermann and Mr. O'Reilly occupy. Employees of daytime programs on MSNBC were specifically told by executives not to mention Fox hosts in segments critical of conservative media figures, according to two staff members.

While MSNBC did not comment for Stelter's story, a Fox spokeswoman did, echoing the statement the network made to Howard Kurtz for his story Friday: "At this point the entire situation is more about major issues at NBC and G.E. than it is about Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olbermann."

> Earlier on TVNewser: FNC vs. MSNBC: Immelt and Ailes Meet; Agree to End Personal Attacks. Source: "Zucker Prolonged the Assault on Immelt for Another Year"

The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz fills in more of the gaps about the FNC/MSNBC agreement to tone down personal attacks on the cable networks' hosts and their parent companies' executives.

Kurtz provides more details on the discussions, first reported by TVNewser, between FNC founder and chairman Roger Ailes and GE chairman Jeff Immelt, which included a lunch at 30 Rock.

After using a side entrance to Immelt's 53rd-floor dining room -- their Manhattan buildings are a block apart -- Ailes offered a blunt, if slightly jocular, diagnosis of the problem. He could control his nutcases, Ailes said, but Immelt couldn't control his.

On June 1, the day after abortion doctor George Tiller was murdered, Olbermann punched at O'Reilly. The next night, O'Reilly punched up, at Immelt.

Immelt called Ailes the next morning, saying O'Reilly had gone way too far. Ailes was sympathetic and again said they should take a stand against personal and gratuitous attacks. The war, Ailes said, is over.

Kurtz reports that after Olbermann's comments about the Tiller murder, "executives convened a large meeting and talked about Fox and the importance of striking the right on-air tone. Olbermann later expressed a willingness to make minor adjustments in his style, but he and his allies, concerned about setting a precedent, dug in for a fight. Olbermann left Zucker and executives with the impression that he might quit if the dispute wasn't resolved to his satisfaction."

Then, last Friday's news of some sort of deal, which seemed to exacerbate the issue on-air this week.

"This is more of an internal issue that NBC and GE need to work through," a Fox spokesman told Kurtz. "There was an agreement for no personal attacks," a Fox executive said. GE and NBC did not comment for Kurtz's story.

Well, if there is a cease-fire between News Corp. and GE or FNC and MSNBC it has now collapsed. In his talking points tonight, Bill O'Reilly went after General Electric Chairman Jeff Immelt as well as NBC News. It is O'Reilly's first mention of GE and NBC since Friday's NYTimes report that corporate bosses had brokered a truce to end the personal attacks.

As we reported Monday, Fox News boss Roger Ailes met with Immelt for a "series of direct confidential conversations" on the matter "which continued well into June."

Tonight, O'Reilly began his memo with the news that GE paid a $50 million settlement to the SEC over accounting misdeeds. That commentary alone may have still kept up FNC's end of the agreement -- covering the company when news is made.

But then O'Reilly went one, or two, or three further at one point saying, "NBC News, owned by GE, has been perhaps Barack Obama's biggest supporter in the media. And Jeff Immelt was rewarded for that when Pres. Obama appointed him to his economic advisory board."

And there's more...

Earlier: Monday Night: Olbermann Mocks FNC; O'Reilly Silent

After all the discussion and revelation over the past few days regarding the supposed truce, many expected something big tonight during the 8pmET hour from Keith Olbermann or Bill O'Reilly. It was a one-sided evening.

Earlier today, Olbermann posted on DailyKos encouraging people to tune in tonight to see his reply. We also know that MSNBC pres Phil Griffin met with the "Countdown" staff this afternoon.

While O'Reilly went the entire length of "The O'Reilly Factor" without the slightest mention of the "cease-fire," Olbermann repeatedly teased a "Worst Persons" segment with shots of O'Reilly and Rupert Murdoch on "Countdown."

First, Olbermann accused the NY Times of "carrying water for Fox News and printing a story about a truce that never was." NY Times' Brian Stelter was named the nights "Worse" person for writing the article about the truce after Olbermann had denied it. He said:

"Mr. Stelter asked me at least twice last week if there was such a deal and I told him on and off the record there was not and I rather obviously would have to be a party to such a deal and I told him not only wasn't I, but I hadn't even been asked to be by my bosses. And he printed it anyway. I had even written to him this was merely a misinterpretation of an announcement I made on june 1 that because Bill O'Reilly at Fox News had abetted the assassination of Dr. Tiller, he had become too serious to joke about."

Then, as if to prove for certain there is no "truce," he brought back the "Bill-O the Clown"—and it's accompanying voice—for the silver medal.

Finally, Olbermann named Rupert Murdoch "Worst Person in the World," claiming he had "muzzled Bill-O" because of the problems for "Fox's parent corporation." He went on, mockingly:

"How dare you muzzle O'Reilly, Mr. Murdoch? How dare you, sir? This is the essence of corporate interference in the marketplace of ideas and it is shameful. Solidarity, brother Bill. Free yourself from your corporate shackles. Solidarity! Rupert Murdoch, who could never get away with that here, today's worst person in the world!"

Video is up:

> Earlier on TVNewser: FNC vs. MSNBC: Immelt and Ailes Meet; Agree to End Personal Attacks...

First on TVNewser: Earlier this afternoon, MSNBC president Phil Griffin met with the staff of "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" to discuss the recent news about an agreement between Fox News and MSNBC to end personal attacks.

TVNewser has learned some of the details about what was discussed.

During the meeting, Griffin told the staff that Olbermann was never told what he can or can't say and that MSNBC would never muzzle any of their talent. The conversations that occurred between Griffin and Olbermann about the agreement were entirely about tone and not substance. Griffin also reiterated that "Countdown" is an independent show and will remain that way.

> Earlier on TVNewser: Olbermann: "Watch tonight. You'll be pleasantly surprised, I hope."