Browse TVNewser January 2006 archives - TVNewser

> Update: 10:22pm: Two tipsters say CNN directed the pool feed. “It was horribly directed,” one of them writes. “When the President was walking in, it was obvious the steadicam op was being blocked by still photogs, so all we get is a shot of the back of the still photog’s head. Anf it stayed, and it stayed and it stayed. Very poorly done all the way around.”

“The State of the Union Pool Director is not ready for prime time,” an e-mailer remarks. “Tonight he/she:

> Attempted to cut to Supreme Court Justice O’Connor…who wasn’t there, as the camera op tried to find a face to fill his shot.

> Cut to close-up shots of Cabinet Secretary’s knees when they had already stood up.

> Lingered on a shot of Marines in the gallery as the camera op struggled to frame the shot.

> Lingered on another shot of a dead Marine’s little sister as the camera op tried to find focus.

> As the President called to end AIDS in America, the pool director cut to a close-up of Senator John Kerry…who has had nothing to do with the fight against AIDS.

I know it’s a tough gig, but this many mistakes is unacceptable…”

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SOTU: Primetime Notes

Brian — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 21:45:49 +0000

> Charlie Gibson was the first face seen on ABC’s broadcast. He called the SOTU “one of the most majestic traditions in American government,” then quoted from the Constitution.

> In Elizabeth Vargas‘ opening remarks, she said: “Tonight I’m happy to report that both Bob and Doug are back in the U.S. They are improving dramatically each day…We look forward to bringing you more hopefully optimistic and improving updates in the next days.”

> I may be the only one who finds this interesting but…The AP just moved this photo of Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine watching Bush as he prepared to deliver the Democratic response. What channel is he watching? Fox News! Here’s the full-size photo… Update: 9:50am: “Governor Kaine was watching Fox news because Fox News was the pool for the Democratic Response,” a tipster says.

> CBS anchor Bob Schieffer said the adress is less of a laundry list “and a little more like an inaugural speech.”

> NBC’s Brian Williams noted that the Bush presidency is “down to, roughly, a thousand days.”

> I hope Williams wasn’t the only anchor to comment about Hurricane Katrina in the minutes before the address…

> FNC’s Brian Wilson reported that Cindy Sheehan was detained when she tried to unfurl a banner in the gallery. Brit Hume seemed pretty interested… Update: 9:55am: “Brian Wilson — and Brit Hume — were wrong about Sheehan. She was removed for a T-shirt, not a banner. But don’t let that mess up FOX’s narrative,” an e-mailer adds…

> FNC’s Carl Cameron: “Tonight he will urge the American people to stand with himâ€¦”

> CNN’s Dana Bash: “The White House knows that the State of our Union…is one of some pessimism right now…Bush will try to battle the bad news [the American people] hear every day.”

> CNN’s Candy Crowley noted that she received a statement from a Democratic congressman attacking Bush’s “empty rhetoric” in the SOTU — at about 8pm…

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SOTU: No Shortage Of Online Streams

Brian — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 21:44:43 +0000

TVNewser reader Jason Bullock sent along this screenshot of his computer during the SOTU:

“Thanks to streaming online video, I am able to watch the State of the Union address on my computer on no less than five simultaneous streams — not including three alternate views from Pipeline!,” he says.

“Clockwise, starting in the bottom left, I have: CBS, BBC, MSNBC, ABC and finally CNN Pipeline on the bottom right. CBS had the ‘freshest’ feed, with the other feeds trailing by a few seconds, Pipeline being last.”

The “unfiltered” version is available on WhiteHouse.gov…

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Woodruff, Vogt Back In The U.S.

Brian — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 21:09:06 +0000

Bob Woodruff and Doug Vogt arrived back in the U.S. late this afternoon. They were taken by bus to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, ” the first American stop for most soldiers, sailors and Marines wounded in Iraq.”

Before leaving Germany, Lt. Colonel Peter Sorini spoke with Vogt. “I asked him if he was ready to go to Bethesda and he said he was from Paris and he preferred to go home, so I sort of sense that he had a bit of a sense of humor,” Soroni said. Woodruff hasn’t spoken, but Soroni said he “started to wake up more, move his arms and legs.”

> “They’re going to be received by a whole team of folks that will be looking after them — from neurosurgeons, to general surgeons, trauma specialists,” Soroni said on WNT.

> “The Navy medical center has specialized equipment that can treat penetrating head wounds, according to hospital spokeswoman Ellen Maurer,” the AP says.

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Woodruff & Vogt: Ticker #7

Brian — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 21:06:59 +0000

> ABCNews.com’s evening headline: “Woodruff and Vogt: Heartening Progress”

> Several e-mailers have raised their eyebrows at this morning’s half-page ad in the New York Times (right). ABC’s SOTU coverage ad includes no mention of Woodruff. (Then again, a “get well” message may have seemed strange in the middle of a promo. Should they have pulled the ad?)

> At today’s traditional background briefing lunch for anchors and commentators at the White House, ABC’s Elizabeth Vargas “was inundated by questions from all of us, including the President, about the well-being of Bob Woodruff and Doug Vogt, both of whom were in the air en route to the United States at the time when we sat down for lunch,” NBC’s Brian Williams blogs…

> UPI quotes an e-mail about Woodruff/Vogt coverage from a U.S. officer stationed in Baqubah, Iraq: “Why do you think this is such a huge story? It’s a bit stunning to us over here how absolutely dominant the story is on every network and front page. I mean, you’d think we lost the entire 1st Marine Division or something. There’s a lot of grumbling from guys at all ranks about it. That’s a really impolite and impolitic thing to say … but it’s what you would hear over here.”

> ABCNews.com has an FAQ about brain injuries…

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Woodruff & Vogt: Paying The Medical Bills

Brian — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 21:05:43 +0000

Earlier today, Slate’s Daniel Engber asked: “Who’s Going To Pay for Bob Woodruff‘s Medical Care?”

“Probably their insurance companies,” the site says. “As a matter of course, embedded journalists sign release forms that — in this (PDF) version, at least — make it very clear that the government isn’t responsible for the cost of any medical care in the field: ‘Persons receiving government medical or dental care who are not otherwise eligible to receive such care shall be obligated to reimburse the government.’”

The AP reports: “Jeffrey Schneider, vice president of ABC News, said outside the hospital that the network considered but rejected the idea of sending Woodruff and Vogt to a private hospital.

‘We talked to all the military people and determined that this is the best place in the world to treat those kind of injuries,’ he said. Schneider added that ABC is paying for its employees’ treatment. ‘The cost will not fall on the American taxpayer,’ he said.”

(Slate says: “ABC News claims that the network will take care of the medical bills. They wouldn’t say, though, whether they’ll pay Woodruff’s and Vogt’s medical expenses directly, or if they’ll let the insurance cover it.”

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Guess What Ollie Said About Christiane

Brian — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 21:03:07 +0000

TVNEWSER INTERACTIVE!

Oliver North, FNC’s War Stories host/embedded war supporter, appeared on Bill O’Reilly‘s program tonight to react to Christiane Amanpour‘s statements about the Iraq war.

What do you think he said? Write down your prediction, then click “more” to read his comments, after the jump…

continued…

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The Scoreboard: Monday, January 30

Brian — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 20:04:43 +0000

25-54 demographic:

Total day: FNC: 270,000 / CNN: 133,000 / MSNBC: 108,000 / HLN: 81,000 / CNBC: 64,000

Primetime: FNC: 414,000 / CNN: 239,000 / MSNBC: 180,000 / HLN: 151,000 / CNBC: 90,000

4pm: Cavuto: 247,000 / Blitzer: 116,000 / Abrams: 38,000

5pm: Gibson: 231,000 / Blitzer: 139,000 / Matthews: 97,000

6pm: Hume: 306,000 / Dobbs: 176,000 / Abrams: 146,000

7pm: Shep: 472,000 / Blitzer: 167,000 / Matthews: 204,000 / Showbiz: 52,000

8pm: O’Reilly: 595,000 / Zahn: 208,000 / Olbermann: 229,000 / Grace: 258,000

9pm: H&C: 335,000 / King: 271,000 / Rita: 156,000 / Prime News: 88,000

10pm: Greta: 313,000 / Cooper: 237,000 / Scarborough: 153,000 / Grace: 286,000

11pm: O’Reilly repeat: 421,000 / Cooper: 223,000 / Situation: 127,000 / Showbiz repeat: 49,000

Total viewers:

Total day: FNC: 1,040,000 / CNN: 452,000 / MSNBC: 258,000 / HLN: 209,000 / CNBC: 185,000

Primetime: FNC: 1,945,000 / CNN: 918,000 / MSNBC: 414,000 / HLN: 461,000 / CNBC: 148,000

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Jan. #’s: Program Ranker

Brian — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 17:40:30 +0000

Fox News had 11 of the top 12 programs on cable news in January. Bill O’Reilly was #1, Brit Hume was #2, Hannity & Colmes with #3, Shep Smith was #4 and Greta Van Susteren was #5. John Gibson was sixth, making CNN’s Larry King seventh.

Anderson Cooper was CNN’s #2 program, followed by Paula Zahn and Lou Dobbs.

Keith Olbermann was MSNBC’s #1, followed by the Friday night editions of MSNBC Investigates. Chris Matthews was #2 and Rita Cosby was #3. Analyze all the numbers with this program ranker:

> Program Ranker: January 2006 (PDF)

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Jan. #’s: In Demo, HLN Tops In Total Day But MSNBC Wins In Prime

Brian — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 15:59:45 +0000

For the first time since August 2005, Headline News overtook MSNBC for the month in the 25-54 demographic. In total day, Headline News averaged 96,000 demo viewers, beating MSNBC’s 91,000.

But in primetime, MSNBC was #3. In January it topped Headline News, delivering 119,000 viewers compared to HLN’s 102,000 — even with Nancy Grace. (Maybe Glenn Beck will help?)

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Jan #’s: 25-54 Demo Vs. 2005

Brian — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 15:58:55 +0000

Summing up the 25-54 demo data for January 2005 vs. the same month a year ago: FNC and CNN down in total day and prime, while MSNBC is up and HLN and CNBC are mixed…

Total day ’06: FNC: 235,000 / CNN: 145,000 / MSNBC: 91,000 / HLN: 96,000 / CNBC: 45,000

Total day ’05: FNC: 318,000 / CNN: 173,000 / MSNBC: 82,000 / HLN: 106,000 / CNBC: 51,000

% change: FNC: -26% / CNN: -16% / MSNBC: +11% / HLN: -9% / CNBC: -12%

Prime ’06: FNC: 319,000 / CNN: 202,000 / MSNBC: 150,000 / HLN: 114,000 / CNBC: 76,000

Prime ’05: FNC: 485,000 / CNN: 273,000 / MSNBC: 119,000 / HLN: 102,000 / CNBC: 64,000

% change: FNC: -34% / CNN: -26% / MSNBC: +26% / HLN: +12% / CNBC: +19%

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Jan. #’s: Total Viewers Vs. 2005

Brian — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 15:45:03 +0000

Summing up the total viewer data for January 2005 vs. the same month a year ago: FNC is down slightly, CNN is down, MSNBC is up, CNBC is up a little in total day and a good bit in primetime, and HLN’s Nancy Grace effect is evident in primetime but not in total day.
Notice how MSNBC has gained 10% viewership while CNN has lost 9% in total day — and how MSNBC has gained 16% viewership while CNN has lost 17% and FNC has lost 18% in primetime — are we seeing a shift?

Total day ’06: FNC: 899,000 / CNN: 461,000 / MSNBC: 238,000 / HLN: 234,000 / CNBC: 138,000

Total day ’05: FNC: 922,000 / CNN: 509,000 / MSNBC: 217,000 / HLN: 238,000 / CNBC: 131,000

% change: FNC: -2% / CNN: -9% / MSNBC: +10% / HLN: -2% / CNBC: +5%

Prime ’06: FNC: 1,604,000 / CNN: 876,000 / MSNBC: 301,000 / HLN: 240,000 / CNBC: 126,000

Prime ’05: FNC: 1,483,000 / CNN: 724,000 / MSNBC: 349,000 / HLN: 343,000 / CNBC: 155,000

% change: FNC: -18% / CNN: -17% / MSNBC: +16% / HLN: +43% / CNBC: +23%

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New CNNI Graphics Premiere On Feb. 5

Brian — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 14:44:18 +0000

“CNN International is revamping its on-air look Feb. 5, ditching its ticker, changing its fonts and bumping its logo to the top of the screen to make its appearance less cluttered,” Broadcasting & Cable reports. Here are some of the changes, according to Anne Becker:

> “Headline fonts will be changed to block lettering…Fonts will be color-coded…”

> “The network’s scrolling news ticker will be replaced by a rotating news ‘flipper,’ which will display one complete sentence or story at a time.”

> “The network’s logo…has been moved from the bottom right part of the screen to the top left…The word ‘live’ will appear over the shadowed globe for live stories.”

In 2005 CNN/U.S. made its graphics larger, bolder, and louder. Thankfully, CNNI is going in the opposite direction. Senior VP Rena Golden says “The uncluttered screen and enhanced concise graphics will now allow our video and journalism to breathe fully.”

> Also: “It plans to introduce new sets in Atlanta, London and Hong Kong later this year.”

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“Could CW Lead to a CBS, CNN Union?”

Brian — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 14:18:00 +0000

“A successful launch of CW could very well presage a momentous transformation in how co-parents Time Warner and CBS Corp. gather and disseminate news,” MediaWeek’s Anthony Crupi suggests. “According to sources in both camps, CNN and CBS have never quite closed the door on the idea of merging their news operations, although the last formal talks were dissolved in 2003…

Now that the companies have sidled closer to each other, many observers expect merger talks to resume. ‘Some kind of combination is inevitable,’ said Hal Vogel, principal of Vogel Capital Management. ‘The cost of having far-flung bureaus is way too high for any one organization to take on alone.’”

More: “Vogel said Moonves’ impatience with CBS News could hasten a deal. ‘Whether it’s CBS and CNN or some other outlet, I can foresee a deal being made within 12-18 months.’”

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