Star Jones’ - TVNewser

Anderson Rips Star: ‘For her to emerge out of the shadows and attack me for this, I couldn’t believe it’

Chris Ariens — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:31:21 +0000

CNN’s Anderson Cooper, on his syndicated show today, ripped Star Jones after Jones said on the “Today” show that Cooper’s public coming out this summer was a ratings ploy.

A fired up Cooper, with guest host Bravo’s Andy Cohen said, “I haven’t thought about Star Jones in I don’t know how long. I was unaware she was on TV still.”

“As memory serves, in terms of boosting ratings, I seem to recall [Star] hocking her wedding every single day to get free products when she was on ‘The View’ and I seem to recall her lying about her gastric bypass surgery and making everybody else lie about it as well. So for her to suddenly emerge out of the shadows and suddenly attack me for this, I couldn’t believe it.”

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Piers Morgan’s Pub Politics: ‘Doing interviews in a bar is perfectly natural. I’ve been spouting rubbish in bars all my life.’

Alex Weprin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 12:32:00 +0000

CNN host Piers Morgan slides into the seat across from me. We are sitting in a booth in a (relatively) quiet corner of the CNN Grill in Charlotte. Seconds after he arrives, a server brings over a cheeseburger for Morgan, who just finished a Q&A on Wolf Blitzer‘s show. During the RNC and DNC the CNN Grill has become a meeting place for media types. While there is a set in the restaurant, it feels more like a bar than a TV studio. Morgan says he feels right at home.

“I grew up in a pub, my parents ran a country pub, I owned a pub in London until recently, so doing interviews in a bar is perfectly natural, I have been spouting rubbish in bars all my life.” he quips. ” I quite like the idea of a grill too, grilling politicians. I think it is something we might adopt.”

Shorty after we sit down, Star Jones walks over to the booth to talk to Morgan about her appearance on tonight’s show.

For Morgan, the conventions have been an chance to showcase a more fun, less formal side of TV news.

“I don’t know how many cable news shows have pints of beer siting on the desk,” he says. “We have had some great guests, and lively end of the evening debate. It has been quite cool to ramp up the proceedings over a few pints with smart people, and having the kind of electricity of being in a bar and doing it live while it has been packed. It is actually quite exciting, I have really enjoyed that.”

He also cites his primetime newsmaker interviews as something he is particularly proud of during the conventions.

“To be the go-to person for the big interview hit is really important to me, because that is what I think I can bring to the network as well as anyone else,” he adds.

The conventions also allow a chance to grab guests you wouldn’t otherwise be able to secure. Morgan says he has two big, boldface names still on his list.

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‘CBS This Morning,’ ‘Today’s Professionals’ Talk Anderson Cooper

Alex Weprin — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:06:57 +0000

Two of the morning shows have acknowledged Anderson Cooper‘s gay acknowledgment.

“CBS This Morning’s” Erica Hill, a friend of Cooper’s from her days at CNN, discussed his coming out with country music artist Chely Wright, who revealed two years ago that she’s gay. Video after the jump.

ABC’s overnight show “World News Now,” which Cooper once anchored, gave it a mention as did the pre-GMA show, “America This Morning.” “Good Morning America” didn’t.

On NBC’s “Today,” Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford talked about it on the 4th hour. “He is a sweet guy,” said Gifford. “We just wish everybody to be happy.”

It also was the subject earlier on “Today’s Professionals.” The panelists, Star Jones, Donny Deutsch and Dr. Nancy Snyderman, all seemed to take the cynical route, arguing that Cooper made the announcement for some sort of ratings gain. They seemed to be unaware that his daytime talk show is on hiatus, and that Cooper is in Africa on assignment, not hosting his CNN program.

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Survey Says? NBC Wants To Know What You Think About ‘The Professionals’

Chris Ariens — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 17:44:56 +0000

The third hour of NBC’s “Today” show was devoted to a full hour of “Today’s Professionals” where Star Jones, Donny Deutsch and Dr. Nancy Snyderman discuss and opine about general news topics.

There has been discussion about developing “Today’s Professionals” into its own series. And now, TVNewser has learned that NBC wants to know what viewers think of that idea. A source tells us a News: VIPs survey is being conducted. “It was a very detailed survey on the 9 am hour that aired today and covered everything,” says the source. “It covered the on-the-road makeover segment, the one-on-one segments, the audience questions segment, the first panel discussion and the final rountable discussion.”

The survey asked for viewer opinion on the talent, Jones, Snyderman and Deutsch, as well as anchors Al Roker, Natalie Morales and Savannah Guthrie and their chemistry. The survey asked if the hour needed changes and, if so, what kind of changes they would like to see. And it went into detail about the length of the segments and about the show’s overall pacing.

“Sounds like the kind of survey one puts out if one is looking to make changes,” figures our source.

What do you think? Should “Today’s Professionals” be its own regularly-scheduled hour?

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As NBC Takes on ‘Hero’ Comments, Donny Deutsch Says MSNBC’s Chris Hayes ‘Looks Like a Weenie’

Chris Ariens — Tue, 29 May 2012 12:30:04 +0000

This morning the “Today” Professionals took on MSNBC’s Chris Hayes and his comments over the weekend in which he said he was “uncomfortable” calling some soldiers “heroes.”

“I’m repulsed,” said Donny Deutsch to Matt Lauer. “I mean, I hope that he doesn’t get more viewers as a result of this. This guy is like a — you see what he looks like, he looks like a weenie,” said Deutsch.

“Could you be more inappropriate on Memorial Day?” asked Star Jones rhetorically.

WATCH:

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‘Today’s Professionals: Leakers Should Not Be Tolerated

Alex Weprin — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:12:10 +0000

On NBC’s “Today” this morning, one of the topics covered during “Today’s Professionals” was the Fox News “mole.” The panel, comprised of Star Jones, Donny Deutsch and Bobby Flay, all agreed that that leakers and moles should be hunted down and fired.

Anchor Matt Lauer ended the segment by asking “Has anyone here ever been involved in a leak involving me??

WATCH (starting at 3:50):

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Could ‘Today’ See a Syndicated Spinoff?

Alex Weprin — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:02:47 +0000

TV Guide‘s Stephen Battaglio writes about Matt Lauer‘s new deal with NBC, and scoops that there is more to it than just “Today.” According to Battaglio, Lauer’s contract includes a program development deal, as well as a stake in syndicated programs he may develop outside of the NBC morning show.

One idea already being kicked around is spinning off Lauer’s regular segment “Today‘s Professionals,” in which he spars over hot-button issues with a panel that includes Star Jones, Donny Deutsch and Dr. Nancy Snyderman. The segment could also be developed into a fifth hour of Today.

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Star Jones Returns to ‘The View,’ Discusses Contentious Exit

Alex Weprin — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:01:43 +0000

Star Jones returned to ABC’s “The View” Wednesday. Jones had been a panelist on the ABC daytime show for years, before abruptly quitting the show in 2006. Jones found out that her contract would not be renewed, and decided to announce that she would be leaving, surprising her fellow panelists, including “View” creator Barbara Walters, who said she felt “betrayed.”

Jones, Walters and the panelists discussed the contentious exit, and the conversation had some tense moments:

On “Today” this morning, Donny Deutsch argued that “The View” owed Jones an apology for the “cruel” conversation they had:

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Katie Couric, Roger Ailes, Piers Morgan and Matt Lauer Walk Into a Super Bowl Pep Rally…

Alex Weprin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:37:13 +0000

If it seemed like TV news was particularly quiet this afternoon, it was likely because New York’s Michaels restaurant hosted a pre-Super Bowl “Pep Rally,” and just about everyone was there.

Don’t believe us? Among the attendees were Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, Fox News anchors Brian Kilmeade and Jamie Colby, ABC’s Katie Couric and Andrea Canning, NBC’s Matt Lauer, Brian Williams and Savannah Guthrie, CNN’s Piers Morgan, CBS’ Chris Licht and Gayle King and, just for good measure, Whoopi Goldberg, Star Jones, singer John Mayer, John McEnroe, Cablevision CEO James Dolan and movie tycoon Harvey Weinstein, among many others.

You can see more names at the Michael’s New York Twitter feed.

Update: Our own Diane Clehane was there, and spotted Regis Philbin, Bill O’Reilly, former New York Governor George Pataki and plenty of others. Her report and photos are here.

In other words, it was quite the crowd. Couric and Ailes even had a nice chat, as Niche Media founder Jason Binn noted on Twitter.

(photo via Jason Binn)

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Soledad O’Brien Launches Foundation for Kids in Need

Chris Ariens — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:25:03 +0000

CNN special correspondent Soledad O’Brien and her husband Brad Raymond launched their Foundation at a star-studded event Friday night in Bridgehampton, New York.

Since Hurricane Katrina — which O’Brien covered extensively for CNN — the couple has quietly helped underprivileged young women with the resources to attend school. The foundation will now enable them to provide more scholarships to the victims of the storm, and beyond.

In attendance, Star Jones and her new beau; Russell Simmons with actress Melissa George; and gospel singer Kirk Franklin and jazz star Ron Carter. In all, $250,000 was raised.

Event chairs Cicely Tyson and Pharrell Williams and host committee members such as CNN’s Alina Cho (pictured) and Jason Binn were also on hand, enjoying the “New Orleans in the Hamptons” themed event.

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A Star Is Reborn

Guest Blogger — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:42:55 +0000

Star Jones’s self-titled daily talk show is just a few weeks away from launching on Court TV (soon to be truTV). The Chicago Tribune’s Maureen Ryan was in the crowd for the Sunday morning session of the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills.

Jones didn’t talk much about her new show, or about the topic most reporters seemed to want to know about: her extreme makeover. Turns out Star is saving the good parts for a Glamour article she is writing.

She was also asked about “The View’s” roller coaster of a year. “I was a part of an amazing pop culture experience. Barbara Walters gave me the opportunity of lifetime,” Reynolds said. “So I’m not going to do anything that damages that warm feeling that I had. I’m not going to pile on.”

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