Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer
Highlights and links to the big stories in the news this week about the media. This column appears twice a week at MEDIA NOTEBOOK
Political ads shore up CBS' bottom line according to Moonves
(Reuters) An unexpectedly long presidential primary season has helped CBS Corp avoid the worst of U.S. economic doldrums, Chief Executive Les Moonves told analysts on Tuesday. Moonves reiterated an earlier projection that CBS would take 10 percent of the total amount spent on political advertising, estimated at between $2.5 billion and $3 billion in 2008. 'We want this to be as long and as dirty as humanly possible. May it continue to be long and rough,' Moonves said at the Bear Stearns 21st Annual Media Conference. 'The amount of political advertising we are taking in is more than surpassing any potential downturn.'
(Rick's note: Keep this in mind while you're watching political coverage this season. The media isn't rooting for one particular candidate no matter what each candidate thinks. They are rooting for a long, bloody, expensive battle.)
Lee Abrams returns to Chicago(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes: "Lee Abrams, 55, gave Howard Stern and Steve Dahl their first major market radio jobs and he is widely credited with creating FM's album rock format, though some also see him as leading the push toward consultant-driven playlists. At Tribune Co. he will be responsible for getting everyone to play a new tune across Tribune's interactive, broadcasting and publishing properties. His first day will be April 1 and he plans to relocate to Chicago, his hometown. 'He's a genius, and the person who encouraged me to become the radio personality I knew I could become,' said Dahl, WJMK-FM 104.3's morning man and an occasional Chicago Tribune columnist, who was first hired by Abrams in the mid-1970s in Detroit and later hired by Abrams at Chicago's WLUP-FM 97.9."
(Rick's note: Could a Steve & Garry reunion at WGN be possible? Stranger things have happened.)
AP Launches "Deep" YouTube channel
(Beet-TV) The Associated Press, the world's largest news organization, has recently launched a significant presence on YouTube with its own channel. Editors are uploading about 250 videos a week, Beet.TV has learned. The AP began uploading these videos over the past month or so. The uploaded videos are both edited reports and clips of raw footage. It seems that while the YouTube channel is updated regularly, some breaking news is kept for AP members and customers and uploaded to YouTube the next day. Uploading videos to YouTube is part of plan by the AP to provide video to be used in nontraditional environments.
CLICK HEREMurdoch tells WSJ staffers there's no 'conservative' agenda
(Politico) Michael Calderone writes: "In his first visit to the Wall Street Journal’s D.C. bureau, Rupert Murdoch told staffers Friday that he would put more resources into Washington coverage and take on the New York Times, while reassuring them that he is not a 'conservative' pushing an agenda in the news pages."
Investigation of FCC goes forward(Inside Radio) As part of its ongoing investigation into the FCC, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is demanding the five commissioners and high-ranking staff turn over scores of documents in two weeks as they investigate allegations by both current and former employees of mismanagement at the agency. The Committee wants emails, telephone logs and other documents dating back to January 2005.
CNN says analyst should have skipped Spitzer story
(AP) David Bauder writes: "CNN said it shouldn't have used a former U.S. attorney who quit his job after allegedly biting a stripper as an analyst about New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's prostitution scandal. No mention of Kendall Coffey's past was made when anchor Tony Harris interviewed him Tuesday on the legal questions surrounding Spitzer's case. Coffey quit his job in May 1996 after being accused of biting a topless dancer on the arm during a visit to an adult club after losing a big drug case. Coffey talked on CNN about what kind of charges the New York governor could face. Spitzer is accused of having a high-priced call girl visit his hotel room during a visit to Washington last month. While Coffey's past is known to CNN's booking department, it wasn't to the person who set up Harris' segment. CNN spokesman Nigel Pritchard blamed a 'miscommunication.'"
Mark Suppelsa Quits at Fox-32
(Sun Times) Robert Feder writes: "In a local television bombshell, Mark Suppelsa ended his five-year run Monday at WFLD-Channel 32, leaving the Fox-owned station scrambling to replace its main news anchor. Suppelsa, 45, who has been anchoring Channel 32's marquee 9 p.m. weekday newscast alongside Robin Robinson since he succeeded Walter Jacobson in September 2004, chose not to accept a four-year contract renewal offer from the station. His current agreement expires March 17, but it's uncertain whether he'll finish up his final week on the air. 'I wish to thank Fox for their impressive and generous offer, which I have respectfully declined,' Suppelsa said. 'I have spent five productive and important years at WFLD, and I cannot say enough about the tremendous support and dedication so many people gave to me while I was there. While not an easy decision, I feel it is the appropriate one.' While Suppelsa emphasized that he was not making a 'retirement announcement,' he and his agents, Todd and Brian Musburger, declined to discuss his next move."
Journalist becomes the story at Mark Zuckerberg keynote
(c-net) Daniel Terdiman writes: "Ugh. Talk about losing an audience. During Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's keynote address Sunday here at South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi), on-stage interviewer Sarah Lacy out-and-out bombed, becoming much more of the story than she should have been and having the capacity crowd turn on her over the course of the hour discussion."
MCCAIN SNAPS AT NY TIMES REPORTER
Tucker Carlson show gets the ax
(New York Post) The preppie Carlson, 38 - known for his bow ties, on-air squabble with Jon Stewart, and a disastrous appearance on "Dancing With the Stars" - has been working without a contract since the end of 2006, when it was rumored he'd be axed. "He supposedly took a substantial pay cut to save his job," said our source. Carlson is married to Susan Andrews, with whom he has four children.
CLICK HEREWow Oh Wow
(NY Post) Richard Wilner writes: "Wow, oh, wow! The World Wide Web has just got a little more crowded. Fifteen women, all media, society, and business heavyweights - including Post columnist Liz Smith, "60 Minutes" correspondent Lesley Stahl and former speechwriter Peggy Noonan, have debuted a Web site called The Women on the Web and aimed at giving a greater voice to women over 39. Apparently, having a nationally syndicated gossip column, a highly-rated TV newsmagazine and a publishing powerhouse company isn't enough to get your point across. The site, wowowow.com, is designed to be a place to meet for coffee or cocktails, share experiences, tell tales out of school, exchange gossip and make some news, Joni Evans, the former president of Simon & Schuster and one of the site's five founding women, wrote on the site on its first day yesterday. The five founders, including advertising executive Mary Wells, each kicked in $200,000 to fund the start-up and attracted Citigroup as an advertiser."
Behind the Scenes at CBS News
Brian Williams nudges NBC to Top
(Washington Post) Howard Kurtz writes: "It was shortly after midnight after Tuesday's elections when Brian Williams popped up on MSNBC and offered one explanation for Hillary Clinton's big wins in Ohio and Texas. 'I think 'Saturday Night Live' will come up as a factor,' he said of the former first lady's appearance on the show. Tina Fey's comedic endorsement of Clinton, he said, came 'when she needed the bump.' Williams himself has gotten quite the bump since guest-hosting the show four months ago, not to mention his recent appearances with Jon Stewart and Jay Leno and his role in moderating five presidential debates, including the last face-off between Clinton and Barack Obama."
CLICK HERE
Lachlan Murdoch's Media Re-entry Stalled By Backer's Withdrawal
(Forbes) Vivian Wai-yin Kwok writes: "Lachlan Murdoch is facing a setback in his plans for re-entry into the media sector. After the major financial backer of his proposed $3.3 billion takeover of Consolidated Media Holdings suddenly walked away from the deal, the elder son of Rupert Murdoch is now knocking on the doors of other U.S. investors, seeking support for the bid. The share price of Consolidated Media Holdings slid sharply Friday on concern that Lachlan Murdoch's acquisition attempt may fall apart."
An interview with Dobie Maxwell(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with comedian Dobie Maxwell. We talked about his interesting career in radio (which he recounts with his trademark comedic flair), and his current gig as a regular contributor to Jerry Agar's show on WLS. Coming this weekend: WERV's Matt DuBiel.
