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
Spring Book Chicago Radio Ratings Released by Arbitron
(Chicago Tribune) Patrick Kampert writes: "WGN-AM 720 and WGCI-FM 107.5 pulled away from the pack as the No. 1 and No. 2 radio stations in the Chicago market in the spring Arbitron ratings released Tuesday, while Jonathon Brandmeier and the revitalized Loop (WLUP-FM 97.9) made a strong comeback with male listeners in the 25-54 age group. Among listeners 12 and older, WGN grew to a 6.3 share, with WGCI not far behind at 6.0. The spring ratings marked the farewell to radio diaries that are filled out by local listeners. After months of delay, the portable people meter, an electronic measuring system, will gauge radio audiences from this point forward."
(Rick's note: It should be interesting to see how dramatically this new system changes the ratings in the future)
European Press LOVES Obama(Politico) Michael Calderone writes: "Last week, a Pew Global Attitudes study on “Obamamania Abroad” found that while the Middle East remains skeptical — including Jordan, the candidate’s first stop there — Europe is another story altogether. Toby Harnden, U.S. editor of the Daily Telegraph, told Politico that it’s almost as if the overwhelmingly popular Obama had been “designed by a committee of Europeans” with the goal of creating their ideal American presidential candidate. On the surface, there’s an obvious contrast in style between Obama and President Bush, who’s had low opinion numbers across the pond long before that trend hit U.S. shores. As a result of the electorate’s disapproval of Bush, Europeans largely view Obama as a shoo-in. Wishful thinking has become conventional wisdom."
Is Press Actually Being Too Easy on McCain?
(Washington Post) Howard Kurtz writes: "We interrupt the nonstop coverage of Barack Obama's overseas trip to bring you some breaking whispers about John McCain. He has been making a series of verbal slips -- invariably described as "gaffes" -- that are starting to ricochet from liberal blogs to the mainstream media. And fairly or not, some critics are suggesting the 71-year-old Republican candidate is showing his age. McCain referred to the "Iraq-Pakistan border" in a "Good Morning America" interview; since there is no such border, he must have meant Afghanistan-Pakistan. He has twice referred to Czechoslovakia, a country that ceased to exist in 1993; mixed up Sunnis and Shiites; and identified Vladimir Putin as president of Germany. There is a counter-narrative, which has taken root on the left, that McCain is the one being treated with journalistic kid gloves. In this view, Obama's every utterance is scrutinized, while McCain, who enjoyed warm relations with reporters during his 2000 White House campaign, pays little price for blunders."
CLICK HERECourt tosses FCC wardrobe malfunction fine
(Associated Press) A federal appeals court on Monday threw out a $550,000 indecency fine against CBS Corp. for the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show that ended with Janet Jackson's breast-baring "wardrobe malfunction." The three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Federal Communications Commission "acted arbitrarily and capriciously" in issuing the fine for the fleeting image of nudity. The 90 million people watching the Super Bowl, many of them children, heard Justin Timberlake sing, "Gonna have you naked by the end of this song," as he reached for Jackson's bustier. The court found that the FCC deviated from its nearly 30-year practice of fining indecent broadcast programming only when it was so "pervasive as to amount to 'shock treatment' for the audience. Like any agency, the FCC may change its policies without judicial second-guessing," the court said. "But it cannot change a well-established course of action without supplying notice of and a reasoned explanation for its policy departure."
At the movies with Ebert & Roeper loses Ebert and Roeper
(Chicago Tribune) Phil Rosenthal writes: "Chicago Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper said in a statement late Sunday that he will leave television's "At the Movies With Ebert & Roeper" next month after eight years, having failed to reach agreement with Disney-ABC Domestic Television on a new contract. Spokespeople for Disney were unavailable for comment. Also unavailable were Roeper and Chicago Tribune reviewer Michael Phillips, a regular fill-in lately for Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert, who has been sidelined the last two years because of health issues that have robbed him of his voice. Industry sources say Disney is contemplating a reinvention of the nationally syndicated movie review program with more of a Hollywood focus, along the lines of CBS Television Distribution's 'Entertainment Tonight.'"
Disney names new hosts of "At the Movies"
(Chicago Sun Times) Robert Feder writes: "One day after Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper signed off as hosts of "At the Movies," Disney ABC Domestic Television announced their replacements along with a new format for the Chicago-based syndicated movie-review show. Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz were named Tuesday as co-hosts of show when its new season begins Sept. 6. Lyons, the son of film critic Jeffrey Lyons and grandson of columnist Leonard Lyons, reported on movies for E! Entertainment. Mankiewicz, the grandson of screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz and great-nephew of director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, was a host for Turner Classic Movies and Sirius Satellite Radio."
CLICK HERE
Is David Gregory NBC's Lame Duck?
(New York Observer) To me the most shocking revelation in this article is that David Gregory is only 37 years old. Felix Gillette writes: "From the moment the show kicked off on March 17, things looked grim. The format was essentially a high-tech version of, say, The McLaughlin Group, with various journalists sitting around debating topics of Mr. Gregory’s choosing. There was one innovation: Instead of sitting around a table, the heads of the various guests appeared in boxes. An unfavorable review of the show in The New Republic promptly described the look as “intergalactic Nancy Grace.”
Sumner Redstone must speak in Dan Rather trial
(NY Observer) Felix Gillette writes: "Dan Rather and his lawyers were back in a Lower Manhattan courthouse late Wednesday afternoon for yet another round in Mr. Rather's ongoing $70 million civil lawsuit against his former employers. Over the course of a 45-minute hearing in front of Justice Ira Gammerman, tempers occasionally flared as the lawyers for both sides argued over a number of issues, ranging from the scheduling of depositions to the transparency of the discovery process. On the latter issue, Mr. Rather and his lawyers petitioned the justice to release a number of key documents turned up in discovery. Mr. Rather's lead attorney, Marty Gold, suggested to Justice Gammerman that the documents, if released, would help refute CBS's repeated, public characterization of Mr. Rather's claims in the suit as a fantasy. He said that of the thousands of documents handed over by CBS, Mr. Rather would like to give the public access to roughly 10."
Michael Savage goes way over the line with autism slam
(MSNBC.com) Look, any parent that has a kid with autism or one that is on the autism spectrum has heard idiotic comments like this from ignorant relatives or acquaintances who have no idea what they're talking about. Walk a mile in our shoes, a**hole, and then give us your excellent "advice." He is rightfully getting hammered for it. Here's what he said:
“Now you want me to tell you my opinion on autism since I’m not talking about autism … a fraud, a racket. What do you mean they scream and they’re silent? They don’t have a father around to tell them don’t act like a moron, you’ll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up! Act like a man! Don’t sit there crying and screaming, idiot.’”
CLICK HERECitadel teams with Premiere for Sean Hannity deal
(Radio Online) ABC Radio talk host Sean Hannity will be distributed through both the Citadel-owned networks and Clear Channel's Premiere Radio Networks, reports The Wall Street Journal. ABC will continue to distribute the show to Citadel's stations -- but starting in December, Premiere will handle syndication for the show everywhere else. 'It's an unusual deal, but it's a deal for the times,' said Citadel Chairman/CEO Farid Suleman. 'It hopefully sets the stage for more deals like that, sharing with another party to try to limit the risks.' Starting in 2009, Premiere will control most of the network advertising and major national sponsors. Hannity will remain on Citadel outlets in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco. Sources told WSJ that Hannity's deal is in the neighborhood of $100 million over five years. Plus, he gets a piece of the show's earnings.
Who are the biggest jerks in Cable News?
(Radar Online) I've always believed that the easiest way to discover if someone is a jerk or not in real life is to find out how they treat their staff. This is exactly what Radar Online did, and they have a top 6. Read why the following people are jerks: Keith Olbermann, Laura Ingraham (watch the video of her raging against her staff), Bill O'Reilly (we've all seen that video), Nancy Grace, Chris Matthews, and Brit Hume. Who are the nice guys/gals? Rachel Maddow, David Gregory, Sean Hannity, and (gulp) would you believe Robert Novak? I should note this story came out before Novak hit a guy with his car yesterday, and drove away.
Fallon will start "Late Night" on the web
(New York Times) Bill Carter writes: "With a new round of shake-ups in late-night television set to begin next year, Lorne Michaels has decided to try to get a jump on things by starting NBC’s next edition of “Late Night,” with its new host Jimmy Fallon, as a nightly entry on the Internet. Mr. Fallon has been named as the replacement for Conan O’Brien when Mr. O’Brien takes over the “Tonight” show from Jay Leno next year, and Mr. Michaels, the long-time boss of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” who also serves as executive producer of “Late Night,” told television reporters here Sunday that he wants Mr. Fallon to work out as many of the rough spots in his presentation as possible in performances on a website."
CLICK HERE
2008 Emmy nominees announced
(Entertainment Weekly) Mike Bruno writes: "NBC's 30 Rock and AMC's Mad Men led all series at the 60th annual Primetime Emmy nominations, announced this morning by Pushing Daisies' Kristin Chenoweth and How I Met Your Mother's Neil Patrick Harris (both Emmy nominees themselves this year). Men's 16 nominations led all drama series and included nods for outstanding drama series and a best actor nod for John Hamm, while 30 Rock led all comedies with 17 nominations, including outstanding comedy series and actor nods for Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. Meanwhile, HBO's historical miniseries John Adams led all nominees with a total of 23 nods, including a best actor nomination for Paul Giamatti."
Radio Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
(National Radio Hall of Fame) The Class of 2008 includes former Coast to Coast host Art Bell, the late Bob Collins (of WGN fame), the late Jess Cain (morning legend in Boston), Howie Carr (also from Boston), Mickey Luckoff (GM of the powerhouse KGO in San Francisco), legendary L.A. DJ Charlie Tuna, the late Dick Whittinghill (another legend in Los Angeles), and Focus on the Family (founded by James Dopson).
Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Jimmy "Mac" McInerney(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with WERV production director Jimmy McInerney about his long radio career, including his stints with Brandmeier and Kevin Matthews, and the story about how he met his wife (fellow radio broadcaster) Wendy Snyder. Coming this weekend: WLS afternoon co-host Bill Leff.
