Outside Cable News

Via Boston Globe
Stranded in Fox’s lair
By Mark Shanahan

When Rupert Murdoch said he requested the pleasure of my company, I took him at his word. I accepted the media tycoon’s invitation to be his guest at this week’s Radio and Television Correspondents dinner in D.C. I wasn’t sure why Fox News wanted me there, and as the evening wore on, it became clear that the folks at Fox News weren’t, either.

Held at the Hilton Washington, the annual gathering is an excuse for broadcast journalism’s boldface names to meet, drink, and be merry. In all, about 1,600 people attended the black-tie event, including politicians, influence peddlers, and entertainers. Among the first people I ran into were hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons and his girlfriend, Porschla Coleman, who were guests of former presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich and his wife, Elizabeth.

I’d wanted to bring a date, too, but was told that would be impossible: This was a tough ticket, and there were absolutely no plus-ones. Oh, really? I e-mailed Geraldo Rivera - whom I’d profiled in the Globe last summer and have since kept in touch with - to see if he could score me a second invite. Rivera, who works for Fox News, pledged to try, but said spouses were historically unwelcome at the Radio and Television Correspondents dinner.

Why, I wondered.

“To encourage Spitzering,” Rivera deadpanned in reply. “From the verb ‘to Spitzer.’ ”
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Via CNN
CNN Web site targeted

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) — CNN was targeted Thursday by attempts to interrupt its news Web site, resulting in countermeasures that caused the service to be slow or unavailable to some users in limited areas of Asia.

“CNN took preventative measures to filter traffic in response to attempts to disrupt our Web site. A small percentage of CNN.com users in Asia are impacted,” the network said in a statement.

“We do not know who is responsible, nor can we confirm where it came from,” the statement continued.

A CNN spokesman said the Web site began to notice problems around midday Thursday and took measures to isolate the trouble by limiting the number of users who could access it from specific geographic areas.

As a result, he said, some users in those areas experienced temporary slowdowns or problems accessing the site.

The spokesman could not offer an estimate of how many users were affected. However, he said that the impact on daily usage was “imperceptible” and that the site “at no time” went down.

Service had returned to normal by mid-morning Friday, he said.
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TVNewser reports Mr. Quest had a little “meth” in his pocket.

>Wow, since when is possession of meth a misdemeanor? I believe in Florida, just like cocaine or over 20 grams of reefer is a felony, eh.

>Update: Via AP
>EXCERPT

At his arraignment in Manhattan’s Criminal Court, Judge Anthony Ferrara told Quest that if he attends the counseling and therapy designated by prosecutors for the next six months, his case will dismissed.

The judge allowed Quest to leave court without posting bail. He warned that if Quest failed to comply with the counseling schedule, he could be back in court and on his way to jail.

Quest’s lawyer, Alan M. Abramson, said his client “did not realize the park had a curfew. He was returning to his hotel with friends.”

CNN had no immediate comment on Quest’s arrest.

Via Turner Pressroom

CNN’s Best Political Team to Deliver Unrivaled Pennsylvania Primary Coverage

Top Correspondents, Election Express, Election Center, Multi-Touch in Full Force for April 22 Primary

CNN’s political team will report live from the CNN Election Center and across Pennsylvania when Democratic voters there go to the polls for a critical primary on Tuesday, April 22. CNN journalists and analysts will be on-hand throughout the day to report the results and what it means for the presidential campaigns.

CNN’s special prime-time programming will begin at 7 p.m., following wall-to-wall politics on The Situation Room, and will run late into the night. Lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer will direct the coverage and be joined by anchors Campbell Brown, Anderson Cooper, Lou Dobbs and Soledad O’Brien. Chief national correspondent John King will again provide in-depth, Pennsylvania-specific data and analysis using the CNN “multi-touch” board, a unique tool that makes complex information more understandable and accessible. The coverage will lead into a special edition of Larry King Live at midnight hosted by Larry King. American Morning with John Roberts and Kyra Phillips will be live the following morning from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. with post-election analysis.
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Via Atlanta Business Chronicle
CNN scores with ‘Planet in Peril’ documentary
Green Media Award
By Giannina Smith Staff writer

Since its creation by Ted Turner in 1980, CNN has been a groundbreaking media outlet. From its coverage of the first Iraq War to being first on the air with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the cable news network based out of Atlanta has continued to offer almost unrivaled coverage. Recently, CNN tackled the highly complex — and controversial — subject of global warming, traveling to the ends of the globe to report on the planet’s major environmental threats in “Planet in Peril.”

The documentary aired over two nights on Oct. 23 and 24, and an encore presentation will take place on CNN on April 22 in honor of Earth Day. The documentary reached 1.4 million viewers who tuned in for the two-day premiere of “Planet in Peril,” and millions more watched its subsequent re-airings. For this, Atlanta Business Chronicle has awarded CNN its Green Media Award, which recognizes a program or editorial package that highlights the growing dangers to the environment.
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Is CNN planning on using Stephanie Elam for regular anchor action? I know she’s filled in recently.. But, I just saw her on my local NBC station and believe this would be considered a “Newsource” hit. So, perhaps they’re trying to get her a little more experience?

Via E&P
Huffington to Speak Monday at Radio City Event
By E&P Staff

NEW YORK Blogger/columnist Arianna Huffington will be among the speakers this Monday evening at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

She’ll be appearing with political strategist James Carville and former MSNBC host Tucker Carlson in a discussion moderated by CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

The April 21 event is part of “The Minds That Move the World” speaker series at Radio City. Al Gore will appear on May 2, John Edwards and Rudy Giuliani on May 28, and Bill Clinton on June 17.

Huffington is co-founder/editor of HuffingtonPost.com (HP) and a columnist for Tribune Media Services, which also syndicates excerpts from HP.

>I found this already clipped on Red Lasso.. so decided to share.

Via UGA.edu
Study finds increased fragmentation of TV news audiences along party lines
Writer: Sam Fahmy

Athens, Ga. – Television news audiences are divided along party lines like never before, according to a new University of Georgia study that warns the trend may have damaging consequences for political discourse and democracy in America.

“Ideology and partisanship used to be completely unrelated to the television news people consumed,” said study author Barry Hollander, associate professor of journalism in the UGA Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. “But they’ve become significant factors in the last five years.”
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>Thanks to an email tip.

Via People.com
CNN’s Kiran Chetry Has A Baby Boy
By Rennie Dyball

This just in: It’s a boy for CNN’s Kiran Chetry! The American Morning co-anchor and her husband, CW weather forecaster Chris Knowles, welcomed their second child, Christopher, at 10:45 p.m. last night.

“Dad and baby are sleeping soundly,” Chetry, 33, tells PEOPLE of the 7 lb. bundle of joy. “Mom’s too excited to get any shut eye.”

Christopher, who “looks so much like Daddy,” says Chetry, joins big sister Maya Rose, 2, capping off a mini-baby boom over at CNN – Anchor Campbell Brown gave birth to her first child, a boy, back in December. “We were laughing about that,” Chetry joked at the time. “It’s the stroller derby!”

Chetry adds: “Big sister Maya is excitedly waiting at home with both sets of grandparents to officially meet ‘baby brother.’”

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>After the jump, find out which cable news anchor asks a great question..

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