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CBS: If It Bleeds, It Leads
2008-05-19 14:48:00 "How puzzling must it have been for CBS when Bob Schieffer, a bona-fide old guy, with white hair and a gravelly voice, got ratings that were better than both Rather?s and Couric?s?Nancy Franklin in a New Yorker piece with an illustration that makes Katie Couric look like a predatory rodent. Not so puzzling considering liberal Rather turned off the old fart "CBS Evening News" La-Z-Boy viewers nodding off behind TV dinner tray tables. But wait! There's more! "She often comes across as hollow and robotic. I?m never as aware that anybody is reading from a teleprompter as I am when I?m watching Couric. She is essentially wasted in this job, as it has been defined by her and by Moonves, but the fact is that anyone with more of a reporting background would probably have been even unhappier in the job than Couric has evidently been, because CBS doesn?t appear to be all that interested in maintaining its news division; earlier this year, it was reported that the network was looking into usi...
By: Chickaboomer
CBS Cops CNET
2008-05-15 15:30:00 Paidcontent.org quoting Les Moonves on CBS's $18 bil acquisition: ?CBS stands for premium content and unparalleled reach, and CNET Networks will add a tremendous platform to extend our complementary entertainment, news, sports, music and information content to a whole new global audience. Together, CBS and CNET Networks will have significant additional exposure to the fastest- growing advertising sector and can accelerate our growth through a number of new content, promotion and advertising initiatives. We could not be more pleased with the prospect of adding CNET Networks and its tremendous team of people to the CBS family. Rumors of a coming CNET acquisition have been bandied about for many years?it almost became a boring old joke, the equivalent of yelling Freebird at a rock concert.
By: Chickaboomer
Les Moonves: Kung Fool
2008-05-01 15:28:00 Time Warner jettisoning Time Warner Cable. B&C NYTCablevision trumps Rupe and Mort - upping the ante for Newsday. $650 mil. NYT NewsdayWriters' strike exposes "Grey's Anatomy" bones. Bill Carter NYT"I'm a lover not a fighter." Viacom/CBS chief Sumner Redstone kickboxes Les Moonves for a) putting ugly, violent martial arts on CBS airwaves, b) not telling him first. Hollywood ReporterNBC entertainment chief Ben Silverman bagging the May upfront dog and pony show, unveiling Al Capone's programming vault to nab advertisers before the Web nabs them. Ad Age If you care, MediaWeek has an Upfront News Channel...
By: Chickaboomer
CBS: Takes A Licking But Keeps On Ticking
2008-04-30 14:54:00 CBS flies in the face of vulture forecasters by 3 cents. Analysts ventured a wild guess that CBS shares would be up 36 cents. Nyet. 33 cents. The writers' strike kept production costs down. Dough from political ads helped boost $$$. The beleaguered CBS Radio revenue was down 6 percent. Tim Arango NYTNot impressive no matter how you spin it. Last week Katie Couric's ratings hit an all-time low. It's a safe bet Fox will bump off #1 CBS. TV Newser: Fox & Friends beat the bejeezus out of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and CNN's "America In The Morning" in April ratings. BTW: Fox News going HD tomorrow in some markets. TV Newser Political pimping propels CNN's ratings. Olbermann still sucking wind to Bill O'Reilly. New guy on the MSNBC news block, David Gregory, already doing better than Tucker Carlson in that 6 p.m. slot.
By: Chickaboomer
Katie Couric: Wizard Of Odds
2008-04-25 15:54:00 Unsolicited advice to Katie Couric: "Take a long sabbatical, then hope for Larry King to keel over." Emily Rooney (the daughter of CBS "60 Minutes" appallingly groomed Andy Rooney): "Talk about stop-loss. It's got to be her move. She's got to make it work out for her in every way, personally. That's her No. 1 concern right now. She has to save some face here." Gail Shister TV Newser"CBS could certainly replace Couric with a woman with less gums and giggle." NewsBusters shooting down a TIME mag critic shilling the "white guys" old chestnut.And your little dog, too...
By: Chickaboomer
CBS News: They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
2008-04-24 16:43:00 It is time for CBS News to be put down, in the Old Yeller sense of the phrase. It's time to turn out the lights and just start airing Hollywood gossip at 6:30 p.m. The network could follow Schieffer's lead and simply dissolve the thing after the inauguration, maybe keeping 60 Minutes around, either as a commercial-free public service program (because what exec doesn't love a prestige-hogging loss leader?) or under the auspices of CBS' entertainment division (because why keep pretending?). The farewell would be handled with dignified pomp?tributes to Murrow and Severeid and so forth. And if Walter Cronkite is in good health, he could do the honors with a final sign off. I'm serious. That's how bad things are, and that's the way it is. Troy Patterson Slate "Dead Air. Why CBS Should Shutter Its News Division"Dorothy Maguire as Katie Coates "Old Yeller" 1957: "If that don't beat all. I never saw such a dog."
By: Chickaboomer
Philippe The Bird
2008-04-22 14:47:00 Les Moonves getting the bird from Viacom czar Philippe Dauman. Peter Lauria NYP "Sources said Dauman's ultimate goal, which factored into the Paramount-Showtime negotiations, is to continue driving CBS' stock price down to the point where Redstone can justify booting Moonves, much as he did with former Viacom CEO Tom Freston in 2006. "Dauman's dream is to get rid of Moonves and put Viacom and CBS back together again." Bad Moonves Rising. Blue Moonves. Barking At The Moonves. Moonvesdance. Dancing On The Moonves. Paper Moonves. Moonves Shadow. Walking On The Moonves. MoonvesRaker.
By: Chickaboomer
The Sumner Of His Discontent
2008-04-21 14:52:00 "Les Moonves is royally screwed." Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood DailyAncient but wily Viacom head Mighty Mouse Sumner Redstone snatches the Viacom, Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate cable premium channel deal from under CBS head Les's nose. The new channel with video-on-demand takes on HBO and Showtime next year. NYDN Miz Nikki claims Moonves was "lowballing" the price for Paramount movies and his "overnegotiating" gambit ticked off the Hollywood studios.
By: Chickaboomer
See BS
2008-04-19 17:42:00 Les Moonbeam emerged from the shadows at CBS yesterday with his pom poms and rah-rah-buck-up-the-troops spin at Couric-fatigued CBS News. Thyose who were there for the "off-the-record" surprise appearance rushed to the phones and rang up the press. The leaks were either orchestrated by Moonves or by unauthorized rogues. ?Very forceful,? the executive said, quoting him as saying that he ?could not be happier with the content of CBS News and with the ?Evening News? anchor? and that Ms. Couric would be the anchor ?today, tomorrow and in the future,? while acknowledging that the ratings for the evening newscast were ?very frustrating.? Bill Carter NYTMoonves appears to have inherited the same gene that's keeping Hillary in the presidential race...
By: Chickaboomer
Garbage In. Garbage Out.
2008-04-14 15:22:00 In a move reminiscent of a major league sports deal, rumors surface of a Katie Couric Anderson Cooper "trade." Richard Huff NYDN Anderson to the CBS anchor chair; Katie to CNN. Anderson, a CBS News "60 Minutes" contributor, attracts the much-coveted younger demo elusive to network and cable TV news...Katie Couric is merely the public face to CBS's woes. People are getting fired left and right to save money. CBS stock is tanking. Ad sales suck. Yet head honcho Les Moonves rakes in more dough. Nearly $37 mil last year - $8 million more than the year before. Brian Stelter NYT A 28% increase. LA Times
By: Chickaboomer
Katie Couric: Bye, Bye Miss American Pie
2008-04-11 13:18:00 The New York Times follows up on yesterday's WSJ's musings about Katie Couric's CBS News demise. Apparently the rumors of her death weren't greatly exaggerated and the rumors greased the skids for her exit:Bill Carter & Jacques Steinberg NYT: The discussion took place in New York on Feb. 28 and involved four people: Ms. Couric; her agent, Alan Berger of the Creative Artists Agency; Sean McManus, the president of CBS News; and Leslie Moonves, the chairman of CBS. The meeting took place in Mr. Moonves?s office. The conversation included what one participant said was some ?idle talk and musings? about the big question hanging over CBS News: should Ms. Couric leave her position as the news anchor after the presidential election, a development that had long been rumored.No one involved in the meeting or briefed on its particulars would be identified for attribution because of the delicate nature of the talks. But Ms. Couric discussed several things she might do if she left the an...
By: Chickaboomer
Monster Mash
2008-03-14 02:02:00 For once I side with Les Moonbeam. The CBS honcho's "American Idol is a monster" is getting taken out of context. The press are making Moonves sound like the Texas chain saw murderer. Hollywood Reporter lede: "With CBS close to losing the total viewers race for the first time in five years, DEO Leslie Moonves called Fox's ratings hit "American Idol" a "monster" and urged somebody to "kill that show." Here's what he said: "While we're in repeats 'American Idol' continues to be a monster. It's a phenomenon. If somebody would kill that show I'd really appreciate it. But it's a national phenomenon and it continues to do extremely well." Monster Katie Couric just might front a Dem debate after all. She's the only one of the Big Three Egos left out of the spotlight. The CBS debate will be one of two before the Pennsylvania primary April 22. ABC News Katie's heart belongs to Hillary. Edward R. Murrow Apparition Keith Olbermann got off his Bush bash one-note-samba and gave Hillar...
By: Chickaboomer
Tick Tock Shelley Ross
2008-03-01 14:04:00 CBS Early Show producerbitch Shelley Ross rips a page out of Hillary's victim playbook: Shelley Ross, the executive producer of CBS's "The Early Show," was so upset over the lead story on Page Six yesterday, she didn't come to work. A tearful Ross, knowing we were working on the story, said Thursday afternoon she wouldn't be needing a car in the morning. But sources say she was spotted late yesterday afternoon going into CBS News President Sean McManus' office. "I guarantee you they weren't talking about the Giants," joked one source. "She's upset with CBS brass for not giving her more support." One of the show's anchors, Julie Chen, is said to have lost confidence in Ross, which isn't good, since Chen is the wife of CBS Chairman Les Moonves. NYP Page Six"She wouldn't be needing a car in the morning." I wouldn't want to cross dragon lady Julie Chen. Miz Shelley probably won't EVER "need a car" again. At least not at CBS.78-year-old Babs Walters dirty little secret? She ...
By: Chickaboomer
Katie Couric Assumes The Position
2007-12-11 21:07:00 CBS head Les Moonves appears to be retreating from his pronouncement that the "Voice Of God!" Cronkite type network news anchor is "dead." Katie Couric's getting rebranded and cloaked in Cronkite! Moonves is abandoning his attempts to crawl up the tight derrieres of young viewers who don't give a fig about evening network newscasts. Experience You Can Trust," under a picture of Ms. Couric, was the slogan in an ad for the CBS Evening News that ran in USA Today last week. The ad also used quotes from various newspaper and online reviews to talk about the "impressive" and "poignant" reporting on the newscast. CBS said the ad is part of the network's regular promotion of the program. Brian Steinberg, Ad Age The Mainstream Media is finally catching up to the story Chickaboomer brought you yesterday from MediaWeek (tipped off by Inside Cable News) on NBC reimbursing advertisers an average $500 grand each to compensate for bad ratings of sucky shows. Yahoo! News
By: Chickaboomer
Wiehl Of Fortune
2007-12-11 18:07:00 The Tee Vee critics group bagging the annual January pilgrimage to Hollywood derisively known as "The Shrimp & Swine Fest." Slovenly ink-stained wretches gorged on TV networks' pimping fabulous food and drink in exchange for favorable coverage of new shows. Fox News lawyerbabe Lis Wiehl's lawyer hubby of a year and a half, Mickey Sherman, "bounced checks to pay for the upkeep of his Stamford, Conn., law office partnership, racked up more than $1 million in federal tax liens on property he jointly owned with one partner, and welched on paying that partner back a $25,000 loan." NYP Page SixMickey's got his ass in a legal sling before. He racked up an obscenely huge legal fee and violated rules by not offering the young college kid client a fee agreement. I have a photo somewhere under "TV Anchorbabes" of Lis, Mickey Sherman, and a couple other talking heads blabbing on a Fox show. Lis was wearing a white jacket and a skirt so short I could practially see Cleveland. I can't fin...
By: Chickaboomer
Raising The Bar
2007-12-10 15:46:00 CBS honcho Les Moonves is getting into the sports bar biz. CBS into the "CBS Scene" bar deal with the New England Patriots' owners. WBZ TVFox News has a new toy. A SUV capable of broadcasting live via satellite. Political reporter Carl Cameron kills two birds with one stone reporting while shuttling from presidential campaign events. NYT The super SUV was put into service early during that phony Hillary NH hostage thing. Carl, have it at the ready when Hillary stages the phony assassination attempt. Usually it works the other way. Beauty pageant winner seamlessly segues into TV news. Over the weekend a young Columbus, Ohio reporter wins Miss Ohio USA to compete in the Miss USA pageant. It's okay, broadcast purists. Monica Day is only a traffic and entertainment reporter and knows her place, unlike the Fox News brass forcing that bikini bonehead Courtney Friel into legitimate news the brain dead babe has no business covering. Some horny benefactor high up at Fox is courting Courtne...
By: Chickaboomer
Tee Vee Soundbites
2007-12-05 17:30:00 Apparently CNN anchordude John Roberts broke his neck when he ran his bike into a Central Park jogger. Roberts didn't realize the extent of his injuries. Duh! The Hannah Storm has blown over. CBS "The Early Show" fingers a new anchorbabe. B & C TV Newser Miz Hannah invokes God at least a dozen times in her farewell and alludes to an illness leading me to connect the dots (duh!) that she may be sick. Shrew, bully, psychobitch, (add your own adjective) new executive producer Shelley Ross claimed she "fought tooth and nail to keep" Miz Hannah. Creepy egomaniac and immigration freak Lou "I'm Running For President In 2012" Dobbs is taking his tedious one-note-samba to radio. United Stations syndicating. NYO Keith Olbermann is out to get the hypocritical "Worst Person" Lou for encouraging his daughters' elitist horse hobby rife with illegal aliens shoveling horse manure. Kiss your presidential aspirations goodbye! Radar videoCreepy Les Moonpie gets his comeuppance from the CBS News...
By: Chickaboomer
CBS' Les Moonves Gets YouTube and New Media - Wired
2007-11-01 22:01:00 I loved reading this interview with CBS Television head Les Moonves as it reveals a person who gets new media and how it impacts CBS. Why can't Viacom have this view? CBS Chief Isn't Worried About YouTube or Google ? 'As Long as We Get Paid' Frank Rose 05.16.07 | 2:00 AMCBS President Leslie Moonves What happens to network television in the Internet age? As broadcasters confront ever-shrinking audiences and increasingly Net-savvy advertisers, that's a big question in certain quarters of New York and Los Angeles. With hits like CSI and Survivor, CBS president Leslie Moonves is the current ratings champ, but he knows Wall Street is ultimately going to judge him on how he manages the transition to the digital world. Moonves talked to Wired about user-generated video, tiny TVs, and how those clips of his wife made it onto the Internet.Wired: Right now, traditional broadcasting accounts for the bulk of your viewership and income. Will that change?Leslie Moonves: I think many yea...
Free Screech
2007-07-26 16:24:00 "Katie was personally involved in every aspect of the CBS Evening News makeover, from choosing the show's theme music to OK'ing segments of the broadcast, including the one called 'Free Speech.'" [Liz Smith in Variety]Now Katie's muzzled on-air and with good reason. She effed it up. But that doesn't stop the narcissistic clacking stilettos shrew from pointing the finger at everyone but her. Read all about Miz Katie's rise and fall in Ed Klein's new book due out August 28th. Pre-order it at a discounted $17.18 at Amazon! "No one?until now?has been able to penetrate the secrets behind her closely guarded personal life and her struggles in the cutthroat world of television news. In this probing portrait of America?s news queen, bestselling author Edward Klein rips away the mask that has hidden the many faces of Katie Couric: the strong, independent woman and the needy wife and lover; the grieving widow famed for her kindness to others and the fiercely competitive diva; the cons...
By: Chickaboomer
CBS: Couric Bitch Slap
2007-07-09 02:03:00 The $15 million Dollar A Year Woman's true colors flying boldly at CBS News where New York mag is reporting Miz Katie whacked a staff guy. [Drudge Report] But you won't find it until page seven of the suck up piece Katie and her cronies planted in futile attempts to negate last week's National Enquirer's "Untold Story." If I were more cynical I'd finger CBS News as the culprit behind the Enquirer leak to grease the skids for Katie's departure. The phony Little Mary Sunshine has dropped the perky facade to reveal the wretched Couric: Cruella De Vil. Read it and weep here. If you want to know how CBS is going to play Katie's dumping, here's the executive summary in today's NewYork Daily News. "Viewers Weren't Ready." Other Katie spin: "Not what I thought it would be." Katie repeatedly slapped an editor because he wanted to use the word "sputum" in the TB Boy story. Katie DETESTS that word. Off with his effing head! Katie's revisionist spin: they were just "playing around....
By: Chickaboomer
Chen A Ten
2007-07-03 16:12:00 "I know how to be a husband." CBS chief Leslie Moonves to wife CBS Tee Vee hottie Julie Chen. Moonpie's ex-wife Nancy dumped for Miz Julie would not concur. USA Today pimps Julie's new season of the reality show "Big Brother." Mooves may be a great husband but he's a lousy judge of news talent. The bloom is off the rose with his corporate "wife," Katie Couric, after only 10 months. Katie's not a 10. Let's see if Les cans Katie as breezily as he nixed Nancy after more than 20 years of marriage. Unlike Nancy, Katie's already collected an outrageous $15 million a year settlement. Les has no show for the dough.
By: Chickaboomer
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