If you're an accountant, you're only as good as your client's last tax return that successfully hid the bulk of his income in an offshore shell company. If you're a journalist, you're only as good as your last report. Not that any of your past transgressions will never come back to haunt you, as they are for ABC News' Brian Ross. The newsman — who in 2001 reported the post-9/11 anthrax attacks might be linked to Saddam Hussein because tests showed traces of bentonite, a chemical linked to Iraq's supposed bio-weapons — has been facing harsh criticism from the likes of Salon's Glenn Greenwald, NYU's Jay Rosen, and the Center for Citizen Media's Dan Gillmor for failing to follow up his report — which was based on the information from three (or four?) "well-placed" government sources — with the acknowledgment that, well, he got everything completely wrong. And that his report might've helped build support for that Iraq war we're still in the middle of!
Nonsense!, says Ross, the upstanding journalist whose credibility has been turned into potato latkes. CONTINUED »
When television networks are treated to the ratings bonanza (read: 60 million viewers) known as this fall's four presidential debates, viewers will see PBS anchors Jim Lehrer and Gwein Ifill each moderate a debate, along with NBC's special something Tom Brokaw and CBS News' former anchor and current chief Washington correspondent Bob Scheiffer. That means no involvement from ABC News or, for that matter, a one Katie Couric. But you know who was selected to participate by the Commission on Presidential Debates? MySpace. News Corp.'s social network will power MyDebates.org, which will live stream the debates and poll users in real time on the issues being discussed. Granted, this is not the same thing as letting MySpace users frame the questions, like the CNN-YouTube primary debates did. But at least they were asked to the table. Sorry Couric. Sorry Gibson.
Government scientist Bruce Ivins killed himself last week, amidst reports federal officials were going to arrest him as a suspect in the anthrax-in-envelopes scares following 9/11. Ivins, who worked with scary molecules like Cholera before turning his attention to anthrax full time, basically went off the deep end as he was closed in on, and even his shrink was scared of him. With Ivins' death, though, comes new questions about Sept. 11's aftermath and the anthrax scare — namely, how ABC News might have contributed to government-planted misinformation about the situation. What type of misinformation? Say, for instance, that Saddam Hussein's biological weapons program was behind the anthrax scare. You remember Mr. Hussein, don't you? He's the late former Iraqi leader who was so evil the United States spent billions of dollars on a casualty-laden war, all based on various pieces of wrong information, like non-existent WMDs and now, perhaps, a non-existent link between Hussein and the anthrax. CONTINUED »
So … referring to hot Asian girls as your "Asian Persuasions" is a no-go, right? We learned that lesson, oh, we don't know, when we were four. Martin Bashir did not. While speaking at the Asian American Journalists Association — an organization composed of Asian people — the 20/20 host exclaimed that he was "happy to be in the midst of so many Asian babes" before, unprovoked, describing what makes a perfect speech: It should be "like a dress on a beautiful woman — long enough to cover the important parts and short enough to keep your interest — like my colleague Juju’s." This attempt at witty banter did not go over well. Some members in the audience booed. Brass at ABC News got wind of July 25 remarks, and David Westin probably demanded backtracking. Indeed, a spokesperson for the network said, "This kind of remark has no place in any setting, and Martin knows that." Indeed — Bashir himself apologized: "Upon reflection, it was a tasteless remark that I now bitterly regret," referring to his speech as a "moment of stupidity." Much like Bashir's interview with Michael Jackson.
The Matt Grant edition of The Bachelor wasn’t any more entertaining than every other season, but the breakup is proving otherwise. Former fiance (and constant famewhore) Shayne Lamas told People magazine about her plans for the engagement ring, purchased by ABC: She’s keeping it “safe and clean and in a glass box — like a glass slipper.” Also? Matt is totally on board with the idea and even “wants to come over and look at it.”
Naturally, the magazine then got a response from Matt, because this is middle school and two adults can’t just decide what to do with a piece of jewelry without using the media as a go-between. And, of course, Matt says he never spoke with Shayne about the subject.
ABC's hit reality show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is notable not just for keeping drunk Ty Pennington employed, but also for changing people's lives. Down and out poor folks, who broke off the short end of the wishbone in life, get tossed the bigger end of the turkey carcass — and given a completely new home, gratis.
As cameras rolled and the coach bus pulled away, the overjoyed family toured their new home, thanked Sears and Home Depot, and cried in all the right places. Then, after neighbors were done looking on in envy, the show's crew left town, and the family was left to enjoy the spoils of their good fortune. Right?
Actually, no. In this housing market, even the lucky receivers of freebies are getting screwed. And sometimes, it's totally their fault. [AP] CONTINUED »
While Barack Obama was touring Western Europe to convince the world, and American voters, that he's ready to get serious about diplomacy, foreign oil, and handshaking, he fell into the same trap that Jesse Jackson, George W. Bush, and CNN anchor Kyra Phillips have all fallen into: getting too close to a live mic.
While meeting with British opposition leader David Cameron at the Houses of Parliament in London, the pair spoke a little to close to a ABC News mic. Which was on. CONTINUED »
Now that he's on his way to the White House, terrorist-by-satire Barack Obama stands accused of leaning farther toward the center than his left-wing Democratic primary self did. Some might argue that comes with the territory as any candidate progresses into the general election. Fine.
But there's another marked change going on in the Obama camp, and it has to do with his relationship with the press. We noticed three distinct policies that are becoming status quo inside the Land of Change, and they're all rules the press corps now has the grapple with. CONTINUED »
ABC News and The Washington Post stand accused of purposefully withholding the results of their latest polling, which revealed Barack Obama commands an eight point lead over John McCain among registered voters. This is interesting, because the media is supposed to have it in the bag for Obama, and one wouldn't be wrong for thinking even the "unbiased" pollsters wouldn't want this information embargoed. [Media Matters]
After withdrawing her name from Emmy consideration, Katherine Heigl explained her decision this way: She wasn't "given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination." Well how's that for a 1-percent-self-deprecating/99-percent-attacking statement? Clearly, Heigl wasn't happy with what the writers were giving her on Grey's Anatomy, and speaking to the press is the only way to have your voice heard! And so began rumors that Ms. Izzy wanted off to show so she'd have more time to peruse better money-making adventures, like film. But far be it for Heigl to make her own decision, maybe it would be the writers she insulted that would decide her fate on the show. Thus, the rumors that her character would develop a brain tumor this season, and maybe die, as Us Weekly reported earlier today. But if Heigl's Izzy does develop a brain tumor, expect her to rebound victorious — if the official word from ABC is to believed. CONTINUED »
Nikki Finke is making a big deal out of Jay Leno's comment on last night's Tonight Show that supposedly hinted at a future with ABC: "Last night on NBC's The Tonight Show, Jay Leno was doing his Monday night 'Headlines' segment when he held up a magazine cover with a picture of himself and a cutline that said Host of The Tonight Show on ABC'. When the few laughs died down, Leno looked into the camera and smirked, 'It's like a headline from the future.'"
This is, supposedly, evidence that Leno will be headed to ABC after his deal with NBC is up in 2010 (though he's pushed off the air in 2009 when Conan O'Brien steps in).
But don't read too far in to this. Not only in Leno legally barred from even entertaining offers until November 2009, but the ABC option has long been on the table — as has every other network and syndicate out there. CONTINUED »
American Broadcasting Company did it again!
For two years in a row ABC has topped GLAAD’s list of the most queer inclusive network and cable channels. FX came in second, while basically every other channel received big, fat failing marks:
As of last week, NBC's Today scored its 655th consecutive week winning the ratings game, putting it in the top spot for 12 straight years and counting. "Since the start of the year Today is up about 3 percent, leading Good Morning America, which is down 6 percent, by about 1.2 million viewers a week." And in case you weren't wondering: "The Early Show on CBS trails far behind the other two programs." [NYT]
Chaunce Hayden, the Steppin' Out editor whose name regularly appeared in Page Six until he found himself embroiled in a false report about a Bam Margera and Lynsi Smigo sex tape, is the center of this Radar profile, which lists his various past careers: male stripper, car washer, failed punk rocker, bartender, swimming pool digger. Hayden acknowledges that nobody actually reads his publication, which is littered around New York and New Jersey, which might be a growing concern because until lately, it's been his single entry into getting his gossip items, and his name, in the press. Then the Post banned him (Smigo has since filed a $10 million defamation suit against him and the paper); MSNBC blacklisted him after a he caused a commotion on Joe Scarborough's show; he's persona non grata at ABC, when he went on-air to report Diane Sawyer had just shushed him; and Howard Stern would like to see him dead after Hayden said, on ABC, that Stern should be looked at for insider trading for allegedly leaking details of his then-impending move to Sirius. Interesting, though, that Radar is reporting all of this. Not because the gossip industry isn't the pub's territory — it is — but because paragraphs like this: CONTINUED »
When a trio of ABC News writers were asked to sign a waiver agreeing not to be compensated for checking their BlackBerry when they were off the clock, a mini debate began between the news network and the Writers’ Guild of America, East, which wants to make sure its members aren't being required to maintain a 24/7 workplace without compensation. The dispute, since resolved (though the Times doesn't explain what terms were reached), raised an issue we often hear from media types with and without guild representation: Everybody wants a BlackBerry, but nobody wants to be required to be on call after they leave the office. And now, the issue reintroduces itself at none other than the Times: Later this summer, as the newspaper's IT department switches to Microsoft Exchange, staffers will be able to access their company email on practically any smartphone, not just BlackBerrys. Meaning the iPhone-toting geeks will also be expected to interrupt their sleep when their gadget dings. Suckers.
Is Good Morning America going easy on its celebrity guests? The morning shows have always been the place for creampuff interviews where talent can plug their latest TV and film projects while their publicists stand by ready to pull rank if an anchor so much dares as violate their "Do Not Ask About X" agreement. But perhaps ABC's morning show is all too eager to please A-list (and below) stars. CONTINUED »
Was the coverage of Tim Russert's death really overkill? It might help to put it in perspective by, for example, comparing the amount of air time Russert posthumously received to the amount Peter Jennings did when he died in August 2005. And while that might be the most accurate comparison, keep this in mind: Russert died while still manning a broadcast, while Jennings died three months after his sign-off; when Russert died, there were big-ticket news stories to cover, while Jennings' passing took place during a lull in major events. The numbers are below. CONTINUED »
If you want to listen to the abridged audio version of Barbara Walters' over-hyped memoir, you can forget about hearing one thing in particular: moaning coming from the upstairs bedroom. That's because the five-disc, six-hour spoken edition of Audition cuts out the most talked about talking points: "None of her romantic relationships outside of her three marriages — not even the most-publicized revelation from the book, her secret romance with former Massachusetts Senator (and then married) Edward Brooke — are anywhere to be found." Some readers (listeners?) might view this as the publisher cheating consumers out of the most interesting, raunchy details of the TV vet's life, but don't go crying to them; they're standing by their "abridged means edited" excuse. And Cindi Berger, Walter's publicist, says that her client "approved the abridged version of the book," but just didn't feel the love stuff was important enough to include. "The focus was just to be about her work," Berger explains. "The men in her life was not her priority." Somebody should have told her endless publicity tour that.
Is Good Morning America exec producer Tom Cibrowski, left, being shown the door? That's what what inbox insider claims. If our source is right, Cibrowski is meeting with ABC's top execs next week, before his contract is up, to see what can be done about his "his temper" which was "gotten so bad that the nastiness is starting to show on the air," which we already chronicled here.
ABC's The Mole, which put Anderson Cooper on a map other than his mother's, returned to the network last night after a weeks-long semi-subliminal advertising campaign. And performed terribly, with a mere 1.9 rating for the 18-49-YO demo. [MLM]
