This morning, we woke up thinking it had been a while since we heard about that perennial news story, evening news ratings. Sure, the Internet, CNN and pharmaceutical ads have made evening news irrelevant and impossible to sit through, but millions of Americans still get their news through basic cable. And that demands coverage. CONTINUED »
When asked (by USA Today's Peter Johnson) why he has become the nation's most-watched TV news anchor, ABC World News Tonight's Charlie Gibson grinned and replied, "Unbridled sex appeal."
And they said this guy had no sense of humor.
"Satisfaction Guaranteed." Just two little words, adorning a small sign in the store window of Custom Cleaners, a family owned laundry service. And yet, ostensibly the reason an administrative law judge in Washington D.C. slapped his local dry cleaner with a $54 million lawsuit.
The real impetus? A missing pair of suit trousers.
Fortunately, the plaintiff (a wackjob who gives Larry Seidlin a run for his money) failed in his self-imposed goal of "suing the pants off" of the offending cleaners.
• Only Conrad Black would call Conrad Black's fraud trial "bullshit."
• Jon Friedman is first last to recognize Charlie Gibson/ABC's success.
• World rebels against business mags. Portfolio, however, is safe.
• Turns out Time Warner shareholders are more concerned with profits than with former HBO prez's indiscretions.
• San Francisco Chronicle to get 25% worse.
• AdAge: "The print-media industry is not only filled with f–k-ups, it coddles them." Case in point, AMI's David Pecker.
• Breaking: Positive press bonanza ends for Barack Obama as unreliable sources report he was a 6-year-old terrorist.
• 60 Minute alums strive to follow up success of boring, news magazine show with boring, news magazine.
• World News Tonight bounces back from Peter Jennings, Bob Woodruff tragedies to bitch-slap Katie Couric in the ratings.
&bull: Related: CBS is 'absolutely thrilled' with Katie Couric and her low-ranking news broadcast.
• The Boston Globe to cut costs, save lives, by pulling its reporters out of Iraq.
• Ron Burkle, Eli Broad fly to Chicago to fight over a company no one else cares about.
• Ed2010 founder lands her dream job 3 years ahead of schedule.
The National Organization for Women, along with other leading women's organization, ain't having this Elizabeth Vargas bullshit.
Vargas and ABC claim her depature from the World News Tonight anchor chair was brought upon by her pregnancy and secured by their want to offer viewers routine; by putting Charlie Gibson in the chair permanently, Vargas returning and recovering Bob Woodruff's iffy status wouldn't confuse newswatchers.
Or, as NOW, the Feminist Majority Foundation, and the National Council of Women's Organizations believe, Vargas was unceremoniously ousted from the top spot for being in possession of XX chromosomes. And she may very well have been, as the chattering classes suspect. But given Katie Couric's ascension to the CBS news throne, it's going to be hard to hear their argument over the roars of skepticism in September.
Was Elizabeth Vargas' departure really voluntary? [Broadsheet]
Breaking News! Matt Drudge flashing light news! Charlie Gibson will take over Elizabeth Vargas' spot at ABC as World News Tonight's anchor. It is also being reported that the woman to take his place at Good Morning America will be Robin Roberts. From Drudge's super inside source:
Vargas Chooses to Step Down; Will Return to Anchor 20/20 After Maternity Leave in Fall… Robin Roberts named co-anchor GOOD MORNING AMERICA with Diane Sawyer… MORE.. Top ABC News source: 'Charlie has a long term deal at WNT and will be in the chair in June, months before Katie. The stage is set for an unprecedented race this fall'…
So far, that's all Drudge's report has to offer, and neither Google or AP have anything else on the matter. But we'll keep you updated.
We are also going to conduct a brief investigation as to whether or not Cindy Adams predicted this last month.
Update: Oh, Drudgie, you so crazy. His "ABC insider" was actually ABC news … which he finally included a link to. From the announcement:
Gibson's new assignment will take effect on May 29. He will continue as a co-anchor of "Good Morning America" until June 30.
"I am humbled to accept this new assignment. I have witnessed firsthand the grace and determination of every member of the staff of 'World News Tonight.' I look forward to joining this extraordinary team and to helping the broadcast start a new chapter," Gibson said.
Yay! We won't have to watch Katie Couric on CBS for even one day!
Charles Gibson Named Sole Anchor or 'World News Tonight' [ABC]
THE MAN WHO WILL BE ANCHOR: CHARLIE GIBSON TO SOLO 'WORLD NEWS TONIGHT' [Drudge Report]
World News Tonight anchor Bob Woodruff is back home in upstate New York making "great progress on his road to recovery."
With a fully intact face, Bob will be spending time at home recovering with his family, as well as continuing treatments in the city. ABC News president David Westin has circulated an email through the press (no idea how we got skipped on that one) written by Woodruff himself.
Because he's come so far, he'll be spending more of his time at home as well as continuing his treatment in facilities here in the New York area. But, knowing Bob as we do, you'll understand that he'd rather speak for himself. So, here's something he wrote and asked that I pass along to you.
The full e-mail, thanking his fans, doctors, nurses, family and friends, after the jump.
CONTINUED »
Predictions on who will take over the World News Tonight anchor spot continue, this time with some actual reporting being reported. It seems as though Diane Sawyer pulled the wool over everyone's eyes, convincing media gossips and co-workers alike that she was lobbying for Bob Woodruff's spot. Nah-ah, said Cindy Adams on Monday, with her now almost famous quote, "“ABC will announce Gibson soon. I announce the announcement now.†WNT wants soon to be grandpa Charlie Gibson.
Thank god for reporters at the Observer who decided to pick up phones, call people, and then include anonymous sources in their reporting. Even if that reporting is still full of prediction.
Superstition among lower-level staffers holds that whenever Ms. Sawyer takes a holiday, a personnel shakeup happens.
And now, Diane is on a cruise, waiting for her network to make its decision. The great debate seems to be over why Sawyer would leave her cushy Good Morning America position for a less glamorous evening anchor spot. The prestige could be one part of it, yes, but shouldn't we be asking why she wants her partner Charlie out of the GMA chair so quickly?
We're just going to call 1-800-PSYCHIC and see what Jwanna Bird has to say about this whole situation.
Sawyer Cruises, Backing Gibson As ABC Anchor [Rebecca Dana, New York Observer]
From the desk of ABC News president David Westin comes this Bob Woodruff and Doug Vogt update:
Bob has made some substantial progress in recent days. He is now conscious and talking, although he remains under fairly heavy medication for pain from his various injuries, which are healing well.
They have him up and walking around. He's conversing with [his wife] Lee, with his children and with the nurses. He's approaching the point where he will be leaving Bethesda Medical Center, and they are working hard at the moment to make sure they have the right facility to continue his recovery. Once again, it's important for all of us to bear in mind that this will be a long process. We're not close to the end yet. But, as he has throughout, Bob is exceeding expectations and giving us real reason for optimism.
Doug Vogt, who was also injured in the Jan. 29 attack, is back with his family in France and recovering well. He will continue to undergo treatment there and come back for occasional checkups.
Notice, of course, that there's no mention of what the future of World News Tonight is going to look like, especially with Liz Vargas out on baby leave. But at least Diane Sawyer is stepping it up.
Meanwhile, we're reminded of us an email that landed in our inbox late last month, which we didn't have much of a newspeg for at the time. Couresty David Westin, now we do. Cue the "sister's cousin's roommate's ex-best friend's lesbian love child" music.
I was speaking with an acquaintance last night who told me that his friend's son is serving in Iraq, and, in fact, was with the unit that had Bob Woodruff embedded with it. He was apparently in the armored personnel carrier that was hit, injuring Woodruff and his cameraman. According to my friend, when the two injured newsmen were pulled back into the APC his friend's son described Woodruff's face as having been "blown off".
This morning I heard that Woodruff is still in a medically-induced coma. The incident in which he was injured took place almost a month ago.
In searching the internet for further information today, I came across the following Associate Press article from February 3rd. Google had it cached, which was lucky since there doesn't appear to be a direct link to it anymore. It appears from the text of the article that my friend's friend's son may have been accurate in his assessment.
Note the phrase ""I saw Bob's face hanging from the hatch…"
Sad shit…
Speaking of sad shit hanging from the hatch.
Bob Woodruff is now up and talking, and Diane Sawyer is talking, too. About snagging his anchor spot on World News Tonight before he has the chance to make a full recovery and return.
Said to be "obsessed" with anchoring the prime time news for ABC, Sawyer wants to land a position before Katie Couric jumps to CBS.
Sources say there were numerous high-level meetings at ABC in New York this past Thursday and Friday, and that the Executive Producer for 'Good Morning America' was called in for some of them.
We're told Elizabeth Vargas, who is currently anchoring the broadcast as her co-anchor Bob Woodruff recovers from a serious injury in Iraq, has gotten wind of Sawyer's intentions and has been asking "lots of questions."
As she should be — when Vargas goes on maternity leave within the year, Sawyer could end up filling in for her. Wouldn't it be a shame to see new mom Vargas then take Couric's spot on the Today Show? Oh, come on, like Matt Lauer actually has a chance.
Unlike Colin Ferrell's sex tape, not a soul has seen the footage of Bob Woodruff and his cameraman Doug Vogt experience of their vehicle bombing in Iraq.
ABC executives made the controversial decision not to remove the tape from the camera.
"It is not first, second, or third thing on anyone's mind," said the insider.
The camera will be hand-carried and delivered to ABCNEWS headquarters in New York later on Thursday, from Washington, a source claims. "No one has seen what is on the tape. No one."
In some sort of bizarre evidence like treatment of the video, ABC execs have left the tape in the camera, not even removing it to watch what's on there. Plans to treat the tape with the "same editorial judgement applied to any war footage."
Which means nobody will ever see it, because that would actually require bringing the war to the public's attention. Wait, wasn't that, like, the point of Woodruff being there in the first place?
ABCNEWS HOLDS TAPE OF ANCHOR BOMBED IN IRAQ [Drudge Report]
Injured ABC newsman Bob Woodruff is back in the U.S. after a medical stopover in Germany. He's in a Maryland hospital en route to recovery and, at long last, there's a talking head updating the press on his status besides ABC president David Westin.
Yep, Bob's brother David Woodruff is filling us in on the World News Tonight anchor's status.
"It's tough to look at. He definitely has some facial wounds, but they're pretty much on one side of his face. It looks like kind of a burn that you might get from being hit with some sand," he said.
"Those things, frankly, for us, are minor compared to just making sure he's going to return from the injury to his head."
Maybe minor to family members, but you think Westin is going to let Woodruff – chosen for his pretty boy looks, like Liz Vargas was chosen for her "grace" – return to the air looking like one of the bloodied soldiers he tried to report on? Harsh, sure. But true none the less.
Meanwhile, as we predicted, ABC has asked Charlie Gibson to fill in the WNT anchor chair — and Diane Sawyer as well. So expect even more saddle bag undereyes, as their Good Morning America duties haven't been relinquished just yet.
Anchor improves [Helen Kennedy, NYDN]
Gibson, Sawyer to fill in for injured Woodruff [AP]
Earlier: With Woodruff shock over, let's start talking numbers
Earlier: Alessandra Stanely just couldn't help but weigh in on Woodruff
Earlier: Forget Woodruff's health. What about ABC's ratings?
Earlier: Bob Woodruff & Doug Vogt 'stable' after Iraq assault
Related: All Bob Woodruff coverage
Last night, we watched as Dan Abrams closed his show by backhanding the New York Times – much as we did in the wee hours of the A.M. – for running such an impersonal article about how Bob Woodruff's injuries in Iraq would affect World News Tonight ratings.
Now, from an AP story filed yesterday afternoon, just as Jossip was closing up camp:
With "World News Tonight" anchor Bob Woodruff showing improvement Monday, a reeling ABC News division was coming to grips with what his injuries mean for the future of the recently revamped newscast and its ratings prospects.
That's the first graph. At least the Times waited till the fourth.
(Meanwhile, Woodruff is said to be returning to the U.S. as soon as today.)
ABC's Woodruff Improving After Iraq Blast [David Bauder, AP]
Earlier: Alessandra Stanely just couldn't help but weigh in on Woodruff
Earlier: Forget Woodruff's health. What about ABC's ratings?
Earlier: Bob Woodruff & Doug Vogt 'stable' after Iraq assault
Related: All Bob Woodruff coverage
Damn, looks like "tawonda" got the leg up on us all! She's the last Bob Woodruff well wisher to get a word in before David Westin & Co. locked us all out.
World News Tonight Forum [ABCNews.com]
