Yes, I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record but for the third consecutive week in a row, MSNBC began the week with a different style of graphics for the 12-4 block. This time the graphics are a cross between the minimalist version shown on week 1 of the format change and week two’s Super Sized graphics which dominated the TV screen. Take a look for yourself…

Adjusting the graphics is one thing. Compensating for a lifeless wheel format is something else…

CNBC announced this morning that Gordon Bethune has been hired by CNBC as a contributor…

Gordon Bethune, former Chief Executive Officer of Continental Airlines Inc., has been named a CNBC on-air contributor, it was announced today by David Friend, Senior Vice President, Business News.

“Bethune will provide expert analysis on the day’s news, gleaned from his tenure successfully running one of largest airline companies in the world,” said Friend. “He is also a knowledgeable and engaging speaker, and will add an exciting element to our Business Day coverage.”

Bethune will also appear occasionally as a guest host on CNBC’s signature morning program, “Squawk Box,” co-anchored by Joe Kernen, Becky Quick and Carl Quintanilla. “Squawk Box” is seen weekdays from 6 am-9 am ET on CNBC, the world leader in business news. Bethune’s appearances won’t be limited to commenting on the airline industry. As a proven executive in turning around a troubled company, Bethune will offer his perspective on a wide range of business and financial topics.

An emailer noted that Mark Haines was paired with Liz Clayman today on CNBC’s Morning Call…

Since Friday was Ted David’s last day….On the intro Mark Haines is at the NYSE & Liz Claman in the studio…”Welcome to Morning Call i’m Mark Haines”

Is Morning Call Haines’ new gig? Or is this just temporary?

UPDATE: My emailer didn’t mention that Haines was only on for the first hour. The second hour had Clayman paired with Carl Quintanilla…

Pipeline will be serving up lots of coverage today…

CNN Pipeline is streaming live footage of King lying in honor at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the Atlanta church she and her husband called home (screen grab attached). Additionally, CNN Pipeline will provide footage of two ceremonies planned for today: The musical tribute at noon and a prayer service at 7 p.m. Each of these events are expected to last around two hours.

There also are seven on-demand packages available through the CNN Pipeline video archive regarding King’s her life and her passing.

CNN will announce its coverage plans for King’s funeral later on today…

UPDATE: CNN released its coverage plans…
(more…)

I was watching the start of the Senate Intelligence Committee hearings on the Domestic Spying issue and FNC was noticeably scant with its coverage. MSNBC was dipping in and out at times but that seemed to be more than FNC was doing (I didn’t get a chance to watch CNN because I kept waiting for FNC to go back to coverage). FNC had Megyn Kendall reporting from the hearings before they started opening statements but after that there was little FNC coverage as they went to other stories.

For a network that has to deal with critics who say it’s a Bush mouthpiece, unfairly in my opinion, this lack of coverage is one big pile of red meat for its critics. However, in this case it makes one stop and wonder what the editorial call was on this lack of coverage and why. It also makes one ask if this had been a Democratic administration would that editorial call have gone the same way. It’s one thing for ideological critics to pigeon hole FNC as a right wing network over opinion shows like Hannity and Colmes, Your World, The O’Reilly Factor, The Big Story, and The Wall Street Journal Editorial Report. Those criticisms don’t hold a lot of water for me because Opinion shows are supposed to give an opinion and Conservative “hot talk” is still the rage. It’s another thing entirely when FNC’s hard news coverage decisions leaves itself wide open for second guessing. FNC has enough unjustified criticism leveled at it as it is. Adding legitimate criticism to the mix gives the liberal yahoos that hate FNC based on ideology a reason to say “Aha! See? We were right!”.

Slate’s Jack Shafer goes after FNC’s Wall Street Journal Editorial Report. And then some… (via Romenesko)

Viewed or read in transcript, the tedious Editorial Report is enough to make you forgive Bill O’Reilly his transgressions. No wonder Fox buried it in the schedule. In last week’s episode of Editorial Report, Gigot conducts a fawning interview with former Deputy Attorney General John Yoo, the theorist behind many of the Bush administration’s post-9/11 legal policies. Gigot asks sensible rhetorical questions about the limits of presidential power until the interview’s end, when he states Yoo’s position for him: “It sounds like what you’re saying is it’s more than a legal fight. This is really a fight—a political fight and a fight between the branches and between political actors.”

“I think that’s right,” replies Yoo, grabbing the pass for a finger-roll into the basket.

The Dallas Morning News’ Will Deener has today’s 2nd profile of Jim Cramer…

Before the success of Mad Money, Mr. Cramer was the much-more-subdued sidekick to conservative economist Larry Kudlow on CNBC’s Kudlow & Cramer.

It was an uncomfortable fit. For starters, Mr. Kramer had to sit still; he had to talk politics, which he doesn’t like; and he couldn’t scream or throw things at the very stately Mr. Kudlow.

“I was pretending to be a not-as-smart Tim Russert,” he said, referring to the host of NBC’s Meet the Press. “And it drove me crazy, because it wasn’t my strength. I wanted to talk about stocks, which is what I live for.”

Ms. Krakower, who oversees evening programming at CNBC, had read Mr. Cramer’s stock commentary on TheStreet.com, a financial Web site he co-founded. She was puzzled as to why such a savvy stock picker was stuck on a show talking politics.

“I said to him: ‘Forgive me, but I have read your stuff. Why are you taking about politicians?’ ” Ms. Krakower said. “It didn’t feel right to me. It wasn’t authentic.”

A simple idea was born. She wanted to produce a show – with Mr. Cramer as host – that looked to educate, entertain and make people money. In short, she persuaded the CNBC brass to set this man free and give him his own show.

The New York Times’ David Carr has the latest Jim Cramer profile…

Mr. Cramer has often been accused of providing bullets for people who do not know which end of the gun they are looking through. But by his estimation, he is a force for democratization of wealth. After throwing chairs, hitting the keyboard like a mad Beethoven and giving shout-outs to all the acolytes who call in, Mr. Cramer comes straight off the dome during the so-called Lightning Round, burping up recommendations and analysis about whatever stock symbols the caller happens to toss out. LifeCell, which markets artificial skin? Buy! Italian oil company versus Austrian oil company? Italian. Gold or silver? Bimetallism, by George! It is quite a spectacle to behold, but does it have value?

Johnnie L. Roberts in Newsweek has an interview with Rupert Murdoch where Murdoch confirms he will launch a Fox Business Channel…

You’ve been trying for a while to get cable distribution to launch a rival to CNBC. Any progress?
We’re in pretty intense discussions with the biggest cable companies, and making quite considerable progress. You can expect something fairly soon.

Will it be on by the year-end?
Yes.