A little feud can increase ratings. Today ICN demolished its traffic record, set nearly a year ago. Who wants to fight me tomorrow?

Of course by some people’s standards we’re still paltry. But that’s ok.

TVNewser has the video of Kernen clearly showing he knew it was a gag (and taking a shot at The Daily News’ Richard Huff in the process)

Bob Novak appeared on Special Report with Brit Hume tonight to discuss the Valerie Plame leak investigation and his role in it. National Review’s Media Blog has video of the first segment…

Dan Rather appeared tonight on Larry King Live in an exclusive interview. Full transcript follows…

LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, exclusive, Dan Rather, what happened?

His first live in-depth interview on his life after CBS. He tells his side of the abrupt departure that ended his legendary 44 years at CBS News, and he’ll tell us about what he’s doing next and why. Dan Rather covers it all and takes your calls next on LARRY KING LIVE.

Good evening. It’s always a great pleasure to have as our guest the broadcasting legend Dan Rather. As you know, he recently left CBS after

44 years, just got a new job. We’ll talk about all that tonight. But first, let’s take a quick look at an extraordinary career.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
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FNC was first to report Israeli strike news at 6:52PM when Brit broke in during Special Report panel. CNN reported it at 7PM on The Situation Room Wolf Blitzer. The Fox Report with Shepard Smith had Jennifer Griffin, David Lee Miller and Mike Tobin in Israel covering the story. I don’t have a break in time for MSNBC. Hardball tends to run a repeat at that hour but not always. Anyone know?

FNC more than doubled CNN in Total Day and Prime Time viewership. The Fox Report had almost triple the viewership of CNN’s The Situation Room. It was a busy audience night at 8pm. Countdown had 399,000 viewers and still came in fourth place.

July 11
P2+ Total Day
FNC - 916,000 viewers
CNN - 438,000 viewers
MSNBC - 227,000 viewers
HLN - 166,000 viewers
CNBC - 141,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC - 1,746,000 viewers
CNN - 726,000 viewers
MSNBC - 298,000 viewers
HLN - 247,000 viewers
CNBC - 121,000 viewers

25-54 Total Day
FNC - 273,000 viewers
CNN - 148,000 viewers
MSNBC - 89,000 viewers
HLN - 69,000 viewers
CNBC - a scratch with 46,000 viewers

25-54 Prime Time
FNC - 436,000 viewers
CNN - 188,000 viewers
MSNBC - 110,000 viewers
HLN - 98,000 viewers
CNBC -53,000 viewers
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Johnny Dollar emailed in the following…

Did you notice that FNC carried live Amb Bolton’s statement and short press conference coming out of the UN re the Iran situation, and the other guys didn’t? Shep noticed, and commented going to commercial:

“…as we continue to cover live news conferences on the biggest news of the day, unlike our friends down the cable dial. Thanks for being with us.”

Here is CNN’s release on next week’s coverage on CNNI…

CNN launches ‘Eye on Africa’ – its most concentrated programming initiative focused on Africa – on July 16 for a look at the current developments taking place across the African continent.

This week of special programming takes viewers on a journey across this vast continent through a series of news reports and themed programs. The week is presented by CNN’s most seasoned and experienced journalists and features a long list of headlining guests.
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Ok Cox, you started it…

The comment is apparently somehow being related to Olbermann Watch which is (again) being tied to the allegations made on the “For This Relief” blog. Apparently there is not a big premium placed on getting facts straight over there but, for the record, we have nothing to do with that blog or that blogger.

Wrong. Terance the user referred to Olbermannwatch in a comment the main purpose of which was in regards to a comment of Terance’s I edited. Terance wasn’t tying Olbermannwatch to the blog. ICN wasn’t tying Olbermanwatch to the blog. Nobody was tying Olbermannwatch to the blog. Cox saw the word Olbermannwatch in the comment and jumped to a conclusion. I even told Cox that there was no connection in a comment in the very same thread and he still went off half cocked. Not much I can do when the reader chooses to ignore what is written.

I don’t even know who has been making the charge that Olbermannwatch is tied into that blog but it’s certainly not ICN. Cox, you should check with Dollar more often before you shoot your mouth off. He knows how fair I’ve been. This is however one of the reasons I do hold Olbermannwatch in such low regard. It shoots first, asks questions later…

Now, if Spud will get down off his high horse for just a moment perhaps he will reconcile his policy with his numerous posts regarding unsubstantiated, unproven allegations made by Andrea Mackris with regard to Bill O’Reilly. For example…

I can’t recall ever making numerous posts about Mackris with regards to Bill O’Reilly. I can’t recall talking about the lawsuit at all actually. But I’ve written a lot of entries in the last year and a half so maybe I did. But the burden of proof falls on you Cox since you made the charge. I expect you to produce “numerous posts” forthwith. Not one. Not two. Not even three. Numerous. If you’re right and I’m wrong I’ll happily fall on my sword. But I don’t believe I am…

Moneyweb Undictated writes up a new CNN International programming focus on Africa scheduled for next week.

CNN today announced its broadest ever focus on Africa with the official launch of ‘Eye on Africa’ in Johannesburg, a dedicated week-long initiative that spotlights the current developments and potential for hope taking place across the African continent. The week of July 16-22, 2006 promises to provide the global viewer with a comprehensive view on the emerging Africa and the potential for hope on this vast continent.

Special programming includes a ‘CNN Connects’ debate recorded in Soweto’s historic Regina Mundi Church, a documentary by Christiane Amanpour focusing on the plight of Kenya’s AIDS orphans and a live hour of daily programming from Johannesburg and from Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. Reports from across the African continent also air throughout the day on CNN’s regular news programmes whilst headline guests to appear on CNN’s programmes during the week include Kofi Annan and Africa’s first woman president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, will also feature throughout the week.

Ok, I’m going to have to explain something. There are certain subjects that ICN will not touch. One of those is what a news anchor or host does in their private life if the subject doesn’t make print. And even then it better be a darn good reason it made print and be directly relating to what goes on over the air. I don’t care who the talent is. At some point what’s private should stay private. We’ve all heard stories and innuendo about certain talents in this industry and while it might suit some of your purposes to try and put those details into comments, I’m not going to allow those comments to remain on the blog. Other sites and news outlets have their own set of standards about what they feel should get print and I won’t judge their reasons for doing so. But this is how I feel ICN should be run. And I expect my readers to take that into account and react accordingly. End of sermon…

The New York Daily News’ Richard Huff writes about Monday’s Aquaman incident on Squawk Box and has a CNBC rep saying Kernen was joking. Kernen himself said he was joking today on Squawk Box. Anybody got the video?

A spokesman for CNBC contended repeatedly yesterday that Kernen was “totally kidding.”

“‘Squawk Box’ is a three-hour financial program whose trademark has always been the free-for-all banter between Joe, Becky [Quick] and Carl [Quintanilla],” said spokesman Kevin Goldman. “There are always quick cultural references in the program. Joe was kidding. It was a joke.”

In yesterday’s Bill Carter New York Times profile on Keith Olbermann there was a response from FNC spokesperson Irena Briganti…though if Carter’s going to quote the lady the least he could do is get her first name right…it’s spelled Irena…

Lately Mr. O’Reilly has resisted giving Mr. Olbermann the satisfaction of more attention. Mr. O’Reilly was on vacation last week, so Fox responded through Irina Briganti, the spokeswoman for the channel. Her comments, matched with Mr. Olbermann’s biting remarks, reflected how corrosive the byplay has become.

“Because of his personal demons, Keith has imploded everywhere he’s worked,” Ms. Briganti said. “From lashing out at co-workers to personally attacking Bill O’Reilly and all things Fox, it’s obvious Keith is a train wreck waiting to happen. And like all train wrecks, people might tune in out of morbid curiosity, but they eventually tune out, as evidenced by Keith’s recent ratings decline. In the meantime, we hope he enjoys his paranoid view from the bottom of the ratings ladder and wish him well on his inevitable trip to oblivion.”

Sure enough, this response didn’t go un-noticed. Tonight on Countdown Keith returned fire by tagging Briganti 3rd Worst Person In The World (An aside: When did he start calling it “The Bronze”?). Keith read the above quote on the air in mocking fashion and then noted the following…

UPDATE: Exactly what does a bad Photoshop job of Bill O’Reilly have to do with Briganti anyways?

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