U.S. News & World Report’s Paul Bedard catches up with Daryn Kagan…

It’s not easy to be rejected, but popular former CNN morning host Daryn Kagan has more than come to grips with it. For the first time, the 12-year CNN veteran tells Whispers that the cable network’s suits dropped her–and didn’t even tell her why.

“CNN came to me in January and told me they weren’t going to renew my contract,” she says. So how did she react to that classless act? She shrugged and said it was a sign to move on. “I never asked why. I just took it as a nudge from the universe that it’s time to go do this thing.”

This thing is her new website, a home for inspirational news that we’ll be previewing in next week’s magazine edition of Washington Whispers.

Variety’s Michael Learmonth writes about NBC’s big guns appearing on MSNBC in the days leading up to the 2006 Midterm elections (and do note Andrea Mitchell’s schedule these days as a result)…

“One of the reasons we are moving operations together here at 30 Rock is we want to be in the position to do this as much as possible,” said NBC News prexy Steve Capus. “This is not a merger to be feared; it’s about being smarter about how we deploy our people.”

Bringing the cable network into the NBC News nerve center means a lot of NBC News talent will be doing double duty for MSNBC, which net execs believe is key to improving the performance of both as well as achieving the planned staff reductions that will be carried out by early next year.

Effort comes as MSNBC is looking to politics as a niche for a network that has searched for one with varying degrees of success since it assumed long-term residence in third place in the cable news ratings soon after 9/11.

“I think it’s a good brand for us going into the 2006 and 2008 elections,” said MSNBC general manager Dan Abrams.

Sharon Osbourne will be interviewed by Greta Van Susteren tonight on “On the Record”. GretaWire has more…

Yesterday, we arrived in Los Angeles from Las Vegas. From the airport it was a quick drive — well, you can never really have a quick drive in L.A. — with all the traffic — to the hotel. We checked in, changed our clothes, choked down a salad and then hit the road for our interview with Sharon Osbourne at Ozzy and Sharon’s home. Sharon has a new autobiography (”Extreme”) and we wanted to ask her about her new book. In reading the book, one of the things you might discover is that her childhood was anything but normal (really an understatement.)

Countdown had a really big night. With 850,000 viewers it handily beat the 2nd hour of The Situation Room and doubled Nancy Grace. But, O’Reilly doubled Countdown and then some…

Cable News Ratings for October 31, 2006

P2+ Total Day
FNC – 902,000 viewers
CNN – 489,000 viewers
MSNBC – 320,000 viewers
CNBC – 191,000 viewers
HLN – 213,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 1,807,000 viewers
CNN – 832,000 viewers
MSNBC – 570,000 viewers
CNBC – 265,000 viewers
HLN – 368,000 viewers

25-54 Total Day
FNC – 268,000 viewers
CNN – 171,000 viewers
MSNBC – 136,000 viewers
CNBC – 68,000 viewers
HLN – 94,000 viewers

25-54 Prime Time
FNC – 454,000 viewers
CNN – 257,000 viewers
MSNBC – 227,000 viewers
CNBC – 117,000 viewers
HLN – 174,000 viewers

Morning programs P2+ (25-54)
FOX & Friends – 764,000 viewers (322,000)
American Morning – 410,000 viewers (187,000)
Imus in the Morning – 384,000 viewers (170,000)
Robin & Co. – 217,000 viewers (95,000)
(more…)

CNBC’s two hour Big Brother, Big Business special airs tonight at 9pm ET. There’s a preview of the show up on YouTube…

The Hollywood Reporter’s Paul J. Gough writes about MSNBC’s ratings gains (via TVNewser)

MSNBC is in the best competitive position in total day since April 2003 in the opening weeks of the war in Iraq. Abrams said the strength was almost completely across the board — praising Joe Scarborough, Chris Matthews and Don Imus as well as Olbermann — but he said he was also cautious.

“This is a really good sign for MSNBC on the whole. I think that we’ve found a voice to some degree,” Abrams said. “We still have a ways to go. One month does not make ratings success, but this is certainly the right direction.”

CNN announced that the next stop in its “Express Yourself” tour is Thursday, Nov 2, in Boston…

With Election Day on the horizon, CNN brings the “CNN Election Express Yourself” tour to Boston – one of America’s most historic cities – on Thursday, Nov. 2, at City Hall Plaza from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (ET). Boston marks the 10th stop as the Airstream camper makes its way across the United States providing a forum for the public to express their political personality in the weeks leading up to the midterm elections.

Invited guests include Mayor Thomas M. Menino and several candidates from the upcoming elections. The CNN Election Express Yourself offers Bostonians an opportunity to express their political views by designing election memorabilia, participating in online activities and answering political trivia.

“We are living in a new age of independent thinking and self-expression, and it’s particularly evident when you look at how people are talking about politics,” said Scot Safon, senior vice president of marketing and promotion for CNN. “We thought we’d give our audiences a chance to express themselves on a whole range of issues that have an impact on the American political scene. “
(more…)

FNC’s “Thank You America” tour continued on Monday in Las Vegas…

On Monday, October 30, FOX News Channel took over the Las Vegas strip as the network continued its 10th anniversary Thank You America Tour. The day began with Greta Van Susteren making a guest appearance on FOX television affiliate KVVU’s morning show. At noon Shepard Smith went live with Studio B atop Caesars Palace’s Pure nightclub terrace – followed by FOX Report.

With the bright lights of Vegas behind her, Greta Van Susteren sat down with legend Wayne Newton. On The Record also aired Greta’s interview with international singing sensation Celine Dion and her tour of The Palm’s high-roller suites. After On The Record, Greta joined the 10th anniversary festivities at the post-show party at Pure’s ultra-hip lounge. Throughout the night Caesars’ giant LED marquee featured a FNC 10th anniversary video for all of Vegas to see.

The New York Post’s Michael Starr writes about Kyra Phillips’ love of golf…

She discusses her hubby again in the November/December issue of Golf for Women. “When I was dating my husband I’d tease him saying, ‘We can’t get married until you learn to play golf,’ ” she says. “Now he’s better than me. It makes me furious!”

The Hollywood Reporter’s Paul J. Gough writes about FNC’s Midterm election night coverage…

Hume will anchor “Special Report” at 6 p.m. Tuesday from New York, with analysis from “the Beltway Boys” Fred Barnes and Morton Kondracke, Juan Williams, Bill Kristol and Michael Barone. “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace will examine exit polls.

Chief political correspondent Carl Cameron will cover the Senate races with Major Garrett reporting on the House and Megyn Kendall on key gubernatorial races, all from Washington.

Barone, a columnist for U.S. News & World Report and an expert on the congressional races, will be part of the Decision Desk to analyze the 435 races, said Marty Ryan, Fox News executive producer of political programming. Ryan said Barone’s expertise “will give viewers a good inside knowledge.”

CNN announced this morning that its “America Votes 2006″ section has had new features added to it…

With the 2006 mid-term elections less than a week away, CNN.com has enhanced its multi-faceted “America Votes 2006” special section with additional features and information designed to provide its users with even more ways to participate in and understand the U.S. political system.

In addition to the ongoing political information and news coverage that CNN.com provides online users with America Votes 2006, users can now gauge their own personal platforms and then share those platforms and thoughts on political issues with other CNN.com readers through the recently launched “Community Caucus” section. Also, through a special election edition of CNN Exchange, CNN.com’s destination for user-generated content, users can share their own comments, photos, editorial cartoons, articles and video of the midterm election season.
(more…)