Cable news channels were all over the suspicious devices in Boston today. Only it turned out the devices were part of a publicity campaign that had been around for weeks. Lost Remote has more, including an interesting, albeit probably unfair, comment about CNN…

It’s enough to make you rethink the term “guerrilla marketing.” Police, bomb squads, the feds, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and more all converged on Boston Wednesday because of … a “mooninite.” Viewers of Cartoon Network’s “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” immediately recognized the “devices” as LEDs put on a circuit board and powered by some batteries. The police and the media, however, had the event play out as though there were 10 bombs (and then 10 “hoax bombs”) planted suddenly around Boston. Turns out the devices had been up for weeks. And not just in Boston, but in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia, according to Turner Broadcasting, the parent of the Cartoon Network.

So how did the Boston police get so badly shaken? Pictures from the guerrilla marketing campaign are all over Flickr. I had two friends IM me as soon as the story broke: “Don’t they know it’s a Mooninite?” No, they didn’t. And while the police can certainly be forgiven for not recognizing a Turner cartoon character – how about CNN? Someone at Turner could have walked down the hall to CNN, right? The devices were made by a marketing company. They couldn’t tell anyone?

Cable News Daily Ratings for January 30, 2007

P2+ Total Day
FNC – 918,000 viewers
CNN – 484,000 viewers
MSNBC – 323,000 viewers
CNBC – 257,000 viewers
HLN – 196,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 1,812,000 viewers
CNN – 730,000 viewers
MSNBC – 516,000 viewers
CNBC – 474,000 viewers
HLN – 272,000 viewers

25-54 Total Day
FNC – 280,000 viewers
CNN –164,000 viewers
MSNBC – 132,000 viewers
CNBC – 106,000 viewers
HLN – 98,000 viewers

25-54 Prime Time
FNC – 462,000 viewers
CNN – 212,000 viewers
MSNBC – 193,000 viewers
CNBC – 223,000 viewers
HLN – 85,000 viewers

Morning programs P2+ (25-54)
FOX & Friends – 697,000 viewers (305,000)
American Morning – 378,000 viewers (181,000)
Imus in the Morning– 368,000 viewers (130,000)
Robin & Co. – 211,000 viewers (130,000)
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President Bush’s appearance on Your World is happening as I type this but already news from the interview is spreading over the wires…

Reuters…

President George W. Bush said on Wednesday that Democratic Sen. Barack Obama was an impressive politician but had a “long way to go to be president,” as he weighed in on the race for the White House in 2008.

“He hasn’t gotten elected yet. He hasn’t even gotten the party’s nomination. He’s an attractive guy. He’s articulate,” Bush said in an interview with Fox News.

Reuters again…
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This afternoon President Bush made a surprise visit to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. CNN Financial correspondent Susan Lisovicz was on the floor of the NYSE as the President walked the floor and was able to ask about the reception he was getting. Transcript follows…

LISOVICZ: President Bush, welcome to Wall Street. Welcome to Wall Street.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good to be here, thanks.

LISOVICZ: What do you think of the reception here?

BUSH: I’m impressed and grateful.

LISOVICZ: Do you think it’s warmer than on Capitol Hill right now?

Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Susan Lisovicz, I knew you could do it. You of all people got the president live on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
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BC Beat’s Anne Becker blogs about the HLN Prime 2nd Anniversary party where attack ads were the subject of discussion…

Among the huddled masses having cocktails at the Time Warner Center’s “home of the future” Tuesday night were HP’s Nancy Grace and AJ Hammer, along with CNN prime’s Paula Zahn and CNN Worldwide chief Ken Jautz, who oversees Headline.

No specific comments, but the competition’s negative ads did come up in various conversations, mainly regarding what sort of response - if any - would be most appropriate from CNN. In any case, the ads didn’t cast any pall over Headline’s well attended event. Guests stayed well past the planned conclusion at 8 p.m., listening to the pumped-in jazz and nibbling on fish and chips and potato pancakes.

UPDATE: Here’s a photo from the event with (from left to right) AJ Hammer, Nancy Grace, Glenn Beck, and Headline News head Ken Jautz.

Daryn Kagan profiles Betty Nguyen and her charity efforts…

CNN announced this morning that it had named Paula Newton it’s International Security Correspondent…

With the increased emphasis on terrorism, security and cultural tension around the world, CNN has appointed Paula Newton to fill the newly created role of international security correspondent, it was announced today by Tony Maddox, senior vice president for CNN International newsgathering. Newton, an international correspondent for CNN since 2005, will be based in the network’s European headquarters in London.

This new post will enable CNN to widen its coverage of the issues surrounding the threat of global terrorism, including the implementation of anti-terrorism measures, tensions within communities and immigration as well as the impact these issues have on the daily lives of people worldwide.

“This role has been created in recognition of the growing significance of international terrorism in the global news agenda,” Maddox said. “London is on the frontline in the war on terrorism, and we want to use CNN’s strong newsgathering and production infrastructure in London to explore this issue.”
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Here is the January 2007 program ranker…
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The Washington Post’s Mary Ann Akers blogs about the after effects of the Insight Magazine story for FNC and whether Obama is freezing out the network…

The same source pointed out that Fox News political correspondent Carl Cameron interviewed Obama on Monday during the senator’s trip to attend a field hearing on Hurricane Katrina.

But, as others pointed out, Cameron’s interview wasn’t prearranged; Cameron walked alongside Obama, who didn’t even stop while answering the questions.

No one is suggesting the icy conditions are permanent. In fact, a thawing of sorts may already have begun thanks to two telephone conversations Fox News Channel CEO Roger Ailes had with Obama.

Aides to Obama said they weren’t sure what exactly was said during the conversations. A Fox News spokesperson, who, though an official voice for the company asked not to be quoted by name, could neither confirm nor deny that conversations took place between Ailes and Obama. But of the “alleged freezing out” of Fox journalists by Obama’s office, she said, “If true, perhaps Mr. [Robert] Gibbs should reconsider that ill-advised strategy given his candidate is trailing by 20 points in the polls.”

UPDATE: FishbowlDC has more information…

A FOX News insider adds a bit more details to the story, telling FishbowlDC that it was Senator Obama who called FOX News Chairman & CEO Roger Ailes prior to the freezing out and both calls were made without the knowledge of Obama’s staff.

The insider tells us that, while Ailes did not apologize, the conversations were cordial. Our source said that Obama spokesperson Robert Gibbs made an “error in judgment” by attacking Fox News and now supposedly freezing them out, which makes this Foxie’s quote in Akers’ story all the more noteworthy: “If true, perhaps Mr. [Robert] Gibbs should reconsider that ill-advised strategy given his candidate is trailing by 20 points in the polls.”

The TVSpy board is talking about a huge malfunction that hit The Situation Room on Monday. From the comments it appears the DC bureau went down and the coverage had to be shifted to out of New York for about fifteen minutes without graphics. When Wolf Blitzer finally got back on the air there was no mention of whatever happened. Can anyone add more to this?

FOX News Channel’s Neil Cavuto will conduct a sit-down interview with President George W. Bush on Wednesday, January 31st. Taking place on Wall Street, the interview will be presented on “Your World with Neil Cavuto” on Wednesday from 4-5PM/ET. A week following the State of the Union address, President Bush will focus on the economy and will address the major issues facing America, amongst other topics.

Marketwatch’s Jon Friedman jumps on the story for the second time in a week, a strong indicator of just how hot this story is, with a devastating must read…

Executives at CNBC may feel that their network is a victim because Citigroup appears to be leading the media-relations campaign against Bartiromo.

And of course, by extension, that would mean that big bad Citigroup is also kicking sand at CNBC.

Let’s get this straight: CNBC is anything but a victim. The network originally let Bartiromo manipulate the standard rules of good journalism by looking the other way when she developed a cozy relationship with a powerful source.

CNBC, a unit of General Electric, has insisted that its star broke no rules by flying on the Citigroup jet. It rationalized this questionable judgment by reassuring journalists that it paid her way. But many news agencies have raised the appropriate point, which is whether CNBC actually paid the tens of thousands of bucks that it would cost to fly on a corporate aircraft. A ticket on a commercial airplane, by sharp contrast, would only set CNBC back a few thousand dollars.

If the conduct is proper because it adhered to the rules, as CNBC contends, then the rules are messed up. Change them.

Who are we kidding? CNBC apparently thinks it’s swell for Bartiromo to try to trademark her nickname of “the Money Honey.”

Variety’s Michael Learmonth writes about a new MSNBC ad, which I’ve heard about but haven’t seen yet.

UPATE: YouTube has the video…

“We’re looking to differentiate our brand from both Fox and CNN. The far more achievable goal is beating CNN,” said MSNBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines. “Now is the time for us to find our voice, given our recent ratings success.”

A Fox News rep was amused: “When you’ve been an embarrassment to your parent company for 10 years, it certainly never hurts to take chances.”