Post your impressions of the Republican debate on FNC and the coverage therof…

FNC’s Wendell Goler prepares for tonight’s debate…
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Scarborough Country out Demo’d Larry King Live but both were beaten by the Glenn Beck repeat…

Cable News Ratings for May 14, 2007

P2+ Total Day
FNC – 760,000 viewers
CNN – 434,000 viewers
MSNBC – 263,000 viewers
CNBC – 179,000 viewers
HLN – 217,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 1,430,000 viewers
CNN – 587,000 viewers
MSNBC – 454,000 viewers
CNBC – 142,000 viewers
HLN – 352,000 viewers

25-54 Total Day
FNC – 206,000 viewers
CNN – 162,000 viewers
MSNBC – 105,000 viewers
CNBC – 61,000 viewers
HLN – 102,000 viewers

25-54 Prime Time
FNC – 318,000 viewers
CNN – 177,000 viewers
MSNBC – 151,000 viewers
CNBC – 58,000 viewers
HLN – 145,000 viewers

Morning programs P2+ (25-54)
FOX & Friends – 751,000 viewers (313,000)
American Morning – 427,000 viewers (174,000)
MSNBC Live – 257,000 viewers (113,000)
Robin & Co. – 196,000 viewers (89,000)
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Following up on this morning’s item on FNC not allowing C-SPAN to re-air tonight’s debate, FNC Vice President of Legal & Business Affairs, Chris Silvestri explained that “it would violate FNC’s agreements with cable operators to allow C-SPAN to re-air the 90 minute debate in its entirety.” An FNC insider also noted the irony of Public Eye — a journalism blog — not bothering to call Fox for comment, or to verify the story.

When is the White House not the White House? When it’s this White House. Someone should inform MSNBC’s producer team… (transcript via Article 19)

You’re looking at a guy - Jerry Falwell - who had a lot of influence on the current President, even now. One of my producers, Chris, just pulled up a page from whitehouse.org where they say “Jerry Falwell has earned his role as the de facto executive director of domestic and global policy for the White House.” How much influence did he have on George W. Bush

It wouldn’t have been this page would it?

FNC’s Shepard Smith anchored Studio B live from the Koger Center at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. Tagg Romney, Mitt Romney’s son and campaign adviser, appeared as a guest to discuss tonight’s debate. Smith will also anchor The FOX Report live from the Koger Center tonight.

Studio B with Shepard Smith will have Mike DuHaime, campaign manager for Giuliani, Tagg Romney, Mitt Romney’s son and senior adviser for his campaign and Charlie Black, senior adviser for John McCain.

Hannity and Colmes will have Rudy Giuliani (R-NY) post debate as well as Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Governor Huckabee (R-AR), Representative Tancredo (R-CO), Senator Brownback (R-KS), and former Governor Tommy Thompson (R-Wis.), Representative Hunter (R-CA), Representative Ron Paul (R-TX).

CNN’s release on the Soujourners confence in July…

CNN will serve as the exclusive broadcaster of a presidential candidate forum on faith, values and politics during the Sojourners “Pentecost 2007” conference in Washington, D.C. The event will be held Monday, June 4, on the campus of The George Washington University, and CNN will broadcast the forum live during the 7 p.m. (ET) hour of The Situation Room.

The Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners and author of the best selling book God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It, has invited Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton, former Sen. John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama to share their ideas and proposals about pressing social issues with a special emphasis on poverty. Wallis also invited CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien to moderate the forum.
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FNC’s Jerusalem correspondent Reena Ninan was caught in the middle of a rocket attack a little while ago. Ninan, along with the crew, went to cover the conflict in Sterot, Israel and ended up getting caught in between fire.

FNC’s Washington D.C. Bureau Chief Brian Wilson does a pre-debate radio interview…

Broadcasting & Cable’s Joel Topcik writes about CNN’s Ali Velshi moderating an NCTA panel discussion to less than spectacular reviews…

Perhaps Ali Velshi should stick to TV.

That was the consensus among several audience members polled after watching CNN’s senior business correspondent moderate an all-star executive panel at the closing session of last week’s National Cable & Telecommunications Association conference in Las Vegas (see p. 16).

During a discussion that included Time Warner President/COO Jeff Bewkes, ESPN President George Bodenheimer and Cox Communications President Pat Esser, Velshi left many—including the panelists—wishing he would slow down and stick to the topic at hand: the future of cable.

The premiere of the new episode of FNC’s 1/2 Hour News Hour last Sunday at 10pm was up 88% in the P25-54 Demo vs. the same day last year. Unfortunately that increase wasn’t enough to offset apparent weakness elsewhere as FNC came in 3rd in the primetime Demo. MSNBC won the primetime Demo on Saturday and Sunday.

Cable News Ratings May 12, 2007

P2+ Total Day
FNC – 559,000 viewers
CNN – 395,000 viewers
MSNBC – 265,000 viewers
CNBC – 230,000 viewers
HLN – 218,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 633,000 viewers
CNN – 457,000 viewers
MSNBC – 383,000 viewers
CNBC – 284,000 viewers
HLN – 285,000 viewers

25-54 Total Day
FNC – 188,000 viewers
CNN – 136,000 viewers
MSNBC –112,000 viewers
CNBC – 88,000 viewers
HLN – 98,000 viewers

25-54 Prime Time
FNC – 146,000 viewers
CNN – 121,000 viewers
MSNBC – 160,000 viewers
CNBC – 95,000 viewers
HLN – 128,000 viewers

Cable News Ratings for May 13, 2007
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Public Eye’s Matthew Felling writes that FNC has refused C-SPAN’s request to carry the South Carolina debate…(via FishbowlDC)

If you’re interested in catching Fox News Channel’s GOP Presidential Debate tonight, you better make a point of tuning in or TiVo’ing it. Unlike the two earlier debates hosted by MSNBC, you won’t be able to find the debate anyplace else on the TV or radio dial.

Public Eye has learned that Fox News Channel refused C-SPAN’s request to simulcast the debate on C-SPAN radio, as well as the opportunity to rebroadcast replays on any of the C-SPAN television channels. In the two MSNBC debates thus far, the cable network agreed to give the debates the added exposure through C-SPAN.

GretaWire blogs about tonights debate on FNC…

Today we are “on the road” to South Carolina for a different type of show. Different? Well, yes. It won’t be on your television but on your computer. As you know, tonight FOX News is sponsoring a debate among presidential hopefuls. The debate is in South Carolina and begins at 9 p.m. Eastern and you can watch it live on your television or live on FOXNews.com.

At “On the Record” we decided to have some fun tonight and do something a bit different. So we are doing a special half-hour show live on your computer — on FOXNews.com — from 8:30 p.m. Eastern until 9 p.m. (Then you can watch the debate live on our Web site.) Then we will come back after the debate at 10:30 for another 30-minute live show. We are curious what you think of the show. And, at this point, I am curious how it will turn out since this is the first time I am doing it.

More photos from the set of the South Carolina Republican Debate airing tonight on FNC
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The Chicago Tribune’s Phil Rosenthal talks with Brit Hume…

On Tuesday, at the University of South Carolina, it’s Fox News Channel’s turn at sponsoring a debate and, “with some trepidation,” moderator Brit Hume is looking forward to the Republicans’ joint speaking engagement.

“We’re trying to figure out, with as many players as we have, how to make it interesting and it’s hard. Ten candidates is a lot,” Hume said.

The jockeying among the politicians is matched by the jockeying by the networks, each looking to attach its brand to these exercises, even though Hume believes there’s “probably not all that much difference” in one outfit’s debate from another.

The State’s Aaron Gould Sheinin interviews Chris Wallace…
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Here are some advance shots of the debate set for Tuesday night’s South Carolina Republican Debate on FNC.

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The Hill’s Betsy Rothstein interviews Chris Wallace ahead of Tuesday’s debate on FNC…

Are you excited about the presidential debate tonight in South Carolina?
Sure. Listen, as the host of a Sunday talk show I’m excited when I have one of these guys sitting across the table from me. Here I have all 10 — this is as good as it gets.

How will you come up with the questions? Will they go through some sort of vetting process with the higher-ups at Fox?
No, we’re dividing up subject areas and there will be certain areas that I will take and I will try to become as well-versed as the candidate’s stands in that area; Wendell and Brit will do the same. I will come up with my own questions. On the day of the date, we’ll sit down and discuss. Several heads are better than one.

Have you ever moderated a presidential debate before?
No, this is the first time I’ve taken part in any role in a presidential debate.

After your testy exchange with former President Clinton, do you think you can get along with the presidential hopefuls and not make them angry?
Well, I don’t think it was a testy exchange. I think he was testy; I was polite. We sometimes ask questions they don’t want to answer, but their reaction is their reaction.