Eric Bischoff rants about the cable news coverage of the Chris Benoit tragedy…

For the first time in my 20 years in this business, I am embarrassed.

Not because of the horrific act of an obviously troubled individual, who until a few weeks ago was a respected part of the sports-entertainment business. I don’t believe that the Benoit tragedy is representative of the business, or more importantly the people who are a part of it. Chris Benoit had psychological problems. The root cause of those problems will debated for months to come. As well they should be.

By experts.

Not by the parade of clowns who are fighting for their last 60 seconds of fame on cable news programs that are clearly sensationalizing and exploiting this situation for one reason and one reason only: ratings. If there was any doubt about that, one need only look back at the list of idiots that have covered this story. Nancy Grace…give me a break. Or how about Bill O’ Reilly? “Hard Hitting Interview”? Since when is a half decade old out of context interview newsworthy? Can anyone seriously argue that news networks are not exploiting and spinning the sad death of a wife, son, and father for one reason and one reason only?
But I’m not embarrassed by the obvious ethical/professional lapse of the cable news industry. I’ve never been in that business. Besides, we see it all the time.

Following up on this, Fox Online with Jamie Colby begins this weekend (Sat/Sun) at 2pm ET…

“Fox Online” will cover the day’s top news stories as well as highlight new technologies that affect daily life. Fox Online airs on FOX News Channel on Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm ET.

The mosquitos were out last night because there was some scratching going on. Morning Joe scratched in the Demo. Prime News and Mad Money scratched in the Demo at 6pm. It was actually a double scratch for Mad Money because it scratched in the Demo during both the 6pm and 11pm airings. Mad Money also scratched in Total Viewers at 11pm. Countdown Minus Keith Olbermann came in fourth in the Demo.

Cable News Ratings for July 11, 2007

P2+ Total Day
FNC – 922,000 viewers
CNN – 437,000 viewers
MSNBC – 266,000 viewers
CNBC – 201,000 viewers
HLN – 244,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 1,812,000 viewers
CNN – 680,000 viewers
MSNBC – 511,000 viewers
CNBC – 168,000 viewers
HLN – 450,000 viewers

25-54 Total Day
FNC – 269,000 viewers
CNN –148,000 viewers
MSNBC – 105,000 viewers
CNBC – 63,000 viewers
HLN – 94,000 viewers

25-54 Prime Time
FNC – 431,000 viewers
CNN – 206,000 viewers
MSNBC – 183,000 viewers
CNBC –86,000 viewers
HLN – 182,000 viewers

Morning programs P2+ (25-54)
FOX & Friends – 928,000 viewers (390,000)
American Morning – 355,000 viewers (138,000)
MSNBC Live (7-9 AM) – 190,000 viewers (a scratch with 40,000)
Robin & Co. –165,000 viewers (73,000)
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Drudge (who’s in full Page Six mode today) speculates on why Bob Novak won’t be appearing on CNN or MSNBC to promote his new book. Drudge also tries to stir the pot between Novak and Jonathan Klein…

Novak walked off the set on August 4, 2005 after a ranting attack by James Carville that had pushed him over the edge. Novak reveals that “My outburst had taken CNN off the hook, and now they could get rid of me without fear of looking bad for firing their house conservative.”

It is unlikely Novak will appear on the Jon Stewart’s COMEDY CENTRAL show since it was his comments about ‘CROSSFIRE’ and other political talk shows that put Novak at odds with then President of CNN Jonathan Klein. Klein publicly “quoted and endorsed Jon Stewart’s criticism of what had been CNN’s longest-standing daily feature that still attracted relatively high ratings even though it had been withdrawn from prime time,” writes Novak. Novak, who helped create three top rated political shows for CNN — ‘CROSSFIRE’, ‘THE CAPITAL GANG’ and ‘EVANS & NOVAK’, not to mention his years of commentary and political analysis for the network, writes that Klein “broke the old rule that a TV executive does not denigrate his own product – even after he has cancelled it.”

Novak will apparently not appear on ‘HARDBALL’ with Chris Matthews either. Matthews, who has not only been relentless on the Valerie Plame story but according to Novak “lied on national television” over an alleged incident with Matthews’ former boss, House Speaker Tip O’Neill. That “ended any relationship between us,” writes Novak.

UPDATE: Novak is scheduled to appear on “Tucker” next week…

The Washington Post’s Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts write about NBC affiliate (and sometimes MSNBC) reporter Steve Handelsman getting his White House press credentials yanked for three weeks…

On the day of June 5, the execs and an NBC intern were cleared to enter the White House, where they watched Handelsman broadcast live from the lawn, then accompanied him to the almost-finished new briefing room and upper press office. While standing near press sec Tony Snow’s office, they caught the eye of the Secret Service officer guarding the Oval Office, who indicated they could come down the hall, where they chatted and stared into the empty office (President Bush was in Prague) for less than a minute.

Beware, unsuspecting gawkers! Turns out those few crucial steps are considered a no-press zone, although Handelsman (and plenty of others) has walked it many times since the Reagan administration. Another Secret Service officer spotted the group and filed a report; the tour was deemed “unauthorized,” resulting in the suspension for Handelsman, whose pass was reinstated Monday.

The Washington Post’s Frank Ahrens provides some interesting color to what’s going on with the launch of Fox Business Network…

FBN will be a direct competitor with NBC Universal’s CNBC all-business channel but may look and feel different, with more emphasis on entertainment than nuts-and-bolts market coverage.

Fox News has spent the past several months designing the channel under the eye of senior vice president Brian Jones, a Fox News and GOP veteran. Jones helped launch the Fox News Channel in 1996 and later worked for the Republican National Committee and former President George H. W. Bush. Jones reports to Kevin McGee, Fox News executive vice president, who will manage the day-to-day operations of the new channel.

UPDATE: Jones is Senior VP of Operations and is not handling the design of the look and feel of the channel. He’s in charge of the operations side – the nuts and bolts of the network…

Daryn Kagan will be appearing on Oprah & Friends today on XM Satellite Radio…

The Bloomberg News’ Gillian Wee writes about Wednesday’s Fox Business Network’s launch news…

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. plans to start broadcasting the Fox Business Network on Oct. 15 and said it secured distribution agreements with Time Warner Cable Inc., DirecTV Group Inc., Charter Communications Inc. and Comcast Corp.

Those deals will help the business news channel reach 30 million subscribers, News Corp. said in a statement today.

“That’s a huge launch,” said John Mansell, president of John Mansell Associates in Great Falls, Virginia, a media analyst. “It took the NFL two years to get to 40 million. I suspect the cable operators recognize that News Corp. is an excellent programmer.”

Variety’s Michael Learmonth writes about the launch news and the Dow Jones angle…
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