Johnny Dollar has the audio from today’s John Gibson radio show where Gibson take on Keith Olbermann over last night’s Special Comment…

CNN’s new investigative reporter, Abbie Boudreau, appeared live on the network for the first time this afternoon. During CNN Newsroom she talked about her two-part investigative report on Border Minutemen in Arizona and the allegations that they are misspending donations, which are intended to build a fence to protect U.S. borders. The report will air tonight on Anderson Cooper 360˚ in the “Keeping Them Honest” segment. Boudreau is a multiple Emmy-winning investigative reporter, who came to CNN from ABC15 in Phoenix. She is based at CNN’s world headquarters in Atlanta.

will be delayed until tomorrow…

CNN announced its coverage plans for the YouTube Republican debate in Las Vegas next Tuesday…

As Democratic presidential candidates ratchet up the intensity of their campaigns, CNN and the Nevada Democratic Party will gather the leading hopefuls for a face-off in Las Vegas on Thursday, Nov. 15, at 8 p.m. (ET)/5 p.m. (PT). The Democratic National Committee-sanctioned debate, moderated by CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, will be held at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

For the first hour, candidates will address questions from Blitzer and CNN anchors John Roberts and Campbell Brown, in her debut assignment for CNN. In the second and final hour, candidates will respond to questions from an audience made up of more than 100 undecided registered voters. White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux will facilitate audience participation.

This debate has the distinction of being the first-ever U.S. presidential debate to air live in a high-definition (HD) format. It will be broadcast live on CNN HD and in standard-definition formats on CNN/U.S., CNN International, Headline News, CNN Radio, CNN Airport Network and CNN en Español. The debate also will be streamed on CNN.com Live and will be available after the debate through CNN.com’s on-demand video service.
CNN will continue its policy of making all debate footage from the 2008 election cycle available without restriction upon the conclusion of each debate.

Additionally, CNN will air intensive and in-depth political coverage live from Las Vegas surrounding the debate. Programming highlights include:
(more…)

Jossip weighs in …

Meanwhile, the question on everyone’s mind seems to be just how desperate is MSNBC to land Rosie? As it turns out, very. Sources tell us the network is frantically trying to scrounge up the cash to bankroll her outlandish list of demands (Think a gold-plated trapeze and a private chopper to take her to and from 30 Rock every day. Seriously). But why now? Because MSNBC’s on the eve of renegotiating their contract with their cable provider and landing a big star (no pun intended) and proving they can go toe-to-toe with O’Reilly will give them infinitely more leverage.

Until then, you can bet network execs are left trying to figure how to placate their potential new hire and run damage control with Abrams all while digging up what little remains of the savings they already burned through to re-up with Keith Olbermann. And we’re left with the rather unpleasant mental image of Rosie O’Donnell hanging upside down and shouting orders from a flying trapeze.

Tonight on FNC at 9pm ET, Hannity & Colmes will have the first television interview with Duane “Dog” Chapman . The interview will span a full hour and the star of “Dog the Bounty Hunter” will be accompanied by his pastor. Chapman will address his racial slurs and the fate of his A&E show.

Portfolio’s Jeff Bercovici has lots of questions about an MSNBC/Rosie relationship…

Will MSNBC allow O’Donnell to use her show as a venue for baseless, inflammatory and noxious theories that don’t stand up to logic, much less evidence? Or will it try to muzzle her? And will other hosts on the network be allowed to critique the famously thin-skinned comedian on their own programs?

If this deal happens, I predict O’Donnell’s tenure on MSNBC will be even shorter than her stint on The View.

CNBC’s Steve Liesman had an exclusive interview with President Bush regarding in Washington, D.C. this morning. The subject was trade. Video is here…

Cable News Live Ratings November 3, 2007

P2+ Total Day
FNC – 641,000 viewers
CNN – 408,000 viewers
MSNBC – 359,000 viewers
CNBC – 314,000 viewers
HLN – 244,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 573,000 viewers
CNN – 507,000 viewers
MSNBC – 506,000 viewers
CNBC – 346,000 viewers
HLN – 249,000 viewers

25-54 Total Day
FNC – 171,000 viewers
CNN – 157,000 viewers
MSNBC – 155,000 viewers
CNBC – 155,000 viewers
HLN – 108,000 viewers

25-54 Prime Time
FNC – 129,000 viewers
CNN – 206,000 viewers
MSNBC – 221,000 viewers
CNBC – 160,000 viewers
HLN – 63,000 viewers

Cable News Live Ratings for November 4, 2007
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Placeholders are not necessarily our friends. Wonkette has more…

Dan Abrams (who needs to ratchet down his screaming presentation on MSNBC)

- Liz Smith, today in The New York Post

The LA Times’ Matea Gold follows the New York Times’ breadcrumbs…

Those familiar with the discussions cautioned that the negotiations are far from a done deal. If she were to take a post at MSNBC, O’Donnell would have to dramatically lower her usual fee. Earlier this year, in her talks with ABC about extending her time on “The View,” O’Donnell asked for $10 million for another year.

Big Head D.C. notes that Chris Wallace’s Fox News Sunday beat Tim Russert’s Meet the Press for the first time ever in Washington D.C….

MSNBC.com is preparing to launch with a new design. A preview can be seen here…

In a must read, The New York Times’ Jacques Steinberg writes about MSNBC “going left”. And note the speculation regarding the future of “Tucker”. Carlson’s contract is set to expire soon. Will it be renewed? And does his much talked about sign-off at the end of his show last Friday relate at all to that?

But even without Ms. O’Donnell, MSNBC already presents a three-hour block of nighttime talk — Chris Matthews’s “Hardball” at 7, Mr. Olbermann at 8, and “Live With Dan Abrams” at 9 — in which the White House takes a regular beating. The one early-evening program on MSNBC that is often most sympathetic to the administration, “Tucker” with Tucker Carlson at 6 p.m., is in real danger of being canceled, said one NBC executive, who, like those who spoke of Ms. O’Donnell, would do so only on condition of anonymity.

Having a prime-time lineup that tilts ever more demonstrably to the left could be risky for General Electric, MSNBC’s parent company, which is subject to legislation and regulation far afield of the cable landscape. Officials at MSNBC emphasize that they never set out to create a liberal version of Fox News.

“It happened naturally,” Phil Griffin, a senior vice president of NBC News who is the executive in charge of MSNBC, said Friday, referring specifically to the channel’s passion and point of view from 7 to 10 p.m. “There isn’t a dogma we’re putting through. There is a ‘Go for it.’”

NABET has put out a list of the top 10 reasons why MSNBC employees should join…(PDF file)