In what is probably a byproduct of the cuts to NBC News, The Hollywood Reporter’s Kimberly Nordyke writes about the merging of the MSNBC Creative Service department into the East Coast NBC Agency which will now called NBC Agency Productions.

NBC has reorganized the NBC Agency East Coast with the integration of MSNBC Creative Services, resulting in the promotions of David Lipsius and Val Nicholas to vp posts.

In addition, the NBC Agency has integrated the expanded NBC Agency Film and Video production unit, which is being renamed NBC Agency Prods., and in-house video and sound units NBC Agency Sound and Music.

As part of the reorganization, Lipsius has been upped to vp operations at NBC Agency East Coast, while Nicholas has been promoted to vp business development.

Lipsius, who was senior director of operations, will expand his duties to include overseeing the new larger organization as well as NBC Agency Prods., which produces and shoots productions for all of NBC Universal.

CNN announced that it will air “What Would Jesus Really Do?” on Friday, December 21st at 8pm ET…

With all of the recent debate on religion in politics, CNN’s Roland Martin hosts a holiday edition of “What Would Jesus Really Do?” as he takes a look at the presidential political landscape to ponder how Jesus Christ might respond. “What Would Jesus Really Do?” airs on Friday, Dec. 21, and Monday, Dec. 24, at 8 p.m. (ET)

For the special, Martin turns to a star panel of theologians and the Best Political Team in Television to apply the question to the war in Iraq, gay rights, immigration, abortion, healthcare, the economy and more. A CNN “Quick Vote Poll” solicits viewer opinion on whether Jesus would be a Republican, Democrat or an independent.

Martin also guides a discussion about the commercialization of Christmas and whether the holy day has been “holi-jacked.” He also examines how Hindus, atheists, Muslims, Jews and people of other faiths fare during the Christmas season.
(more…)

CNN announced that it will air “iReport: Caught on Camera”, hosted by Rick Sanchez, on Wednesday, December 26th at 8pm ET…

As 2007 comes to a close, CNN reviews the year’s most talked-about stories including the Virginia Tech tragedy, the Minneapolis bridge collapse and California’s wildfire through the eyes of its citizen journalists. “iReport: Caught on Camera” will highlight the most memorable news events of 2007 by showcasing material from iReporters – viewers and users who submit their own pictures and video of the news of the day via cell phones, cameras and other devices.

Hosted by Out in the Open’s Rick Sanchez, “iReport: Caught on Camera” will premiere on CNN/U.S. and CNN HD on Wednesday, Dec. 26, at 8 p.m., and replays on Tuesday, Jan. 1, at 8 p.m. All times Eastern. The special will also air on CNN International at various times depending on location.

“It’s hard to turn away when watching a news story unfold in the raw – unfiltered and user-generated,” Sanchez said. “iReport is cutting edge and has become a meeting place where news, television and today’s technology intersect and keep us in awe.”
(more…)

NBC announced coverage plans for the Iowa caucus for all its networks today…

NBC News will present comprehensive election coverage from all angles using the powerful resources of NBC Universal, including NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, MSNBC.com, Telemundo and full coverage on NBC News 2 Go mobile and NBC News Radio, live from the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, as the first ballots are cast in the 2008 presidential election campaign.

NBC NEWS
“NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams” will originate live from Des Moines, Iowa beginning on Jan. 2 through caucus night on Thursday, Jan. 3 and will include reports and political analysis from NBC News’ political and polling units, primary returns and interviews with candidates and newsmakers. “Nightly News” travels to New Hampshire on primary night, Tuesday, Jan. 8, with Williams anchoring from Manchester. “NBC Nightly News” will update with results across all time zones from Iowa and N.H. Williams will also anchor network special reports throughout primetime with caucus and primary results.

NBC News’ “Decision 2008″ team of correspondents, led by Williams and “Meet the Press” moderator and NBC News Washington bureau chief Tim Russert, include Ron Allen, Kevin Corke, Lee Cowan, David Gregory, Andrea Mitchell, Kelly O’Donnell and John Yang.
(more…)

CNBC’s Steve Liesman interviewed members of President Bush’s economic team today on Power Lunch. Transcript follows…

LIESMAN: THERE’S AN AWFUL LOT TO TALK ABOUT.I HAVE KEY PLAYERS TO HELP TALK ABOUT IT HERE AT THE CNBC WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIC SUMMIT. ON MY RIGHT JIM NUSSLE, OMB DIRECTOR, ED LAZEER.CHAIRMAN OF HOUSE ECONOMIC ADVISERS AND CARLOS GUTIERREZ, THE COMMERCE SECRETARY. ED LET’S START WITH YOU.

LAZEAR: ALL RIGHT.

LIESMAN: LOTS OF TALK ABOUT A RECESSION.ALAN GREENSPAN SAYS CHANCES ARE 50/50. WHERE DO YOU PUT THE CHANCES? WHAT’S THE OUTLOOK FOR THE WHITE HOUSE?

LAZEAR: WE THINK THE NEXT YEAR LOOKS GOOD. OBVIOUSLY THIS QUARTER IS LESS STRONG THAN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER. WOULDN’T BE EASY TO BE AS STRONG AS THE PREVIOUS QUART PERCENT SINCE THAT’S 5% GROWTH QUARTER. WE DON’T EXPECT THAT THIS QUARTER.
(more…)

Daily Live+SD Ratings for December 13,2007

(more…)

Stratos Magazine’s Marc Meyers has an interview with FBN’s Neil Cavuto.

STRATOS: Do you enjoy pushing back?
N.C.: I’m always a little nervous doing it, but if something is on my mind, it’s also on viewers’ minds, and I have to ask. No author likes to be challenged, and I know raking them of the coals is going to throw them off-balance. But if I’m going to have a guest on, I want to discuss the real issues, not the talking points they’ve discussed.

STRATOS: Does the media move markets?
N.C.: The business media is much more sophisticated today, and the nspeeed of information is instantaneous. So anyone of importance speaking to the media can move financial markets. But those movements are always slight and temporary. We in the media think we’re influential, but we’re not. Market move on basic greed and fear issues taht have dominated for hundreds of years.

The Detroit News’ Mekeisha Madden Toby interviews CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta…

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is a Michigan man.

The Novi native practically glows when he gets going on the University of Michigan’s football prospects.

But to truly get to know CNN’s chief medical correspondent, you have to hear him talk about his kids. The 38-year-old smiles when he says their names and quickly whips out his cell phone to show you a picture of them splashing around in the bathtub.

The neurosurgeon’s paternal wits and his medical expertise made him the perfect reporter for the network’s upcoming documentary “Chasing Youssif,” which debuts Christmas Eve on CNN. The special follows Youssif, a 5-year-old Baghdad boy whom assailants doused with gasoline and set on fire.

A beneficiary of CNN’s “Impact Your World” program, Youssif received $300,000 in donations from viewers and voluntary care at the Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles, where Gupta documented the boy’s surgeries and his recovery.

CNN announced its New Year’s Eve coverage plans, headed once again by Anderson Cooper…

For the fourth year in a row, CNN’s Anderson Cooper will host live coverage of the New Year’s Eve celebration at New York City’s Times Square on Monday, Dec. 31, from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. (ET). For “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper,” CNN anchors and correspondents will provide reports from celebrations across the country and around the world.

Joining Cooper in Times Square will be American Morning anchor Kiran Chetry and Headline News anchor Erica Hill. CNN correspondent Gary Tuchman will report live from New York City’s Central Park for the annual Midnight Run. Correspondent Sean Callebs will report from New Orleans, while correspondent Kareen Wynter will be in Las Vegas.
(more…)

The results are in and as of now (9:42 am ET) only 14% of the respondents felt the American Homeowner should be Person of the Year. For whatever that’s worth…(via Jeff Bercovici at Portfolio)

New York’s Daily Intelligencer got one of FBN’s Christmas Cards apparently…

CNBC announced that Steve Liesman will be interviewing members of the Bush Economic team from the White House today…

In a CNBC exclusive interview, live from Washington D.C., CNBC’s Senior Economics Reporter Steve Liesman speaks with Bush’s economic team for “The CNBC White House Summit.” Liesman speaks with Ed Lazear, Council of Economic Advisors Chairman, Jim Nussle, OMB Director and Carlos Guitierrez, Commerce Secretary on a broad range of topics including whether the economy is headed for recession, the subprime mess, whether the government will have to bail out homeowners and Wall Street, fair trade and whether more tax cuts are on the way, among other topics.

24/7 Wall St blogs about a note to FBN producers sent by a business executive saying that he couldn’t appear on their network without jeopardizing his position at CNBC.

In a note to Fox producers an executive at Jefferies & Co. said he could not appear on the new network without losing his place on CNBC. Arthur R. Hogan, the Director, Global Equity Product at the investment bank wrote Fox “CNBC has put pressure on me not to do spots for any other business news stations.”

TV Decoder’s Brian Stelter blogs about CNN/HLNs Osama/Obama gaffes and has CNN reaction…

The Huffington Post ridicules CNN’s use of the term “preggers” in a lower third during Out in The Open….