I’d been ignoring this story because it originated on the radio. Maybe that was a mistake on my part but that’s the way it went. But tonight John Gibson issued an apology on The Big Story for remarks he made on his radio program about Heath Ledger.

I don’t know what Prime News was doing Tuesday but whatever it was the 6pm hour won the Demo and placed second in Total Viewers.

Update: Duh. It was Heath Ledger…

Daily Live+SD Ratings for January 22, 2008

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CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo writes about Davos in Business Week…

As the snow flew in Davos, the fur was flying on exchanges all around the globe. Fears of a U.S. recession set off a wave of selling that sent the Dow below 12,000, although by press time on Jan. 23 global markets were settling down and recouping losses. To gauge reactions across the business spectrum, I talked with the managers of two massive pension funds in the U.S., Christopher J. Ailman of CalSTRS and Russell Read of CalPERS; General Mills (GIS) CEO Kendall J. Powell; Barclays (BCS) President Robert E. Diamond Jr.; and Glenn Hutchins, co-CEO of private equity firm Silver Lake. Everyone but Ailman and Read were at the World Economic Forum, where the luminaries ranged from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch. But most eyes were glued to the news happening far from the frosty Swiss Alps.

John McCain witnesses a Sylvester Stallone endorsement on Fox and Friends…

Col. David Hunt writes about the homeless veteran issue…

The commentary of Bill O’Reilly about John Edwards at least had the issue on the front pages and on TV. For many in government the homeless is a non-issue, citizens of this great country who are mentally sick living in their cars does not get anyone votes. However, homeless veterans, even if it’s one, let alone thousands, ought to cause governments to fall. A nation that does not care for its veterans does not deserve them. We cannot ever be truly great until all of us have a place to sleep and getting help for what makes us sick. If we continue to do nothing about our homeless and our homeless veterans then … WE SUCK.

Now let us do something about it and fix this now. Let’s build the places to live, safe places, get generic medicine and counselors to those in need. Presidents use them as backdrops, radio and TV talk show hosts do stories on them, we have parades for them, our mothers, fathers, sons and daughters are them, we are them … how about we help them?

Related: Video from last night’s Factor…

MSNBC announced it’s Saturday coverage plans for the Democrat South Carolina Primary…

Keith Olbermann and NBC News Chief White House Correspondent David Gregory will anchor MSNBC’s special live primetime coverage of the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Saturday, Jan. 26. MSNBC will be live beginning at 7 a.m. ET with reports from South Carolina.

MSNBC’s special Saturday political coverage will include a “Morning Joe” special, live from Columbia, S.C., with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, 7 a.m.-12 p.m. ET.

At 12 p.m. ET, NBC News Washington Bureau Chief Tim Russert hosts a special live edition of his weekly MSNBC program, “Tim Russert,” with The Weekly Standard’s Stephen Hayes, Politico.com’s Jonathan Martin, and NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd. “Tim Russert” will also re-air at 5 p.m. ET.
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Alan Colmes answered some of his critics today…

I don’t recall sitting on the set and waving a white flag, or rolling over and playing dead for a guest. Why, then are so many conservatives angry with me. (See some of the email posts).
I’m also hounded (no pun intended) by the fact that I used to be a comedian. God forbid I was once funny. I happen to be tall and thin, and liberal, which must mean I’m dying of AIDS. And we do put lots of conservatives on our show. MSNBC and CNN put on lots of liberals. And I shouldn’t be there because there are lots of guests who don’t agree with me? That would make it better? I guess this all means I’m a whore who does it only for the money. In fact, I’m probably a conservative acting as a secret agent to make liberals look bad.

Update: Colmes posted a follow up…
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TV Decoder’s Brian Stelter writes about CNBC’s business day ratings on Tuesday…

As the stock market fell on Tuesday, CNBC received its highest viewership in six years.

The business news network drew an average of 469,000 viewers between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. (CNBC’s definition of the “business day”) according to Nielsen Media Research. The channel’s ratings had not risen so high since Sept. 17, 2001, the day the markets opened following 9/11, when 574,000 viewers were watching.

CNBC, which hastens to note that much of its viewing occurs outside of Nielsen’s home measurement area, drew an average of 281,000 viewers during the business day last month.

Here are some additional details…
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Bloomberg TV announces that “Money & Politics” will air at a new time, 9pm ET.

Starting tonight, the BLOOMBERG TELEVISION® program, “Money & Politics,” will air at its NEW TIME 9PM ET. From our nation’s capital, Money & Politics talks to the politicians and government officials who make the laws that govern our economy and set our fiscal policy. We look at Washington with a Wall Street perspective.

Multichannel News’ Linda Hogstead writes about a new study from Beta Research Corp.

Outdoor Channel and Fox Business Network are the top emerging networks that operators most want to carry, while DIY Network and Lifetime Movie Network rank as the leading mid-sized networks, according to the latest study from Beta Research Corp.

In a nationally representative survey of 130 operators, 83% expressed interest in carrying Outdoor Channel by the end of 2008. Second-place finisher Fox Business Network scored 72%, followed by PBS Kids Sprout (69%); ESPNU (67%); Hallmark Movie Channel (66%); CSTV (55%), Nickelodeon Digital Networks (54%); Fox Movie Channel (53%); VH1 Digital Networks (45%) and Lifetime Real Women (44%).

CJR Daily’s Liz Cox Barrett beats up on MSNBC for a segment it ran on candidates’ appearance and their poll standing…

When you sit around watching cable news coverage of the presidential campaign all day long like it’s your job (oh wait, it is!) you grow accustomed (immune, even) to a certain level of idiocy. And still. Every now and then some cable segment registers a blip on- or, in this case, blows away - my jaded old inanity-meter.

Without further comment, the segment, in its entirety, as it appeared this afternoon on MSNBC:

CNBC announced that it will be airing “The Millionaire Inside: Debt Makeover” on Tuesday, Jan 29th at 9pm ET…

With recession angst building, housing and mortgage crisis continuing and holiday expenses still looming, many Americans are losing their grip on their financial security. On Tuesday, January 29th at 9PM and 12AM ET, CNBC, First In Business Worldwide, brings you the answers and the experts you need for a different kind of makeover…a debt makeover.

Hosted by CNBC’s Erin Burnett in front of a live studio audience, CNBC presents “The Millionaire Inside: Debt Makeover,” a one-hour special in which CNBC guides viewers through financial distress, tackling the harsh realities and implications of debt and empowering viewers with actionable strategies they need to erase debt from their lives forever.
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