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RTNDA, NAB Offer Wish List for Obama
Broadcasters join other members of Sunshine in Government Initiative in appeal to president-elect on FOIA, government access.>>>
A Blue Era Dawns at Fox News
Now more than ever, Fox News Channel feels like TV's right place at the right time>>>
Rockefeller Likely To Top Senate Commerce
Robert Byrd relinquished post as chairman of Senate Appropriations Committee>>>
Waxman Challenging Dingell For Energy & Commerce Chair
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), a long standing media critic, may challenge current chair John Dingell (D-Mich.) for the top spot.>>>
The Funniest Place To Be On Election Night
Network suspending all regular programming, replacing with Obama coverage>>>
71.5 Million Tuned In For Election Coverage
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BET Celebrating Obama Win
Network suspending all regular programming, replacing with Obama coverage>>>
South Park: About Last Night
Obama and McCain lay out the plan for "The Greatest Heist in Human History">>>
GAO: DTV Transition Should Be Priority For Obama Administration
Government Accounting Office identifies DTV transition as a critical, time-sensitive issue for incoming administration.>>>
'Oprah Winfrey Show' Has Season-High Rating
Episode centered around Obama's historic win on Tuesday.>>>
We Laughed, We Cried: Election Night on TV
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Media Policy Priorities for President Obama
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Fox News' Greta Van Susteren Gets First Palin Interview
Fox News' Greta Van Susteren will have the first post-election sit-down with embattled Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the network confirmed Friday.>>>
Some Dems Balk At Return Of Fairness Doctrine
A pair of Maryland Democratic representatives this week tried to take some of the edge off the growing flap over possible reimposition of the fairness doctrine, the defunct FCC regulation that required stations to air both sides of controversial issues.>>>
Parsons, Schmidt on Obama Advisory Team
Former Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons will be one of the members of the Obama Economic Advisory Board that the president-elect will be meeting with on Friday, according to his transition team.>>>
HBO Acquires Obama Documentary
HBO has acquired the rights to a documentary from actor Edward Norton’s Class 5 Films following President-Elect Barack Obama. The still untitled doc will premiere on HBO in 2009.>>>
Pew: Voters Following Election News Very Closely
Voter interest in campaign news on the weekend prior to the presidential election was higher than any comparable weekend in at least 20 years.>>>
CNN.com Tops Media, Political Sites On Election DaySite's number of visits up 146% on Nov. 4 over the day before.>>>
Schumer Comments Prompt New Fairness Doctrine Concerns
Comments by New York Democratic Senator Charles Schumer have provided new urgency to talk radio's and others' concerns about the reimposition of the fairness doctrine under a Democrat-controlled government.>>>
WDIV Produces Election Day Webcast
WDIV Detroit has stepped up its political coverage for Election Day ’08 by producing an all-day Webcast from its newsroom that is being live-streamed on its Website.>>>
Presidential Spots Still Rolling in Ohio
The presidential hopefuls are still buying commercial time in Ohio, hoping to stick in last-minute voters’ minds as they head off to the polls.>>>
Voice of America To Cover Election from Kenya, Vietnam
The Voice of America will cover the election day from Kenya and Vietnam as well as from various spots around the globe, to give an international flavor to the big day. >>>
Current TV Partners With Twitter, Digg For Election Coverage
Current TV is gearing up for its “Election All-Nighter” coverage by partnering with social-media sites Digg and Twitter.>>>
5 Things To Watch For On Election Night
It's time for networks to pull out the pundits and polls, gadgets and educated guesses. Here's what to watch for on Election Night.>>>
The Election Year That Was...On YouTube
A BC Beat blog detailing the influence of YouTube in this year's presidential election. >>>
Fairness Fears About Obama
Sen. Barack Obama denies it, but some believe he'd revive banished Fairness Doctrine>>>
News Nets Look Out for Voter Fraud
Networks prepare for potential mayhem at polls in battleground states.>>>
McCain Gives 'SNL' 2nd Best Overnights Since 1997
Republican presidential nominee John McCain's visit to Saturday Night Live delivers 9.0 rating/20 share in metered-market households>>>
Internet Broadcasting Offers 'Election Night' Package
Media network Internet Broadcasting partners with AP to give local stations quicker election updates.>>>
Dingell Warns Networks On Early Election Calls
House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) says early calls could discourage voter turnout.>>>
35.5 Million Watch Obama Ad
Sen. Barack Obama's 30-minute "closing argument" infomercial boosted NBC, Fox and CBS into the top three slots for the time period. ABC followed with Pushing Daisies.>>>
Obama Appearance Gives 'Daily Show' Highest Rating Ever
3.6 million viewers tuned in crushing the show's previous ratings record.>>>
McCain, Obama to Square Off on ESPN
Candidates will appear on 'Monday Night Football' prior to election.>>>
CNN Gets Virtual for Election Night
Enhanced technology from Vizrt and SportVu includes 3D virtual model of Capitol, revamped exit poll display and holographic correspondents.>>>
Obama's Media BlitzDemocratic presidential nominee plans appearances on 'The Daily Show,' 'Rachel Maddow Show' and 'ABC World News' to go along with broadcast ad buy Wednesday.>>>
Stations Get in the Swing
Call them swing stations. If all politics is indeed local, station-level reporting in battleground states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida may ultimately decide America's next president.>>>
Ramos: Road to White House Runs Through Univision
New York -- Univision newsman Jorge Ramos accepted the B&C/Multichannel News Lifetime of Achievement in Hispanic Television award Thursday, less than two weeks before what he called the biggest election in American history—the outcome of which he says will hinge on the rapidly expanding Hispanic community.>>>
PEJ Survey: Voters Convinced Media Supports Obama
Project for Excellence in Journalism's weekly news interest index survey shows that likely voters believe the media favors Demcoratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.>>>
PEJ: Media Coverage Not So Sweet For John McCain
Project for Excellence in Journalism study shows coverage of Sen. John McCain has grown "decidedly unfavorable" over time.>>>
Obama Wins in Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Vote
Nickelodeon declared Senator Barack Obama the winner of the 2008 Kids Pick the President “Kids’ Vote” Monday after an unprecedented 2.2 million votes had been cast in the network’s online poll.>>>
Palin Slipping in Media Coverages
Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin figured in only 8% of campaign stories on major media outlets for the week ending Oct. 19, her lowest percentage since being named to the ticket in late August.>>>
Palin Appearance Gives SNL Best Overnights in 14 Years
An appearance by Governor Sarah Palin gave Saturday Night Live its highest overnight ratings in 14 years.>>>
56.4 Million Watch Final Presidential Debate
Total viewership was down for the third presidential debate on Oct. 15 compared to the second debate on Oct.7, according to Nielsen. The ratings company said late Thursday that 56,523,000 people (40,037,000 households) tuned in live across 10 TV networks plus tape delayed on Telemundo (though there could also be some DVR viewing not yet tallied). >>>
Fox News Tops Cable Debate Ratings
Fox News was the most-watched cable news network for Wednesday night’s final presidential debate. Just over 9 million viewers tuned in from 9-10:30 p.m., according to Nielsen. CNN was a close second with 8.93 million viewers and MSNBC was a distant third with 3.72 million.>>>
Fox To Air Obama Campaign Ad
Sources confirm that Fox will also air the half-hour political ad from Barack Obama on October 29. The Obama campaign has already bought time on CBS and NBC for the political infomercial. Major League Baseball would have to push back the start of game six of the World Series, if necessary, to accommodate Fox. >>>
YouTube: Vetting All Political Video Takedown Notices Is Unworkable
Google owned video site responds to McCain campaign regarding DMCA takedown notices.>>>
News Media Gets Trampled By Its Own Horse Race
Three weeks before Election Day, journalists, politicos and pundits gathered to expound on and criticize the media’s performance during the longest and perhaps most surreal election campaign in memory.>>>
McCain Camp to YouTube: Vet Political Clips For Fair Use
The McCain campaign has asked YouTube to provide a fair use analysis of video clips posted from accounts controlled by political campaigns before deciding whether to take them down, saying it takes too long to get them up in a political season when time is a crucial commodity.>>>
Schieffer Wants 'Freewheeling' Third Debate
CBS' Bob Schieffer tells B&C's David Bianculli that he "felt very badly for Tom Brokaw" after the second debate, and that he hopes Obama and McCain mix it up in their final matchup.>>>
McCain, Biden in Late Night Face-Off
Senator and Republican presidential nominee John McCain will appear on The Late Show with David Letterman Thursday, his first since canceling on September 24 after temporarily suspending his campaign.>>>
Mark Cuban: Sen. McCain, You're No 'Maverick'
Dallas Mavericks owner and HDNet chairman Mark Cuban has had enough of the McCain-Palin campaign co-opting the “maverick” brand—and he’d like it back.>>>
Obama Buys Half-Hour On CBS, NBC
The Obama campaign has purchased a half hour of airtime for a special set to run commercial-free on Oct. 29 at 8 p.m., according to the network. CBS said in a statement it is prepared to make an "equivalent opportunity available to Senator McCain and other legally qualified candidates upon request." The offer essentially went without saying since FCC rules require the stations that carry the network to make such an offer. >>>
Pew Poll: People Split On Media's Fairness To Sarah Palin
About as many people say the media have been too tough on Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin as say they have been fair to her, according to viewers polled by the Pew Research Center, though far more say they have been too tough than say they have been too easy. >>>
Michigan Democrats Petition Tina Fey
With Fox News Channel reporting that Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin says she would be "happy" to go to Michigan--the top of the ticket, John McCain, has pulled resources out of the state--Michigan Democrats have launched an online petition to get Palin laugh-alike Tina Fey to come instead. >>>
Election Propels The Daily Show Ratings
With its “Indecision 2008” presidential election coverage, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is breaking nearly all of its ratings records. >>>
Study: Obama Tops McCain On Ad Spending
The campaigns of Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) spent more than $28 million on TV advertising between Sept. 28 and Oct. 4, with Obama spending the lion's share at $17.5 million to McCain's $11 million. >>>
Second Presidential Debate Draws 63.2 Million Viewers
The second presidential debate between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain was watched by 63.2 million viewers, according to Nielsen. >>>
NFL Beats Presidential Debate In 24 Markets
The debate between the VP candidates for the Elephants and Donkeys may have grabbed the biggest aggregated audience last week, but the showdowns between Bears and Lions and other NFL teams were the most-watched programs on individual stations in 24 of the 27 NFL markets for which ratings were available.
IntelTo Sponsor CBS Debate Webcasts
CBS Interactive announced that Intel Corporation will be the sole sponsor for the CBSNews.com and CNET.com live Debate Webcasts scheduled to run online immediately following each of the two remaining Presidential debates.>>>
Nielsen: Palin Pulls In Hockey Moms
Hockey moms were 39% more likely to watch the vice presidential debate between self-professed hockey mom Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) and Senator Joe Biden (D-Del.) than so-called "average moms.">>>
Obama, McCain Back Public Re-Use Of Debate Footage
Both Barack Obama and John McCain are urging the TV networks and Presidential Debate Commission to allow debate footage to be distributed and used freely on the Internet--thought the McCain campaign left some wiggle room--and to allow the public more input on debate questions.>>>
Hulu Streaming Debates Live
Hulu, the video site joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corp., plans to stream the remaining two presidential debates live through a new Hulu Election '08 vertical that includes video of previous debates and clips of the candidates.>>>
VOA, Pakistan TV Partner on Debate Coverage
Thanks to a partnership between the Voice of America and the Pakistan Television Network, 90% of the population of Pakistan will be able to watch live coverage of the next two televised presidential debates between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain.>>>
Palin-Biden Debate Draws Record 69.9 Million Viewers
Thursday's vice presidential debate was viewed by 69.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research, crushing the old VP debate record of 56.9 million, and topping the 52.4 million who tuned in to Barack Obama and John McCain's debate Sept. 26 and the 43.6 million who tuned in to John Edwards and Dick Cheney in 2004.>>>
Allbritton's Power Couple: WJLA and The Politico
As the election season enters its final stanza, WJLA Washington, D.C., is enjoying a political perk that no other station in America can boast—the Allbritton station shares its massive newsroom in suburban Virginia with the growing Politico newspaper and Website.>>>
Hugh Hefner's New 'Girl Next Door': Sarah Palin?
For Hugh Hefner, this election year has been especially diverting. After all, the presidential campaign has played right to the Playboy magazine founder's twin passions: women and politics.>>>
Obama, McCain Spending Big On Local Attack Ads
Complaints about the other side's negative campaigning notwithstanding, Barack Obama and John McCain have run virtually the same number of local attack TV ads against each other--at least through Sept. 7--according to Nielsen.>>>
VP Debate Breaks Fox News Ratings Record
Fox News drew 11.1 million viewers for its coverage of the vice presidential debate between Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) and Joe Biden (D-Del.). That would be a record for the network, shattering the previous holder, coverage of a presidential address announcing the invasion of Iraq March 19, 2003.>>>
NBC, Obama Campaign Spar Over YouTube Video
Obama campaign’s VoteForChange.com posts YouTube video featuring NBC News anchors Brokaw, Olbermann “pronouncing” McCain election winner.>>>
CN8, TV5Monde Say Oui to Election Coverage
24-hour French-language channel, Comcast-owned regional channel to cover debates.>>>
MoveOn.org Seeks Brokaw Apology
MoveOn.org: Tom Brokaw used old poll data during debate on Meet the Press.>>>
AP, News Nets Take On Minneapolis Polling Law
AP joins ABC, Fox, CBS, CNN, NBC to challenge Minneapolis law that limits access to polling places.>>>
First Debate Pulls In 52.4M Viewers, Down from ‘04
ABC leads broadcasters with 11M viewers; Fox News Channel tops cable with 8.2M.>>>
Dee Dee Myers Joins CBS News
Former White House press secretary to President Bill Clinton joins Dan Bartlett, Joe Trippi as CBS News political analysts.>>>
CLC Urges FEC to Deny Internet-TV Station Exemption
Campaign Legal Center to Federal Election Commission: Melothe should not receive press exemption from campaign-finance restrictions.>>>
Local Cable Enjoys Political-Ad Boomlet
Executives: Pinpoint delivery leads to election-season windfall of several hundred-million dollars.>>>
Group Pushes for Rights to Debate Footage
Open Debate Coalition seeks more Internet-friendly debates, rights to video footage.>>>
Tonight on Current TV: Debate 2.0 with Tweets
Current TV partners with Twitter, invites viewers to engage with election coverage.>>>
Debates On-Demand from Comcast
Cable operator to make three presidential debates, VP debate available via VOD.>>>
Debate Drama Hits Home for Fox News' Shepard Smith
Prospect of postponing presidential debate threatens chance for national redemption for Oxford, Ole Miss.>>>
McCain to Attend Debate
McCain campaign cites "significant progress toward bipartisan agreement" in financial bailout negotiations.>>>
Debate Still Uncertain
McCain: No debate without economic package; Obama: Multitasking part of president’s job description.>>>
CBS News Releases Palin-Couric Excerpt
First installment of three-part interview with Republican VP candidate to air on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric Thursday night.>>>
News Execs React to McCain Debate Delay
News organizations greet McCain proposal to postpone debate due to economic crisis as latest twist in dramatic political season.>>>
Obama Wants Debate to Proceed
Disagrees with McCain, says this is "exactly the time" American people need to hear from future president.>>>
McCain Wants to Delay Debate
McCain to suspend campaign during financial crisis; urges Obama to follow suit.>>>
News Execs Fire Back at GOP Media Attacks
After several primetime speakers at this week’s Republican National Convention unleashed a barrage of attacks on the news media for their coverage of vice-presidential nominee Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, network news executives defended their coverage and dismissed the charges as a stale political strategy meant to distract viewers from legitimate election issues.>>>
CNN: McCain Cancels Larry King Live Appearance
Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) pulled out of a scheduled interview with the network after a segment with Campbell Brown and a top McCain spokesman Monday night in which Brown asked for examples of a foreign-policy decision made by Republican vice president pick Sarah Palin.>>>
YouTube’s Grand Old Contest
The GOP is teaming with YouTube to send one lucky amateur videographer to the Republican convention in St. Paul, Minn., this September. A red banner complete with the traditional Republican elephant is on the YouTube home page touting the contest.>>>
Convention Coverage in High-Def
When the Democrats hit Denver on Aug. 25, whatever history happens on the podium will vastly overshadow a technological event happening on TV sets. Nonetheless, this will be the first political convention to be broadcast in high-definition.>>>
This Campaign Bus Listens
If Barack Obama's candidacy has motivated young voters to get involved in politics, few cable outlets are better positioned to ride the wave of Election '08 than staid old C-SPAN.>>>
NBC's Todd: Bill Clinton ‘Woefully Unprepared for 21st Century Media’
If there’s one thing that Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) all have in common, it’s that each of the presidential candidates has already endured his or her very own YouTube moment. But as NBC News political director Chuck Todd sees it, none has gotten burned by this new-media phenomenon quite like former President Bill Clinton.>>>
Reporters Live Their Campaigns
For candidates, the campaign trail is like a runaway train, moving in fits and starts, and ultimately powered, they hope, by swift momentum. But for the off-air embedded network reporters who tag along, many of whom have been covering their respective candidates full time since October, the trail is the ride of their lives, and they must hold on for dear life.>>>
Election's HD Capacity Crunch
For the big television networks, finding enough transmission capacity is always a challenge during an election year. The swirl of primaries and daily campaign stops, along with multi-day events like the Democratic and Republican national conventions, requires a steady diet of satellite and fiber paths for transmitting both live feeds and taped packages.>>>
