Two media tidbits today. Broadcasting & Cable magazine reports: "Count Larry King among Katie Couric’s fans. The venerable CNN host watches the new anchor of the CBS Evening News and thinks her ratings struggles have more to do with gender than with journalism. "It might still be hard for a woman to anchor the evening news," King says. "And that’s sad."
King also said it may take a major news event to help the former Today host shed her perky image: "Hurricane Katrina made Anderson Cooper. It could happen to Katie that way." (Larry slammed O'Reilly and Nancy Grace here.)
On Howard Kurtz's chat at washingtonpost.com, Kurtz was asked about the MSNBC v. Fox fight, specifically mentioning that O'Reilly has some liberals on his show (as foils, usually, he claimed), and Olbermann doesn't generally have conservatives on his show. A questioner asked:
In your interviews with Olbermann, have you pressed him about his lack of conservative guests? Even two or three years ago, he still jousted with them. His show, isolated from the rest, looks much more one-sided and propagandistic than the Fox lineup. You certainly can't imagine Olbermann cracking quips with a conservative cohost! How can someone like Olbermann suggest Bush lives in a bubble of people who agree with him and then have a show like this?
Howard Kurtz: I did raise it, and I have raised it before. He said he had some difficulty getting conservative guests to come on the program. I don't know how hard he has tried, but surely there are conservative authors, columnists and political operatives who could be persuaded to appear on MSNBC.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Mr. King, when one is this
January 16, 2007 - 14:25 ET by Chris NormanMr. King, when one is this out of touch, it's time for to retire. Really.
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
I don't know how hard he ha
January 16, 2007 - 14:26 ET by FastEdI don't know how hard he has tried, but surely there are conservative authors, columnists and political operatives who could be persuaded to appear on MSNBC. I don't know how much soap would be needed to remove the stench after sliding into or outof their studios.
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad
Re: Katie...I just get the
January 16, 2007 - 14:31 ET by lnthompRe: Katie...I just get the feeling that a major news event is less likely to help her shed the perky image, and more likely to show that perky is all that's there.
Re: Olbermann...given the level of civility and professionalism he regularly displays, I can only wonder why anyone of any persuasion would want to be a guest on his show.
Lee T.
U.S. Navy (ret.) / Hillsboro, Oregon
I have enough money to last me the rest of my life. Unless I buy something.
"King also said it may t
January 16, 2007 - 14:31 ET by HypocriteHater"King also said it may take a major news event to help the former Today host shed her perky image: 'Hurricane Katrina made Anderson Cooper. It could happen to Katie that way' ."
Well, that's just great, Larry. Let's all hope for a disaster just so Katie can be the belle of the ball on her little five and dime news show.
As far as Kurtz's comments re Olbermann is concerned, if BOR is such an ass to his liberal guests by treating them as just "foils", why is he able to book them in the first place? Maybe Olbermann's struggles to find any conservative guests has to do with no conservative wanting to get within 10 feet of Keithy's Bush Derangement Syndrome?
"Today we did what we had to do. They counted on America to be passive. They counted wrong." - Ronald Reagan
KI, Didn't Sweet Katie Pureb
January 16, 2007 - 14:41 ET by Chris Normangg,
Didn't Sweet Katie Purebred, herself, say that as "a single mom", she couldn't put herself in harm's way - regarding going to Iraq? I guess this limits her chances for her "shining Anderson Cooper moment". Can you imagine her, all dressed up in her Prada, lashed to a lamp post - a la Dan Rather - reporting from the shrieking winds of a big ol' Category 5?
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
In a squeaky, high-pitched wa
January 16, 2007 - 16:24 ET by Scout FinchIn a squeaky, high-pitched wavering voice, Sweet Katie Purebred wails, "Oh where, oh where has my hurricane gone? Oh where, oh where can it be? With my ratings down and credibility gone, oh where oh where can it be?"
And Under Dan sings in reply,
January 16, 2007 - 16:33 ET by Chris NormanAnd Under Dan sings in reply, "And here I am to save the day..." :)
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
That WOULD be a sight to see!
January 16, 2007 - 17:13 ET by HypocriteHaterThat WOULD be a sight to see! I wonder if Katie would wear her black dress and her "smart" glasses to set the mood for the seriousness of the situation and to prove that she's not perky, dammit!!
"Today we did what we had to do. They counted on America to be passive. They counted wrong." - Ronald Reagan
gg,If she did, they'd be blow
January 16, 2007 - 17:40 ET by Chris Normangg,
If she did, they'd be blowing down the street at a hundred-fifty miles per hour... :)
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
gopgirl NAILS it
January 16, 2007 - 20:58 ET by Six String Spiff"Smart Glasses" LOL! I love that one. It is SO very true. In a video I posted here a little while a go, the Brack Girl (Edwards) was putting on gallses fro something... hmmm I don't remeber him EVER wearing glasses. THese stupid superficial liberals have to constantly wrap themselves in what they think LOOKS good, intelligent, caring etc.. They don't a radical shiite about you or me. stupid fools.
Not all Muslims are Terrorists. However, 99% of the Terrorists have been Muslim.
Huh? Foils? What is this? BOR
January 16, 2007 - 14:51 ET by tweakthetrollHuh? Foils? What is this? BOR had 2 Democtatic stratigests on last night at the SAME time and they all ended up agreeing on much the same thing............could you possibly, even for one moment, imagin Olberman having 2 Republican stratigests on in 1 year let along on in the same program, and agreeing on anything...........NOT on your life, and his ratings refelect such. I havent counted but I think Countdown has a guest list of maybe 10-12 guests, total...........and just rotates them..........who wants to watch that crap?
Larry, you are off your med
January 16, 2007 - 14:45 ET by CrimsonfistedLarry, you are off your meds again.
What a copout! Sexism my butt.
Being a woman doesn't seem to have hurt this newscaster too much.
Used your link...and noticed
January 16, 2007 - 20:47 ET by Cape ConservativeUsed your link...and noticed that Ms. Melanie didn't have to sit on the corner of the desk showing a little leg and swinging her shoe :-) Definitely more professional and, at the same time, sexy!
Note to MSM. Put Babes on your broadcast
January 16, 2007 - 21:22 ET by Six String SpiffOk MSM.. I'll watch if you take a hint a put some real talent like this French chica.. Get Saggy Couric, and Andrea (they're down to her knees) Mitchel.. yuck.. Katie lost whatever it was I liked about her as soon as she went to CBS. I think it's a slow Mutation to Dan Rather.. Ahhhhhh!!!!!!! I appologize for putting that in your heads.. and MINE damn
The Frenchie is def. a sweetie Yowza!!
Not all Muslims are Terrorists. However, 99% of the Terrorists have been Muslim.
Sexism? No, you just SUCK
January 16, 2007 - 21:01 ET by Six String SpiffLiberals can NEVER accept themselves can they? If people don't pay any attention, then it must be the VIEWERS fault. IF people don't vote for them, it the VOTERS fault. Same ol song and dance for these smeg heads.
One of my best friends had a saying... "It's not MY fault you suck.."
Not all Muslims are Terrorists. However, 99% of the Terrorists have been Muslim.
It's always something with Li
January 16, 2007 - 14:47 ET by mattmIt's always something with Libs, but never what it really is.
...
January 16, 2007 - 14:52 ET by Jack Bauer...
I did raise it, and I have
January 16, 2007 - 14:52 ET by Jack BauerI did raise it, and I have raised it before. He said he had some difficulty getting conservative guests to come on the program.
No Kidding?
Maybe they think a guy who has never featured a murdering dictator as the "Worst Person In The World" but regularly features the man who kicks his derriere in the ratings...
is a tad unhinged. Only a guess.
Proud member of the all-powerful and vast militarist/industrialist/capitalist/zionist-bagelist complex
Come on, guys. Keith regularl
January 16, 2007 - 15:03 ET by Roger the ShrubberCome on, guys. Keith regularly puts on the most rabidly-right-wing writers from BOTH Rolling Stone AND The Village Voice!
And don't forget those prot
January 16, 2007 - 15:12 ET by Jack BauerAnd don't forget those proto-fascists from Mother Jones.
Proud member of the all-powerful and vast militarist/industrialist/capitalist/zionist-bagelist complex
Guys, I gotta stand up for Ki
January 16, 2007 - 15:22 ET by RunningBeerGuys, I gotta stand up for Kieth on this one. I have it on good authority that just last week he invited two conservative guests to join him on the show... Now he's just waiting for either Reagan or Ford to respond.
Larry and Olbermann
January 16, 2007 - 23:46 ET by CaliosFord was not a conservative in my book. He was a moderate who leaned to the right, but not a conservative. Now years later and reexamining Nixon's Administration, there are moments I wonder if he was a true conservative.
Olbermann has been down-right hostile toward those on the right. He's why I have to remind myself while watching CNBC, that's it's MSNBC that he's on so I don't change the channel in protest.
King is a complete boob (that's a legit word, correct?). His program is filler because CNN can't imagine anything else to put on at that time.
BOR, sometimes disgusts me. I was watching his program and saw his introducing the two democratic strategists and though they were attractive, somewhat "hot" looking, I changed the channel. Kristen and the other girl are far better than Beckel, but they're just as misguided.
RunningBeer...Good one.We had
January 16, 2007 - 23:56 ET by BlondeRunningBeer...
Good one.
We had a saying when I used to water ski competitively.....
"Wait Later".
How To Get Rid Of A Telemarketer
January 16, 2007 - 15:09 ET by Jack BauerGuys... this clip is hysterical. Someone should do this the Olbermanniac.
If you haven't heard it
How to get Rid Of A Telemarketer...
Check it out
Proud member of the all-powerful and vast militarist/industrialist/capitalist/zionist-bagelist complex
Jack
January 16, 2007 - 16:58 ET by Gary HallJack. That is hysterical. Should have used Noel Sheppard's line and warned me to put down my coffee first, and close my mouth.
You know, I do a few of similar enough tricks with them.. one goes like this:
My wife hates it when I do that. (->
The American people are conte
January 16, 2007 - 15:19 ET by SchwabertThe American people are contemplating putting a woman in the most powerful office in the world, and Larry thinks people can't handle a woman news anchor. The problem has nothing to do with her gender so much as her content; liberal, skewed, and biased.
The greatest benefit of being a liberal is every event is new and completely isolated from every other event.
--Perpetual itching without benefit of scratching to the enemies of America.--
Conservatives on MSNBC.
January 16, 2007 - 15:29 ET by acaiguanaConservatives on MSNBC.
"but surely there are conservative authors, columnists and political operatives who could be persuaded to appear on MSNBC."
Why?
ACA
...
Acaiguana says: "I love blind Monkeys and any inference that I am making fun of blind Monkeys would be wrong.
I don't understand what you'r
January 16, 2007 - 15:30 ET by SchwabertI don't understand what you're asking...
--Perpetual itching without benefit of scratching to the enemies of America.--
If you could explain what you don't understand, I'd be glad to..
January 16, 2007 - 15:34 ET by acaiguanaIf you could explain what you don't understand, I'd be glad to help you out. Try to get as detailed as you feel is necessary.
ACA
...
Acaiguana says: "I love blind Monkeys and any inference that I am making fun of blind Monkeys would be wrong.
Here's a thought...
January 16, 2007 - 15:53 ET by Uncle JohnI know this is going way out on a limb, but could the reason for Katie's "ratings struggles" be that she SUCKS?
Liberalism ≠ liberty.
Further, and to be complete
January 16, 2007 - 16:03 ET by sarcasmoFurther, and to be completely politically-incorrect, could Katie's high ratings during her youth and in the morning (when many of us men happen to be "in the mood" because "Mr. Happy" always wakes-up before we awaken) be due to sex-appeal rather than anything like substance? Sure would explain a lot...
JMR
Young, perky, intellectual
January 16, 2007 - 16:59 ET by Uncle JohnYoung, perky, intellectual lightweight semi-hottie > Aging, bitchy, intellectual lightweight not-so-hottie.
Liberalism ≠ liberty.
Gentlemen, PLEASE! I am loa
January 16, 2007 - 17:11 ET by kathleenirishGentlemen, PLEASE! I am loathe to defend members of the Vast Left Wing Conspiracy/Media, but, don't go off the deep end. Katie is about as bad as any of 'em, but, cool it!
"He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, and he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere" -Ali ibn-Abi-Talib, 4th Islamic Caliph
stop it youz cads!
January 16, 2007 - 20:54 ET by tumbler_2007But she isn't yet as bad as Peter Jennings was; --is she? (I don't know, never watch her bloviating.)
Katie was NEVER hot
January 16, 2007 - 17:07 ET by UnsaneExcept for one little thing, sarc. Katie was NEVER hot, especially when she spent her youth doing everything in her power to look as masculine as possible. By the time she figured out that it was 100% OK to start looking feminine, it was too late, and age had set in.
"HAV3 TH3 BRIDG3S OF INSANITY B33N CROSS3D AND FOR3V3R R3TRACT3D???." - Meshuggah, "3ntrapm3nt", from Catch Thirty Thr33 (2005)
King and Olbermann
January 16, 2007 - 23:51 ET by CaliosNo way! You don't think so?
A hound on a porch will definitely raise it's head when it smells an odd odor, like that which men produce when passing gas or when the CBS news begins.
KO is lying..it is well k
January 16, 2007 - 17:42 ET by mlongKO is lying..it is well knowed that when he started Countdown he made it very clear to MSNBC he wasn't going to have opposing viewpoints on his show...one of the reasons is he can't handle an open debate..when Christopher Hitchens appeared on one of his earlier shows..he so kicked KO and his liberal guest ass that a shaken KO found it necessary to apologize to his viewers for Hich...hell when Jackie Mason was on his show last year and started to disagree with some point KO was trying to make he started to lose it.....trust me the day KO has to face another Hichens or some other strong personally that will take the fight to him in a debate you'll see the biggest meltdown on TV in ages.
Meanwhile Bill O'Reilly showing he's not afraid of debate is once again to appear on a program where the host will try to cut into him when he appears on the Colbert Report.
Kurtz doesn't care
January 16, 2007 - 18:02 ET by JJVThe key statement is "I don't know how hard he has tried..." Well, Howie, why didn't you ask him that? I'd like to know why every other show on their network and others can get conservative guests and KO can't. Sounds like he needs a new producer. Also, doesn't MSNBC have conservative commentators on the payroll (weak though they are)? I'm just askin'.
I used to cringe when Stutter
January 16, 2007 - 18:11 ET by PeskyDaneI used to cringe when Stuttering John would corner celebtards and manage to seperate them from their nursemaid publisists. One of my all time favs:
SJ: Larry, is it t-t-time y-yet?
LK: Time for what?
SJ: T-time for you to pr-propose?
Pesky Dane
January 16, 2007 - 18:30 ET by Carl KolchakOne of the funniest things I ever saw on tv, was when Stuttering John asked Ted Williams if when he was batting and Yogi Berra was catching, if he ever turned around and farted in his face. I can't remember if that was exaclty how he phrased the question, but it was something like that. Ted Williams said "excuse me", and then Stuttering John repeated the same question, and Ted Williams got really mad and told him he wasn't going to take any more questions from him.
Everytime I think about that I start crying laughing.
"I've always been crazy, but it's kept me from going insane" Waylon Jennings
Couric
January 16, 2007 - 18:18 ET by iveseenitallTrue feminism means allowing the free market work with women as well as with men. There are some quite intelligent women out there ( some on this site) who would do on wonderful job with the news. Affirmative action feminism doesn't cut it any more than any other affirmative action program. It was obvious from the beginning that Couric is an intellectual lightweight, yet they gave her the job at least in part because she is a woman. Affirmative action is just another failed liberal idea. Ironically, with Couric, it is coming home to bite the libs at CBS.
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
"He said he had some dif
January 16, 2007 - 18:26 ET by Gothampc"He said he had some difficulty getting conservative guests to come on the program."
When a conservative guest goes on tv, he or she wants to make sure they are seen by more than just 0.0000000001% of viewers.
"Mr. King, when one is
January 16, 2007 - 22:27 ET by Galvanic"Mr. King, when one is this out of touch, it's time for to retire. Really." -- Crhis Norman
To paraphrase Gore Vidal's description of Ronald Reagan , Larry King is testament to the embalmer's art.
Larry King's Comments
January 16, 2007 - 22:35 ET by ActivedutyI don't watch Larry King at all, as I find him dull and unenthusiastic in his interviews (and quickly continue my channel flipping). As for Katie Couric, I have seen her reporting, as Armed Forces Network does carry news from all the major networks. Larry King's comments about how Katrina "made" Anderson (Fashion Plate to Dante's Inferno) Cooper, it is only indicative of the way some of these reporters think. Don't let something like a little human misery get in the way of making a career for yourself. I swear, you would come up with blood if you wrung out the video to some of these events that they so gleefully seek, not in the name of reporting human events, but for personal glory and fame. As for K.Olbermann, I don't know why they carry his show on AFN, as I find little in the way of news and more of his politically charged and overwrought bloviating: all from his one sided point of view with like minded guests. Lame and boring, except when he has his "special commentaries". Almost funny to watch as he get's himself so upset, if it really be something if his tirades weren't so filled with uninformed far out rants (money from dead soldiers pockets?). Maybe that's why Bill Oreilly doesn't even comment on either the Chris Mathews or K.O. digs at him. Beside killing them in the ratings, he has alot more gumption to take on his guests with morally or politically opposed points of view. I mean, really: can anyone imagine either Katie Couric or Keith interviewing and sparring with the members of the Black Panther Party?
Larry, Larry, Larry...Katie's
January 16, 2007 - 23:08 ET by StonefingersLarry, Larry, Larry...Katie's just not very good as a news anchor. Sexism would REQUIRE a pretty female face and form to deliver the news (that's how you get the guys to watch: at least, the ones with sufficient male hormones).
That's why your ratings stink, too...you're a terrible interviewer.