Big Three Networks Ratings Fall for DNC Convention

The ratings for the Democratic National Convention for ABC, CBS and NBC fell by a million viewers compared to the opener for the 2004 convention with headliner Bill Clinton TVWeek is reporting. On the other hand, the cable newsers saw a ratings jump from their 2004 convention ratings. This reveals the further decline in the old paradigm with the big three networks steadily losing their news…

Frustrated by Lack of 'Red Meat,' Not 'Hitting McCain Hard Enough

Most prevalent theme during Tuesday night's coverage of the Democratic National Convention, after speculation over healing the Clinton-Obama feud: TV journalists worrying about how the Democrats are not adequately aggressive in their attacks against John McCain as reporters, especially on CBS, repeatedly pressed for more “red meat” and wondered if the speakers are being “hard enough” or “tough…

Olbermann: Hillary's Howard 'Tokyo Rose' for Working for Fox

Update | Aug. 27 4:15 PM: Wolfson Fires Back! Saying he's "not gonna take any lectures on how to be a good Democrat from two people who spent the last two years relentlessly attacking Bill and Hillary Clinton," Wolfson has fired back at Matthews and Olbermann.  Noel Sheppard has the story here.----------- Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann put their own feud aside to agree on something tonight. …

Kid Reporter to MSNBC: Objectivity is Key to Reporting

MSNBC: Cuomo's Call for Nuclear Freeze Among Greatest Convention-Speec

To these ears, it sounded like a sophomoric line by, well, a sophomore seeking to impress classmates and perhaps his fuzzy-headed teacher.  But MSNBC has proclaimed Mario Cuomo's call for a nuclear freeze because "peace is better than war and life is better than death" one of the greatest convention-speech lines ever.In the run-up to this evening's keynote address by former Virginia Gov. Mark…

Abrams Overlooks Ayers's Terrorism and Connection to Obama

During the 11 a.m. EDT hour of Tuesday’s MSNBC “News Live,” host Dan Abrams interviewed Reuters Washington correspondent John Decker about Senator Obama’s campaign seeking a criminal investigation against the American Issues Project over an ad which links Obama to terrorist Bill Ayers. While none of the American Issues Project ad was shown, MSNBC did help Obama rebut any claims of a…

Bill Maher: 'People Get Stupider and Stupider Every Election Cycle

During MSNBC's convention coverage on Monday night, Bill Maher explained to Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann that American politics "seem to be getting worse because, sorry to say it, people get stupider and stupider every election cycle." Maher's evidence of Americans' stupidity is found in the fact that "they think off-shore drilling is gonna lower the price of gas and they think Obama, the…

Keith Olbermann Caught Dissing Joe Scarborough on Open Mic

Keith Olbermann seems to be suffering from a bad case of foot-in-mouth disease during the Democrat convention coverage. As noted earlier by NewsBusters' Mark Finkelstein, Olbermann, after commenting ecstatically about Michelle Obama's speech declared that he was "beginning to sound borderline sycophantic." Also last night, an open mic caught Olbermann dissing fellow MSNBC team member, Joe…

Scarborough's Scoff: So Glad MSNBC Down the Middle

Tensions are running high at MSNBC, at least surrounding veteran host Joe Scarborough who seems to be increasingly discontented at his network's decision to market itself as the cable net of choice for Bush haters. That hasn't sat well with the likes of the far left Keith Olbermann who has played a large role in getting MSNBC to pursue this strategyThe Democratic convention seems to have only…

Barnicle: Courageous Ted Reaches Out To Accident Victims

If the aphorism de mortuis nil nisi bonum instructs us to speak only good of people who have passed away, perhaps there is a corrollary applicable to those dealing with a dread disease. While I am thus somewhat reluctant to do so, I cannot let pass without comment Mike Barnicle's words about Ted Kennedy on today's Morning Joe.MIKE BARNICLE: Last night when he came out, it was clearly a…

Fineman Cheers: Michelle 'Beautifully' Dug Herself Out of Hole

During MSNBC's live coverage of the Democratic National Convention, on Monday night, Newsweek's Howard Fineman pronounced that Michelle Obama, in her opening night speech, had "dug herself, beautifully and completely, out of the hole she put herself in...when she said her husband's success was the first time she was proud of her country." Fineman made the following declaration at 12:03am [EDT] on…

Olbermann: 'I'm Beginning to Sound Borderline Sycophantic

Beginning?  Borderline?How unbalanced was MSNBC's tag team tonight?  When Keith Olbermann felt himself getting verklempt over Michelle Obama's speech, he threw it, for some fair-n-balanced commentary, to . . . Chris Matthews. At the conclusion of Mrs. Obama's appearance, Olbermann almost seemed ready to call the election off and just hand the presidency to Obama by acclamation.KEITH OLBERMANN: Ye…

PBS's Ifill Fawns Over Michelle Obama on MSNBC

Live from Denver, Colorado, on Monday, Brian Williams hosted the 1 p.m. hour of MSNBC's "News Live" and featured guests Gwen Ifill of PBS and Michele Norris of NPR to talk about Michelle Obama’s upcoming primetime speech at the Democratic National Convention. The segment turned out to be a love-fest of Michelle Obama and her humble roots. Williams started off the segment by asking the…

Former Reporter/Obama Advisor Bashes GOP As 'Extremely Conservative' o

Linda Douglass, the former ABC News reporter and current senior advisor to the Obama campaign, lashed out at John McCain and Mitt Romney by labeling them “extremely conservative on social issues” in an interview on Saturday’s “Morning Joe.” Co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski failed to point out that liberals like Obama can be extreme in their views on social issues, too. After Douglass…