Pew Research Center's biannual survey on how Americans get their news revealed significant shifts underway from print to new media, and even from television to the internet. But it looks like that idiot box remains our number one source for just what's going on in the world around us. The article shows the demographics to be pretty much where you'd expect them to be as far as who goes where for their news. The younger, more affluent and/or more educated you are the more likely you are to go online for your news. The older, poorer and less educated you are the more likely you are to rely on the TV.
I live in a pretty small town that's chock full of poor, uneducated people and I can assure you that most of those citizens still think of computers as that fancy technology they use in them colleges and whatnot. And the Internets, well that's where you go for sin! But the young people, who have grown up with computers and the web are more savvy than their parents and if they can afford a computer, then they're online. Most are playing World of Warcraft, but they're still on there.
Long before ESPN was the worldwide leader in sports, ABC sportscaster and newsman Jim McKay was the voice of American sports. ABC sports legend Jim McKay died today at the age of 86; the cause of death was not revealed. In the annals of television history, Jim McKay is among the giants in sports broadcasting: a twelve-time Emmy winner, an iconic presence on The Wide World of Sports, the man who said the words, "the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat." He was the moderator of twelve Olympics and a broadcaster who gave the best he had in every television show in which he was involved, be it the Kentucky Derby, the British Open, or any of the other hundreds of events he covered.
If Jim McKay had just done that, he'd have a great legacy. However, when he was confronted with the task of anchoring the events that unfolded at the 1972 Munich Olympics, when the Israeli athletes were taken hostage by terrorist and killed in a commando raid, Jim McKay rose to the occasion.
The veteran newsman, who'll be 72 this year, had announced his retirement. He was going to leave the Black Rock as of the January presidential inauguration. Now he's decided to postpone the rocking chair. According to TV Week, the network didn't have to twist his arm; the deal was easily and simply done. All Schieffer had to do was get his wife Pat's approval and he was able to tell CBS News and Sports President Sean McManus asked him not to step down as planned with the inauguration of a new president that he would remain.
They most prestigious award for excellence in broadcasting -- next to the Emmys -- were announced today. The 67th Annual Peabody Awards honored Mad Men, 30 Rock, Dexter, Project Runway, The Colbert Report -- all favorites here at TV Squad -- among others. To the Peabody Award voters, I say, "Good job."
The winners, chosen by the Peabody board -- which is part of the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication -- will receive the awards on June 16 at a luncheon at New York's Waldorf Astoria. NBC News anchorman Brian Williams will be the emcee.
It's always hard to make predictions when it comes to television. A show you think is going to bomb becomes a giant hit that produces several spinoffs (*cough* CSI *cough*). It's even harder with television news, since the landscape is changing so fast these days, with the web playing a bigger and bigger role. But that doesn't stop The Boston Herald from predicting that in five years, Fox and Friends anchor Alisyn Camerota will be asked to take over for Katie Couric on The CBS Evening News.
Mike Wallace, the semi-retired 60 Minutes correspondent, underwent triple-bypass heart surgery over the weekend at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan.
The 89-year-old Wallace, the oldest of the 60 Minutes correspondents, is recovering nicely, according to a CBS News spokesperson. The spokesperson added that the Correspondent Emeritus was already taking his first steps just two days after undergoing the procedure. Man, this guy is tough! It is unknown at this time if the surgery was planned or done after a checkup revealed an issue.
We've entered Week Two of the WGA Strike, and although we're not getting any closer to a resolution, there's still plenty of WGA Strike news to report:
Today (Tuesday) was dubbed "Picketing with the Stars" as 100 actors from 30 TV shows joined the picket line at Universal Studios in a show of solidarity.
I think Katie Couric giving that interview to New York has pushed this whole "will Katie leave CBS?" talk to a whole new level.
Intrade.com, a web site where you can trade event futures on political, current, financial, weather, and unique events, has listed a new market on whether or not Katie will leave The CBS Evening News by the end of the year. There are a lot of different rules (it has to be announced on or before December 31, etc) so read carefully.
Just so you know, I have absolutely no idea what any of the above means. The stock market and anything to do with finances just confuses me. It's just a little less comprehensible than Klingon to me, but it certainly sounds exciting!
After the jump, give us your opinion on when Ms. Couric will leave CBS.
That's Dirty Sexy Money, an upcoming drama on ABC, just to clarify. I didn't want you to think the U.S. Mint was printing up a new type of currency with Dan Rather on the bill in place of one of the presidents.
Although, that would be interesting. "Give me seven quaraters and two pennies for a Rather," you would say. The Rather would be worth $1.77 for some reason.
So why have the ratings for the CBS Evening News fallen to historic lows? The New York Times asks that question today and suggests two theories: Either viewers don't like Katie Couric, or they're just uncomfortable getting their network news from a woman (the fact that there are female anchors in the cable news world isn't mentioned).
While the newspaper noted that Couric has received criticism for everything from her makeup (too much or too little) to her interview style (too soft or too hard), Sean McManus, CBS News president told the Times, "There is a percentage of people out there that probably prefers not to get their news from a woman." (Remember how much flak she endured from people who obsessed over her debut outfit?)
I'm not exactly sure what they mean by "powerful" whenever these lists come out. Does it mean influence? Does it mean the most-watched? Probably a mish-mash of both, since the list includes anchors and network executives. Here's the list, according to TV Week. Last year's rank is in parentheses.
The April 4, 2007 entry on the "Couric and Co." blog on the CBS News site no longer includes a video essay on libraries, but rather an apology for omitting credit to a March 15 article in the Wall Street Journal titled "Of the Places You'll Go, Is the Library Still One of Them?" by Jeffrey Zaslow.
The blog contains video essays written by producers of the CBS Evening News and read by anchorperson Katie Couric and other contributors to the newscast. The producer who wrote the copy for this particular episode did not credit Zaslow's article, and was subsequently fired. Sandra Genelius, a spokesperson for CBS News, said the content was almost completely taken from the Wall Street Journal piece. The name of the fired producer was not released.
CBS became aware of the incident when an editor from the Wall Street Journal called to note the similarities between the article and the online video essay.
In a perfect world, it would actually be cool if everyone did this, e.g., take down that crappy dub of The Simpsons and replace it with a FOX-authorized full episode. Yeah, I know that's really not possible, but it would be in my "perfect world." Also, cars would be made out of chocolate.
Really though, I hope others follow CBS' example. Protecting your content is fine, but this is Web 2.0, after all, and sites like YouTube aren't going to go away.
CNN's Anderson Cooper has just signed a new contract with the cable network, and this one is estimated to be worth $4 million dollars a year, a raise from the $2 million dollars a year he is getting under his current contract.
The Broadcasting & Cable article linked above also says that because Cooper is no longer available, producers of The Early Show are going to have to look elsewhere for a new host for the morning show. Though I never heard definitive word that Cooper was in line for the gig, just that the show was undergoing major changes.
Cooper hosts the nightly news show Anderson Cooper 360 and has started to also contribute to CBS' 60 Minutes. The new contract is a multi-year deal.
Pew Research Center's biannual survey on how Americans get their news revealed significant shifts underway from print to new media, and even from television to the internet. But it looks like that idiot box remains our number one source for just what's going on in the world around us. The article shows the demographics to be pretty much where you'd expect them to be as far as who goes where for their news. The younger, more affluent and/or more educated you are the more likely you are to go online for your news. The older, poorer and less educated you are the more likely you are to rely on the TV.
Long before ESPN was the worldwide leader in sports, ABC sportscaster and newsman Jim McKay was the voice of American sports. 
For once the info coming from CBS News is not about whether 
They most prestigious award for excellence in broadcasting -- next to the Emmys -- were announced today. The 67th Annual Peabody Awards honored 
Quick answer: no.
Mike Wallace, the semi-retired 60 Minutes correspondent, 
We've entered Week Two of the WGA Strike, and although we're not getting any closer to a resolution, there's still plenty of WGA Strike news to report:
That's Dirty Sexy Money, an 
So why have the ratings for the CBS Evening News fallen to historic lows? The 
I'm not exactly sure what they mean by "powerful" whenever these lists come out. Does it mean influence? Does it mean the most-watched? Probably a mish-mash of both, since 
The 
We all know that CBS has its 
CNN's Anderson Cooper has just 
Giveaways reminder: Office, Eli Stone, Supernatural, South Park
Giveaway Thursday: Tickets to the New York Television Festival ... all of it!
I miss the media-friendly John McCain - VIDEOS
