ABC News Giving Katie Couric Her Own Show Online
Posted on: April 25, 2012No comments yet
ABC News is giving Katie Couric her own program… though it will only exist online. In advance of her ABC talk show debuting this Fall, Couric will host a weekly series for ABC News and online partner Yahoo! called “Katie’s Take.”
Launching May 1st, the series sounds somewhat like a preview of the talk show, focusing on issues like “health, nutrition, parenting, and wellness.”
Continuing with that health theme, Poland Spring water is on board as the launch partner for the web series.
AdWeek’s Sam Thielman spoke to ABC News president Ben Sherwood about the show, and asked what Couric’s role at the news division will look like over the next few months:
ABC News president Ben Sherwood said that Couric’s main focus would still be the syndicated show, which launches in October, but that she’d continue to appear on ABC’s properties without headlining a particular program. “She’ll participate in our political coverage as we get closer to the elections,” said Sherwood. “But [with the syndicated show,] she’s got a real full-time job.”
(Source: mediabistro.com/tvnewser)
Jimmy Fallon Sued for Gender Discrimination
Posted on: April 24, 2012No comments yet
Jimmy Fallon and NBC Universal have been accused by a former staffer of wrongful termination and discrimination, according to TMZ.
Paul Tarascio claims that he was let go from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in early 2010 and replaced by an “incompetent” and “less qualified woman.” The suit alleges that several other male employees were fired because Fallon prefers his staffers to be female.
Tarascio is suing for punitive damages and lost wages.
An email to Fallon’s rep and NBC were not immediately returned.
(Source: TMZ and TVGuide.com)
Jimmy Fallon to Release Star-Studded Album
Posted on: April 23, 2012No comments yet
Jimmy Fallon is set to release his first album in a decade — and it’s loaded with famous collaborators.
“Blow Your Pants Off,” coming out on June 12, will contain new original music as well as some of the hugely popular “Late Night” musical comedy performances that have used both legendary recording artists and Fallon’s mimicry of rock icons.
Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder and Fallon pal Justin Timberlake are some of the big names who will be featured.
Fallon’s viral musical hits have included his David Bowie send-up about Tim Tebow and his Neil Young parody of Willow Smith’s “Whip Your Hair.”
He welcomes President Obama to his show on Tuesday.
No word yet on whether they’ll duet.
(Source: GossipCop.com)
Julian Assange Talk Show Debuts Next Week
Posted on: April 13, 2012No comments yet
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been working on his own talk show that will air cable channel RT (formerly Russia Today). Well, Wikileaks has announced that the program, now called “The World Tomorrow,” will debut on Tuesday, April 17.
(Source: MediaBistro.com/TVNewzer)
Fox News Head Roger Ailes Calls Keith Olbermann “Crazy”
Posted on: April 12, 2012No comments yet
Fox News president Roger Ailes attended an event celebrating The Hollywood Reporter‘s “35 Most Powerful People in Media,” where he was asked to weigh in on such topical matters as the future of recently ousted Current TV host Keith Olbermann.
Ailes said: You’d have to find somebody as crazy as he is, I’m afraid I think Keith… You talk about burning bridges. This guy really burns ‘em. Now, I feel sorry for anybody who’s out of work, so I don’t want to trash him or say anything negative about him. He was great at sports, I thought. And everybody has some redeeming quality, so people find a job again. But it’ll be, you know. A pet show in St. Louis, or something.
(Source: Mediaite.com)
Alec Baldwin Slams ‘Today’ show for “Stalking” Him
Posted on: April 11, 2012No comments yet
Alec Baldwin has taken to Twitter to slam media outlets — including NBC, which airs his show “30 Rock” — for “stalking” him at his New York City apartment.
According to the actor, the “Today“ show has been camped outside his building, presumably hoping to get a comment about alleged stalker Genevieve Sabourin’s affair claims.
The irony of that has not been lost on Baldwin.
“Outside my apt today, along side the other stalkers from the tabloid press, a crew that identified themselves as being with the ‘Today’ show,” he tweeted Tuesday morning.
He went on to add, “I haven’t appeared on the ‘Today’ show in many years. But did they have to camp outside my apt?”
(Source: GossipCop.com)
Could ‘Today’ Show See a Syndicated Spinoff?
Posted on: April 10, 2012No comments yet
TV Guide‘s Stephen Battaglio writes about Matt Lauer‘s new deal with NBC, and scoops that there is more to it than just “Today.” According to Battaglio, Lauer’s contract includes a program development deal, as well as a stake in syndicated programs he may develop outside of the NBC morning show.
One idea already being kicked around is spinning off Lauer’s regular segment “Today‘s Professionals,” in which he spars over hot-button issues with a panel that includes Star Jones, Donny Deutsch and Dr. Nancy Snyderman. The segment could also be developed into a fifth hour of Today.
(Source: MediaBistro.com/tvnewzer)
Bill Maher’s Surprising First Guest On His New Talk Show
Posted on: April 9, 2012No comments yet
New York magazine profiles comedian and raconteur Bill Maher, and reveals a surprising fact about the first guest on the first taping of Maher’s Comedy Central show:
He pitched a show to Comedy Central executives that would remake political-debate programs like The McLaughlin Group with comedy and celebrities. He would do a monologue like Carson and feature assorted stars tackling current affairs. The very first guest during the first taping, in a studio on East 23rd Street in New York, was a Republican TV executive at NBC named Roger Ailes.
The article goes on to have Maher impersonating Larry King (“Let’s go grab a nosh with Larry King”) while his friend refers to MSNBC’s Martin Bashir as “Martin Balsam.”
(Source: MediaBistro.com/TVNewzer)
Keith Olbermann Trashes Cenk Uygur in Current TV Lawsuit
Posted on: April 6, 2012No comments yet
The fallout from Current TV’s firing of Countdown host Keith Olbermann was bound to get ugly, but one particular section of Olbermann’s lawsuit against Current is particularly unfortunate. In the suit, Olbermann trashes longtime booster Cenk Uygur, alleging that he opposed hiring The Young Turks‘ host, and then refused to promote TYT because “It Was Demonstrably Substandard.”
The suit goes on to allege that Olbermann refused to participate in The Young Turks’ premier, repeating the same slam, adding that it was “reasonable for Olbermann to decline to be associated with a host with a questionable journalistic standard and a show that was not up to the standards expected by the ‘Countdown’ audience.” Olbermann also refused to appear in promotional materials featuring his fellow Current hosts because they were, in his opinion, “low-quality programming.”
(Source: Mediaite.com)
Fox News: Heather Childers’ Tweets on Obama “A Mistake”
Posted on: April 5, 2012No comments yet
Heather Childers is the latest cable newser to find herself at the center of a social media firestorm.
The Fox News anchor tweeted links to several articles from Godfather Politics earlier this week that caused a stir, including one which questioned whether the Obama campaign had threatened Chelsea Clinton‘s life and one that said Obama “Channels Joseph Stalin, Attacks Supreme Court Justices.”
“The tweets have been addressed with Heather and she understands this was a mistake,” Fox News SVP Michael Clemente told Mediaite Tuesday.

After a flood of responses, Childers was quick to offer an apology. “Here’s the thing folks … that ONE topic sure got a lot of you tweeting,” she wrote. “Why? I apologize if the article offended anyone. Very interesting.” She has since protected her tweets.
(Source: MediaBistro.com/TVNewzer)
Ryan Seacrest and Matt Lauer Address ‘Today’ Rumors
Posted on: April 4, 2012No comments yet
As expected the big Ryan Seacrest “announcement” this morning was a new deal with NBCUniversal, a deal that will include a role for Seacrest at this year’s Summer Olympics in London. A new deal with Fox’s “American Idol” also looks likely, but one thing that was not mentioned was a possible role for Seacrest on “Today.”
Matt Lauer asked him about that directly in an interview:
“What kind of conversations have you had with NBC about joining the Today Show?” Lauer asked.
“Oh, they didn’t tell you?” Seacrest quipped.
“You didn’t answer the question, and I want names and dates,” Lauer responded jokingly.
“I see you doing this for as long as you want to, so how long will you be on the “Today” show? Because fans–and myself included–think you should be doing this for a long time,’ Seacrest replied.
(Source: mediabistro.com/tvnewser)
David Letterman, Craig Ferguson Sign Deals With CBS
Posted on: April 3, 2012No comments yet
CBS’ two big late-night stars are going to stick around.
“Late Show” host David Letterman and “Late Late Show” host Craig Ferguson have reached deals to remain with the network through 2014.
Letterman’s renewal means that he will reach his 32nd year behind the desk, surpassing the 30-year reign of his hero, Johnny Carson.
He began with NBC’s “Late Night” in 1982, famously leaving for CBS in 1993.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles-based Ferguson will be moving to a larger stage at CBS’ Television City.
The Scottish-American comedian has hosted “Late Late Show” since 2005, building solid ratings and earning a Peabody Award in the process.
(Source: GossipCop.com)
Sarah Palin To Co-Host ‘Today’ On Tuesday
Posted on: April 2, 2012No comments yet
In a move that’s sure to delight some people, shock others, and confuse the rest, NBC has booked none other than Sarah Palin to guest-host Tuesday’s edition of the TODAY Show. The network’s decision comes on the heels of ABC’s announcement that Katie Couric will be guest-hosting Good Morning America this week, whom Palin has an infamous media connection to.
Palin worked as a sports anchor in Alaska, and following her 2008 run alongside John McCain, she signed on as a contributor for Fox News. NBC’s Lester Holt made the announcement about Palin’s appearance on the show last Friday, but only confirmed this weekend that she would be guest-hosting. The choice has not gone unnoticed by fellow MSNBC employees.
The Palin pick was part of the discussion on MSNBC’s “Melissa Harris-Perry“ this morning, with Harris-Perry asking her panel of guests if the rumor (which by then was fact) was, “Real or fake?”
“I hope its fake,” said one, while another chimed in about what we all know: “NBC is doing that as counterprogramming to Katie Couric guest hosting “Good Morning America.”
Palin, of course, was interviewed during her 2008 campaign by Couric in an interview that turned out to be one of the vice presidential candidate’s weaker moments in the race.
Current TV Fires Keith Olbermann, Replaces Him With Spitzer
Posted on: March 31, 2012No comments yet
The New York Times’ Brian Stelter breaks the news that Current TV has let go Keith Olbermann, and will replace him starting tonight with Eliot Spitzer, denying Olbermann to give a send-off or special comment to his viewers. Spitzer, like Olbermann, also had experience at MSNBC, where he appeared as a guest anchor. Olbermann had been suspended by MSNBC for violating its rules on campaign contributions, an event that soured his relationship with the network, before his departure from MSNBC opened the door to his deal with Current. He was at one point a high-profile acquisition for the network, founded by former Vice President Al Gore to provide a more progressive take on the news. But his ratings fell and his relationship with Current quickly foundered.
In an open letter to Current viewers, Gore and co-founder Joel Hyatt wrote “We created Current to give voice to those Americans who refuse to rely on corporate-controlled media and are seeking an authentic progressive outlet. We are more committed to those goals today than ever before. Current was also founded on the values of respect, openness, collegiality, and loyalty to our viewers. Unfortunately these values are no longer reflected in our relationship with Keith Olbermann and we have ended it.” Olbermann had complained about technical issues on his set and squabbled with the network over his role in its coverage of the Republican primary, though he ultimately agreed to anchor those segments.
A source familiar with the decision-making process at Current said the choice to terminate Olbermann was based on what the network felt were violations of three tenets of his contract: a series of unathorized absences, a failure to promote the network, and disparagement both of Current as a network and of its executives individually. The source said that Olbermann missed 19 of his 41 working days in the months of January and February, and that Olbermann was told that if he took a vacation day he had requested for the night of March 5, it would be considered a breach of his contract. Olbermann took the day off, and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm ran a two-hour edition of her show, the War Room, in his place. The charges that he disparaged the network likely stem from the disputes over election coverage, when Olbermann said in a public statement: ““I was not given a legitimate opportunity to host under acceptable conditions. They know it and we know it. Telling half the story is wrong.”
In a series of Tweets after that letter was released, Olbermann sharply criticized Current’s leadership and said that he would sue the network, writing:
I’d like to apologize to my viewers and my staff for the failure of Current TV. Editorially, Countdown had never been better. But for more than a year I have been imploring Al Gore and Joel Hyatt to resolve our issues internally, while I’ve been not publicizing my complaints, and keeping the show alive for the sake of its loyal viewers and even more loyal staff. Nevertheless, Mr. Gore and Mr. Hyatt, instead of abiding by their promises and obligations and investing in a quality news program, finally thought it was more economical to try to get out of my contract.
It goes almost without saying that the claims against me implied in Current’s statement are untrue and will be proved so in the legal actions I will be filing against them presently. To understand Mr. Hyatt’s “values of respect, openness, collegiality and loyalty,” I encourage you to read of a previous occasion Mr. Hyatt found himself in court for having unjustly fired an employee. That employee’s name was Clarence B. Cain. http://nyti.ms/HueZsa
In due course, the truth of the ethics of Mr. Gore and Mr. Hyatt will come out. For now, it is important only to again acknowledge that joining them was a sincere and well-intentioned gesture on my part, but in retrospect a foolish one. That lack of judgment is mine and mine alone, and I apologize again for it.
Olbermann’s longtime attorney Patty Glaser has vowed a tough fight with the network after negotiations over a severance payment for Olbermann failed. And Current has hired a team of crisis public relations experts to help guide their response.
(Source: ThinkProgress.org)
Piers Morgan Challenges MSNBC’s Touré to Debate
Posted on: March 30, 2012No comments yet
MSNBC contributor Touré slammed CNN’s Piers Morgan via Twitter starting last night, criticizing the Piers Morgan Tonight host’s interview with Robert Zimmerman, Jr., brother of Trayvon Martin killer George Zimmerman (who claims self-defense in the shooting). Morgan and Touré traded barbs on Twitter, until Morgan challenged Touré to come on his show to debate the topic. Alas, the invitation conflicts with Touré’s MSNBC schedule, so they had to work something else out.
“Piers did not challenge Robert Zimmerman the way a professional journalist should,” tweeted during the broadcast, adding “@piersmorgan Allowing Rob Zimmerman to spout unchallenged lies further poisons a tense moment in American history. Be professional.”
Morgan responded just as his show ended, tweeting “Oh Toure, you’re such a tedious little twerp,” adding a characteristic dig at his opponent’s follower count. “ps @Toure – 71k tweets for just 57k followers? Ouch. Ever get the feeling you’re doing a LOT of jabbering but nobody’s listening?”
Touré continued to slam Morgan’s interview, tweeting things like “Rob Zimmerman’s story makes no sense after video of George walking uninjured & unbloody thru Sandord PD,” and “If at a crucial moment in American history, ie now, you allow people on your show to spread misinfo & lies you are damaging America.”
“With respect @Toure – I don’t think I’ll take professional journalist lectures from a ‘bull-dodging rodeo clown,’” Morgan responded.
“@piersmorgan Glad you’ve seen my George Plimpton show,” Touré said. “You should watch my interview show where I challenge people on bs when they spout it,” then explained Morgan’s reference by adding “On my show I’ll Try Anything Once I was a bull dodging rodeo clown & a skydiver & a sumo wrestler & a snake & bee wrangler & movie stuntman.”
Touré then zinged Piers for his own TV silliness, tweeting ”Not sure what my hosting I’ll Try Anything Once has to do with anything when @piersmorgan was a pawn on Donald Trump’s show.#GlassHouses‘”
Morgan issued a rather narrow challenge. “OK @Toure – we’re on. Get to my CNN bureau in NY between 3-5pm ET and we will do this debate on air tonight. Deal?” Morgan tweeted, then goaded “Come on @Toure – everyone’s waiting. You man or mouse?”
“I’m on MSNBC today, doing Tamron & Dylan’s shows. That’s my 2-5pm,” Touré responded.
Morgan taunted Toure awhile with Britishisms like “all mouth, no trousers,” while Toure pointed out that he was unavailable because he had to go to his, you know, job. Finally, Morgan asked “OK @Toure – when ARE you available? Stop the excuses & the bull…. – give me a day and let’s debate this on CNN,” to which Touré replied “Tuesday.”
Something must have happened to Morgan’s trousers (whatever that means), because he responded “Tuesday is Primary night @Toure – can do it Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.”
“Ugh. No can. Mon Fuse. Wed Iowa. Thrs St Louis. Fri MSNBC,” replied Touré, exposing the real weakness in the 21st Century’s new “booking by flame-war” procedures: you can’t really do both things well. “I’ll have Sheila call your booker…also YOU GOT PWNED!”
Touré added ”If you knew me you’d know I’d love to do this. Will be valuable TV. (The you’re chicken ploy is lame. No one’s scared of you.)”
(Source: Mediaite.com)

