News in the news
While Sean McManus, president of CBS News and Sports, insists this isn't some sort of try-out to see if the network can succeed in primetime with programming that's cheaper to produce than scripted content - a smarter, tonier version of what NBC'll be doing next season with its primetime talk show with Jay Leno - it's hard to think that that notion isn't crawling around somewhere in the back of the network's brain.
They're just doing it to promote Katie, McManus suggests. OK, fine - but why do it up against "American Idol?" And what if nothing interesting happens that day?
But check out the lead to the New York Times' story: "On Wednesday at 8 p.m., CBS will pre-empt 'The New Adventures of Old Christine,' which stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, to put on a program featuring a star arguably even bigger: a special edition of 'The CBS Evening News With Katie Couric.'"
What's that about? Is Jacques Steinberg trying to cozy up to Katie after a couple of years of negative press about her? (Her numbers are up, a little, in the wake of her coverage of the Presidential campaign, particularly her attention-grabbing interview with whatsername - oh, right, Sarah Palin, who's taken to complaining about Couric's perfectly reasonable line of questioning.) Or is he being kind of snarky about Couric's celebrity?
Oh, Jacques Steinberg, don't make me think on a Friday afternoon. It's been a long week.
Also, rumors are burbling about the mediasphere that MSNBC might be considering recruiting comic Bill Maher to take on the 10 p.m. hour following Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. I'm not sure this is a brilliant idea - while Maher would certainly bring a decided point of view to such a show, it certainly wouldn't do anything to diffuse the sort of "Romper Room" atmosphere permeating MSNBC, what with Chris Matthews' bluster (he received another terrific pounding from Slate.com's Jack Shafer for his Inauguration-Day pomposity - money quote: "The sizzling free-associations skitter through his limbic system, leap out his mouth, and look for a resting spot in the national conversation, where they steam like fresh lava in untouchable heaps") and the behind-the-scenes melodrama featuring network savior Keith Olbermann and others.
What do you think? Can a comic like Maher bring enough gravitas to what's supposed to be a newscast? Or would the punchlines get in the way?
About this blog
David Kronke was appointed Mayor of Television after a bloodless coup in 2000. Since then, he has improved infrastructure, championed greater educational opportunities and fought for reforms that have utterly erased corruption and incompetence from the television industry. Since Mr. Kronke has ascended to power, Television is a far better place.
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