How is it possible that GOP Presidential Candidates be on a Network's Payroll?

Fox News 2012? Nearly All Potential GOP Presidential Candidates On FNC Payroll: Politico
Huffingtonpost.com | Jack Mirkinson


Politico reports on a new, complicated development for Fox News: nearly all of the major potential Republican candidates for the presidency are on the channel's payroll as commentators, raising questions about how Fox News can cover them as the 2012 campaign approaches.

The website notes that Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich and, of course, Sarah Palin have all expressed interest in a potential run for president. All four are paid political commentators for Fox News.

"With the exception of Mitt Romney, Fox now has deals with every major potential Republican presidential candidate not currently in elected office," Politico's Jonathan Martin and Keach Hagey write.

The situation is reportedly causing consternation both within and without Fox News. Sources inside the network told Politico they are growing increasingly agitated about having so many people who are still active in politics on their payroll:

"Fox insiders, speaking anonymously about what is a sensitive topic for a network worried about outside perception, said no word has been conveyed from the corporate brass to reporters about how to treat what are, for now at least, their colleagues."
People from other networks are also frustrated that, while major newsmakers such as Palin routinely appear on Fox News, the network's tight contractual strings mostly prevent its stable of Republican stars from being interviewed on any other channel, even C-SPAN. Of the four potential candidates, only Gingrich has appeared on another channel in all of 2010.

Fox News told Politico that, as soon as anyone actually declares their intention to run, they will be dropped from the channel's payroll. But the lucrative nature of the arrangement might delay those announcements, the site says.

The network did run into this issue with Angela McGlowan, who returned to the network after her failed bid for a GOP nomination for congress in Mississippi. She had been suspended from the network as she pursued the nomination.

Of course, Fox News isn't the only cable news network with a stable of potential candidates on its airwaves: Harold Ford's contract with NBC News was suspended as he considered a run for the Senate from New York, and Chris Matthews has spoken openly about having weighed a run for Senate from Pennsylvania. Joe Scarborough is also routinely discussed as a potential Republican presidential candidate at some point in the future.

The New York Times' Brian Stelter examined this very phenomenon earlier this year.

At the time, MSNBC President Phil Griffin explained his rule: "If you're seriously examining a run for office, you can't host a show or be a general analyst."

MSNBC's "The Last Word" premiere's tonight @ 10pm

Tonight at 10 PM, MSNBC will premiere the newest addition to its primetime lineup, “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.” Following “Countdown” at 8 PM and “The Rachel Maddow Show” at 9 PM, “The Last Word” completes MSNBC’s primetime in a sense, as the network finally puts a live, original show in the 10 PM hour, joining competitors CNN and Fox News.

Tonight’s premiere will feature an interview with Vice President Joe Biden, but it will also see O’Donnell getting advice on how to host a primetime show from MSNBC’s most prominent primetime talent: Keith Olbermann.

“I will be getting advice on hosting the show from Keith tonight, live,” O’Donnell tells TVNewser. “He is going to appear on my first show, as he should, because Keith created the ratings platform in primetime at MSNBC that has made the creation of the other two shows in primetime possible.”

Indeed, O’Donnell, hardly a TV novice, noted that at the end of the day, the driving factor in television is ratings.

“Ratings explain everything in the television business,” he says. “A lot of other words end up in the explanation of things, but somewhere in that explanation there is going to be ratings.”

His interview with Biden is meant to drive ratings on day one, with foreign policy… along with some domestic politics, being the focus.

“It is his first interview since the Bob Woodward book has come out, and there are some quotes attributed to him that he has not responded to,” O’Donnell says. “I will also be asking him how it feels to watch his former senate seat become the object of the most fascinating political campaign in America, one in which every week there is a new revelation in what Karl Rove has labeled the ‘nutty thinking’ of the Republican candidate.”

An important part of MSNBC’s primetime lineup–and cable news lineups in general–is humor, often integrated tightly within the news and interview segments.

O’Donnell says that the absurdity of so much news today essentially forces the hand of anchors and reporters:

“I think we are in a position to react to all the news as we see it, and a lot of it is absurdist, and a lot of it is funny, and a lot of it invites that labeling,” O’Donnell says. “When Comedy Central started off they did not expect to be running news shows ["The Daily Show," "Colbert Report"] as their biggest rated shows. We haven’t had a former witch as a nominee for a major party for a U.S. Senate seat before. This is new, this is a world in which the news is not behaving as its boring old self used to.”

O’Donnell was referring to Delaware Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell, who said in an old clip on Bill Maher‘s “Politically incorrect” that she once “dabbled in witchcraft.”

Despite the personal attack, Lawrence O’Donnell says Christine O’Donnell is welcome on his show at any time, due to what TVNewser has taken to calling the “O’Donnell on O’Donnell Rule:”

“Any O’Donnell is welcome on this show at any time,” he says. “Christine O’Donnell can have the entire hour if she were to come on.”

CNN SKAKEUP

CNN announces new senior management
By the CNN Wire Staff
September 24, 2010 9:19 p.m. EDT

HLN chief Ken Jautz is replacing Jonathan Klein as the executive vice president of CNN/US.

Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- CNN President Jim Walton announced a major shakeup of CNN management Friday, replacing the head of CNN/US with a long-time CNN executive known for his business turn-around skills.
HLN head Ken Jautz takes over as executive vice president of CNN/US, replacing Jonathan Klein, who headed the network for six years. CNN's chief marketing officer Scot Safon will run HLN, replacing Jautz.
Walton also said he would hire a managing editor to "help leverage our newsgathering resources across multiple platforms."
"Ken is a rarity -- a working journalist who is an even better news executive," wrote Walton in a memo to staff. "Ken has launched, made profitable and turned around businesses for our news organization, Turner Broadcasting and Time Warner literally around the world."
Jautz, who joined CNN in 1989 as a bureau chief in Germany, has held a wide variety of jobs at the company, including executive vice president in charge of CNN's business news operations. During a stint with Turner Broadcasting Europe, he helped launch channels in several European markets. Most recently, Jautz has presided over the revamp and rebranding of the HLN channel, introducing signature programs such as Nancy Grace, Joy Behar, ShowBiz Tonight, Issues with Jane Velez Mitchell and Morning Express with Robin Meade. The new evening line-up doubled the network's prime-time ratings.
"I look forward to working with CNN's many fine journalists and launching two new shows that I think will make our prime-time lineup more engaging and lively," Jautz said, "and will continue CNN's strategy of delivering smart, informative news and analysis from across the political spectrum."
Safon takes over HLN after heading CNN's marketing for the last eight years, winning wide industry accolades for his marketing campaign for CNN and CNN=Politics. Before joining CNN, Safon oversaw marketing for one of CNN's sister channels, TNT.
"Scot is one of the most creative and passionate executives at Turner Broadcasting," said Walton.
The moves come as CNN/US has suffered declining prime-time ratings in recent years as other cable channels have taken on partisan tones in their programming and news coverage. CNN/US recently announced a new prime-time lineup, hiring global media personality and former newspaper editor Piers Morgan to host an interview program to replace Larry King Live, and pairing Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Kathleen Parker and former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer in an 8 p.m. time slot.
The memo sent to staff said Jonathan Klein is leaving CNN. During Klein's six years at CNN/US, the network won many awards for its aggressive coverage, including Hurricane Katrina, the South Asia tsunami, the 2008 U.S. elections and the devastating Haiti earthquake.
"Jon has made important contributions to the CNN story, and he leaves with our respect and friendship, and with my sincere thanks," Walton wrote to staff.
Walton said that a search is under way for the new position of company-wide managing editor. The assignment for the new editor, Walton wrote to staff, is to generate "the kind of front-page reporting and analysis that captures a news event, translates its meaning and shapes the dialogue about the story."
Phil Kent, CEO of Turner Broadcasting System, the parent company of CNN, also highlighted the role of the new managing editor position, saying it would "build on the network's unique strengths in journalism and on CNN's quality editorial voice across all platforms."
"Jim Walton is a world-class leader, and I'm in full support of his newly announced organizational structure and leadership team," Kent said. "I believe these changes will position CNN/U.S. and HLN for future growth and success."

NBC CEO will leave the company once comcast closes its deal

Jeff Zucker to Leave NBCU Once Comcast Closes Deal
By Alex Weprin on September 24, 2010 11:46 AM

NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker has confirmed that he will leave the company once Comcast closes its deal to acquire it.

“It has not been an easy or simple decision,” Zucker told NBC universal employees in a memo this morning. “I have spent my entire adult life here, more than 24 years. This is the only place I have ever worked. The only professional thing I have ever known. I met my wife here, enjoyed the birth of our four children in that time, worked in almost every division of the company. And forged relationships, both professional and personal, that will last a lifetime.”

The news was first reported by the New York Times‘ Bill Carter.

Rumors of Zucker’s departure have been a regular part of media chatter since Comcast announced its intention to acquire NBCU. In June, The New York Post’s Claire Atkinson reported that an exit deal for Zucker had been finalized. However, the executive told the Times that his exit deal was only finalized this week.

Zucker became a star at NBC while at “Today,” where he became executive producer at the age of 26.

Zucker’s memo to staff is after the jump.


From Jeff Zucker

Subject: Important Note from Jeff Zucker

Well, the time has come. This time, to tell you a little news about me.

When Comcast assumes control of NBC Universal, I will leave the company.

It has not been an easy or simple decision. I have spent my entire adult life here, more than 24 years. This is the only place I have ever worked. The only professional thing I have ever known. I met my wife here, enjoyed the birth of our four children in that time, worked in almost every division of the company. And forged relationships, both professional and personal, that will last a lifetime.

I remember, vividly, the first day I came to work here in August, 1986. I walked to work at 30 Rockefeller Plaza that day; it was humid and my shirt was soaking by the time I got there. In the years since, I have enjoyed nothing but sheer pleasure in having the names NBC and Universal on my business cards. Sure, there have been ups and downs in the last quarter century. But when I step back, and think about what we’ve been through, I feel nothing but pride and joy. It has been a great run and I’ve been incredibly fortunate.

Now, it is clear to me that this is the right decision for me and for the company. Comcast will be a great new steward, just as GE has been, and they deserve the chance to implement their own vision.

I am proud that they will inherit a company in very good shape, with almost every one of our divisions enjoying their best year ever. The current strength of the company is a tribute to every one of you and the terrific leadership team that is in place.

We’ll talk more about the shape of the company in the months ahead. For now, I just wanted you to know my plans. I won’t be going anywhere until the day the deal closes, and that day is still months away. There is plenty left to do, and we have an obligation to each other to maintain what we have already built. I will continue to approach everything we do with the long-term interest of the company in mind, just as I always have; I know no other way.

I don’t yet know what my future will bring. I’ve spent the last 24 years thinking only about NBC Universal, and never contemplated anything else. I haven’t even begun to think about the next chapter. But I wanted to be honest with you about this news as soon as I could.

I love NBC Universal. And always will. And I am grateful to each of you.

My most heartfelt thanks.