Tag Archives: cable news

CNN Business reports: CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker said Wednesday that he is resigning, effective immediately. Zucker said in a memo, “As part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo’s tenure at CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have worked with for more than 20 years. I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent …

Variety reports: MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow plans to take a hiatus in order to focus on other projects she is working on as part of a broader content deal with NBCUniversal, according to two people familiar with the matter. The anchor, who is the linchpin of the cable news outlet’s primetime schedule, is expected to tell viewers about her planned absence, …

The Wall Street Journal reports: CNN is closing its offices to nonessential employees, network President Jeff Zucker told employees in a memo Saturday, as Covid-19 cases rise at the network and nationwide. Employees who don’t need to be in the office to produce shows or provide other essential functions for the network’s broadcast operations will be asked to work from …

The Daily Beast reports: Fox News has released a frigid statement on veteran Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace’s departure for CNN’s new streaming platform, CNN+. Wallace, 74, said he was “ready for a new adventure” at the end of his regular broadcast Sunday. The network’s statement on Wallace’s departure read, in full: “We are extremely proud of our journalism …

“After 18 years — this is my final Fox News Sunday. It is the last time — and I say this with real sadness — we will meet like this. “Eighteen years ago, the bosses here at Fox promised me they would never interfere with a guest I booked or a question I asked. And they kept that promise. “I …

The New York Daily News reports: Fox News staffers who claimed sexual harassment then faced a harassment campaign from their own employer, a previously undisclosed investigation by the city concluded. The conservative network spied on the text messages and deleted computer data of employees who complained about harassing behavior by colleagues and supervisors, according to a complaint by the city …

Law & Crime reports: Ex-Fox News anchor Ed Henry cannot dismiss a lawsuit accusing him of sex trafficking, as a federal judge advanced several claims against him and the network in a ruling on Thursday. The developments came in a lawsuit filed by ex-associate producer Jennifer Eckhart roughly a year ago, which opened with a “Trigger Warning” cautioning readers with …

Business Insider reports: MSNBC’s most popular primetime anchor is staying with the company. After months of talks with a host of other networks, Rachel Maddow has opted to stay put thanks to a new multi-year contract that will include developing new projects with MSNBC and parent company NBCUniversal, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. Maddow hired …

CNN reports: Jeffrey Toobin returned to CNN as the network’s chief legal analyst on Thursday, eight months after he exposed himself during a Zoom call with colleagues at The New Yorker. “I feel like we should address what’s happened in the months since we’ve seen you,” Alison Camerota said. She summarized the situation and said, “To quote Jay Leno, ‘What …

The New York Times reports: For seven years, Juan Williams was the lone liberal voice on “The Five,” the network’s popular afternoon chat show. On Wednesday, he announced that he was leaving the program, after months of harsh on-air blowback from his conservative co-hosts. Many Fox News viewers cheered his exit on social media. Donna Brazile, the former Democratic Party …

The Hill reports: Political correspondent Steve Kornacki has signed a four-year, multimillion dollar deal with NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC and MSNBC the company announced Thursday. In addition to politics, Kornacki will bring his analytical stills to the “entertainment, sports and streaming networks of NBCUniversal,” the company said. NBCUniversal’s Television and Streaming Entertainment group is also developing a game …

Variety reports: After devoting constant chatter to the 2020 election and the coronavirus pandemic, Fox News wants to make sure to talk about other subjects, including sports and weather. During an upfront presentation to ad buyers and clients Tuesday, executives from Fox News Media told Madison Avenue they intended to expand programming beyond the news of the day. Jeff Collins, …

The Hill reports: Eric Spinato, a top producer for Fox News and the Fox Business Network, died of the coronavirus over the weekend. In a memo to Fox News staffers obtained by the Hill, company leadership called Spinato’s work “instrumental to the growth and entrepreneurial success” of the network, saying his contributions to the company during two stints over a …

NBC News reports: Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch said Thursday it is the job of Fox News to serve as the opposition to the Biden administration, stating clearly the political biases of a network that until 2017 billed itself as “fair and balanced.” Speaking at a Morgan Stanley investor conference, Murdoch said Fox News stood to benefit from Biden’s presidency …

The Hill reports: Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer said Friday that “cancel culture” will “come after Bible characters next” during a discussion of the Chicago initiative to review historical statues in the city, including ones of former President Abraham Lincoln. “If they start canceling American presidents, they’ll come after Bible characters next,” Hemmer said. “Mark my words, right?” The Black …

The New York Times reports: Beset by declining ratings, upheaval in its on-air ranks and a multibillion-dollar defamation suit related to its election coverage, Fox News is staggering out of the Trump era — blamed by many for seeding the poisonous political culture that brought a violent mob into the halls of the United States Capitol. Yet in Britain, where …

Axios reports: President Trump’s brash communication style — combined with a societal shift towards streaming, where there are no regulatory restrictions on speech — has forced the entire media industry to present information in a more candid and less polished way. It’s no longer uncommon to hear cable anchors use foul language or for TV or radio personalities to make …

The National Review reports: Joe Scarborough, the host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, said that he regrets hosting Donald Trump so often ahead of the 2016 election, during an episode The Realignment podcast released on Tuesday. While Scarborough stressed that he frequently pushed back on Trump in the run-up to the election, the Morning Joe host said he wished the candidate …

The Wall Street Journal reports: For nearly two years, allies of President Trump have been exploring ways to build up a formidable competitor to Fox News. One target they recently zeroed in on: the fledgling pro-Trump cable channel Newsmax TV. Hicks Equity Partners, a private-equity firm with ties to a co-chair of the Republican National Committee, has held talks in …

Axios reports: CNN edged Fox News among total viewers for election week, averaging 5.9 million to Fox’s 5.7 million and MSNBC’s 4.6 million, AP reports. The state of play: The election, which saw record voter turnout, had networks competing for viewers as states were called. Fox viewers tuned out Joe Biden’s victory speech on Saturday night: CNN drew 13.5 million …