Broadcasting & Cable articles from April 2003

Broadcasting & Cable archives from April 2003

Target: TV analysts.
April 7, 2003... Along with their medals, some honored military veterans moonlighting as television war analysts last week seemed to be wearing a target on their chests as big as an old test pattern. Wearing the biggest target was Gen. Barry McCaffrey, a...

ENG: no moving parts; Panasonic to show solid-state camcorder using memory cards.
April 7, 2003... Panasonic will try to one-up Sony at the NAB convention this week with a prototype of a camcorder that the company says will record nearly 20 minutes of video on a removable memory card the size of a dozen business cards stacked together. ...

Major cap relief? Wouldn't bet on it.
April 7, 2003... If Las Vegas bookies followed the FCC, broadcast networks would face increasingly long odds on a dramatic increase in their local-TV-ownership stakes. That's good news to most of the attendees at this week's NAB convention. The National...

FCC threatens WKRK-FM's license: like others before it, Infinity station is slapped for indecency violations. (Top of the Week).(Federal Communications Commission)
April 7, 2003... The FCC appears to be losing patience with Viacom's Infinity Radio, which has employed some of the industry's most notorious shock jocks and, over the past decade, has been ordered to pay millions in fines for indecent programming. Last...

Embeds find facts: pew study. (Breaking).(reporting 2003 United States-Iraq war)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... WASHINGTON -- A study of the reports generated by embedded journalists in the war in Iraq concludes that the overwhelming number of stories from the frontlines are primarily factual, according to The Project for Excellence in Journalism. ...

War hurts syndie ratings. (Breaking).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Los ANGELES -- War coverage during the week ended March 23 hurt syndicated shows and preempted many of them. After war broke out, the audiences for cable news networks shot up: 208% for CNN, 167% for MSNBC and 137% for Fox News Channel. ...

Murdoch still eyeing DBS buy: News Corp. chief sees competitors disappear. (Top of the Week).(Rupert Murdoch)
April 7, 2003... Once again, Rupert Murdoch is near to getting his hands on a U.S. satellite television service. The big question seems to be how little he can get away with paying General Motors. The News Corp. chairman is one of the last men standing in the...

Trade groups seek new execs. (Top of the Week).(The National Association of Television Programming Executives,)(National Association of Broadcasters,)(Cabletelevision Advertising Bu)
April 7, 2003... If you're looking to run a trade association, there are jobs aplenty in the television industry. The National Association of Television Programming Executives (NATPE) and the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau (CAB) are looking for presidents....

B&C Indices.
April 7, 2003... WEEK OF MARCH 28-APRIL 3 B&C INDICES WEEK YTD THE B&C 10 -0.1% +4.6% BROADCAST TV GROUPS -1.1% -1.7% CABLE TV MSO'S -1.0% 11.3% RADIO 1.4% -6.6% ...

Going to NAB? Or RTNDA? (Fast Track).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... NAB 2003 officially opens its doors today, and the question of the week is just how many attendees will show up. Preregistration is in line with last year's numbers, and NAB spokesman DENNIS WHARTON says that 50 international delegations are...

Reality and other shows. (Fast Track).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... NBC is teaming up with GRANADA ENTERTAINMENT USA on a six-episode summer reality series, American Princess, which will bring 10 American girls to England to live the royal life.... NBC's latest reality program, Most Talented Kid in...

Thumped by Trump! (Fast Track).(new reality show to feature Donald Trump)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Survivor producer Mark Burnett is making The Apprentice and The Restaurant for NBC, while The WB is tapping Burnett for upcoming surfing reality show Boarding House: North Shore and sitcom Are We There Yet? The biggest buzz is about The...

Weekly YES story. (Fast Track).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... CABLEVISION subscribers saw the NEW YORK YANKEES win their season opener against the Toronto Blue Jays after the MSO cut another last-minute deal with sports net YANKEES ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS NETWORK. The agreement was pretty much the same as...

People actually like radio. (Fast Track).(Zogby poll)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... According to a new ZOGBY poll, a vast majority of radio listeners are satisfied with the news, information and entertainment they are getting out of their local radio stations. While unsatisfied listeners were the minority in all the...

Lifetime will battle back: plans to spend $800m on programs over two years. (Cable).(Lifetime Television)
April 7, 2003... After many months of growth, Lifetime Television's Nielsen ratings have been sliding since November. Even so, at its upfront presentation last week in NewYork, upbeat network executives touted a fresh slate of programming aimed at reversing...

MTV's got fickle strategy.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... If you haven't watched MTV in a few months, no matter, said MTV Entertainment President Brian Graden; the network always looks different. That's because the network introduces new shows nearly every week in an effort to satisfy its teenage...

Senators to back kids research. (Regulation).(Joe Lieberman, Sam Brownback)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Look for Sens. Joe Lieberman (pictured) and Sam Brownback to make news Wednesday at a Washington panel on the effects of media on children. The two, who have teamed before on legislation targeting the media's marketing of violence to children,...

NBC scores Matrix deal. (Promotion).(with Warner Bros.)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Warner Bros. and NBC sports have signed a cross-promotion deal that gives NBC rights to the TV debut of Warner Bros.' 2 1/2-minute trailer for Matrix Reloaded, the R-rated sequel to the Keanu Reeves hit film. The trailer for the action film...

Peacock lends Access a claw. (Advertising).(NBC Enterprises offers affiliates extar 30 seconds of ad time)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... NBC Enterprises is giving affiliates an extra 30 seconds of ad time to sell in Access Hollywood through April, NBC sources say. Stations are losing money because of the decline in ad sales due to the war in Iraq, so the syndicator added the 30...

Sports model is broken, Robbins tells cable forum. (Top of the Week).(Cox Communications President and CEO James Robbins)
April 7, 2003... Cox Communications President and CEO James Robbins had some tough talk for programmers last week. An outspoken critic of rising programming fees, said the "entire food chain" of sports is broken and needs to be fixed. "There are only two...

TVB confab is sold out. (Advertising).(Television Bureau of Advertising)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... The Television Bureau of Advertising is expecting an SRO crowd of 1,000 for its second annual marketing conference at New York's Javits Center Tuesday, April 15--one of the preliminaries to the massive New York Auto Show at the convention...

AFTRA to represent WSNS. (Station Break).(American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... CHICAGO -- Along-awaited election among on-air staffers at NBC-owned Telemundo station WSNS (TV) saw the selection of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists as bargaining representative. The vote was 6-3, with one additional...

WISH-TV's Giles to retire. (Station Break).(Lee Giles)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... INDIANAPOLIS -- Lee Giles, arguably the dean of local news directors, told his staff Wednesday that he will retire in May after 35 years running the news at WISH-TV Giles's legendary career includes nearly 40 years at the station and nearly 50...

On the scene. (Station Break).
April 7, 2003... WFOR-TV Miami's NW Mike Kirsch was the first reporter to reach the Iraqi hospital where a U.S. soldier had been held and rescued. He has been following a more personal story back home (see "Long-Distance Check-Up," below).

Noncompetes targeted in N.C. (Station Break).(North Carolina)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... RALEIGH, N.C. -- A North Carolina legislator has revived a proposal that would restrict non-compete clauses for on-air broadcast talent in that state. State Sen. Bob Rucho has said that use of the clause amounts to the creation of "indentured...

Viacom Stations get program head. (Station Break).(Tom Remiszewski)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... NEW YORK -- Tom Remiszewski, vice president of creative services and marketing for the Viacom Stations Group, will also oversee programming for the 39-station group. Working with him will be Mark Cooper, who has been named director of program...

Long-distance check-up. (Station Break).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... MIAMI -- WFOR-TV's Mike Kirsch was the first reporter to arrive, post-rescue, at the hospital from which Private Jessica Lynch was saved last week by Navy SEALs, but he has been following closely a more personal story back home. Kirsch's wife...

Peabody likes WGBH-TV best. (Awards).(62nd Annual Peabody Award)
April 7, 2003... The 62nd Annual Peabody Award winners were announced last week, with noncommercial WGBH-TV taking top honors with four statues. Cable networks took home a total of nine awards, public TV stations eight, commercial broadcasting networks and...

Turner touts cable's 'reach'.(Turner Broadcasting Systems)
April 7, 2003... Aimed at the most number-crunchy of ad buyers, Turner Broadcasting Systems is entering this year's up-front with a highly technical pitch targeting broadcast networks' perceived superiority in overall "reach" to TV viewers. Turner has...

Millionaire is cashing in. (Game Show).
April 7, 2003... Buena Vista Television is taking its rookie game show Who Wants To Be a Millionaire to the market for third- and fourth-year clearances, according to Executive Vice President John Bryan. "The fact that Millionaire is gaining traction with...

King World's heavy metal jacket. (Syndie Insider).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... King World's Wheel of Fortune will air Armed Forces week next month, featuring members of the U.S. Coast Guard, Air Force and Marines. Last week, the game show shot three weeks' worth of shows in San Diego--Armed Forces Week, San Diego Week and...

Ricki Lake plans Teen-Pregnancy special. (Syndie Insider).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Sony Pictures Television's Ricki Lake will talk to teenage parents on May 7, the second-annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. The show transformed its set into a hangout for teens, who talk to Lake about the consequences of having...

Pyramid ties in with Daytime Emmys. (Syndie Insider).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... To celebrate the 30th Annual Daytime Emmys, Sony Pictures Television's Pyramid is hosting Emmy-awarded and -nominated soap stars each day during the week of May 12. The Young and the Restless's Doug Davidson and Kristoff St. John, Days of Our...

See John Walsh in Auto Parts store. (Syndie Insider).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... No medium is too big or too small for John Walsh. Last week, NBC Enterprises' The John Walsh Show, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in Washington, and Advance Auto Parts signed a deal that puts Walsh on the Advance Auto...

The Prime Time Race.
April 7, 2003... THE PRIME TIME RACE Top 10 Basic Cable Shows Mar. 24-30 Total Households (in millions) PROGRAM DATE NET HHS 1. The O'Reilly Factor 3/27 FOXN 4.4 2. The O'Reilly Factor 3/24 FOXN 4.3 2....

Nielsen Ratings.(Illustration)
April 7, 2003... NIELSEN RATINGS March 24-30 Week 27 ABC MONDAY 6.6/10 8:00 51. ABC News: War With 6.0/9 Iraq 8:30 9:00 27. The Practice 7.1/10 9:30 10:00 35. The...

As NCAAs end, new net begins.(College Sports Television Network)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Right after the NCAA men's basketball champion is crowned tonight on CBS, the new College Sports Television Network has its own tip-off. At launch, its sole distributor is DirecTV although, network executives expect to recruit more MSOs soon....

Pretty, and thriving, too. (Market Focus).(Missoula, Montana)
April 7, 2003... Writer John Updike has rhapsodized about the beauty and cultural charms of Missoula, Mont., likening them those of the City of Lights, Paris. Even the state's promotional Web site, Montana.com, says that's a "flattering but somewhat gross...

Sci Fi seeks a new universe: with higher ratings, it vies to compete with the 'bigs' for ad buys. (TV Buyer).(Sci Fi Channel)
April 7, 2003... The Sci Fi Channel is trying to unearth another universe. Another part of the Nielsen universe, that is. With its ratings on the rise, Sci Fi, long considered one of the strongest niche channels on cable, is venturing into what President Bonnie...

Bravo chief 'No's' what he wants: under NBC umbrella, Gaspin wants to extend reach. (Transitions).(Jeff Gaspin)
April 7, 2003... Bravo President Jeff Gaspin had a few heartfelt "No's" for media buyers last week in New York. No, he said, Bravo would not become NBC's repurposing dumping ground. And no, Bravo is not abandoning its arts-and-entertainment roots. What...

Nielsen, Scarborough debut ad-research tool. (Hot Spots).(Nielsen Media Research, Scarborough Research)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH and SCARBOROUGH RESEARCH will jointly market a new ad-sales software tool called NIELSEN PROFILER. The software links the databases of Scarborough's qualitative research program with local TV ratings from the Nielsen...

Account review. (Hot Spots).(by DuPont)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... The DUPONT account review has narrowed to seven agencies. Billings are estimated at $60 million-plus. Twenty-two agencies got the marketer's initial request for information in February.

Product-placement deals. (Hot Spots).(between Chevrolet and McDonald's)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... CHEVROLET and MCDONALD's have signed brand-integration, or product-placement, deals for USA NETWORK's new talent series Nashville Star. Series producer REVEILLE and UNIVERSAL TELEVISION GROUP, partnered in that production firm with BEN...

Magna's mid-season review. (Hot Spots).(Magna Global USA)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Looking over 26 weeks of Nielsen ratings through March 23, MAGNA GLOBAL USA cautioned that "an extended [Iraq] conflict could have negative effects on prime time averages but it is still too early to be felt." CBS remains the frontrunner...

New hire. (Hot Spots).(National Cable Communications hires Deborah Cuffaro as director of new sales)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Buoyed by its healthy sales so far this year, spot cable rep NATIONAL CABLE COMMUNICATIONS is continuing its aggressive staffing and restructuring efforts, including luring RAINBOW ADVERTISING SALES Co.'s DEBORAH CUFFARO as director of news...

Sponsorships. (Hot Spots).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... GENERAL MOTORS and MUTUAL OF OMAHA have extended their sponsorship deals at DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS. GM's sponsorship of DISCOVERY CHANNEL's Quest series of quarterly prime time specials continues into the new season. The three new specials...

Abernathy is minding the kids. (Capital Watch).(Federal Communications Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy)
April 7, 2003... FCC Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy wants to make it easier for parents to find kid-friendly TV fare and to file complaints against objectionable programming. She is teaming with the FCC's Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau to create a...

Cable service. (Capital Watch).(members of cable industry serving in Iraq praised)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... NCTA President Robert Sachs last week paid tribute to the "several hundred" members of the cable business now serving in the war with Iraq. Calling them the industry's "true heroes," he wished a safe return to the "young men and women who...

FCC sets EEO grace period. (Capital Watch).(Federal Communications Commission)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Broadcasters will get a 10-day grace period of sorts to comply with new documentation requirements for their EEO outreach efforts. New recruiting rules require broadcasters to seek job applicants from diverse sources and document outreach...

C-SPAN is Golden. (Capital Watch).(wins Golden Beacon Award)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... C-SPAN's Presidential Timeline Giveaway won the Golden Beacon Award last week at the Cable Television Public Affairs Association's annual forum in Washington. The award, CTPAA's highest honor, goes to a campaign that combines impact and image...

Squaring off on 'analog hole': battle lines form over protecting DTV signal from pirates.(digital television)
April 7, 2003... After years of debate, the TV industry has a deal that will help fight a piracy problem that could plague producers in the future: illegal digital-to-digital copying and distribution of high-resolution, high-definition content. Now the industry...

Changing hands.
April 7, 2003... Combos WPNI-AM and WRNX-FM Amherst (Springfield), Mass. PRICE: $8 million BUYER: Pamal Broadcasting Ltd. (James Morrell, chairman/CEO); owns 27 other stations, none in this market SELLER: Western Massachusetts Radio Co.,...

Clarification.(Correction Notice)
April 7, 2003... In Emmis Communications' purchase of KLBJ-FM and KLBJ-AM Austin, KGSR-FM Bastrop, KROX-FM Buda and KXMG-FM Cedar Park (Austin), all Texas, from LBJS Broadcasting LP, reported in the March 17 issue, Don Bussell of Questcom Media Brokerage Inc....

VDR unites server, VTR. (Technology).(digital video recorder)
April 7, 2003... Thomson Grass Valley is unveiling a new type of digital video recorder at NAB that has all the external trappings of a VTR but the internal guts of a video server or disk-based recorder. The company sees the unit as a complement to its...

A very VSB Vegas: new standard shows potential for transmission to mobile devices. (Technology).
April 7, 2003... It's one of those good-news! bad-news things. The good news is that, at the NAB Show this week, Linx Electronics and Microsoft will demonstrate VSB-based transmission of HDTV images to mobile devices. The bad news is that the VSB system is...

Alliance unveils digital rights specifications.
April 7, 2003... The Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA) disclosed its content-protection specifications last week for peer review, the first step in creating a new way for content owners to securely deliver streaming and downloadable content via the...

PESA gets control. (Cutting Edge).
April 7, 2003... PESA Switching Systems is introducing the 3500PR0 router-control system at NAB, It's compatible with all RCP-type control panels and can be installed internally on all largescale routers or supplied in a single- or dual-controller chassis. Up...

NVision's everything. (Cutting Edge).(introduces router)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... NVision will offer NAB attendees a chance to check out the NV51 28-MC, offering the combined capabilities of routing, master control and signal format conversion in a single product. It's 8RUs high and comprises a 128x128 router chassis that...

NBC tokes MediaPipe. (Cutting Edge).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... NBC News Channel has-selected BitCentral's MediaPipe software to integrate broadcast, IP-over-satellite and MPEG file technologies seamlessly for the end user. MediaPipe's browser-based application will allow NBC news producers to sort through...

Asaca, Leitch agreement. (Cutting Edge).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Asaca and Leitch reached an agreement whereby Leitch will integrate Asaca's FireFly DM series digital virtual libraries into its server products. Carsten Baumann, Leitch director of product management, says FireFly is capable of providing users...

Pinnacle, Sony team up: goal is integration of editing, recording systems. (Cutting Edge).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Pinnacle Systems and Sony Electronics will announce several joint initiatives at NAB designed to more closely integrate their product lines. They include a broader agreement that will make it easier for Sony's integration services to offer...

Calm before the storm. (Special Report Exclusive).(Illustration)
April 7, 2003... The past 12 months did not produce any major shifts in among the country's Top 25 TV-station groups. Several companies changed positions from last year, but all of this year's 25 are returnees from 2002. "There wasn't a lot of trading activity...

Cox's technology pilot: Bowick looks to deliver broadband bundle safely to consumer homes.
April 7, 2003... As a pilot, Christopher Bowick knows the importance of managing complicated technology in order to travel safely. As senior vice president of engineering and chief technical officer for Cox Communications, Bowick has taken the same measured...

Davis stays progressive: having championed 720p, he finds support for HD's 'other' standard.(Preston Davis, president of ABC Broadcast Operations and Engineering)
April 7, 2003... As an early expert in ENG technology whose knowledge of 3/4-tape launched a rapid rise through ABC's engineering ranks, Preston Davis, 52, isn't afraid of new technology. But Davis, president of ABC Broadcast Operations and Engineering since...

Faubell drives news tech; his goal: competitive, cost-effective local operations.(Marty Faubell, vice president of engineering at Hearst-Argyle)
April 7, 2003... Though vice president of engineering for one of the country's largest station groups; Marty Faubell spends a lot of time thinking local. That's because 24 of the 27 stations that Hearst-Argyle Television owns or manages produce local newscasts,...

Allan sees both sides of DTV: from RCA to Harris his career is defined by leadership.(Bruce Allan, president of Harris Corp.'s Broadcast Communications Division )(Interview)
April 7, 2003... As an executive who has worked to develop digital television in both the consumer-electronics and broadcast-equipment industries, Bruce Allan has a unique perspective on how the DTV transition has progressed and the challenges that lie ahead....

Catching breaks without breaking a leg: he got his showbiz career, via the backoffice route. (The Fifth Estater).(Ken Williams, chief operating officer at Ascent Media Group )
April 7, 2003... When Ken Williams, chief operating officer at Ascent Media Group since August, was graduating from high school, he had a sense of where he wanted to go to college: somewhere near his home in Tulsa, Okla., preferably Southern Methodist...

Broadcast TV. (Fates & Fortunes).(appointment news briefs)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... DARRIN T. MCDONALD, director, sales and marketing, KOKI-TV and KTFO-TV Tulsa, Okia., named general sales manager, KPTM(TV) and KXVO(TV) Omaha, Neb. BOHDAN ZACHARY, executive producer, KCET(TV) Los Angeles, has expanded duties as executive...

Programming. (Fates & Fortunes).(appointment news briefs)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... JOHN SHEA, senior VP, strategic programming, MTV: Music Television, New York, promoted to executive VP, sponsorship development and integrated marketing, MTVN Music Group. CHRISTIAN VESPER, executive director, ancillary rights...

Journalism. (Fates & Fortunes).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... JAMES PLAIZER, managing editor, Bay News 9, Tampa, Fla., joins Central Florida News 13, Orlando, Fla., as assistant news director.

Radio. (Fates & Fortunes).(appointment news briefs)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... At WENS(FM) and WYXB(FM), Indianapolis: JO ROBINSON, interactive manager, Emmis Communications' Indianapolis FM stations, named director, marketing, for both stations; MELISSA HOOK, assistant promotion director, WENS(FM), named promotions...

Advertising/Marketing/PR. (Fates & Fortunes).(appointment news briefs )(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... NANCY HILL, executive VP/managing director, Hill Holliday, New York, joins BBDO New York in the same capacity. WOLFGANG LIEBERTZ, account executive, Millennium Sales & Marketing, New York, named GM, Miami.

Technology. (Fates & Fortunes).(multiple appointment news briefs)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... LAURIE SILLAY LAHR, director, marketing communications, Pathfire, Atlanta, joins Concurrent Computer Corp., Duluth, Ga., as director, strategic communications. BRUCE STEIN, director, sales, McGraw-Hill Broadcasting, San Diego, joins...

Internet. (Fates & Fortunes).(Rebecca Barnett hired at weather.com)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... REBECCA BARNETT, advertising effectiveness manager, The Weather Channel Media Solutions' weather.com, Atlanta, named account manager.

Satellite. (Fates & Fortunes).(David Sprechman named CEO of Globe-Cast America)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... DAVID SPRECHMAN, COO/CFO, Globe-Cast America, Miami, appointed CEO.

Associations/law firms. (Fates & Fortunes).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... SANDY RAY, coordinator, marketing communications, The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers, Exton, Pa., promoted to manager.

Date book.(broadcasting industry events)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
April 7, 2003... This Week April 4-7 Broadcast Education Association Annual Convention & Exhibition. Las Vegas. Contact: 888-380-7222 or Mark Tolsted, m.tolsted@uwsp.edu. April 5-10 National Association of Broadcasters 2003 Las Vegas Hilton,...

Major meetings.(television broadcasting industry)(Calendar)
April 7, 2003... April 5-10 National Association of Broadcasters 2003 Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas. Contact: Mona Gabbin, 202-775-2521. April 7-9 Radio-Television News Directors Association RTNA@NAB--International Conference and Exhibition. Las...

'Getting to the truth' in Iraq coverage. (Q & A With Fox's Shep Smith).(Interview)
April 7, 2003... When the war in Iraq started on March 19, Fox News Channel anchor Shepard Smith calmly took his post, leading the six-year old channel into its first major war. Since then, he has anchored three daily newscasts and tried to keep up with a...

Iraqnewsphobia: Arnett says government shuns truth. (The Briefing Room).(reporter Peter Arnett unapologetic for his comments on Iraqi TV)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Peter Arnett wasn't out of work long. Only hours after Arnett was fired by NBC and National Geographic for an interview he gave Iraqi TV Britain's Daily Mirror hired him. He was quoted in the newspaper as saying, "I report the truth of...

Missing journalists safe. (The Briefing Room).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Four journalists missing in Iraq since March 24 turned up safe in Jordan. The four are freelance photographers Molly Bingham and Johan Rydeng Spanner and Newsday correspondent Matt McAllester and photographer Moises Saman. McAllester told his...

Non-embedded Geraldo un-non-embeds himself. (The Briefing Room).
April 7, 2003... Geraldo Rivera left the frontlines in Iraq after all. Fox News' embattled combat correspondent "volunteered" to return

'AP is reporting'. (Scoop).(Ron Fournier breaks story of rescued prisoner of war, Jessica Lynch)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... AP got a big beat when White House correspondent Ron Fournier broke the news of the rescue of injured POW Private Jessica Lynch from an Iraqi hospital last week. AP was cited by CNN and others in the half-hour between Fournier's report and...

BBC cameraman killed. (Scoop).(Kaveh Golestan)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... An Iranian freelancing as a cameraman for the BBC was killed and three other members of the news crew were slightly injured last week when they tripped a mine in northern Iraq. Kaveh Golestan detonated the mine while getting out of his car, the...