The Plain Truth

Bill O’Reilly Debates Joe Klein On The Glenn Beck Phenomenon

Bill O’Reilly started the week by not only taking on Republican critics of Pres. Obama, but also Factoring in some liberal guests into the fold. One of those, Joe Klein from Time magazine, has had a recent back-and-forth with Glenn Beck, and O’Reilly took the change to offer a defense, of sorts, of his colleague. Klein wrote a column recently criticizing Fox News, and really, stupid Americans. That got a 15-minute epic takedown from Beck last week. After discussing several other issues with Klein, O’Reilly brought up Klein’s FNC criticism, going back to last year as well. “You don’t like Fox News much,” said O’Reilly. Klein said he likes and respects people like Carl Cameron and Major Garrett…and even O’Reilly. “Those are good guys, I think you’re a good guy, we come from the same neck of the woods,” said Klein. But surprise, surprise: “Your pal Glenn Beck is peddling a lot of hateful crap.” Klein said sarcastically: “The stuff about Obama not being an American citizen that was hysterical.” O’Reilly’s defense basically revolved around “he’s funny,” and “he is every man sitting on a bar stool, why shouldn’t every man have a show?” As TheRightScoop.com points out, O’Reilly really dropped the ball here. First of all, Beck is so far from a birther it’s absurd for Klein to even cite in his argument, and proves he doesn’t actually watch or listen to the FNC host (see: Glenn Beck Thinks Birthers Are “Dumb”). Glenn Beck is a lot of things – he thinks a large portion of the Obama administration are Mao-loving progressive radicals intent on forcing a socialist regime change – but he’s not that. Also, O’Reilly’s defense that Beck is the “every man” is disingenuous as well. If you watch Glenn Beck, his appeal is that he’s doing things no one else can do. Maybe the “every man” can identify with what Beck is saying, but Beck is the guy leading the charge (quite literally in some cases), and that’s what makes him so uniquely loved and hated. Besides Klein (who led the show as guest #1), San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom made his Factor debut last night.

Glenn Beck Says Arianna Huffington Asked Him To Write For HuffPo

Fox News's Glenn Beck claimed Monday that liberal publisher Arianna Huffington asked him to write for her when they met at last year's Time 100 Most Influential People in the World dinner.

This revelation should come as quite a shock to readers of the Huffington Post who are regularly treated to the most vile depictions of Beck by Huffington and her contributors.

Potentially more shocking is this news surfacing roughly 24 hours after Huffington went on ABC's "This Week" to confront Fox News chairman Roger Ailes about why he allows Beck on his cable news channel.

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2010/02/01/glenn-becks-says-arianna-huffington-asked-him-write-her#ixzz0eLAe7ghx

Roger Ailes defends Glenn Beck to Arianna Huffington (extended version)

O'Reilly Gasps Over Statement! "Game Change" Author Not sure if Obama is a Liberal!

Fox News' liberal future?

I have long considered Rupert Murdoch – a transplanted Australian, of all things – to be one of the greatest American heroes of our time. Like millions of other Americans, he saw the liberal bias in the media, but what made him different is that he had the financial wherewithal to do something about it.

In 1996, Murdoch, through his flagship company News Corporation, started Fox News as an alternative to CNN's addictive liberal coating of the news. And, in what has proven to be a stroke of genius, he hired Roger Ailes as the man to run his new enterprise. Ailes is staunchly conservative, daring and one of those guys who seems to have been born with the Midas touch. While you're at it, you can add him to my list of the greatest American living heroes.

NBC Prez on Olbermann-Scarborough Tiff: Don't Publicly Criticize Colleagues

The president of NBC has officially responded to Joe Scarborough criticizing Keith Olbermann for his attacks on Scott Brown.

In a memo obtained by the Huffington Post, Phil Griffin told his on air staff: "We do not publicly criticize our colleagues. This kind of behavior is unprofessional and will not be tolerated."

Griffin was addressing comments made by MSNBC's Scarborough about Olbermann. As NewsBusters reported Monday, the "Morning Joe" host first tweeted his disapproval of the "Countdown" host's comments about Brown -- "How reckless and how sad" -- reiterating on his program Tuesday morning, "Sad and pathetic.

As a result, Griffin sent out the following memo Friday (h/t TVNewser):

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2010/01/24/nbc-prez-olbermann-scarborough-tiff-dont-publicly-criticize-colleague#ixzz0dall7zbF

Air America crashes, burns

Bankruptcy filing confirmed by left-leaning radio network

---

Posted: January 21, 2010
6:45 pm Eastern

© 2010 WorldNetDaily

Air America, the left-leaning radio network started with personalities including now-Sen. Al Franken and Rachel Maddow – now of MSNBC – has crashed and burned, announcing a bankruptcy filing and plans to pull its own plug by Monday.  A letter from Air America Media chief Charlie Kireker today told workers, "With radio industry ad revenues down for 10 consecutive quarters, and reportedly off 21 percent in 2009, signs of improvement have consisted of hoping things will be less bad," according to a report in Mediaweek.

"And though Internet/new media revenues are projected to grow, our expanding online efforts face the same monetization and profitability challenges in the short term confronting the Web operations of most media companies."The company had morphed through a series of managements and ownerships ever since its launch only a few years ago, in 2004. In 2006 it pursued a Chapter 11 filing and was sold to new investors several months later for $4.25 million.

FOX #1 ON ELECTION NIGHT, IN EVERY TIME SLOT..NO SURPRISE!

---

CABLE NEWS RACE
TUES. JAN. 19, 2010
ELECTION NIGHT

FOXNEWS HANNITY 6,809,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 6,399,000
FOXNEWS O'REILLY 5,228,000
FOXNEWS BECK 3,446,000
FOXNEWS BAIER 3,338,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 3,241,000
CNN KING 1,681,000
CNN COOPER 1,508,000
CNN BROWN 1,308,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,274,000
MSNBC MADDOW 1,236,000
CNN BLITZER 1,135,000
CNNHN BEHAR 845,000
MSNBC HARDBALL 798,000

NBC's David Gregory Realizes What Tea Parties Are All About

A small group of liberal talking heads may be realizing that opposition to Obama is not, in fact, wholly irrational. Though it would be a bit too hasty to proclaim it a trend among the mainstream media, it has been a refreshing break from the smears usually hurled at the right by the nation's pundits.

First was Chris Matthews, who stunningly turned right and voiced his concern about an excessively large federal government, as Noel Sheppard reported this morning. NBC's David Gregory also came to his senses today, and admitted--his prior statements notwithstanding--that the Tea Party movement has been advocating the same principles that led to Scott Brown's victory yesterday (h/t Mary Katherine Ham).

Speaking on this morning's Morning Joe, Gregory characterized yesterday's special election as a sincere populist backlash against unpopular policies. The election was "about incumbency and whether government's working for you," he said. "That's what really cuts through all this is whether government is working for the people. That's what's fueling the Tea Party movement."

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/lachlan-markay/2010/01/20/nbcs-david-gregory-realizes-what-tea-parties-are-all-about#ixzz0dCWF7KiH

SAUDI PRINCE PLANS MORE CONTROL OVER FOX NEWS

The Saudi billionaire whose investment firm is one of the biggest stakeholders in Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. said he is looking to expand his alliances with the media giant, in the latest indication that his appetite for growth remains robust even as his company retrenches.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a nephew of the Saudi king and who was listed last year by Forbes as the world's 22nd richest person, met with News Corp.'s chief executive Rupert Murdoch on Jan. 14 in a meeting that "touched upon future potential alliances with News Corp.," according to a statement released by his Kingdom Holding Co. late Saturday.   MORE>>>>>>>>>>

Fox News and a Conflict of Interest

Is Fox News your champion on cable TV?

Is Fox News your favorite source of news?

Is Fox News doing a great job of telling you what you need to know as a self-governing American citizen?

I suspect many reading this column will readily answer with an enthusiastic "yes" to all three of those rhetorical questions.

It is with that expectation I carefully alert you to a major and disturbing concern I have about the Fox News Channel – one based on personal experience as well as facts that have been withheld from you if Rupert Murdoch's alternative to CNN is your primary source of news.

NBC MEETS THE PRESS:

"My goal right now is to keep Jay, Conan and Jimmy as part of our late night lineup. I've spoken to all of them and proposed that The Jay Leno Show move to 11:35 PM, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien move to 12:05 AM and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon would then start at 1:05 AM. As much as I would like to tell you we have a done deal, we know that's not true. The talks are still ongoing."

NBC May Be Considering Reinstating Leno on ‘Tonight Show’

Justin Lubin/NBC Jay Leno debuted in the 10 p.m. hour on NBC last September.

NBC executives held discussions with both Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien Thursday about the future of the network’s late-night lineup. And while executives said that no final decision has been made, they did not deny that the network is considering moves that could include returning Mr. Leno to his old job as host of “The Tonight Show.”  MORE>>>>>>>>>>>

Citadel Broadcasting files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Owner of Rush Limbaugh's flagship files bankruptcy

also Don Imus and other talk show hosts on WABC

Citadel Broadcasting Corp., the nation's third-largest radio broadcasting company, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sunday in an effort to restructure its hefty debt load as it continues to face declining advertising revenue.

Citadel owns and operates 224 radio stations in all major markets and produces news and talk radio programing for 4,000 station affiliates and 8,500 program affiliates. Citadel's WABC is home to several syndicated hosts, including Don Imus, Rush Limbaugh, Joe Scarborough and Mark Levin.

MORE>>>>>>>>

House votes to turn down volume of noisy TV ads

WASHINGTON — The House on Tuesday voted to level off the abrupt spikes in volume felt by television viewers during commercial breaks.

The bill — approved by a voice vote — is aimed at stopping TV ads from playing noticeably louder than programs.

"It's very frustrating," said Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va. "It's an annoying experience, and something really should be done about it."

Irritated by loud commercials, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., drafted the measure after discovering it was a common complaint with the Federal Communications Commission.

Right now, the government doesn't have much say in the volume of TV ads. It's been getting grievances about commercial loudness for decades.

Correcting sound levels has its complications.   MORE>>>>>>>>>>>

Comcast Execs Gave Large Donations to Obama and Democrats

Executives at Comcast, the media behemoth looking to buy a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal, have given large sums of money to presidential candidate Barack Obama and Democrats in recent years The Hill reported Saturday:

Comcast chief executive Brian Roberts made more than $76,000 in political contributions to Democrats since 2006, compared to $13,500 in contributions to Republicans. Comcast vice president and top lobbyist David Cohen made about $180,000 to Democrats in the same period, compared to $12,000 to Republicans, according to OpenSecrets.org.

But that's just the beginning (h/t Big Hollywood):

Cohen also helped raise more than $6 million for Obama’s election campaign. [...]

During the 2008 election cycle, Comcast’s political action committee raised more than $2.5 million.   MORE>>>>>>>>>>

CNN: Missing Dobbs

Could things get any worse for CNN? Apparently, the answer is 'yes.'

The pioneering and once dominant leader in cable news has been hemorrhaging viewers for some time and earlier this year suffered the indignity of slipping to last place among cable news networks, behind even its sister network Headline News.

Now come the November Nielsen ratings showing that the surprise departure of Lou Dobbs has cost the network even more viewers.

After Dobbs announced his resignation on air on Wednesday November 11, CNN suffered a 25% decline among all viewers in Dobbs' 7pm time slot, and a 26% decline among adults 25-54.  MORE>>>>>>>>>>>>

Networks That Jumped at Complaints About a ‘Deniers’ ‘Conspiracy’ Now Silent About Left’s Global Warming Distortions

By Rich Noyes | November 24, 2009 - 12:20

The broadcast networks still haven’t uttered a single word about the revelations late last week of e-mails showing scientists on the left-wing side of the global warming debate plotting to hide data and silence those on the other side in an effort prop up the notion of a “consensus” on the issue. But when the liberal side of the debate charged that their opponents were involved in a “conspiracy” to tilt the debate in their favor, those same networks eagerly jumped on the story and castigated the evil “deniers.”

In 2007, as Brent Baker chronicled at the time in the MRC's CyberAlert, the broadcast network evening newscasts jumped to hype a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing meant to publicize a report from two far-left groups about how the Bush administration supposedly suppressed science about the dire threat of global warming — as if that view wasn’t getting plenty of play in the mainstream media.

MORE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Lou Dobbs: My downfall at CNN started when Barack Obama became President

Former CNN veteran Lou Dobbs suggests his form of advocacy journalism fell out of favor when President Obama was elected and his ratings began to decline.

Dobbs, who had come under fire from watchdog groups because of his on-air, anti-immigration stance, told Bill O'Reilly Monday on the Fox News Channel that he never heard directly from CNN management that he made the network look bad - but there was a tonal change when Obama became President.

"You know, I discern more of a difference between then, which was under the Bush administration whom I was criticizing, and now, when it is the Obama administration and an entirely different tone was taken," Dobbs said.

Dobbs abruptly resigned from CNN last week after agreeing that he could no longer operate under CNN's push to avoid airing anchor opinions in prime time.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/11/17/2009-11-17_lou_dobbs_my_downfall_at_cnn_started_when_barack_obama_became_president.html#ixzz0XGqXxQT3

'Birther' stories led to Lou Dobbs' resignation -UPDATED

Sources say CNN dispute over Obama's eligibility was 'beginning of the end'

---

Posted: November 13, 2009
12:24 pm Eastern

© 2009 WorldNetDaily

Lou Dobbs

Lou Dobbs' refusal to drop "birther" stories about challenges to President Obama's constitutional eligibility to hold office was a major source of contention with CNN management, leading the unconventional anchor to walk away from the network and more than $9 million, according to the New York Post.

Dobbs, known for his strong stand against illegal immigration, surprised his loyal viewers Wednesday night by announcing his resignation and offering no indication of his next move.

The Post, citing anonymous sources, said the beginning of the end of a long-simmering dispute came in July, when CNN President Jonathan Klein told Dobbs' staff in a memo to stop reporting on lawsuits that demand Obama produce evidence he's a natural-born American citizen, as required by the Constitution.

"It seems this story is dead because anyone who still is not convinced doesn't really have a legitimate beef," Klein's memo said.

A source told the Post Klein's move incensed Dobbs.

"They have been talking pretty regularly since then," the source said. "And it's been pretty bad."

Dobbs, who also hosts a nationally syndicated radio show, told his radio audience in July that "even though I said I believe the president is a citizen of the United States, I don't understand why he shouldn't produce a birth certificate. My God, you're talking about the third rail of American journalism, baby! That's it. I'm not going to back off."
   MORE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Former CNNer Claims Network's Liberal Bias Caused Dobbs' Exit

Diane Sawyer Hits Gore on Profits From Global Warming

Former Letterman writer cries foul over sexcapades

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A former writer for David Letterman says she left his NBC show in the 1980s partly because she was uncomfortable with a work environment in which several female employees benefited from sexual relationships with high-ranking men.

Nell Scovell, who worked on "Late Night with David Letterman" for less than a year, writes on VanityFair.com that "sexual politics" was a "major part" of why she walked away from her dream job.

"Did I believe these female staffers were benefiting professionally from their personal relationships?" Scovell writes. "Yes. Did that make me feel demeaned? Completely."

But she stops short of confirming direct knowledge of any sexual relationship Letterman had.

The comedian last month admitted on CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman" that he had had consensual sexual relationships with female employees.  MORE>>>>>>>>

Ingraham on 'This Week' Slams Charlie Gibson's ACORN Ignorance

Americrooks: The volunteerism scandal Hollywood won’t be broadcasting

Michelle Malkin  •  October 21, 2009 10:08 AM

Photoshop credit: Leo Alberti

The volunteerism scandals Hollywood won’t be broadcasting
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2009

Hollywood hearts Obama. Obama hearts government-directed national service. That is why you won’t be able to change the TV channel all week without getting lectured about the need to get off the couch and Do Something. (After your favorite shows are over, of course.) Creeped out? You should be.

The entertainment industry, inspired by Obama’s $6 billion expansion of government volunteerism spending, is coordinating plot lines and ads to push public service. “The message will be nearly ubiquitous,” reports the Los Angeles Times, “starting in the morning with programs such as ‘Today’ and ‘The View,’ and then echoed on soap operas, prime-time series and late-night shows.” First Lady Michelle Obama, a relentless Americorps promoter who publicly extolled the Tinseltown initiative last month, will cap off the week with an appearance on the Jay Leno show on Friday.

But don’t expect Leno to ask Mrs. Obama about her reported meddling in personnel decisions at the scandal-plagued Americorps. Or about the program’s long history as a government boondoggle stuffed with make-work jobs, permanent bureaucracies, left-wing slush funds, and partisan lobbyists. More on that in a moment.  MORE>>>>>>>

White House boasts: We 'control' news media

Communications chief offers shocking confession to foreign government

---

Posted: October 18, 2009
7:11 pm Eastern

By Aaron Klein
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

Anita Dunn

TEL AVIV – President Obama's presidential campaign focused on "making" the news media cover certain issues while rarely communicating anything to the press unless it was "controlled," White House Communications Director Anita Dunn disclosed to the Dominican government at a videotaped conference.

"Very rarely did we communicate through the press anything that we didn't absolutely control," said Dunn.

"One of the reasons we did so many of the David Plouffe videos was not just for our supporters, but also because it was a way for us to get our message out without having to actually talk to reporters," said Dunn, referring to Plouffe, who was Obama's chief campaign manager.

"We just put that out there and made them write what Plouffe had said as opposed to Plouffe doing an interview with a reporter. So it was very much we controlled it as opposed to the press controlled it," Dunn said.   MORE>>>>>>>>>>>

Lame Christian Media Misses ACORN Scandal

by Doug Giles

Since ACORN’s crass corruption came into sharp focus a few weeks ago, Andrew Breitbart has not only been part and parcel of cracking ACORN’s nuts, but he has also been pointing out the ludicrous lack of reporting on ACORN’s asininities by what used to be the mainstream media. 

Breitbart, via the ACORN controversy, has shown the “mainstream” to be everything but conventional and more akin to an irrelevant, unwatched drip of ideological flotsam that’s entirely in the septic tank for the lunatic left. 

The Daily Show’s John Stewart—hardly a right-winger—also pointed out this willful ACORN media blindness this past month, as only Stewart can.  Yep, it appears the motto of the generic broadcasting boys who’re bent to the left has become: “We distort. We decide.”

Most folks who have a lick of sense have long understood that the media has been mollycoddling the Left and their lovers for quite some time, but this ACORN controversy pummeled us over the flippin’ head with this hypocritical fact.   MORE>>>>>>>>>

FCC ‘Diversity Czar’ 2005 Audio: ‘Fundamental Rules’ Must Change to Alter White-Dominated Media

Yes, he works for Obama too..........

Katie Couric Buys Daughter Mosque-Shaped Alarm Clock That ‘Does the Call to Prayers’

You think this is over the top?

p

Joe Kernen Bashes NYT's David Brooks, Defends Limbaugh

By Chris Ariens on Oct 02, 2009 09:15 AM

This morning on Squawk Box, Joe Kernen played contrarian to the New York Times' David Brooks. Brooks' column today, titled "The Wizard of Beck," is "the story of media mavens who claim to represent a hidden majority but who in fact represent a mere niche - even in the Republican Party." Brooks writes:

Just months after the election and the humiliation, everyone is again convinced that Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity and the rest possess real power. And the saddest thing is that even Republican politicians come to believe it. They mistake media for reality. They pre-emptively surrender to armies that don't exist.

CNBC's Kernen doesn't see it that way: "David Brooks is a conservative? You tell Rush that his $100M a year, or whatever he makes, isn't real."

Katie Couric's "Sarah Palin" Moment

By: Bob Barney

The Plain Truth

It took place a week ago. It happened during a Katie Couric's interview with Iranian President MahmoudAhmadinejad. In the course of their interview, the CBS News anchor held up Nazi concentration camp photos of Holocaust victims, as she confronted the Iranian leader about his denial of the Holocaust. However, when Couric queried him about Neda Soltan -- the Iranian woman shot to death during an anti-government protest,  Ahmadinejad pulled out a photo of his own.

 

"Do you know this woman?," he asked Couric.

 

She did not. Ahmadinejad then went on to explain that it was Marwa Ali El-Sherbini, a pregnant Egyptian woman who was stabbed to death by a neo-Nazi in a German courtroom. He charged that the Western media had painted Soltan as a martyr but had ignored El-Sherbini's murder.

 

Hamid Dabashi, a Columbia University professor of Iranian studies, said in a CNN commentary, "there's no comparison between the deaths of the two women, but Ahmadinejad made his point." Dabashi jokingly called it Couric's "Sarah Palin moment." Ironic in that it was Couric who tried to show the world just how dumb Palin was,and Ahmadinejad did the same thing to Couric. Are we to conclude that she is just an empty suit as well, like Charles Gibson of ABC who actually admitted on radio that he did not know a thing about the ACORN scandal several weeks ago.

 

Then Thursday, CBS mentioned the El-Sherbini story -- running a report that the accused killer is scheduled to go on trial late this month. Looks like the MSM learn from fascist leaders, just not American tea partiers!