Gibbs Jawbones India Security

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is  known for sparring with White House reporters, making for what often seems an antagonistic mood in the press briefing room.



But during President Obama's trip to India, Michael Calderone at theupshot.com reports Gibbs assumed the role of press advocate and threatened to pull Obama out of bilateral talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh because three U.S. reporters were blocked from covering the meeting.

Read more here.

Obama Blames the GOP for the Health Care Bill

It figures, writes Jim Hoft at gatewaypundits.com.  Barack Obama blamed the Republicans for the fact that democrats rammed through their unpopular health care bill without a single Republican vote.



Barack Obama:

“I made the decision to go ahead and do it. And, it proved as costly politically as we expected. Probably actually a little more costly than we had expected… Partly because I couldn’t get the kind of cooperation from Republicans that I hoped for. We thought that if we shaped a bill that wasn’t that different from previous bills that had introduced by Republicans, including the Republican governor in Massachusetts who’s now running for president, that we would be able to find some common ground there and we just couldn’t.”

Accord to Hoft, here are a few points regarding his statement:

- The health care bill was passed before not after the unpopular financial bill.
- Mitt Romney is not currently running for president.
- We’ve never been a bill like this proposed nationally unless you count Hillarycare.
- Obama was pushing the bill for over a year before democrats rammed it through.
- It was the central focus of his first two years in office.
- They didn’t even read the bill.
- Democrats thought it would be more popular by the midterm election.
- His other emergency economic proposals were complete bombs, too.

Of course, Steve Croft did not bother to question the president about any of his inaccurate statements.

Read more here.

ESPN Breaks Up ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ Team

ESPN ended its 20-year association with Jon Miller and Joe Morgan as the voices of “Sunday Night Baseball” on Monday. They declined to renew Morgan’s contract and have asked Miller if he wants to stay on as the radio voice of the Sunday night games. Discussions are ongoing according to a story by Richard Sandomir in the Bats Blog at nytimes.com.

“We’ve decided to make a change and introduce new voices and new perspective,” said Norby Williamson, an executive vice president of ESPN. He added: “Twenty one years is an eternity in this business. And today is about acknowledging the contributions they made to the franchise.”

Each announcer is a Hall of Famer. Morgan entered as a player in 1990 and Miller received the Ford C. Frick Award from the hall earlier this year in recognition of broadcasting excellence.

It is nearly certain that Miller will be replaced by Dan Shulman, who will be joined by Orel Hershiser, whom ESPN added to “Sunday Night” last season. Bobby Valentine might be the third voice if he does not get a managing job. Williamson declined to talk about the new team.

Miller is the lead play-by-play voice for the San Francisco Giants, calling games on radio and TV. He could take ESPN’s offer and shift to radio (where he has been calling the postseason for years) or increase his workload on Giants games. Miller’s decision could be delayed because he is on vacation.

Read more here.

Opinion: iNet Radio Threat to SiriusXM Gone

From Brandon Matthews Satwaves Pro:

Bad news Howard. Bad, bad news. You might want to sign that contract with Sirius XM (SIRI) right away, because thanks to this week's election results, Internet Radio has been dealt a mighty blow.

For years I have written that Internet Radio posed little threat to Satellite Radio, for a multitude of reasons. Most recently, I pointed out that Internet Radio services compete more with iPods and CDs than they do with even terrestrial radio, due to its music only content offerings.

My main argument however, was that the costs of data streaming would exclude much of the market potential of Internet Radio.

The F.C.C. had sought to force Internet Service Providers to stream content at any cost, for free, to all of the world. This was easily shot down by the U.S. Court of Appeals earlier in the year. The election results however, have all but ended the idea. Internet Radio as a viable alternative to Satellite Radio, is dead.

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Regulator: Islam Radio Channel Breaks Rules

Britain's Islam Channel broke broadcasting regulations by condoning marital rape, encouraging violence against women, and promoting an anti-Israel, pro-Hamas line, the country's broadcast regulator Ofcom ruled Monday.

According to a CNN story, one violation came during an advice program in which a female caller asked if a woman could hit her husband back if he was beating her. The host, as part of his answer, said the most a husband could do was hit her with a stick the size of a pen "just to make her feel that you are not happy with her."

The same host said in another program that for a woman to wear perfume when praying in a mosque made her a prostitute in the eyes of the Prophet Mohammed.

Another violation took place in a discussion about an Afghan law that, critics say, allows men to rape their wives.

"To refuse relations would harm a marriage," a guest on the program said.

The Islam Channel "does not condone or encourage violence toward women under any circumstances," the broadcaster told Ofcom during the investigation.

Read more here.

Sesame Street Parodies "Apps"

Muppets: "There's an app for that" A recent Sesame Street segment featured a parody of Apple's "there's an app for that" jingle.

Christie Irks MTP's Gregory

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie irked NBC’s David Gregory — and probably won over more conservatives weary of the media in the process — by suggesting on “Meet the Press” that the host was acting as an advocate for Democrats in the way he spoke about taxes, according to a posting at thedailycaller.com.

Christie, a Republican known for his tell-it-like-it-is attitude, disagreed with Gregory’s characterization of the looming battle in Congress over the Bush years tax rate as “tax cuts.”
'
Christie, saying such word choice drives him “crazy,” said: “This is maintaining the current tax policy in a weak economy, and what you’re advocating through your question is…” Gregory interrupted: “That’s not fair. I’m not advocating. I’m questioning whether or not they have to be paid for.”

Christie shot back saying the debate over taxes is not about whether to make cuts, but rather is about whether Congress wants to raise taxes during a bad economy.

Read more here.

Net Neutrality Advocates Silent

Tuesday’s election aftermath

The list hasn’t been finalized, but it’s almost as if Washington’s battles for the next two years have already been determined, reports The Daily Caller. From fetishistic scenarios in which California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa uses his new-found investigatory powers to topple the White House, to hemming and hawing about the fate of Obamacare, the drastic power shift in the House means Washington has a new, GOP-oriented agenda.

Not on said to-do list? Net neutrality. The regulatory principles that the progressive grassroots rallied around for the last 19 months are getting little air-play.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) may have succeeded in drumming up enough support to get suspended MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann back on the air — but it failed to help a single congressional candidate who signed its net neutrality petition: All 95 Democratic congressional candidates who signed the PCCC’s pledge to regulate the Internet lost their races.

Now, analysts say the issue of net neutrality is on ice.

A perusal of the left’s most colorful standard-bearers suggests as much. Media reform group Free Press has remained silent since Tuesday. Prior to the election, Free Press rallied around NPR in the Juan Williams debacle, and didn’t even attempt to make net neutrality a midterm issue. Which could mean that it’s now either gearing up for a fresh assault on FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, or revisiting its focus.

The only leftist group to come right out and admit that Tuesday’s results are bad news was Public Knowledge.

Read more here.

NPR CEO: Takes 'Calls For Defunding Very, Very Seriously'

Speaking at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington Sunday on the “Future of Journalism,” National Public Radio President and CEO Vivian Schiller said she takes calls for defunding NPR “very seriously,” while stressing how important government funding is for public broadcasting, especially for NPR’s member stations. She also recognized there’s a possibility that, with the new GOP majority in the House, those calls for defunding might be renewed.

“If defunding to public broadcasting were to occur, it would be devastating to public broadcasting. That’s a fact,” Schiller said, according to Matthew Boyle at thedailycaller.com.

After Schiller fired commentator Juan Williams several weeks ago for comments he made about Muslims on Fox News’ “O’Reilly Factor,” calls for defunding NPR erupted again.

“Almost all federal funding goes to member stations,” Schiller said. “Very, very little of it goes to NPR, but a lot goes to stations.”

While NPR headquarters only receives about 1 percent of funding from tax dollars, member stations receive about 9 percent of their funding from tax dollars, Schiller said. She said that the 9 percent NPR member stations receive from taxpayer dollars is essential for them to stay on the air.

Read more here.

Conan O'Brien Returns To Late Night On TBS

Looking to move past 'Tonight Show' debacle

Conan O'Brien returns to late-night television Monday , hoping to once again become successful rather than merely sympathetic and rich.  He'll have a new network (TBS), a new time (11 p.m.), a new show name ("Conan"), a new all-purpose nickname ("Coco"), a new bandleader (Jimmy Vivino) and, very likely, some new features.

David Hinckley at nydailynews.com writes:  he'll also be a big fish in a smaller pond, since his last gig was hosting NBC's iconic "Tonight Show." That ended Jan. 22 with his awkwardly handing the show back to the man he had replaced the previous June, Jay Leno.

While no one came out of that messy "Tonight" shuffle looking good, Conan was less damaged than Leno or NBC.

He was widely seen as the victim of blundering and grievous insensitivity by NBC, plus perhaps some quiet conniving by Leno.  When the dust settled, though, Conan landed on cable rather than broadcast television, which is usually viewed as a downshift.

So the optimistic spin here is that he's not stepping down, but returning to his roots. On cable, the drumroll implicitly promises, his fans will see the old wacky cutting-edge Conan, not the restrained "Tonight" Conan who discreetly left the Masturbating Bear in hiber­nation.

Whether he can reawaken the Bear, specifically, may be up in the air. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Conan noted that NBC claims the rights to the characters he created during his long run as the network's "Late Night" host, which could leave the Bear and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, among others, on the sidelines.

Read more here.

And The Countdown Continues....

NBC: Olbermann Suspension Ending Tuesday

Keith Olbermann's suspension from msnbc television for donating to three Democratic campaigns will end this coming Tuesday, NBC announced Sunday night. according to a story at msnbc.com.   Olbermann was suspended indefinitely Friday for violating NBC News rules about donations.

(Msnbc.com, a joint venture of NBC Universal and Microsoft, also has a policy against its journalists contributing to political campaigns.)

In a statement released Sunday evening, Phil Griffin, president of msnbc television, said he had deliberated about Olbermann’s status for several days.

“I have determined that suspending Keith through and including Monday night's program is an appropriate punishment for his violation of our policy,” Griffin said. “We look forward to having him back on the air Tuesday night.

On his own Twitter account, Olbermann broke his silence about the suspension  on Sunday. “Greetings From Exile! A quick, overwhelmed, stunned THANK YOU for support that feels like a global hug & obviously left me tweetless XO,” he wrote.

Olbermann Refused On-Camera Mea Culpa

From Mike Allen's Playbook at Politico.com:

BEHIND THE CURTAIN: Network sources tell Playbook that Keith Olbermann was suspended because he refused to deliver an on-camera mea culpa, which would have allowed him to continue anchoring “Countdown.”

Olbermann told his bosses he didn't know he was barred from making campaign contributions, although he is resisting saying that publicly.

Olbermann may not hold as many cards as he thinks. He makes $7 million a year, and MSNBC's prime time is not as dependent on him as it was before the addition of Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell, who make considerably less.

Also read here:

The Media Equation: Olbermann, Impartiality and MSNBC (David Carr, NYTimes)

Miami Heat Changes Radio Flagship

As expected, the Heat announced Saturday morning that it is changing radio flagship stations from WINZ-940 to 790 The Ticket, beginning with Saturday's game against New Jersey.

According to The Miami Herald, the Heat filed a lawsuit last month against WINZ's parent company, Clear Channel Communications, claiming Clear Channel gave a better contract to the Dolphins than it did to the Heat, whose contract stipulated that it would be extended the opportunity to receive anything given to another team by WINZ. The Dolphins, for example, were given a two-hour weekday talk show on WINZ; the Heat was not.

Besides filing the lawsuit, the Heat exercised a 30-day termination clause in its WINZ contract. Those 30 days ended Friday night, allowing the Heat to change stations this weekend.

Mike Inglis and John Crotty will remain the Heat's radio announcers.

Reac more here.

Blitz: 43, 24/7

From Mike Allen at Politico's Playbook:

GEORGE W. BUSH's memoir, “Decision Points,” will be out Tuesday and is getting the most extensive rollout of any book in history, according to publishing sources. The plan was choreographed by Bob Barnett; Dana Perino; David Sherzer, of the Office of George W. Bush; and David Drake, the director of publicity at Crown Publishers. It all starts Monday on NBC with a prime time hour with Matt Lauer. On Tuesday, Bush does a book signing in Dallas, and is featured on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” (The segments already taped at her studio in Chicago, and WITH HIS MOTHER AND FATHER in Kennebunkport, in a boat and at their compound on Walker's Point.) Also on Tuesday, Bush does Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity radio and TV.

--On Wednesday, 43 appears again with Matt Lauer, this time live on “Today.” On Thursday, he does Bill O'Reilly, at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, near Dayton, in connection with a Veterans Day Tribute. And on Friday, he does Greta Van Susteren, in connection with the groundbreaking of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, at SMU. On Saturday, a SEPARATE Sean Hannity interview airs. On Sunday, Nov. 14, he does a CBS News “Sunday Morning” segment with Jim Axelrod (with Mrs. Bush), and the president and Jeb Bush appear on CNN with Candy Crowley (so every interview has a unique component.) Then, the president is on “Fox and & Friends” from Monday, Nov. 15, through Wed., Nov. 17. Then on Thu., Nov. 18, he's on JAY LENO.

FROM “DECISION POINTS” ($18.90 on Amazon http://amzn.to/c5wR6u):

--“To the loves of my life: Laura, Barbara, and Jenna”

--“As I write in 2010, the war in Afghanistan continues. … I strongly believe the mission is worth the cost. Fortunately, I am not the only one. In the fall of 2009, President Obama stood up to critics by deploying more troops, announcing a new commitment to counterinsurgency in Afghanistan, and increasing the pressure on Pakistan to fight the extremists in the tribal areas.” (p. 220)

--“My preference [in the Nov. 2008 election] had been John McCain. I believed he was better prepared to assume the Oval Office amid a global war and financial crisis. I didn't campaign for him, in part because I was busy with the economic situation, but mostly because he didn't ask. I understood he had to establish his independence. I also suspected he was worried about the polls. I thought it looked defensive for John to distance himself from me. I was confident I could help him make his case. But the decision was his. I was disappointed I couldn't do more to help him.” (p. 466)

--“As an Obama win looked increasingly likely, I started to think more about what it would mean for an African American to win the presidency. I got an unexpected glimpse a few days before the election. An African American member of the White House residence staff brought his twin sons, age six, to the Oval Office for a farewell photo. One glanced up around the room and blurted out, 'Where's Barack Obama?' 'He's not here yet,' I deadpanned. On election night, I was moved by images of black men and women crying on TV. More than one said, 'I never thought I would live to see this day.'” (p. 467)

--“This book took its first step toward publication when I hired Bob Barnett. Bob is a talented lawyer with sound judgment, unmatched experience, and great patience - which he showed by tolerating my frequent ribbing about his hourly rate. The truth is that Bob is the best in the business, and he was worth every penny.” (p. 478)

Read more here.

WBZ Radio’s AM News Anchor To Hang Up Mike

WBZ radio morning news anchor Ed Walsh is signing off next month after nearly four years at the station, retiring at age 63 so he can spend more time with his family.

“It’s something that everybody thinks about, and this was just the right time for me and for my wife,” Walsh told the Boston herald.com yesterday.

The radio veteran rises for work at 3 a.m. — and the grandfather of nine said he’s looking forward to being able to stay up and watch a Celtics [team stats] game to the final buzzer.

“In this business, particularly when you do morning-drive, you really do sort of have a limited social life,” Walsh said. “You’ve got to go to bed early at night to get up very, very early in the morning. I’ve done this for a long, long time and it’s time for me to kick back a little bit.

“Imagine being able to watch a Celtics game past halftime,” Walsh added.

Walsh came to WBZ-AM (1030) from sister station WCBS-AM (880) in New York City. He replaced Gary LaPierre, who had been at WBZ radio for more than four decades before he retired from the early show.

Read more here.

The Sunday Funny