What was the deal with Tim Russert asking UFO questions to Dennis Kucinich during a presidential debate? I certainly was asking myself that. So was Senator Mike Gravel who is also a presidential candidate but was excluded from that same debate.
What’s up with the Democratic Party for allowing a network to exclude one of the candidates?
On Monday the Chronicle stated in their editorial that:
Finally, former CBS News anchor Dan Rather, who got his start in Houston, wrote a sad footnote to his mostly distinguished career when he sued his old employers for $70 million. The suit alleges that CBS made Rather a scapegoat for an inaccurate story about George W. Bush’s service in the Texas Air National Guard. Whatever the network executives’ sins, they don’t deserve to be punished to that degree after paying Rather millions per year long after he had passed his prime.
Rather’s suit, while presenting a weak case against CBS, makes a wounding case against his own prowess as a broadcast journalist. Despite the fact that Rather bore the title of managing editor of CBS News, he alleges in his suit that he bore no responsibility for the content or accuracy of his broadcasts: The mighty network anchor is revealed for what he or she is, merely a familiar face reading from a teleprompter reports he or she had nothing to do with preparing.
I had to respond:
To: viewpoints@chron.com
Subject: True ColorsThe Houston Chronicle’s Editorial Board showed their ties to the corporation are stronger than those to the journalist when they decided to chastise Dan Rather (Mistakes, Sept 24).
His lawsuit is more about forcing the big boys (which includes Viacom and The Hearst Corporation) to allow journalism ferret out the truth. When you are in fear of your job, you can’t be an objective journalist!
Whether you believe in the veracity of Mr. Rather’s initial report or not (the report stand whether the pieces in question are legitimate or not - and they have not been proven false), the ability of The Press (which means the foot pounding journalist, not the Corporation) to seek the truth was damaged by his summary termination.
-Bill Shirley
Houston, Texas
I should have added “this lawsuit isn’t for himself, it’s for the Cub Reporter”.
There is a great pool on flickr called “DRM is like…”
Digital Rights Management. It’s only on legally purchased music and keeps you from doing things that are legal to do with purchased music. It’s what makes “squirted” music on Zunes only play three times. It’s what makes NBC’s new “free video service” (with commercials) only allow you to view a TV show for a week. (How long will that VHS tape of Heroes last?)
How long till it dies out? I’m really interested to see the end game. Open media is the only answer.
In something so boneheaded it’s bound to fail, NBC (who previously withdrew video content from iTunes) will now be providing proprietary DRM’d video downloads of their programming that expire after a week. And it only works on Windows.
“With the creation of this new service, we are acknowledging that now, more than ever, viewers want to be in control of how, when and where they consumer [sic] their favorite entertainment,” said Vivi Zigler, Executive Vice President, NBC Digital Entertainment. “Not only does this feature give them more control, but it also gives them a higher quality video experience.” [emphasis mine]
That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. How is requiring software that works only for NBC, and plays only on your computer (no other devices), possiby giving you more control!
No more Heroes on your Apple.
Oh, and NBC, hire someone with an English degree to editor your press releases.
The print article in the star section is considerably longer than the online version. KLOL died a few years ago, KIOL tried to resurrect it and failed (20th of 37 stations), so now they’re going with the “fresh new thing”. I’m sure it will spike up for it’s newness, but will again grow stale and old. Instead of updating their play list with time, they’ll rebrand it again.
Jack FM to make Houston debut
By DAVID BARRON
Copyright 2007 Houston ChronicleThe eclectic, iPod shuffle-like music format known as Jack FM makes its Houston debut at 10:37 a.m. Friday at 103.7 FM.
The Cumulus Media station, now known as KIOL or Rock 103.7 FM, will be reformatted as KHJK, said Pat Fant, Cumulus’ Houston market manager.
Houston will be the seventh market in Texas and the fifth top 10 market in the country to add Jack FM, which formats about a thousand songs by 500 artists in 18 genres of music dating from the late 1960s through today.
Jack FM operates without live DJs, so Cumulus will attempt to find positions elsewhere in the company for Rock 103.7’s current on-air personalities.
others: Houstonist, McGuff
I love that the impending axe will fall in less then three hours and the website says “This Labor Day Weekend Rock 103.7 is counting down the Top 500 Rock Songs of All Time, and you get to pick the songs…”
And their Babe-of-the-Day gives you super-hyphenated information on who their target audience was. Radio station or soft-core porn portal?
And, according to the FCC, the KHJK call sign was registered ten days ago to 99.1 in Sioux Falls.
Knock, knock. Hello? Anyone home at the AP?
Weather improving for tomorrow’s shuttle launch
Associated Press Aug. 7, 2007, 4:40PM
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The weather is improving for Wednesday’s planned launch of Endeavour on a space station delivery mission featuring NASA’s first educator-astronaut.
…
Seven astronauts are assigned to the mission, but the spotlight is on Barbara Morgan, who was Christa McAuliffe’s backup for Challenger’s doomed mission in 1986.
…
Christa McAuliffe was the first educator-astronaut. Because she died doing her job does not disqualify her from the title.
I hope she and the rest of the STS-51-L crew will be watching over the Endeavour.
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