CABLE BATTLE: CNN HEAD CALLS FOXNEWS COVERAGE 'MEANINGLESS NONSENSE'

Drudge Report ^ | 8/23/05 | Matt Drudge

[wagglebee]

CNN President Jonathan Klein implies ratings news leader FOXNEWS is mired in coverage of "meaningless nonsense," claiming: "Fourteen Americans dead, and they have Natalee Holloway on," Klein says. "And they're supposedly America's news channel."

"It's easy and it's brainless," Klein charges in a telephone interview set for publication at the NEW YORK TIMES, explaining why cable news outlets had gravitated to the Aruba story. "They're looking for an ongoing drama" along the lines of the NBC crime show "Law & Order," he said, adding, "Except 'Law & Order' doesn't do the same plot every night."

"There are an awful lot of things you can cover if you don't have people tied up with this meaningless nonsense," Klein says.

In early July, Klein pulled CNN's correspondent out of Aruba and dropped the subject from most CNN shows in the absence of new developments.

"If Jon performed as well as he talks, he wouldn't have to explain his network's dismal ratings," says Irena Briganti, a spokeswoman for FOXNEWS. "We have trounced him on every breaking news story from the London bombings and last week's events in Gaza."

Impacting...

[Gritty]

I've pretty much stopped watching FOX except for Brit.

I've gotten sick of watching 23/7 of National Enquirer!

[msnimje]

My TV is on Fox most of the day in my office. I would be surprised if they spend 1 hour a day on the Holloway case (not counting show reruns).
Also, Shep Smith never has a decent thing to say about President Bush and O'Reilly rags on him a lot too.

[skinkinthegrass]

My favorites are agreeing not to report on Saddam's atrocities in order to keep a Baghdad bureau and also saying that the US Army targets journalists who don't agree with them.

Hmmm...OLD CNN, "the blood for rating network." :/

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[skinkinthegrass]

After watching ABCNNBCBS/FNC, 24/7/365 News cycles...
I Agree...Sometimes the Weather Channel, is a far better choice. :)

[InvisibleChurch]

klein's right... fox ought to do a story on cnn's plummeting ratings ... har har har!

[Purrcival]

Jealous, are they?

[skinkinthegrass]

...the ratings are king...Brit (with Krauthammer and frequent visits by Barone) does more than make up for all of the Fox shortcomings....Agree, Brit is the Best.

[Bubbasucks]

FOX IS WORTHLESS. No more Foxfan pings please. They've become more like the MSM. I just can't watch. Oh how I long for when they started.

[Shortstop7]

lol......good point!

[Shortstop7]

As Rush said today (paraphrasing), "You need a magnifying glass to find CNN's ratings, and two telescopes to find MSNBC's.

I heard Rush say that. He is SO funny!!

[SevenofNine]

She is on maternity leave that what I hear last she going on for whole year

[finnman69]

it's time for me to post the high school pic I have of Anderson Cooper wearing tights and a long baloon down his pants.

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"They have a lot to learn from us here at CNN about how important pretentiousness is to reporting the news."-Johnboy Klein

[skinkinthegrass]

Since Natalee Holloway seems to be a rating bonanza look for more missing persons stories on the news channels...the model in Columbus, Ohio who have disappeared.

Announcing a new channel, THE MISSING CHANNEL...all these people and ALL the "brain-dead" Liberals/RINOs...and some "so-called" Conservatives.

[Bellflower]

Shouldn't a picture of a screaming HRC be a part of this grouping? It kind of seems incomplete without one.

[bray]

DNCNN??? Aren't they the network that agreed to not cover the brutality of Saddamn so they could stay in Iraq??? Perhaps they shouldn't be throwing stones at FOX Court TV???

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters

[stocksthatgoup]

Temper Tantrum

[ForGod'sSake]

I wonder if anyone, like maybe Neilsen has the audience demographics for FoxNews? They are killing Jonathan(You couldn't have a starker contrast between the multiple layers of checks and balances at 60 minutes and a guy sitting in his living room in his pajamas writing) Klein, and the rest of 'em combined for that matter, but WHO'S watching?

[Purrcival]

I think you replied to the wrong Freeper. I didn't ping you.