Posted on 08/30/2009 4:45:04 PM PDT by personalaccts
Kennedy Coverage Not Made for Prime Time Rash Report: Two Perspectives Join Cable Saturation by John Rash Published: August 27, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS (AdAge.com) -- Political pundits on both sides of the aisle (and the radio dial) lauded the legislative accomplishments of Sen. Edward Kennedy, with some, including conservative columnist George F. Will, calling him "the most consequential" Kennedy.
CBS 'Ted Kennedy: The Last Brother' With the news breaking after most went to bed Tuesday night, morning news shows were the first source for many to learn of Mr. Kennedy's death, and cable news networks went wall-to-wall with coverage. And perhaps most remarkably for a non-presidential passing, two networks, CBS and ABC, devoted an hour to a senator's personal and professional life.
But beyond the Beltway and Midtown media organizations, how did the Kennedy coverage play? Ratings reflect that while Americans surely caught the coverage in some capacity, most still use prime time to escape the world's woes, including the death of the senate's most influential member.
Which explains how CBS's "Ted Kennedy: The Last Brother" finished last amongst the Big Four networks at 8 p.m. in the ad-centric adult 18-49 demographic, and how ABC's "Remembering Ted Kennedy" lost to two forgettable reruns of cop dramas on CBS and NBC at 10 p.m.
Instead, easy escapism won the night, as the 8 p.m. winner, ABC's "Wipeout" (2.6/8 rating and share in the demo), as well as a recap episode of "America's Got Talent" (1.8/6) on NBC and a "Bones" repeat (1.2/4) on Fox, beat CBS's special (0.9/3). (The CW's rerun of "America's Next Top Model" delivered a 0.4/1).
At 10 p.m. ABC's "Remembering Ted Kennedy" (1.0/3) was also last, losing to reruns on CBS ("CSI: NY," 1.6/5) and NBC ("Law and Order: SVU," 1.8/5).
In between at 9 p.m., NBC had the highest-rated show of the night, "America's Got Talent" (3.0/8), which led the network to finish first with an overall 2.2/6, followed by ABC (1.8/6), CBS (1.3/4), Fox (1.2/4) and the CW (0.5/1).
Ted Kennedy wouldn't amount to a pimple on Jesse Helms' backside and I don't recall anything close to this scale of coverage when the great Jesse Helms passed away.
The Deceived Sheep are slowly, dimly waking up. Nobody watched the bulls*t Ted Kennedy propaganda.
There will be hell to pay on the part of the ABC, CNN, CBS, etc. deceivers. I have not watched a single thing on network TV, CNN, and MSNBC in at least 5 years.
I watched the Jets-Giants exhibition game, and Sanchez is going to be a good QB someday.
*Full disclosure: I watched a lot of the morning program in church since it was raining and dreary up here. The FReep Live thread made watching it as good as it could have been.
Even here in the midst of Democrat sheep, many people consider him a pimple on the bum of Freedom.
About half the flags around here are at half mast.
That's the only thing part of this that I really care about, and only because it irritates me so damn much that every time I see one of those flags flying at half mast, I honestly want to walk up and set fire to it.
In my mind, that would be retiring an American flag that has been desecrated by flying at half mast for an elitist pig who spent many decades of his life doing a great deal to screw up our country.
Drat. And here I was going to refrain from saying ugly things about the dead. Oh well, I did at least last through the funeral.
Now that the bastard's been buried, I suppose I can start to express how I really feel.
For kicks, I have been flipping to MSNBC to watch their coverage. Its just as fawning as one might expect. Olberman was almost in tears, when he asked one guest when was the last time Kennedy had gone sailing.
I’m tired of the Kennedys. I’m too young to remember camelot. I thought it was strange when Navy resources were used in the search for private citizen (and marginal pilot) John John. Whichever Kennedy it is who goes around talking about green energy and handing out Chavez oil in New England is the classic example of a useful idiot. I don’t think Carolyn should have been coronated as a senator for New York. I don’t think Teddy’s wife should be coronated as his replacement.
My level of ‘don’t care’ about the Kennedy family is greater with generations even younger than me. Why on earth would the networks think their target demographic cares about the Kennedys? In order to remember JFK in a meaningful way, you would have had to be born around 1950. Nobody else really cares that much about them.
Flags are at half-staff here in the SF Bay Area, too. Its like a liberal cult thing.
I watched the graveside service. The MSM let the priests’ prayers that lauded Ted Kennedy play out live. When they read the prayers defined in the service text itself that did not discuss Ted, they turned down the sound and talked over them.
Flags half-staff here too :^(
I’ve never seen a reason to cry over the passing of a commie.
I’ve avoided it totally.
Trying to keep my blood pressure below 100
My Dad (RIP) who was the typical Irish Catholic from New England hated all the Kennedys.
Dad was a very insightful man.
Me too.
Americans who can see through the media induced Kennedy myth don’t care. Seems like deja vu with this new guy.
Its like Woodstock - the "summer of love" subsection of the Boomer generation now passing 60 are the most self-absorbed lot, IMO. They think the rest of us should be as interested & genuflect to their icons as they still do.
If they only knew.
JFK put a man on the moon. teddy put a woman on the bottom of a lake.
Don’t blame us boomers! The oldest of the boomers are now 63, and Kennedy was actually almost a generation older (like most of the really bad guys who are now dying off). In any case, I always found him a disgusting, hateful person and I think many other people in my age group did, too.
I think it’s too funny that the press thought this would be a big deal...and the American people are choosing to watch reruns of just about anything else!
Only the most die-hard left-wing ideolouges are willing to overlook his many serious personal failings to the point of mourning his passing.
Even MA, NY or DC don’t care or the ratings would be higher.
Pray for America
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