News Munchies
George Decks Sam, Cokie; MSNBC Says There Isn't Enough News
Originally Posted
Updated
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Former Clinton senior advisor George Stephanopoulos has been named anchor of the ABC's "This Week" on Sunday mornings, displacing Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts. They will remain with ABC News. Stephanopoulos has been an analyst and correspondent since joining ABC News in 1997. His new gig begins in September. "This Week" panelist George Will remains with the show.
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MSNBC has decided there isn't enough news, so it's moving to a newsmagazine/opinion format in the evenings. "We're a newspaper in the morning and weekly newsmagazine in the evening," says company president Erik Sorenson. The cable network is axing four hours of daytime news programming in favor of opinion shows. NBC News president Neal Shapiro says that, on busy news days, the commentators will be shoved aside for the real news guys. "But as we all know," Shapiro says, "in the news cycle there are hours when nothing's happening. Rather than stretching reporters to say the same things over and over and over again, ... why not inject a little more analysis and opinion?"
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CNN has announced a new subscription-based service, Newswatch, which will deliver personalized, continuously updated Internet-based news and information. Like a combination of an old-fashioned wire service and a TV newscast, the news junkie can follow a continuously scrolling ticker, breaking news alerts, and full-screen visuals, depending on his tolerance level. The information can be displayed on desktop or mobile device, or can be sent via email.
So, depending on how you look at it, this shakes out to either more or fewer pitching opportunities. Be the first on your block to figure out how to take advantage of the new landscape.