Open Mike
By BroadCasting & Cable Staff -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/1/2006 8:00:00 PM
What To Do With MSNBC?
In The Robins Report titled “A Modified MSNBC?” [Sept. 25, p. 8], you note that cable news viewership is falling off, but it surprises me that you don't make the connection to the increase in readership of nontraditional and Internet news media. And more importantly, studies consistently show that people who get their news primarily from cable networks are far more frequently misinformed than those who get their news from newspapers or NPR. And the most informed group of news readers has been most consistently those who get their news from Internet news sources. Perhaps people are tired of what network news has to offer.
People are not consuming less news overall, despite the losses in cable-network viewership. They are just seeking sources that aren't so awful.
Nathan Otto, Eugene, Ore.
The sad thing is, MSNBC is the best of the three [major cable networks] with the best, most diverse and most balanced lineup (i.e. Keith Olbermann/Joe Scarborough). Don Imus offers a better connection to what's going on than the evening news, as politicos and reporters/pundits open up and get “more: real—and maybe even more honest.
And then there is Amy Robach! Worth the price of admission and damn smart.
David Jaschke, Austin, Texas
One reason NBC may want to keep MSNBC around in one form or another is, if MSNBC goes under and unless NBC-Universal comes up quickly with a replacement network, that vacant channel space on local cable systems would become inviting targets for News Corp.'s planned Fox business news network.
Bob Nunes, Medford, Ore.
Perhaps if the cable news channels were to present real journalism, as opposed to lapdog yes-men and frivolous who-the-hell-cares tidbits, they could reclaim interest in their product?
These “news for sale” networks are losing ground because more and more people are getting the real journalism that interests them from the Internet, which is not synthesized by the government and big business interests.
Tim Conner, Columbus, Ind.
Facts and ImaginAsian
While we are appreciative that ImaginAsian TV was included in the B&C article “It's Tough to Grow a Network in the 500-Channel World” [Sept. 18, p. 20], we feel obliged to mention some points that we feel require clarification.
ImaginAsian TV was launched prior to AZN, making the reference to ImaginAsian TV as “a second network” inaccurate, or misleading at best. We are very proud of the fact that we are the first 24/7 Asian-American cable network launched in the U.S. In addition, omitting the fact that we no longer pay leased-access fees in San Francisco implies a very different picture than the reality. In fact, we do not currently pay fees for carriage in any market our network reaches.
Michael Huh, VP, marketing & strategic development, ImaginAsian TV, New York
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