MTV Launches Political Spots With Anti-Obama Ad

Staff / Truthdig Jul 26, 2008 MTV has become quite the changeling, now resembling not in the least the network that debuted in the early 1980s. Recently, the cable mainstay announced it will start airing political advertisements, and Team McCain seems to be first out the gates with this "Both Ways Barack" attack ad. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Networks Might Slim Down Convention Coverage

Staff / Truthdig Jul 10, 2008 That Barack Obama would accept his party's nomination at Invesco Field was an unwelcome bit of news for network executives who have already budgeted their election coverage. Apparently it costs more to broadcast from a stadium than an arena, and so the networks are threatening to scale down what they traditionally dismiss as a free commercial. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Eight More Years of Rush

Staff / Truthdig Jul 4, 2008 According to his Web site, he's "America's Truth Detector; the Doctor of Democracy; the Most Dangerous Man in America; the All-Knowing, All-Sensing, All-Everything Maha Rushie; defender of motherhood, protector of fatherhood and an all-around good guy." Whatever he may be, Rush Limbaugh is also going to be even richer than ever with his new contract to keep talking for the next eight years. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Writers’ Strike Bears Online Fruit

Staff / Truthdig Jul 4, 2008 During the protracted writers' strike that gobbled up a good part of fall and winter material for small and big screens alike, some entertainment scribes didn't let their time in limbo go to waste, such as the group behind Strike.tv, an online network coming soon to a laptop near you. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Beyond Swift Boat

Staff / Truthdig Jun 26, 2008 We've gotten used to the idea of independent groups funneling soft money into political campaign ads, but in this election some progressives are trying to do something entirely new. According to a report by NPR and the Center for Investigative Reporting, a band of crafty activists is trying to create a grand network for progressive issues and groups. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

What War?

Staff / Truthdig Jun 23, 2008 Coverage of the Iraq war on American newscasts gets a fraction of the airtime it has in past years. Some network journalists complain that they have to beg to get Iraq stories on the air. Although the war in Afghanistan has recently gotten more coverage, no American network has a full-time correspondent on the ground there. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Fox to Obama: We’re Sorry … Again

Staff / Truthdig Jun 13, 2008 The third time's no charm for Fox News, which has been forced yet again to apologize to Barack Obama for making racist comments against the presumed Democratic nominee. This marks the third "oops" moment for the television channel, all in the span of only two weeks. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The End of ‘American Idol’?

Eugene Robinson / Truthdig May 6, 2008 That might be going too far for a show that still averages 28.7 million viewers, but ratings are down. In part, the cause is the presence of an even more exciting reality show on television, and it's not even really a show. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Journal: Couric Likely to Leave CBS

Staff / Truthdig Apr 10, 2008 The Wall Street Journal is reporting that CBS News is likely to part ways with its evening news anchor, Katie Couric, who earns about $15 million a year. Consistently in last place among the networks, CBS has been under pressure to right the ship, and was even reported to have considered outsourcing some news operations to CNN. CBS says no such plan is in the works. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Up for Debate

Staff / Truthdig Mar 26, 2008 With 20 debates between the Democratic candidates already in the books, and another scheduled before the Pennsylvania primary, it's a little hard to believe that CBS News hasn't yet had the opportunity to ask a few gotcha questions of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Katie Couric may just get the chance. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Clinton Prepares for Fox News Debate

Staff / Truthdig Feb 6, 2008 Perhaps regardless of Tuesday's election results, Sen. Hillary Clinton is looking toward the next debate opportunity -- this time sponsored by Fox News -- on Feb. 11. Barack Obama, however, hasn't agreed yet to appear on the conservative channel. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Oprah’s Very OWN Television Network

Staff / Truthdig Jan 16, 2008 It's surprising this didn't happen earlier: Multimedia mogul Oprah Winfrey is launching a television network, simply and logically called the Oprah Winfrey Network, in conjunction with Discovery Communications. Oprahphiles can look forward to a 2009 launching for OWN, which Winfrey calls "a natural extension of my show." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )