TV & Radio

NBC's Olympics Experiment

NBC News has called its Olympic coverage "the most ambitious single media project in history." But the real ambition is in how NBC plans to experiment with Olympics ratings in the hopes of changing the advertising business model on network TV. Grant Robertson of Toronto’s Globe and Mail explains.


Public Relations Retaliation

Last week Fox News aired doctored photos of a New York Times reporter and editor in retaliation for a story Fox didn't like. The New York Times' David Carr wrote about the incident and exposed the unusually aggressive tactics the Fox News public relations team sometimes uses against reporters.


The Olbermann Effect

The presidential nominees have finally emerged, but the real victor this primary season is cable news. Especially MSNBC, whose ratings have spiked dramatically. The New York Times’ Brian Stelter says the high ratings may come with a cost, but MSNBC’s Executive in Charge Phil Griffin dismisses allegations that Keith Olbermann’s liberal bent will damage the network’s credibility.


Punditmonium

Gene Weingarten, writer for the Washington Post Magazine, got an idea: he would lock himself in a room for 24 hours straight with 5 TV's, 2 radios and a laptop all tuned to loud, opinionated pundits. After basically losing his mind, he tells us what he learned.


Playing One On TV

Some pundits are born not made. But not everybody is a natural bloviator. One Washington P.R. firm has trained journalists for their star turns. OTM's John Solomon, attended one class to see if he had what it takes.


Al Jazeera's American Face

For the past two years, David Marash has been the face of Al Jazeera English as their Washington anchor. Recently Marash decided to leave the network, however, citing anti-American bias. He joins us to talk about his time there and his decision to depart.


Letters

An update on the merger of satellite radio monoliths XM and Sirius. Plus, listeners weigh in about our program marking the fifth year of the Iraq war.


At the Wire's End

The series finale of "The Wire" aired last weekend. The media loved the show for its realistic depiction of an ailing American city but OTM's Mark Phillips takes a look at what happened when "The Wire" turned its attention back on the media.


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