NBC, CNN Say They're Opening Full-Time News Bureaus in New Orleans

[cal04]

NBC, CNN Say They're Opening Full-Time News Bureaus in New Orleans

Anticipating that the Hurricane Katrina recovery will be a big story for months to come, both NBC and CNN said Thursday they are opening full-time news bureaus in New Orleans. NBC News said its bureau will operate out of space at WDSU-TV, its local affiliate, and will help the network and MSNBC originate shows in the city. Brian Williams anchored the "NBC Nightly News" from there on Thursday in advance of President Bush's speech.

Frieda Morris, currently chief of NBC's Atlanta bureau who has been living out of a trailer in Biloxi, Miss., since the storm, will be in charge of the New Orleans bureau. NBC had no immediate details on how many people will staff the operation. "This is not a flash in the pan," acting NBC News President Steve Capus said. "This is going to go into the next year." CNN said it had obtained office space in downtown New Orleans and is moving equipment, journalists and a production crew there soon. It moved up its announcement by a day after NBC made its news.

"The story of the devastating wrath of Hurricane Katrina will unfold for years to come as the coast recovers and rebuilds," said CNN/US president Jonathan Klein. "CNN will be there to cover that story, and New Orleans will be a critical base of operations for us for a long time." The irony is television news divisions have spent much of the past decades shutting domestic and international bureaus to save money.

The announcements also somewhat exasperated their rivals, who say they also have large numbers of people working in New Orleans. ABC News, for example, said it is moving into a more permanent work space in New Orleans. CBS News said it had 200 people in the region at the height of the story. "We have an enormous presence in Louisiana and will for a very long time to come," ABC News spokeswoman Cathie Levine said.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBTTQBRNDE.html

[The empressof all]

1. Good......Hope they watch them like a hawk

They need to hold them accountable. I don't expect much from MSM--but this is a good step.

[0007]

7. I expect even less from CNN - after all they are junior's beacon & call


CNN sucks!

[despairing optimist]

2. Scott McClellan announces hundreds of new jobs for New Orleans

Can't you hear the crowing now?

[goforit]

3. Following orders from Rove again boys?

[KamaAina]

4. Good way to combat Short Attention Span Syndrome

which I fear will overtake this story soon now that King Dumbass** has reassured us that everything is hunky-dory down there.

As a bonus, they just might find that N.O. is a pretty doggone good place to operate a media outlet. Quite a bit of unsung talent down there. A more robust media presence might become a hallmark of the New New Orleans.

[M155Y_A1CH]

5. Before or after the bodycount???

When do they plan to get underway in NOLA, do you think?

Lots in there about reporters in the region though.

[Breeze54]

6. lmao! The media, FEMA and the Red Cross

are the only people IN New Orleans!
ha!
I don't care if they park their travel trailor on Main St!
This morning they reported a "poll" of "refugee's"
asking if they would return to N.O.,
Matt Lauer said,"some say they won't return"
"Some say they won't return..."
but on the NBC website?
I can't stand that vague...
"some say" because it says NOTHING!

THIS is the actual title...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9359357/
Many New Orleans evacuees won’t return
Fewer than half in survey plan to return to city

So? Why not just come out and say it?
What's with the 'spin'?
It wasn't 'some' people!
It is FEWER THAN HALF!
That's a lot!
Spin, spin, spin!

[Javaman]

8. America's own little green zone...

expect nothing but the limited truth from these idiots.

colossal racist failure*.

[Mika]

9. Full time GOP news -- CNN's new lobbyist

Berry Set to Leave DeLay for Time Warner
By John Bresnahan
Roll Call Staff
September 12, 2005

Tim Berry, chief of staff to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, is leaving the Texas Republican’s office to become a top lobbyist for media giant Time Warner.

http://www.rollcall.com/pub/51_20/news/10433-1.html

Berry, 37, will depart DeLay’s office in early October. Brett Loper, DeLay’s deputy chief of staff for floor operations, will take over as the Texas Republican’s top aide.

Berry, who became DeLay’s chief of staff in August 2002, oversaw a turbulent period in the Majority Leader’s political career as DeLay faced repeated allegations of ethics violations, particularly about his relationship with former GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who recently was indicted in Florida on federal fraud charges. The House ethics committee is expected to begin a probe of several overseas trips that DeLay took with Abramoff in the next several months.

-

Berry will become vice president of global public policy in Time Warner’s Washington office. He will report to Carol Melton, a former Federal Communications Commission official and Viacom executive.

Berry will lobby Congress and the Bush administration, as well as help the company interact with federal regulators on a number of policy issues. Chief among those will be the the debate over a new telecommunications bill. Time Warner is the parent company of Time Inc., Time Warner Cable, CNN, HBO, New Line Cinema, Turner Broadcasting System and Warner Bros.

-

Berry said he had no intention of leaving DeLay’s office, but Time Warner officials approached him recently with an offer he couldn’t turn down. “Time Warner is an incredible company and I simply could not pass up the opportunity to join their team. It was the right job at the right time for both me and family,” Berry said.

-

In August 2002, Berry moved up to chief of staff for the then-Majority Whip, and has been a part of the inner circle of House GOP leadership aides that includes such power players as Loper; Dan Flynn, another senior DeLay aide; Scott Palmer, chief of staff for Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.); Mike Stokke, Hastert’s political director; and Brian Gaston, chief of staff to Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.).

[SuperWonk]

10. Agreed....

"I expect even less from CNN"

They would love to be tied to one of the three network channels, but the fact is they can't even compete in cable news.

[AnnInLa]

11. Shit.....Sure hope Fox News doesn't follow suit

nah, they would be too afraid to come to N.O.

[KamaAina]

16. I could see them opening up their bureau in Metairie

right next to David Duke's house, or perhaps in Gretna so they could shoot anyone who tried to come over from N.O.

Of course not everyone in either place is an unreconstructed hood-wearing Klansman, but there'd be enough so the Faux crowd would feel right at home.

[SemperEadem]

12. and what bureaus are they closing to do this?

I wonder where the money came from for them to do this? They're always crying broke, always downsizing their news operations.

[Dulcinea]

14. Time Warner is trying to sell AOL.

If that goes through, maybe that'll help pay for the bureau.

[Gloria]

13. They better FOLLOW THE MONEY...there should be a scandal

of some sort nearly every night....

[SoCalDem]

15. I hope the reporters get hazard pay...and respirators

That dust kicked up will be deadly:(

[SuperWonk]

17. Same old routine -

"and what bureaus are they closing to do this? I wonder where the money came from for them to do this?"

They have shown that they will do whatever it takes to pretend like they are still viable.