tw16p11.qxp 4/16/2009 4:16 PM Page 1 MARY TYLER MOORE TELEVISIONWEEK April 20, 2009 11 THE TV ICON GETS NAB’S DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD … PAGE 20 RTNDA@NAB SPECIAL SECTION NewsproTHE STATE OF TV NEWS 2009 VENUE The Las Vegas Hilton will host this year’s RTNDA@NAB conference. TV NEWS’ WEB TAKES FRONT SEAT AT RTNDA 1010MOST Event Aims to Assist in Digital Transition By Daisy Whitney The news directors and journal- ists who convinced their bosses to pony up for even a half-price ticket to this year’s RTNDA’s Cochran POWERFULPOWERFUL Radio and Televi- looks back, sion News Direc- KEY EXECUTIVES MUST STEER ahead. Page 16 tors Association Hearst-Argyle’s conference in Las MEDIA THROUGH ECONOMIC TURMOIL Young honored. Vegas will be Page 18 treated to a heavy BY ELIZABETH JENSEN dose of Web reali- It’s time again for TelevisionWeek’s list of the 10 Most Powerful in TV News. ty at the group’s annual gathering. The gist of this year’s RTNDA This year’s report card comes at an awkward time: Election-year performances can’t be ignored, and yet they already conference, which runs April 19-22, seem a distant memory, as the industry is roiled by the same economic turmoil as the rest of the nation. concurrent with the National Asso- While there are plenty of new characters heating up the airwaves, this year we’ve opted for executives over on-air tal- ciation of Broadcasters convention, ent for the list; they are the ones trying to navigate the downturn in advertising revenues, anticipate where and how fickle is 100% practical—it’s about the viewers want to get their news, and find the programming and personalities that appeal to the national zeitgeist. Web, the Web and more of the Web. Before we jump in, let’s conduct a quick review. The criteria? It’s highly subjective. Ratings count, and so do revenues The actual theme of the confer- ence is “Remodeling the Model: (not that anyone is freely handing out those numbers, but there are plenty of whispers). So does the ability to instill fear in Get Ready for Tomorrow’s Digital competitors or to spark a national conversation no matter how inane (the collective Wikipedia minds define power as “the Platforms,” and most of the ses- measure of an entity’s ability to control the environment around itself, including the behavior of other entities”). And it’s sions center on how news man- worth noting that power can be used for ill as well as good, as Jon Stewart has been reminding CNBC executives. agers and journalists can reinvent Continued on Page 12 Continued on Page 17 NEWSPRO ONLINE: Newspro, TelevisionWeek’s signature section highlighting the state of broadcast journalism, is also available online. Check TVWeek.com’s Newspro section for expanded versions of stories, and use our interactive features to leave feedback and thoughts on these stories along with your story tips and suggestions for future sections. TW MAIN 04-20-09 A 12 TVWEEK 4/16/2009 4:26 PM Page 1 12 April 20, 2009 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO Continued from Page 11 1. NBC News Team Jeff Zucker, president and chief executive officer, NBC Universal Steve Capus, president, NBC News Phil Griffin, president, MSNBC Mark Hoffman, president, CNBC It’s increasingly impossible to sep- arate the parts from the whole at NBC News, so the top spot this year goes to the team led by Jeff Zucker, president and CEO of NBC Universal. With the NBC primetime sched- ule struggling and pilot needs cur- tailed by the move of late-night talk Jeff Zucker Steve Capus show host Jay Leno to 10 p.m., it’s no wonder that Mr. Zucker, a former Roger Ailes “Today” show executive producer, would take a hands-on interest in NBC News: It’s much more fun when have many wondering if the place is ABC News. strategies are having success. about to go off the rails. And then there is the phenome- Under his uber-direction, the non that is Glenn Beck. After a news parts of the empire seem to be decent but far from breakout run sorting themselves out after years of 2. Roger Ailes, on CNN’s HLN, Mr. Beck’s January ill-defined boundaries. president, Fox News Channel, and move to Fox has turned out to be a The company adroitly recovered chairman, Fox Television Stations perfect match of the times and the from the untimely death of Tim Group network; his apocalyptic foaming is Russert, which was both a personal What a difference a few months drawing in the crowds even at the tragedy for his colleagues and a make. Post-election, perhaps the unlikely hour of 5 p.m., and the potentially business-threatening blow temptation would have been to put show is finishing second only to in an election year during which he Fox behind CNN, what with the lat- the mighty Bill O’Reilly. Can Mr. was expected to star. Phil Mark ter’s strong political year. But Fox Beck sustain the intensity, or at this MSNBC has finally gained its own Griffin Hoffman has, quite predictably, roared back. time next year will he prove to be a identity, after taking the full plunge The naysayers who thought FNC Lou Dobbs-ian one-issue wonder? into partisan primetime. Keith Olber- over ABC’s “World News” in the and White House correspondent wouldn’t fare well in an Obama Gawker throws around words like mann’s championing of Rachel Mad- March sweeps. “Today” keeps Chuck Todd is quietly getting queued world obviously aren’t old enough “unhinged” and “mental break- dow paid off, giving the network a steamrollering on: At the end of up, just in case. Attempts to integrate to remember just how much the down” to describe Mr. Beck’s recent fresh if now-verging-on-overexposed March it marked its 55th consecu- reporters from the Weather Chan- network and its viewers reveled in performances, but if there’s anyone voice. “Morning Joe” now regularly tive quarter—more than 13 years— nel—NBC’s newest acquisition—into every Bill Clinton misstep. who can manage on-the-edge per- bests CNN’s “American Morning.” as the top-rated morning show. “Nightly News” are sometimes just Last year, the Fox lineup was as sonalities, it’s Mr. Ailes. Now if he Meanwhile, the broadcast side All this is not to say there aren’t jarring. CNBC, meanwhile, undeni- dependable as ever, if feeling a bit could only figure out what to do of NBC News hums along. Brian some worrying signs on the horizon. ably continues to rake in the money, predictable. But just a few tweaks— with Fox Business News. Williams’ “NBC Nightly News” has Tom Brokaw filled in ably on “Meet but the combination of Jim Cramer’s Alan Colmes’ departure, Bret Baier fended off the ABC News challenge the Press” after Mr. Russert’s death in antics and the departures of Senior in for Brit Hume—have livened and sits comfortably in first place, June, but permanent replacement VP Jonathan Wald and high-energy things up without upsetting the 3. CNN Team with a solid million-viewer lead David Gregory appears vulnerable, “Fast Money” host Dylan Ratigan essential formula. Still to play out Jim Walton, president, CNN is a potentially bigger change, as Worldwide John Moody, who has overseen Fox Jon Klein, president, CNN/U.S. News’ editorial content for more Ken Jautz, executive VP, CNN than a decade, moves up to a cor- Worldwide, responsible for HLN “I call on all Americans to porate post and is replaced by Michael Clemente, recently in from Can a network be classified as bipolar? Despite the overstuffed pundit panels and Wolf Blitzer’s stand up and do what they can “best political team on television” tic, CNN’s election coverage was singled out for a Peabody Award and boosted the network to its best to serve their communities.” year ever in 2008; likewise for CNN HLN (formerly Headline News) and – President Obama, March 31, 2009 CNN.com. If only the flagship net- on passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act work had been able to entice those viewers to stick around. The network’s March numbers were still slightly ahead of last year, Join so CNN is seeing some benefit from the pre-election tune-in. But com- Miss America 2009 Katie Stam petitively, CNN’s primetime stand- Jim Walton ing has plummeted as Fox and and AmeriCorps members Continued on Page 14 for interviews on the importance of volunteering in this time of economic crisis. Monday, April 20 Interviews: RTNDA Booth R413 (Hilton) 10:15-12:15 Photos: NAB Public Service Pavilion (LVCC) from 3:00-5:00 Jon Klein Ken Jautz MISS AMERICA 2009 KATIE STAM NationalService.gov TW001513 3/27/09 1:33 PM Page 1 TW MAIN 04-20-09 A 14 TVWEEK 4/16/2009 4:14 PM Page 1 14 April 20, 2009 TELEVISIONWEEK NEWSPRO appears to have lost some of Ed Bradley and Mike Wallace momentum. Meanwhile, Diane was noticeable. Sawyer’s contract at “Good Morn- Steve Kroft landed a one-two ing America” is due for renewal, punch with the first post-election which has sparked the usual spec- interviews of both the victorious ulation about whether she wants a Obama team and the president- change. elect himself. Scott Pelley drew out Elsewhere on the schedule, Ben Bernanke in the first TV inter- ABC News is coming on strong.