Free Republic

Amid the voluminous coverage on the “big three” networks of ABC, CBS, and NBC this week on the start of the hush money trial brought by far-left Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg against former President Trump, Tuesday’s CBS Mornings whined not enough Americans care about this trial....like ABC’s Good Morning America, who was tickled pink about Trump suffering. CBS News legal analyst Rikki Klieman had just finished explaining why this Trump trial is “significant because it’s first” and “is a solemn day in court when you put a former President...on trial” when co-host and Democratic donor Gayle King kvetched about...

They had been waiting for the longest time. During a televised Billy Joel concert on Sunday night, enraged fans slammed CBS for cutting it off in the middle of one of the hitmaker’s most popular songs. CBS was broadcasting the 100th concert of Joel’s residency at Madison Square Garden. It was slightly delayed due to the network’s coverage of the Masters golf tournament, which caused the snafu later.

Sunday night (April 14) was slated to be a triumphant first for Billy Joel. After half a century in the music business, the Piano Man was headed to prime time for his first-ever broadcast network concert special, The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden – The Greatest Arena Run of All Time. Announced during this year’s Super Bowl and taped on March 28 during Joel’s 100th consecutive performance at the legendary New York city venue, the show was slated to run from 9-11 p.m. on CBS. Unfortunately, the network’s live coverage of the Masters golf tournament pushed back the...

CBS News Confirmed, launched late last year, is focused on tackling misinformation, including the growing scourge of deepfakes and photos, videos and audio created by generative artificial intelligence. Now, Mahtani will be tasked with figuring out how best to bring its reporting to TV, digital and social platforms. Segments will run on CBS News programs leading up the the 2024 election, and a dedicated streaming show is planned for later this summer. “CBS News Confirmed is the right initiative at the right time,” Mahtani said. “We are witnessing an onslaught of misinformation that makes it harder for people to distinguish...

CBS’s “Face the Nation” that the Senate will press President Joe Biden over multiple airstrikes against Houthis in Yemen without congressional approval. Partial transcript as follows: MARGARET BRENNAN: And we have one of those, a- agencies with us later in the program, though far smaller than the 13,000 employees of the UN. President Biden has talked about these U.S. strikes on the Houthis continuing. I know you have some issue with that.

March 3 (UPI) — This weekend’s edition of Saturday Night Live opened with a comedy sketch mocking defenders of U.S. President Joe Biden’s age, energy, and acuity. The 5-minute segment showed CNN anchor Dana Bash (played by Heidi Gardner) interviewing California Gov. Gavin Newsom (Michael Longfellow) about polls that suggest many Americans don’t think that Democrat Biden, 81, is sharp enough to lead the country for another four years if he wins re-election in November against presumptive Republican candidate and former president, Donald Trump, 77. The sketch also includes on-camera remarks from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (played by...

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday morning. Host Margaret Brennen had asked Secretary Mayorkas if the illegal alien who killed Laken Riley should have been deported. He never answered, but instead deflected the question. Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student, was brutally murdered by one of Joe Biden’s illegal aliens. Biden won’t say Laken Riley’s name either. “Should this man have been deported?” Brennen asked Mayorkas. “One individual is responsible for the murder, and that is the murderer,” Mayorkas responded. “Are you saying there that the Federal Government had been informed about this...

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that the federal government was not notified about previous arrests by the suspect in the murder of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student. Partial transcript as follows: MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you about a- a criminal case that has become a political rallying point. You heard Donald Trump use this phrase, “migrant crime”. A 22 year old nursing student—I know you’ve been following this—Laken Riley, in the state of Georgia, was murdered allegedly by an undocumented Venezuelan migrant. The suspect had been detained by...

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna (Calif.) suggested Sunday that President Biden “do something bold” and call for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza as support from his base appears to be wavering. CBS News “Face the Nation” anchor Margaret Brennan presented polling showing nearly twice as many Democrats rate Biden’s presidency as fair or poor compared with Republicans who say the same about former President Trump and claimed the president is “having a problem with his base.” “And that’s why I think he needs to do something bold … this is a problem,” Khanna said Sunday. “But if he can turn it...

CBS and parent Paramount Global are being accused of “blatant” discrimination against a white, heterosexual male freelance writer as it imposed stringent diversity rules for writers on its “SEAL Team” series, according to a federal lawsuit. Brian Beneker, a script coordinator and freelance scriptwriter for CBS’ “SEAL Team,” was unlawfully denied a staff writer position due to his race, sex and sexual orientation, according to the complaint, filed Thursday in US District Court of Central California. Beneker, who became the script coordinator in 2017 on the pilot episode of “SEAL Team,” a drama about the pressure on a group of...

The CBS News boss who signed off on the controversial ouster of Catherine Herridge — a respected Washington correspondent who has been embroiled in a high-profile First Amendment case — is nevertheless being honored with a free speech award next month. CBS News president Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews was selected by Radio Television Digital News Association to be among 13 honorees at the 33rd annual First Amendment Awards at The Watergate Hotel in Washington DC on March 9. The irony was not lost ... “The RTDNA must be tone deaf to give Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews and CBS News an award for the First...

CBS News has returned the notes it seized from a high-profile reporter the network fired for 'investigating Hunter Biden' .. ... SAG-AFTRA, the CBS workers' union, called the seizure of her notes 'completely inappropriate' and 'very unusual'. ... CBS News has returned the notes it seized from a high-profile reporter the network fired for 'investigating Hunter Biden.' Catherine Herridge, a veteran reporter covering national security and intelligence, was among the hundreds of CBS employees who were laid off by parent company Paramount last week. Herridge covered investigations into the Biden family, and the network seized her personal notes after her...

When top investigative reporter, Catherine Herridge, was laid off at CBS, a lot of heads were shaking. Her layoff made no sense, she was their best performer, their most credible news reporter, the only reason they weren't completely dismissed as a woke and politicized "narrative" and "talking points" outlet. ABC News and NBC News could make no comparable claims, and MSNBC and CNN, not to mention, NPR, certainly could not. But, yeah, they got rid of her, just as she was uncovering some incredible political stories in an election year, including new stories about Hunter Biden's laptop and Joe Biden's...

Below is my column in The Hill on the trouble brewing at CBS over the seizure of the files of acclaimed investigative reporter Catherine Herridge. The column broke the story on the uproar over not just her being laid off but her being locked out from her files. I am now hearing from CBS sources that the network is moving toward a resolution to turn over the files after the outcry. However, the concerns over Herridge’s firing and the network’s handling of her confidential notes continues to draw fire from journalists and commentators. The union issued a statement (below) after...

As we reported, Catherine Herridge was fired from CBS during a bloodbath of them cutting hundreds of employees. Her firing got the most attention because of her excellence in reporting and the suggestion that it was more than just a layoff when it came to her being let go, just after she'd been reporting on the Hur Report. That suspicion grew louder when it was learned that CBS had also seized Herridge's files, computers, and records, which included her "privileged sources." According to George Washington law professor Jonathan Turley: "The timing of Herridge’s termination immediately raised suspicions in Washington. She...

The acclaimed CBS reporter who was investigating the Hunter Biden laptop scandal before she was fired last week had her personal files seized by the network in an “unprecedented” move, sources told The Post on Thursday. Catherine Herridge — who is the middle of a First Amendment case being closely watched by journalists nationwide — was among 20 CBS News staffers let go as part of a larger purge of hundreds of employees at parent company Paramount Global. Her firing had stunned co-workers, but the network’s decision to hold on to her personal materials, along with her work laptop where...

CBS News has reportedly “seized the files, computers and records” of fired investigative reporter Catherine Herridge, including information on privileged sources. “The network grabbed Herridge’s notes and files and informed her that it would decide what, if anything, would be turned over to her,” George Washington University law Professor Jonathan Turley reported at the Hill on Thursday. “The files likely contain confidential material from both her stints at Fox and CBS.” As part of a restructuring drive to boost profitability, CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, announced layoffs of hundreds of staffers last week, including Herridge. The firing of Herridge, who...

CBS reportedly seized files from Catherine Herridge, the network’s recently laid-off senior investigative correspondent. This action included materials that may reveal information about confidential sources, according to an article by Jonathan Turley, Shapiro Chair of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, in The Hill. Catherine Herridge, an Emmy-winning and nominated reporter known for her work on national security and intelligence, was among the 800 employees Paramount Global laid off in a bid to streamline operations amid financial strain. Her firing has since escalated into a broader controversy. In his article titled “CBS faces uproar after seizing investigative journalist’s files,”...

During Sunday’s broadcast of CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) voiced his disapproval of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership. Clyburn, a confidant of President Joe Biden, argued Netanyahu’s leadership had been bad for Israel. However, he would not go as far as to say Biden agreed with him about Netanyahu. “When it comes to Israel, should he stick with his position on Prime Minister Netanyahu or perhaps rethink that relationship?” “Face the Nation” host Robert Costa asked.

Audacy, the radio and podcast giant, it filed plans for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to reduce its debt. The restructuring agreement will allow Audacy to slash its total debt load by 80% to about $350 million from around $1.9 billion ... Audacy , the radio and podcast giant, said Sunday it filed plans for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Texas to reduce its debt. The restructuring agreement will allow Audacy to slash its total debt load by 80% to about $350 million from around $1.9 billion ... The Philadelphia-based company owns hundreds of radio stations and is one of the...