http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/nbc/ en-us Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:04:52 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417679/posts On Tuesday’s Today show, NBC’s Jenna Wolfe singled out Sarah Palin and grouped her with “flabby thighs, cheap men, [and] rude people” as subjects some people chose to ritually “purge” from their minds in an annual event in New York City called “Good Riddance Day.” Participants wrote down their worst memories of 2009 on sheets of paper and fed them into a giant shredding machine to mark the upcoming new year [an audio clip from the report is available here]. The NBC correspondent began her report, which aired 50 minutes into the 7 am hour, by briefly describing the concept... Charlotte Conservative http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417679/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:04:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417231/posts The Society of Professional Journalists condemned NBC News for practicing "checkbook journalism" by chartering a jet that carried a New Jersey man involved in a bitter custody battle and his son home from Brazil. David Goldman, who successfully fought the Brazilian family of his now-deceased ex-wife for custody of 9-year-old Sean, granted an interview to Meredith Vieira of NBC's "Today" show that aired Monday. NBC said Goldman was booked for "Today" before the network invited him on the plane. The network had already arranged for the plane to bring its own employees home for Christmas, NBC News spokeswoman Lauren Kapp... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417231/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:45:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415731/posts Pres. Obama should find time in his busy vacation schedule to drop a palm-trees-and-sandy-beaches thank you postcard to NBC. On this morning's Today, successive network staffers defended the administration's [mis]handling of the Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab matter. First, terrorism expert Roger Cressey [who usually plays it straight], claimed there wasn't enough information to "connect the dots" and move young Umar from the "watch list" to the "no-fly" list. Really? The guy's father, a respected international banker, was so concerned about his son's extremist Islamist views that he took the unusual measure of personally contacting the US embassy with a warning.... NewsBusters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415731/posts#comment Sun, 27 Dec 2009 15:04:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414705/posts "REPLY OF THE APPELLANTS TO THE OPPOSITION TO THEIR MOTION FOR ORAL ARGUMENT Opposing our motion for oral argument the appellees assert in a quite conclusory fashion that all three reasons of Rule 34(a)(2) are met here. (Doc No.12200734) The first prong that they assert is true here is that the present appeal is frivolous. This is so because the judge below found that the case was frivolous. That finding, based largely on “blogging and twittering” and “vetting” on the Internet by America’s “vigilant” people, was not supported by any actual legal authority. In fact the assertion by the judge... Scribd http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414705/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:30:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413873/posts The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver is going to be a financial disaster that should serve as a wake up call to sports executives ...spending on sports sponsorships and advertising--is very bad. NBC... is going to lose about $200 million on Vancouver... Over the past five years the operational costs of the 2010 Winter Games has mushroomed from $1.3 billion to almost $2 billion. Vancouver is going to take it on the chin as declining sponsorship and tourism revenue ... Forbes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413873/posts#comment Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:53:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413630/posts Does Keith Olbermann have some special appeal to bad mothers? The question arises in light of a TV ad for something called FloTV that aired this morning. A mother is giving dinner to her kids when she glances at the clock, notices it's shortly before 6 PM, and proceeds to dump the kids plates and toys, pour a bag of flour on the table and . . . throw a glass of milk in her son's face [see still shot after jump]. Cut to shocked coming-home-from-work hubby at the door. Mom informs him "I just need an hour." Cut to... NewsBusters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413630/posts#comment Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:58:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413505/posts Update 9:09AM: As of very recently, NBC Washington has taken DOWN this post in response. Thank you NBC for this first step. We anxiously await your written response as well. Thanks to everyone for your action. As a DC area resident and WV native, I am outraged at the recent insulting and downright offensive “news” article from NBC Washington titled “West Virginia Discovers the Internet“. In this not even remotely humorous piece, Chris Needham mocks WV in over-the-top obnoxious terms for putting all of their vital public records online. In fact, WV is actually one of very few states in... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413505/posts#comment Wed, 23 Dec 2009 03:18:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409373/posts President Barack Obama has agreed to deliver a taped holiday message to the troops on NBC's "WWE Tribute to the Troops" special. The special chronicles the three days that the WWE Superstars and Divas spent visiting military bases and features a special live performance in front of thousands of military personnel. It airs Dec. 19 at 9 p.m. TV Week http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409373/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:47:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408311/posts General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt said Tuesday that NBC Universal will lose an estimated $200 million on the February Olympics. GE is "counting on a tough economy around the Olympics," Immelt said. "It's just a tough time for an event like that," he said, referring to the Olympics as a "no-margin" business. NBCU would post an operating profit increase in 2010, Immelt said, but the Winter Olympics will instead bring a decrease. Speaking on other matters at an annual investor conference, Immelt declined to predict when the government may approve the proposed NBCU joint venture with Comcast. But he expressed... Media Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408311/posts#comment Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:55:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405839/posts Sarah Palin will make a surprise appearance on "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien" Friday night. Security was thick around the NBC stage Friday afternoon, while the former vice presidential candidate was hurriedly rehearsing a skit. Palin, who ensures high TV ratings wherever she goes, was a last-minute booking for NBC. Sources say members of the NBC audience were led outdoors when first Palin arrived for rehearsals in order to keep her appearance a secret from them. Sarah Palin to appear on 'Tonight Show' By Paul Bond Dec 11, 2009, 07:32 PM ET Sarah Palin will make a surprise appearance... The Hollywood Reporter http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405839/posts#comment Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:57:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2405968/posts I want to see Obama’s birth certificate – the full, long-form birth certificate. Not only do I want to see that – I want to see his college records, transcripts, thesis, and all that other garbage that has been mysteriously sealed. Have I gone off the deep end and joined the dark side? No. Not really. In all frankness, I think birtherism is a disgusting cancer on the Republican Party, the conservative movement, and especially the hugely influential Tea Party movement. I have seen more than enough evidence to convince me that Barack Hussein Obama Jr. is indeed eligible to... Race42012 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2405968/posts#comment Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:15:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405181/posts . . .Breitbart is adding to his network of vertical blogs. The newest site to join the Breitbart network is “Big Journalism,” which will launch in January of next year. His target is much bigger than HuffPo — or any other website for that matter. Breitbart is gunning for the institution of mainstream media, or what he calls “the Democratic-media complex.” In an exclusive interview with Mediaite, Breitbart shares his vision for his expanding network of “Big” right-of-center sites . . . Breitbart: “If these traditional media outlets can’t be shamed into telling the truth, diverted for doing the wrong... Mediaite http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405181/posts#comment Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:30:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2404619/posts Too crude? Too absurd? Too biased and racist against white people? Not if you are NBC and Law & Order. In the past, the writers of Law & Order and their "sister" shows like SVU have gone out on the PC limb. If you are of the white race and believe in God, then you too can be the target of Law & Order. If you believe in the right to own a firearm or say that you do not believe in homosexuality, Law & Order writers are aiming a bull's eye at you. Associated Content http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2404619/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:11:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401834/posts Executives at Comcast, the media behemoth looking to buy a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal, have given large sums of money to presidential candidate Barack Obama and Democrats in recent years The Hill reported Saturday: Comcast chief executive Brian Roberts made more than $76,000 in political contributions to Democrats since 2006, compared to $13,500 in contributions to Republicans. Comcast vice president and top lobbyist David Cohen made about $180,000 to Democrats in the same period, compared to $12,000 to Republicans, according to OpenSecrets.org. Newsbusters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401834/posts#comment Mon, 7 Dec 2009 04:19:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401283/posts The proposed merger of Comcast and NBC Universal will be the first big test of the Obama administration’s stance on the hot-button issue of media consolidation. It could also put the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress at odds with a few of their largest supporters. The Hill http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401283/posts#comment Sun, 6 Dec 2009 01:43:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400527/posts The same day Comcast and General Electric announced Comcast would take control of NBC Universal, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts announced his company was supporting the health-care bill currently before the Senate. This is interesting in two ways: First, as Newsbusters points out, this move by Roberts coincides with an announcement of a merger that will likely face anti-trust scrutiny from the same Congress and administration that is pushing the health-care bill. Washington has long used the weapon of anti-trust to extract pounds of flesh from big corporations. One commissioner said yesterday, "My skepticism about the harms imposed by so few... Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400527/posts#comment Fri, 4 Dec 2009 22:05:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400058/posts For General Electric's investors, yesterday's deal to combine NBC Universal with Comcast was more like a burnt-out light bulb than a bright idea. While shareholders were gratified that GE was finally selling off a business that never quite fit in with the company's industrial bent, the deal's details generated Wall Street's version of a big, fat yawn, with shares in GE falling 7 cents to $16 a share. By comparison, Comcast's stock popped 97 cents to $15.91. GE investors' muted response reflected a few factors, sources said. First, there was a sense among many investors that GE waited too long... NY Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400058/posts#comment Fri, 4 Dec 2009 11:38:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2399569/posts Here are five suggestions for how to bring the network back: 1. Part ways with Jeff Zucker -- or at least ban him from any oversight of the network. ... Take out the performance of the broadcast network, and Zucker's tenure at the Peacock has seen plenty of successes (and profits). ... But this story is about what can be done to save the NBC television network. Zucker has done far more harm than good to that part of the business. ... 2. Don't make any hard and fast rules. The last decade at NBC has been marked by a... TheWrap.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2399569/posts#comment Thu, 3 Dec 2009 19:51:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399217/posts After nearly nine months of negotiations, Comcast, the nation’s largest cable operator, finally reached an agreement on Thursday to acquire NBC Universal from the General Electric Company. Neew York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399217/posts#comment Thu, 3 Dec 2009 13:12:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399197/posts Here is a video report on a deal by General Electric announced early this morning that would sell a controlling interest in NBC Universal to Comcast - the nation's leading Cable TV operator. Under the agreement, Comcast would control 51% of NBC Universal, which includes the NBC Network, CNBC, MSNBC, and other entities. Below is a more in-depth discussion of the deal from CNBC's Squawk Box . . . . (VIDEOS) Freedom's Lighthouse http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399197/posts#comment Thu, 3 Dec 2009 12:47:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2398713/posts It was on this day five years ago — December 2, 2004 — that Brian Williams took over the NBC Nightly News desk, succeeding Tom Brokaw. "Whatever success we have enjoyed over these five years is thanks to the people I work with and for," Williams tells TVNewser. "It's thanks as well to the fact that I took this baton from a pillar of class and decency, Tom Brokaw — who anchored this broadcast with distinction for 23 years." TVNewser has learned the anniversary will be noted toward the end of tonight's broadcast. But today, Williams is reflecting on more... TV Newser http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2398713/posts#comment Wed, 2 Dec 2009 20:56:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398313/posts Days after Obama's inauguration, Jeff Immelt, CEO of General Electric, wrote to shareholders: "[W]e are going through more than a cycle. The global economy, and capitalism, will be 'reset' in several important ways. "The interaction between government and business will change forever. In a reset economy, the government will be a regulator; and also an industry policy champion, a financier, and a key partner." Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398313/posts#comment Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:45:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2398157/posts As GE prepares for an expected $30 billion deal that will give control of NBC to cable TV operator Comcast Corp., the conglomerate is shifting its focus back to its industrial divisions. GE is shrinking its finance arm that has been severely buffeted by the financial crisis. It has sold some businesses and shopped others around. And it is chasing nearly $200 billion in stimulus money from worldwide governments, much of it earmarked for such products as medical equipment and wind turbines. This new GE will likely look a lot like GE did before it acquired NBC in 1986. GE... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2398157/posts#comment Wed, 2 Dec 2009 03:29:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398010/posts The National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET-CWA) union has threatened to walk off on NBC's Christmas in Rockefeller Center special due to stalled contract negotiations with the network. Such a move would see the famous Christmas tree go unlit. According to NABET-CWA, which represents nearly 3,000 producers, writers and technicians, the union saw its contract expire in March, with "very little progress" toward a new pact. NABET-CWA says NBC management has grown "increasingly hostile" toward the union. "We can't let the Grinch at NBC steal another Christmas from thousands of honest working people," said NABET-CWA Local 11 President... Broadcasting and Cable http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398010/posts#comment Tue, 1 Dec 2009 23:59:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2397609/posts General Electric Co.'s agreement to buy out the rest of NBC Universal paves the way for it to sell control of the TV and movie company to Comcast Corp. in a deal that promises to reshape the entertainment industry. Comcast is eager to diversify its holdings amid an encroaching threat from online video and more aggressive competition from satellite and phone companies that offer subscription TV services. Although the deal holds the promise that movies could reach cable more quickly after showing in theaters, and that TV shows could appear faster on cell phones, it has already raised concerns that... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2397609/posts#comment Tue, 1 Dec 2009 15:07:09 GMT