Yes, advertisers don't care about content. They just care about eyeball count.

Off topic, but gotta say this. I love you Steve and am glad you're the new dood, but it's friday.

YOU GOTTA GET A KITTEH!!!!

"Advertisers turn to television shows that people watch."

You are so naive.

But is that what advertisers want it to be?

I didn't click on the link but I can tell that passage was written by a member of the species Trollus Concernicus. O noes, the advertisers won't like it!

Fail.

Hopefully, MSNBC won't pull a Phil Donahue on us (i.e. cancel the liberal despite good ratings).

The passage you quoted was clearly written by a member of Trollus Concernicus. Their numbers have been on the increase of late.

Steve, I realize corps are most deeply into dollars, but: I can't believe they don't think about the effect various policies (and as abetted by cheerleaders) affect their profitability, ability to make use of foreign markets and labor, etc. It is naive to think they don't have preferences and work to line them up. Please, Kevin had a similar weakness in that canniness area, and I was hoping you'd be shrewder and more "suspicious."

But yes it's great to see Rachel et al up there.

..the partisan lines have never been drawn so neatly.

Well, they were drawn...By Fox News.

Can we please start referring to McCain's houses as his McMansions?

(insert hissing noise here) Wow, quite a few people very critical of Steve's job as a blogger. You should see his posts on TCR. I think they, and all of his posts on WM are brilliant.

"Advertisers turn to television shows that people watch"

Then why is Glenn Beck still on CNN Headline News?

I've always wondered why one network doesn't try to go for a specific high-brow approach. I know there's only so much news that one person can cover in a week, but I always thought that the real way to beat FOX was not to try to copy the, but to out-class them. Sure, have a program like KO's on the air, followed by something like Maddow's. But then, at 10:00, why not have a different program each night of the week focused on a few different areas? Each show could have an individual host, which would allow the people to gather the information they needed. And no, the ratings might not be as high as they could be for KO's show, but if the audience was wealthy, perhaps that might make the difference.

The other night on Countdown, there was a message saying that Countdown is brought to you by Amway. Amway is "owned" by the DeVos and VanAndel families, extremely conservative familes in West Michigan. Richard DeVos ran for Gov of Michigan, and is considering another run, His wife was the chair of the MI GOP. If they are willing to sponsor the show, that proves the point.

brian stick to trolling...

stick with what you know...

I already grow tired of you, and will not tolerate your whining foolishness. I see why Steve banned you before, and don't be surprised if it happens again. --Mod]

Chris Matthews is not politically baffling. He identifies weakly with the Democratic party, hence can potentially say something nice about Obama. But his true allegiance is to the Village and his image as a regular "non-partisan" guy who would love to drink beer with George Bush and hates Al Gore. Therefore at the same time he has to slam Obama in order to demonstrate his "objectivity" and what a regular guy he is.

Matthews is a fucking weasel of the lowest order.

I remember one day being shocked, yes shocked when I happened to come accross Olbermann. I knew him well from ESPN, but had long written off being able to find any coverage/commentary on tv/cable news that would not make me chuck the remote at the tv. Love Keith. Love Rachel. Love MSNBC from 8-10.

Steve, where are the blog links? CBR was my lefty blog home page with that convenient list of all my favorite links. You had, by far, the most user-friendly landing page of any in the blog-o-shphere that I have come to rely on.

Lampwick, I think Steve does a decent job overall. But there is this certain "naivete" about the level of darkness of what we fight against that many of the regulars used to dig Kevin over for some degree of good cause. I sensed the air of that in this post. It isn't the worst shortcoming a liberal blogger can have to be sure. (Hmmm, what would be?)

BTW, if you see this shortstop, I have an answer to you about Swan (I am not Swan) and etc. below your question:
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_08/014365.php#1318124

Ah, Kevin, you libreals never seen to laern. Americans don't go in for pontificanting blowhards when choosing media oultets. They want a sensible, evenhanded coverage of events that matter. Outright partisashnip on the airwaves would never sell.

"Egbert" the pretend troll (we need a cute name for such critters - is it out there? BTW Al had his share of "tribute" writers, didn't he?) shat forth in presumptive sheer sarcasm:
"Outright partisashnip on the airwaves would never sell."
Heh, it is amazing how Faux could get so far doing just that, or is it? What really shows their audacity is their motto "Fair and balanced."

And perhaps CB won't be able to silence me on this blog like he did on his last... perhaps -JRS Jr

Weren't you already slapped once today for this?

Nothing gets a mod to ban someone faster than a substance free taunting comment.

...I always thought that the real way to beat FOX was not to try to copy the, but to out-class them. -Brian

The Target approach to Wal-Mart. It might work, but from what I see on TV, and I watch far too much of it, high-brow just isn't in demand.

WORD IZ STEVE HAS KITTEH. LETZ SEE NOW!!!!

Yeah, advertisers don't want any of that dirty liberal money....
Wait a minute, what liberal money? Besides Soros, of course.
And this was in the New York Times. Whatever dirty liberal money there is, they have the prime share.

And Brian, Maddow continues on Air America. Which puts her one up on Limbaugh.

Sorry, it was JRS, not Brian. Begin as you mean to go on....

If pigs fornicating drew ratings, advertisers would flock. Donahue's cancellation is a rare exception.

One day, probably in Q2-09, Glenn "Roid Boy" Beck will follow Tucker, Savage, even the original drug-addled gasbag Limbaugh, into cable show history, never to be seen again.

MSNBC - ITS ABOUT GO%%&MNED TIME you gave Maddow a shot at the timeslot following "Countdown." Abrams "The Verdict", as entertaining as it can be at times, was a good placeholder, and giving Maddow her own show will be a good test to see if Olbermanns' ratings indicate a sustainable, transferable pool of viewers (particularly those in the highly sought-after 18-34 demographic).

The Amway ads are so cute. Pretty pictures, a new name, same old Ponzi scheme.

"I always thought that the real way to beat FOX was not to try to copy the, but to out-class them"

Outclassing FOX is like outrebounding my grandmother...and she's dead.

Hey Steve:

Welcome to your new digs.

Time to run this one (from the L.A Times) up the flag pole for further digging:

"The McCains spend weekends, if possible, in the remote rolling hills of Sedona. Their 15-acre compound features a modest residence and several guest cabins beside a creek sheltered in a verdant box canyon. The assessed value is $1.6 million."

Here's my problem with that: if that assessed value is supposed to represent market value (that varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction), then it's a joke. 15 acres in Sedona "in a verdant box canyon" with a creek with no buildings at all has to be a steal for 1.6 million, so somebody's doing somebody a huge favor.

Rob @ 3:59, scroll down to the bottom of the main page. There's a drop-down box on the left called 'Blog Role' that has all the links.

Including one to...(sniff)...to...The Carpetbagger Report...(sob)....

I'm sorry...I can't go on...must sit down...just for a moment...

I'm not sure it is assured that advertisers only follow ratings. It remains to be shown whether advertisers have gotten over their fear of the same Republican strong-arm techniques that cowed the MSM; the threat of "boycotts" (yeah, those righties dig that free speech concept) used to work all too well with squeamish advertisers. I sense they may have overplayed that and it will no longer work like it once did, but I'd like to have more proof.

1) Did some posts get deleted or where did I miss all the fun and games with my ol' pal Jr?

2) Where are people dissing Steve's blogging, other than one relatively miled NeilB post above?

"(insert hissing noise here) Wow, quite a few people very critical of Steve's job as a blogger. You should see his posts on TCR. I think they, and all of his posts on WM are brilliant."

-Katie Chop

/signed

I recently found TCR and over the past 2-3 months I can safely say that Steve has a talent for pointing the hypocritical and is able articulate brilliant commentary that is biting and makes his point. Steve takes a "no non-sense" analytical approach peppered with precision humor for effect. He definitely brought a loyal TCR reader over to WM. Keep it up Steve.

(and I forgot (3): really, no need for kitties. honest. although my dog likes them. for lunch. dogblogs are fine. Steve needs to get a sled dog - a whole team of 'em up where he's at!)

Posted by: newtonsthird The other night on Countdown, there was a message saying that Countdown is brought to you by Amway. Amway is "owned" by the DeVos and VanAndel families, extremely conservative familes in West Michigan. Richard DeVos ran for Gov of Michigan, and is considering another run, His wife was the chair of the MI GOP. If they are willing to sponsor the show, that proves the point. Posted by: newtonsthird

Kerby,
I am in MI as well, but I distinctly heard Countdown brought to you by Amway. This would not be a regional thing, I don't think. Amway just wants to open a new market, seeing that the GOP isn't growing, and that Countdown does so well in the demographic advertisers want.

I kind of "tune out" when that commercial starts, so maybe they do call it Amway (though I do recall that they rebranded the company when they got into that legal trouble a while back). But I still suspect that they're trying to bring about some respectability to "the brand" to prep for another politcal run.

I can't see them advertising for "sales" with a younger demographic, since their only real product is a franchise --- AMway has always been a pyramid scheme. But then again, maybe they figure that all "young liberals" are stupid and might buy into the ponzi !

Someone ought to buy some KO time to remind viewers that Blackwater aka Eric Prince is ALSO part of the DeVious family.