NBC renews three

You didn't need Kreskin to forecast that "Medium" would be picked up for another season. But the decisions on "Crossing Jordan" and "Las Vegas," this early at least, were a little surprising. Maybe, though, that's because I'm always surprised when a lame show gets renewed.

Rosie to "The View"

Rosie O'Donnell is going to be announced today as the next co-host on ABC's "The View." Or so says the CBS radio newsperson who just called me for some sound bites.

It's probably a good fit. Rosie was clearly uncomfortable in the rather large spotlight that was cast on her 10 years ago, following the meteoric launch of her live daily talk show. This gives her a chance to return to daytime TV -- which she obviously loved on some levels, and it loved her back -- but without quite the level of intense fame that made it difficult for her to live her life as a gay mom. (No, I don't think anyone will stop watching "The View" because of her sexual orientation; wouldn't you have to stop watching all of daytime TV if you felt that strongly?)

So, does she step into Meredith Vieira's role as informal ringleader? My thought is that she does, and that Rosie will be just as capable a ringleader as Vieira, the difference being that while Meredith uses that controlled manner to control others, Rosie's more likely to use body language and her brassy personality to manage her co-hosts. No one else on "The View" has spent 1,500 hours on the air turning chaos into semi-orderly entertainment. Rosie O'Donnell has.  Seems like the ideal choice to me.

Up against the couch!

Remember that story I reported last month about the fracas involving a TV news crew and the Independence Police?

KCTV-5 is airing it tonight ... yes, it must be sweeps.

The alt-weekly in town got ahold of a tape of that encounter, which was brokered by the Police Complaint Center, and it appears to be a PR disaster for the Independence P.D.

Wiki's worst person in the world

Matthew Sheffield (he of the now-retired RatherBiased.com) calls attention to the dustup over Keith Olbermann's entry on Wikipedia that resulted, briefly, in Robert Cox of OlbermannWatch being banned from posting to the site.

On the jump, my take. By the way, I'm a founding member of Cox's group, Media Bloggers Association, which I belatedly note by adding a link to the MBA page in my sidebar.

Happy Sweeps Month

Which it will be if you hate "Will & Grace" or "The West Wing" or "Charmed" with every ounce of marrow in your body.

It'll also be a happy sweeps month if you want Kath McPhee to win "American Idol." (Call it a hunch.)

Those and many more highlights in my annual May sweep roundup.

Why does PTC hate the V-chip?

That's the question being asked by TV Watch, which seems to be positioning itself as the anti-Parents Television Council. 

While I admire this tactic, TV Watch ought to be careful not to get pulled down to the PTC's level.  I like their work; eventually they'll want to aim higher.

"7th Heaven": Not dead yet

Nikki Finke's column -- which, be warned, may make you blush with her salty opening salvo -- sheds mostly heat about the upcoming launch of the CW. I wished she'd say more about its financial prospects before beginning her litany of smackdowns. All we hear is one anonymous wag quoted saying that the CW stands for the "Can't Win Network." Right, and which bean-counter was that?

Nonetheless, it's worth reading for the few confirmations it does provide. Finke quotes insiders to the effect that the CW, in fact, was a CBS takeover of WB, and she notes the persistent rumor that "7th Heaven" may indeed return has not died yet.

Link: LA Weekly.

The Boss's horn section

If you were watching "Good Morning America" today, you may have seen a couple of familiar heads among the 17-piece band Bruce Springsteen has assembled for his jubilant folk-rock-swing-zydeco-country CD/DVD, "The Seeger Sessions."

That was Mark Pender with the bald head, the trumpet and the plunger mute; and that was indeed "La Bamba" next to him on the trombone. Both are members of the Max Weinberg 7 and Pender's from Kansas City, and a great guy.

Pender had emailed me earlier this month to note in passing that he might be doing "a little Springsteen touring" and that as a result, he would "probably miss my first couple of shows at Conan."  What he didn't say was he was a featured soloist on some of the CD's most exciting covers, "Jacob's Ladder" and "Mary Don't You Weep," nor that La Bamba, who also has never missed a Conan taping, was also in the band.

Anyway, I've stolen our music critic's CD this morning and it is a great ablum. And I would say that even if I weren't providing the Amazon clickthrough

"Gilmore Girls" creator quits

They wanted a two-year deal, the CW offered them one, so:

Link: TV Guide: Team Palladino Says "Goodbye.

Patton Oswalt in the morning zoo with a rifle

It's been a while since I checked in on comedian and "King of Queens" regular Patton Oswalt's web site. He's not blogging as fast and furious as he once was, but I found this page, which is a terrific eye into the morose world of morning radio (think birthday clowns for adults) as well as a guide to the five things you do not want to ask Patton next time he's on your show:

Link: Patton Oswalt | Hey Mr. Deejay, Please Shoot Yourself in the Face.

NBC's plans for May

And the last shall go first, as NBC announces its less-than-underwhelming May sweep plans.

It's a floor wax ... and a dessert topping

God-Bless-C-SPAN has done the impossible. It's merged my three loves -- reading, television, and transportation. Presenting: The Book TV Bus.

Link: Book TV.org.

Talk about good wood

I dunno.  Is it me or is there some kind of subliminal Viagra ad embedded in WGN's new on-screen logo for the World Series champion White Sox?

Omigod, he killed Kenny!!

I was about halfway through Michael Wolff's dismemberment of the White House Press Secretary in this month's Vanity Fair last night when the sandman called. This morning, I awoke to the news that Scott McClellan had resigned.  But Wolff's analysis -- which, my headline notwithstanding, probably did not lead to today's news -- still is worth reading because it speaks to the larger communication problems the Bush Administration has had with the unconverted souls of the American public. Which is to say, most of us.

Link: VANITY FAIR : FEATURES : GENERAL.

Big, big fat news

Ted Kennedy's going to appear on a late-night TV show in something other than the monologue.

Much ado about "South Park"

Dear Aaron:

I live in St. Louis, and my boss is a big liberal, so I have to listen to Paul Harris on KMOLeft on the work radio piped through the office (mysteriously, he switches stations from 11-2, but that's another story).

Anyway, while I agree the FCC fine/Christian Fundamentalists issue is worthy of scorn, why haven't you cracked on Comedy Central for caving to threats from Muslims and censoring "South Park" and the recent Muhammad episode? All Trey and Matt were doing was satirizing the cowardice of the media over the Danish cartoons. I thought you were all for freedom of speech and satire, or is it only allowed for Jon Stewart?

Sincerely,
Ed Reichert

NBCer goes public

Bret Marcus has been news director of Channel 4's ... WRC in Washington and WNBC in New York. Now he's running "California Connected," the weekly newsmag produced by ... four public TV stations in the Golden State.

This item reminds me to remind you to set your TiVos for "California and the American Dream," a terrific four-parter airing now on better PBS stations. (In Kansas City an auction is delaying the premiere till May 8.)

It was that or "Michael Phelps Goes To Jail"

Last year rocker Tommy Lee "went" to the University of Nebraska (or at least within a few feet of the campus). This year it's Olympic medalist-good guy Joey Cheek's turn.

Finally, Nets To Sue FCC

What a great way to end the week:

Link: Nets Take Indecency Fines to Court - Broadcasting & Cable.

You may recall the week began with Sen. Ted Stevens authoring an intriguing editorial in an industry daily declaring the government should stay out of the content business. It's almost as though he were sending a cue to the networks.

The most heartening part of this story is that the networks are (a) throwing around the word "unconstitutional" to describe the FCC's March 15 indecency rulings, (b) aligning themselves with the 2000 Playboy case, which found that cable was exempt from indecency rulings because there were "less onerous" ways to regulate content than ham-fisted government enforcers.

 

I just hope the networks -- who rely on the goodwill of Congress -- have the stomach to fight this thing as far as they need to, and that this is the beginning of the end for Pacifica.

Earlier: FCC -- the definitive tirade.

And on the jump, Brent Bozell gets spittle on my glasses. (The fact that Hearst-Argyle, one of the most respected local ownership chains, is involved signals the beginning of the end of PTC's influence.)

Sing along with Mitch...

...and follow the bouncing email.

Sorry if you tried to email me this evening -- I switched domains and forgot to update my mail servers.

All seems well now.