THIS IS CNN: Don Lemon goes berserker on Kaitlan Collins

It’s also part of getting older. Once I find podcasts (I probably listen to 4 hours of pods a day, in my house and in my car) that I like, I generally don’t unfollow them unless I’ve gone 9 months without listening to them.

I’ve added TWO podcasts in the last year. That’s it.

Unless someone really knows me, their podcast suggestions get a nod and “thanks” out of me.

As for FNC, this is a critical hire. O’Reilly made that hour appointment TV for conservatives for 15 years. We’re back to Trump liking being the nominee (I still can’t believe it — DeSantis is now eyeing 2028 even if he runs as that’s a smarter long term play as there’s no way Biden loses to Trump). FNC can’t have a bad hire in this spot. But even if they do, they’ll have a larger audience in prime than CNN and MSNBC.

 

Doocy is 66
I could see him retire, Fox move Kilmeade to 8 and move Will Cain and Pete Hegseth up to Fox & Friends from the weekend show

 

Heh. If you had told me in 1976 that in 2023 I could have a TV three times bigger and three times sharper for half as much money (1/9 as much money in 2023 dollars) . . .

 

A metric I’ve figured out in the 20 years since I left sports for news.

Small Market: I made $2 in salary for every viewer we had on my PM newscasts (per year). Made $50k and we had 25,000 viewers.

Medium Market: $2.75 per viewer.

Largish Market: $7.80 per viewer. Good for me NOW. Not necessarily good for me long-term. (I work my ass off trying to turn this place around but the culture is tough.). Given my comp / ratings ratio, I’m quietly building my life raft to become Ace Rothstein.

Always know your value on cost vs. ratings.

What did Don Lemon add for his millions for an audience of, what, 300,000? Carlson had about 3 million viewers and then factor i. His salary. If Carlson had O’Reilly’s numbers, I bet he’s still there.

 

Hell, FNC could call me, pay me 600k and I’d give them interesting TV from a Romney Republican point of view but they wouldn’t want that. It would be sincere and high-energy but it could still be respectful and accurate. But they wouldn’t want that.

Wouldn’t slap anyone’s asses and won’t try to bag an intern.

There are a lot of people who could do this job for FNC and do it really well — but all the networks seem to have this tiny pool of people to pick from. Jesse Watters is the prime example — he has no actual TV talent but those old ladies who watch FNC love him. Good

 

And I thought our $750 Curtis Mathes was state of the art.

(Suns-Celtics 1976 NBA Finals sure did look sweet, though, compared to our previous TV).

Check out our groovy wood paneling (I still like it, dammit).

 

Watters seems next up - but he's so weak. They need someone who has what passes for gravitas and speaks with authority - who doesn't come off as unhinged. They have people like Hemmer and John Roberts - but they aren't nutty enough. They have people nutty enough - but withouot the clout.

Maybe they end up drafting former real worlder and congressman Sean Duffy.

 

He’s atrocious.

But it’s hilarious in that he is a cockroach. Survives as the more talented people self-destruct.

 

How did Page Six not see the Tucker firing coming?

 

I'm honestly not sure what Don Lemon's skill set might be. Or his appeal.

 

Presumably Rupert wanted a rapid unplanned disassembly. So, no leaks.

I have the feeling that, a la Succession, there was some sort of weekend come-to-jesus with the sons at which it was decided to heave Tucker overboard.

There are more lawsuits ahead, and maybe the FoxNews / NewsCorp braintrust feels the need to clean house.