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Politics : Just the Facts, Ma'am: A Compendium of Liberal Fiction -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (25888)	1/11/2005 3:55:00 AM
From: Sully-	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 90947

LOL! We are not worthy!

To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (25888)	1/11/2005 6:30:43 AM
From: Hope Praytochange	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 90947

Report Drives Ratings Down, But Financial Effect Is Minimal By Frank Ahrens Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, January 11, 2005; Page A09 A report detailing "serious and fundamental deficiencies" in a CBS News report of a disputed story involving President Bush's National Guard service has already caused damage to third-place CBS "Evening News" ratings, driving down its appeal to advertisers. However, the findings have had little financial impact on CBS's parent, entertainment giant Viacom Inc., blunted by the small part CBS News plays in the media conglomerate's disparate holdings and the popularity of the CBS Television Network, which is the highest-rated. Yesterday, CBS released the results of a three-month investigation into the Sept. 8 "60 Minutes Wednesday" (formerly, "60 Minutes II") broadcast, in which "Evening News" anchor Dan Rather reported that President Bush received favorable treatment while serving in the National Guard during the Vietnam War. The story was found to have been based on falsified documents, though CBS defended its evidence for some time, and it has resulted in four firings. For nearly a decade, Rather's "Evening News" has languished in third place in the ratings, following ABC and NBC, whose "Nightly News" broadcast typically has been the top-rated, helmed by Tom Brokaw until he stepped down last year. In the weeks following the Sept. 8 report, ratings for CBS's evening newscast dipped and then flattened out, said Leslie Moonves, Viacom co-president. The drop in ratings meant that CBS "Evening News" and other CBS News programs had to give advertisers more commercial time to make up for lost audience numbers that are guaranteed in contracts, said John Rash, a television advertising buyer with Campbell Mithun. And it couldn't have come at a worse time, Rash said. "The irony is the report aired on '60 Minutes II,' and yet with Dan Rather being the public personification of the problem, its effect has been most noticeable on the 'CBS Evening News,' " Rash said. "They have not been able to regain much traction and most importantly have lost a key opportunity to erode NBC's ratings lead in the wake of Tom Brokaw's departure." For the last week of 2004, NBC's "Nightly News" was seen in an average of 8.4 million households, with ABC's "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings" second at 7.7 million households and CBS's "Evening News" at 6 million households, according to Nielsen Media Research. A 30-second ad on a network evening news broadcast typically costs about $50,000, one-tenth of what a 30-second commercial can go for on a top-rated entertainment program, such as CBS's "CSI." "The [overall] economic hit was not a great one," Moonves said. " 'The Early Show' and the news magazines make more money than the evening news." Ad revenue from the "Evening News" accounts for only about 10 percent of the total revenue of the CBS News division, Moonves said. Viacom -- which also owns Paramount Studios and theme parks, Infinity Broadcasting's 200 radio stations, an outdoor advertising division, 39 CBS and UPN television stations, the CBS and UPN networks and several cable channels, such as MTV and Nickelodeon -- reported $16.2 billion in revenue for the first nine months of 2004. The television division -- which includes advertising sold on CBS News as well as on shows on the CBS and UPN networks -- accounted for $6.3 billion of the sum, or about 39 percent. The 39-station television group is among the most profitable of Viacom properties. Viacom stock responded to the release of the report by inching up yesterday, closing at $38.51 per share, up 43 cents.