The Daily Transom | The New York Observer

Aspiring Restaurateur Antagonizes Everybody

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:20:21 -0500

Last month Bruce Buschel, proprietor of a yet-unopened restaurant in Bridgehampton, wrote a blog post for The New York Times ennumerating "100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do." Behaviors that he preemptively forbade included interrrupting patrons' conversations, reciting the specials "too fast or robotically or dramatically," and mentioning one's favorite dessert ("It's irrelevant").

Now competitors, potential employees, and New York Times commenters alike are irritated with Buschel, reports The East Hampton Star in an article...

Harold Ford? Really?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:36:44 -0500

With Kirsten Gillibrand struggling to connect with voters, and Rudy Giuliani inciting more confusion than excitement about his own candidacy, the rumor mill keeps churning out big-name potential challengers.

Today, Theodore Roosevelt IV is out, and Harold Ford, Jr. is--for the moment, at least--in.

Mr. Roosevelt, a self-described "liberal Republican," was reportedly encouraged to investigate a potential run by former Governor George Pataki and Texas Senator John Cornyn, but ultimately the great grandson of T.R. decided...

Crime Waves: 'The Road to Trouble Was Soft, Grassy, and Green'

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:20:49 -0500

"For Joseph Bruno," writes The Times, "Golf Was Central to Politics and Business."

"And Crime," they neglect to add.

It seems the golf course ("soft, grassy, and green") was Mr. Bruno's venue of choice for unethical activity:

“There must be more golf courses around here than anywhere in the country,” Mr. Bruno’s lawyer, Abbe D. Lowell, marveled last week after yet another witness recounted yet another meeting with Mr. Bruno while playing golf.

For Mr. Bruno,...

Today in Local Sports Coverage: The Anti-Homer Returns

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:12:04 -0500

The Mets (or, really, SNY) made their first big move of the offseason, bringing back retired first baseman and "anti-homer" broadcaster Keith Hernandez, says the Post, according to some sources in the know. Here's hoping it's not the biggest signing they make this offseason.

The Daily News is putting some pressure on the Yankees to make a big offseason move. The paper puts Toronto ace Roy Halladay on the back cover over the headline "ROY...

Items! Sonia in Senate Races, Bloomberg on Palin

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:57:59 -0500

Sonia Sotomayor is surfacing in Senate races.

The Washington Post won't be covering New York much longer.

Steve Colvin--formerly of Maxim, Blender, and Stuff--will be the new president of The Daily Beast.

Obama Effect continues: J. Crew posts big profits.

J.P. Morgan is launching a new "dark pool."

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade adds two avenues.

Got any thoughts on what to do with Pier A?

It turns out takeout can be unethical.

But you'll probably get screwed if you do your...

G.O.P. Turns to a Lehman Man

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:49:00 -0500

How wide open is the Republican field for governor now that no one is pretending that Rudy Giuliani is running?

So open, it appears, that a former Treasury official under George Bush and senior executive at Lehman Brothers reportedly has the G.O.P. brass excited about a potential bid. Emil Henry, Jr., who currently manages the Tiger Infrastructure Partners hedge fund, would seem to be a toxic asset on any ticket, given his financial ties and...

Carla Bruni Has a Type, Maybe

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:31:47 -0500

Can anyone usurp Scarlett Johannson's place in Woody Allen's cinematic affections? Maybe Carla Bruni. Lovely French first lady/fan of funny-looking guys Bruni is apparently in talks with funny-looking guy/fan of lovely ladies Allen regarding an upcoming project.

According to Hollywood Wiretap:

The singer, model and lady of the Elysee Palace told Canal Plus' "Grand Journal" news program, "He asked me to be in his next film. I don't know for what role, but I said yes!"

Last...

Paterson Asks for the Buck to Be Passed to Him So At Least He'd Have a Buck

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:24:55 -0500

This morning, David Paterson sent a bill to the legislature asking them to abdicate their power over the budget and allow him the unfettered authority to slash and burn the state's budget as he sees fit.

"This would grant me, as governor, a one-time authority to balance our budget, preserve our credit rating and keep New York afloat," Paterson said in a four-minute speech webcast speech. "Please note the fate of so many other states...

World Gets Smaller for Celebrity Journalists, Safer for Celebrity Matrimony

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:20:29 -0500

Time Inc. is folding InStyle Weddings, says Gawker. With it, presumably, goes the curse of the InStyle wedding, which ordained that unions featured on the magazine's cover would meet bad...

Chronicle Pounces on Eggers' Panorama

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:18:20 -0500

Issue 33 of McSweeney's--a one-time-only newspaper called the Panorama designed to demonstrate the fun things ink and paper can do--will be released in a couple weeks. The San Francisco Chronicle rehashes this news today, and gets comments from some non-Dave Eggers people involved in the production of print journalism.

It seems old newsdudes may not be totally keen on these whippersnappers' attempt to save the day:

John Sturm, head of the Newspaper Association of America, a...

Prospect Heights Not Dickensian, Still a Slum

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:15:09 -0500

The Court of Appeals is not so impressed with Prospect Heights.

Okay, so it's not as bad as a Dickens' Bleak House, the state's highest court admits, but in a majority opinion issued this morning, six of the judges agreed with the state that the neighborhood is blighted, and that Bruce Ratner should be allowed to take whatever land he needs to build the shinier, happier Atlantic Yards development.

Blight's changed, says the court. The petitioners,...

The Governor's Race 'Will Take Care of Itself'

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:51:37 -0500

According to one of Jimmy Vielkind's sources, state party chair Jay Jacobs told a roomful of Democrats not to worry about the Paterson saga dragging out too much longer.

"This governor's race is going to take care of itself," Mr. Jacobs said, according to the recollection of one attendee. "The fund-raising is going to tell the story. Just wait until January. Continue doing what you're doing, don't get yourself involved. It will take care of...

Today in Local Sports Coverage: Endless Rex

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:21:45 -0500

You're never going to believe this, but the sports sections of your Tuesday tabloids are all about Rex Ryan.

The Daily News actually puts Mark Sanchez on the wood on both sides, but the story is about how Ryan is taking over Sanchez's development after the young signal-caller threw the Jets out of yet another game on Sunday. Ryan, a lifelong defensive coordinator, has said he's going to be more involved in the offense and...

Crime Waves: 'Perchance They Looked at a Boob'

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:07:39 -0500

Andrew Cuomo has filed suit against the United Homeless Organization "just in time for the holidays," writes the Post, saying that the organization is "a scam run by con artists." The UHO charges beggars $15-$25 to rent a table, a jug, and "UHO-branded materials" for a four hour shift, and Manhattan's 50 or so UHO tables create the impression that donations will fund "soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and detox centers." Really, collections provide...

Items! Gender Theory, Carl Kassell and a Pony for Christmas

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:33:18 -0500

Would-be Gillibrand-slayer Jon Cooper postpones his decision.

Naturally, Zooey Deschanel wants a pony for Christmas.

Fomer Jeopardy! champion might be the new Cuomo.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richard still has some of Hasan Nemazee's "money."

The Post on strippers: "While they might shake it, they certainly didn't market it."

Ariel Levy considers Caster Semenya.

Dining trends for the coming year: simple food, local ingredients, eating in, eating healthy, and "regional ethnic."

Kiki Smith is designing a window for the Eldridge Street...

Salon Launches Food Vertical Aimed at Anyone Who Might Go to Their Site

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:02:37 -0500

Salon's new Food vertical takes its place alongside such categories as "News" and "Life" today.

In his introductory post, Francis Lam writes that the section will offer "food coverage for curious people, for people who care about people, for people who are passionate about finding new ways to look at the world, whether they are 'foodies' or people who think foodies' main contribution to our society is allowing us to call wine dorks 'winies." The...

Steve Wynns May Come and Go, But the Aqueduct Is Forever, Apparently

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:57:49 -0500

The Queens Aqueduct sounds like a tremendously depressing place. The parking lots are vacant, the horses race in front of mostly empty stands, and the people who do show up stand inside and watch simulcasts from other tracks.

"This isn't a pretty place," said Donald Rosen, whose horse, Boxitup, finished second in the eighth race that day. "Hopefully, when they get the slots, they'll fix it up and get people to come here."

Is it more...

The Dimon-for-Geithner Countdown?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:19:33 -0500

In the wake of Timothy Geithner's contentious hearing on Capitol Hill last week--when a lone Texas Republican ginned up all sorts of controversy by calling for the Treasury Secretary's resignation--the New York Post comes today with some speculation: Geithner out, Dimon in.

The president certainly likes talking to Jamie Dimon, the C.E.O. of J.P. Morgan Chase. Records show Mr. Dimon visited the White House six times in the administration's first six months, twice as many...

Like Blitz-Time Rationing, But of Story Ideas Instead of Butter and Sugar

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:14:29 -0500

"KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON," commands a World War II-era poster. The well-executed propaganda piece has recently gained popularity among "media and advertising executives" hoping to "propel themselves through this economic downturn," reports today's Times.

But the reader could be forgiven for finding the poster a little familiar, given that back in July the Times Magazine published a piece on the KEEP CALM poster and the manifold imitators it had already inspired. According to the...

Nadler Makes a Late Stand Against the Cooper/Tasini Juggernaut

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:23:42 -0500

In her quest to sew up the Democratic nomination without a primary, Kirsten Gillibrand keeps trotting out the endorsements. Today she announced the support of Representative Jerrold Nadler, who had wondered aloud about Ms. Gillibrand's appointment back in January.

So while Jon Cooper continues to mull a last-gasp primary challenge to Ms. Gillibrand, the junior senator has quietly snagged 17 of the state's 27 House members, and, of course, she has the considerable backing of...

Princess Wins at The Pierre

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:16:03 -0500

Princess Firyal has finally gotten control of her late companion Lionel Pincus's Pierre duplex, reported The Times this weekend. According to the paper:

Jesse Derris, a spokesman for Princess Firyal, said that she was still mourning the death of Mr. Pincus and had not given any thought to what to do with the apartment. "She was always meant to have the apartment," he said.

Brokers said Firyal would need the co-op board's approval to transfer the...

Rosty Pulls Rank on Rangel

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:39:18 -0500

In 2007, Representative Charlie Rangel published a jaunty autobiography: "And I Haven't Had a Bad Day Since." This statement is no longer operative. Since 2007, Mr. Rangel has been accused of a whole host of ethics charges, and this morning's Times finds him "frayed but defiant."

He curses at a jerky conservative activist, sarcastically wonders whether an inquiring reporters is a psychiatrist and, according to the Times' reporters, bears that telltale sign of stress: he's...

AOL Shucks '90s Image in Favor of Goldfish

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:13:56 -0500

In the interest of sprucing up its brand identity, AOL has commissioned a collection of new logos, many of which look like undergrad graphic design projects. They include a goldfish, a "RAWK" hand gesture, and a cloud of pink smoke, all with "Aol." superimposed.

One opinion: old-school AOL can't have been more than a year away from becoming the object of nineties nostalgia. The bleep-bleep-bloop of AOL dial-up is the soundtrack of middle school crushes;...

Crime Waves: Murder on the D Train

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:10:09 -0500

Gerardo Sanchez, the man who allegedly stabbed a fellow passenger to death on the D train this weekend, was either obviously crazy and scary or shockingly un-crazy-seeming and thus scarier. The Post goes with the former version of events, reporting that Sanchez was "wildly disorganized and disoriented," as well as "deeply disturbed, 'eating something, making a mess.'" The Daily News, at least in Michael Daly's column, tries the latter: a "balding, middle-age working man,"...

Today in Local Sports Coverage: Daily News Seizes 'Sob Story'

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:06:32 -0500

Your sports editors had a big choice for the back cover this morning: trumpet the big win, or bury the big loss?

The Post went for the win, celebrating the Giants' first victory since mid-October under the headline "BIG PHEW!" (The Giants blew a 14-point lead, and allowed the Falcons to send the game to overtime, but Atlanta lost the coin toss and the Giants marched down for a field goal on their first drive;...

Paterson Campaign Calls It Like They See It

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:19:29 -0500

The uneasy detante between David Paterson and Andrew Cuomo is over. After months of stories about how badly the White House would like Mr. Paterson to stand down, and months of polls showing how badly Mr. Cuomo would beat him in a primary (the attorney general has yet to declare for the office) the governor's re-election campaign fired its first shot.

"Mr. Cuomo has a voracious appetite for vacuuming up political money and, according to...

Items! 'God's Work,' Even More on the Hipster Grifter

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:12:22 -0500

A grad student surprisingly acquired a large sum of money; unsurprisingly, he lacked the steely real-world survival instincts to keep it.

A.P. writers used spy tactics to get hold of Going Rogue.

Inevitablely, Lucky introduced an online store.

The Newseum's Tim Russert shrine opens.

How the Atlantic and the Economist eneded up with startlingly similar covers.

Goldman Sachs may be "doing God's work," but that doesn't mean you can have a Christmas party.

Maybe Jamie Dimon will invite the Goldman...

The A.P. at Last Stand

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:07:38 -0500

Gawker's Hamilton Nolan owned the week's A.P.-layoffs story, and this morning he took an elegiac tone: "We hope you will all receive much grander tributes to your individual careers than a single line in a Gawker post. Good luck to everyone."

Since it's elegy time, the A.P.'s official online history traces the last 163 years of American history--and the tragic fate of many A.P. writers.

For example:

1876: "Mark Kellogg, a stringer, becomes the first AP reporter...

More Local News, Just Not Here

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:11:25 -0500

Bloomberg reports today on the local news battlegrounds that The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times are currently staking out. Both papers are exploring regional editions in places like the Bay Area and Chicago, to the chagrin of some local papers.

But: where does this all leave New York City?

Earlier this month, The Journal announced plans to add a small local-news staff in the city; meanwhile, The Times' 103-person Metro desk is looking...

As Goes Oprah, So Goes News Corp.

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:06:16 -0500

Public figures of all kinds are aflutter after Oprah Winfrey's dramatic announcement that she's switching to cable. CNN did the thing where someone hands an urgent piece of paper to the anchor, the Daily Beast seems to have created a special "Life After Oprah" section, and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley is already blaming the media. (Felix Gillette has the more sober view.)

Less dramatically, Rupert Murdoch's son James, said that News Corp. will be focusing...

'optimism.' Oh.

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:26:18 -0500

The MTA has been printing the word "optimism" on MetroCards since September, but no one seems to have noticed until The Times did, extensively, this week.

The tastefully lower-case abstract noun is printed in black-and-white sans serif letters. It is the work of artist/graphic designer Reed Seifer:

"I've always loved art that exists in unexpected places," he said recently, near his home in Hell's Kitchen. "I like that maybe not everyone's going to see it. Or...

Schumer Likes What Harry Reid's Cooking

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:24:52 -0500

Chuck Schumer continued his exuberant cheerleading for Harry Reid yesterday, in keeping with his insistence that he doesn't have designs on Mr. Reid's majority leader post. On Morning Joe, he called the Senate Majority Leader "a great, great bringer-of us-together." Then, at an afternoon news conference, Mr. Schumer called Mr. Reid "the impresario, the great chef."

Mr. Schumer then looked down and pointed to his own tie. "I have this tie on here: it has...

Frank Gehry Will Wait to Ascend His Own Tower

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:50:03 -0500

At a topping-off ceremony for his Beekman Tower yesterday, 80-year old architect Frank Gehry took to the podium and made one of those slightly randy jokes that men can get away with when they're 80. Mr. Gehry pointed his finger upright toward the 76-tower residential complex and bluntly proclaimed: "No Viagra."

Mr. Gehry said he will wait awhile to see the view from what will eventually be the tallest residential building in Manhattan. "I can't...

Crime Waves: Saunas and Sexual Harassment

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:10:34 -0500

During a joint hearing yesterday, the City Council's Transportation, Women's Issues, and Public Safety committees concluded that sexual harassment is the "number one quality of life offense on the subway."

Some patterns emerged in the discussion of the problem; for example, it seems rush hours are the most popular time to sexually harass. And, The Times says:

The average perpetrator is a 39-year-old man, while the vast majority of victims are women over 17. “It’s a...

Today in Local Sports Coverage: The Answer Raises a Question

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:07:56 -0500

The back covers this morning prompt a question: Which tabloid do you trust?

They both have Allen Iverson, but the Daily News tell us "TIME OUT: Dolan has reservations," while the Post feels so confident it's actually happening that they put him in a Knicks jersey over the headline "LOOKS GOOD!"

The Daily News gives you more particulars on the situation, how General Manager Donnie Walsh is doing his due diligence, but won't be updating reporters...

Items! Bad Jokes, Good Books

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:54:16 -0500

Did Frank Gehry make a Viagra joke at a topping-off ceremony?

The Blind Side movie made Ken Starr all teary-eyed.

Colum McCann's Let The Great World Spin won the National Book Award.

Meanwhile, Philip Roth was shortlisted for a bad-sex writing prize.

The Times inspires darkening, then repair of a Queens hospital sign.

Goldman Sachs picks 272 new managing directors.

Galleon case keep growing; insider claims a tip from Asia.

George Pataki is still thinking about 2010.

Dan Rather is back in...

Twilight Confessionals

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:02:30 -0500

Because all other vampire angles are exhausted on this, the eve of the second Twilight movie's release, today's hot topic is old and/or smart people who like Twilight in spite of themselves.

The Washington Post writes that "good, smart, literary women" have succumbed with shame-faced lust to the wiles of Stephenie Meyer:

"Twilight" came for the tweens, then for the moms of tweens, then for the co-workers who started wearing those ridiculous Team Jacob shirts, and...

Giuliani News Is News to Ed Koch

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:35:56 -0500

What does Ed Koch think about the Times' report that Rudy Giuliani won't be running for governor?

"That surprises me, because I thought he would be a candidate," he said, after being told of the report. "I believe he would lose, as this is now a solid rock Democratic state. I'd be even more surprised if he runs for the Senate instead, simply because his desire--based on my observation over the years--is to be in...

Special Times: 'The Business of Green'

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:30:14 -0500

Not infrequently, The New York Times supplements its regular offerings with a "special section," a home for special content on special topics or special events-and for the advertisers who want to read about these topics! We will be reviewing these sections in this space.

Today: "The Business of Green."

The section's lead story, "Storm Over the Chamber," concerns turmoil within the Chamber of Commerce. The accompanying photo illustration incorporates a picture of lightning courtesy of Getty...

Murdoch Apologizes, Post Attack$

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:09:39 -0500

Not to worry. Everything is "fine" between your governor and your media emperor.

David Paterson insisted this morning that there weren't any hard feelings about Rupert Murdoch calling him "a very nice and honest man who's blind and can't read Braille and doesn't really know what's going on."

Mr. Paterson said the News Corp. chief handled it "like a gentleman" by calling to apologize yesterday. But that didn't stop the governor from raising the stakes with...

Schumer Shoots Down Majority-Leader Speculation. Also Military Trials, Pheasants

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:28:09 -0500

Morning Joe may be losing its steam, but Chuck Schumer seemed well-caffeinated in a pre-dawn interview this morning, launching into long defenses of Harry Reid, health care, and Eric Holder.

The segment began with Mr. Schumer's least favorite subject: His desire (unstated, hypothetical, overwhelmingly probably) to be majority leader of the United States Senate.

"If I had to pick a guy to run the Senate, and I was a Democrat, it sure as hell wouldn't be...

"Gates" Artist Jeanne-Claude Remembered

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:48:31 -0500

The artist Jeanne-Claude, known for the large-scale public art projects she created with her husband and working partner Christo, died yesterday following a brain aneurysm, according to the AP.

From the couple's Web site:

The art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude will continue.

Christo is dedicated to completing their current works in progress: Over The River, Project for the Arkansas River, State of Colorado, and The Mastaba, Project for the United Arab Emirates, as Jeanne-Claude would wish.

Christo and...

Bloomberg Was 'Mr. Everyman' at Exclusive Paris Restaurant

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:25 -0500

So the mayor went to Paris the weekend after his dispiriting election for a quiet little dinner at Mon Vieil Ami on the Île St.-Louis. No such luck! The maître d'hôtel--and only the maître d' according to the Times--recognized the mayor, and, curiously, the highly exclusive restaurant seems quite happy to talk about its celebrity guest in delectable detail.

The mayor and his party arrived at 7:30 p.m., and he began his meal with the...

Today in Local Sports Coverage: No Joke, Curry Helps Knicks

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:38:33 -0500

Never a dull moment covering Rex Ryan's Jets.

Your beat reporters got another gift yesterday when Ryan strode into his press conference with Kleenex and some prepared notes. Mark Cannizzaro seemed to love it, and--as the Post is wont to do--continues to plant the paper's flag on this story, just in case you forgot who broke this story, exclusively, first, before anyone else.

Rex Ryan brilliantly defused the tsunami of attention that’s engulfed him since The Post...

Crime Waves: A New Criminal

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:23:01 -0500

Today The Times has a detailed account of the Bronx shooting that left a 15-year-old bystander hospitalized. Police believe that "a street version of 'hot potato'" landed 16-year-old Carvett Gentles with the gun--he was the youngest of the group loitering outside a bodega, and unlike his companions, he had no criminal record. Police speculate that revenge motivated the attack; the intended victim, Tyrone Creighton, had brothers on Rikers Island who seem to have been...

Items! Bagel Baron and Bon Jovi

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:47:24 -0500

Bankrupt magazine moves into former space of contracting magazine.

Citi figures out how to slide a bonus by the Pay Czar. (Hint: give it in stock!)

Mayor Bloomberg gives $125 million—approximate cost of a third term—to build roads in other countries.

H&H Bagel baron indicted.

Simon & Schuster sets a date for Karl Rove's Courage and Consequences.

Sarah Palin's "sexist" Newsweek cover was still owned by Runner's World.

State Senators insist they're getting close to agreeing on something.

Next month you...

Rupert Murdoch Makes an Awkward Phone Call to Albany

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:18:31 -0500

Around noon today, News Corp. chair Rupert Murdoch called Governor David Paterson in Albany to apologize for a rather damning remark he made about the governor earlier this week, according to the Daily News.

At Monday's Wall Street Journal's CEO Council, Rupert Murdoch responded to a question about the infantile state of political discourse by saying, in part: "The Governor is a very nice and honest man who's blind and can't read Braille and doesn't...

Tinsley Is Too Busy to be Fake, Says CW

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:11:43 -0500

The Post continues to report on Tinsley Mortimer's reality show shenanigans--this time, though, they play it straighter. An account of her fight with "wannabe socialite Devorah Rose" (which New York magazine says has been in the works for a while) is followed directly by reassurance from the producers:

Says CW exec Justin Rosenblatt of the show, "It's entirely unexpected and in the moment. The storylines all arose organically. We didn't have to steer anyone cause...

Carl Icahn Goes Back to the Movies

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:58:19 -0500

Is Carl Icahn swooping in on MGM?

Nikki Finke says he's buying up MGM bonds like a "bat out of hell," but the bonds are privately traded so her sources can't exactly be confirmed.

There are $3.7 billion in bonds out there, according to Ms. Finke, so Mr. Icahn would have to invest quite a bit to acquire a controlling stake and, perhaps, keep the company out of bankruptcy. And it will cost even more once...

Cooling Ratings for Morning Joe

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:57:27 -0500

Morning Joe's mix of "hard news, politics, [and] intellectual rigor" looked like a good bet a year ago, but now it's "struggling to hang onto viewers," reports Felix Gilette. And its ratings woes come at a pivotal moment for NBC Universal:

Currently, teams of bankers are combing over every detail of the company's books in preparation for Comcast's imminent purchase of NBC Universal. Morning Joe's struggles will not go unnoticed. Perhaps as a result, rumors...