Abc on The Huffington Post

Adam Lambert To Sing On "The View"

2009-12-05T11:33:18Z

NEW YORK — ABC says glam-rocker Adam Lambert will appear and perform on its daytime talk show "The View" on Thursday.

The announcement comes almost two weeks after Lambert's racy performance on ABC's broadcast of "The American Music Awards." That led to Lambert getting axed from an appearance on the network's "Good Morning America."

Charlie Gibson's Final "World News" Broadcast Set For December 18

2009-12-01T15:18:38Z

Charlie Gibson will sign-off as anchor of ABC's "World News" on December 18, the network announced Tuesday.

Diane Sawyer will assume the anchor's chair on December 21. Her "Good Morning America" replacement is yet to be named, but the New York Times reports that she is expected to leave the morning program on December 11.

The Times' Brian Stelter and Bill Carter describe ABC News' planned transition strategy as
"the anti-Katie," noting that by making the move just before Christmas the network hopes for a low-key, quiet transition (unlike Katie Couric's much-celebrated move to the "CBS Evening News").

Gibson announced his retirement in September but the transition date remained unknown until Tuesday.

"We're going to spend a good deal of time during his final week on the air looking back at the stories Charlie covered, hearing again from some of the remarkable people he interviewed, and paying tribute to our friend and colleague, and the enormous contribution he has made to ABC News over the last three decades," wrote Jon Banner, Executive Producer of "World News."

Disney/ABC In No Rush For Oprah Replacement Decision, Will Review Live Performances Post-Lambert

2009-11-30T14:05:14Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co can wait 12 to 15 months before it decides how to fill the gap left by reigning daytime TV queen Oprah Winfrey, who plans to end her talk show in 2011, said Disney/ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney.

"Dancing With The Stars" Finale Ratings Lowest Since First Year: 19.2 Million Watch Donny Osmond Win

2009-11-25T16:44:23Z

NEW YORK — An estimated 19.2 million people watched Donny Osmond win "Dancing With the Stars" – the smallest audience for the show's finale since the first season.

This was the ninth edition of the contest, one of television's most popular shows. The Nielsen Co. says ratings have been down all season for the show, an indication that viewers weren't as attached to the contestants as they had in the past.

Oprah To Interview Obama For Primetime Christmas Special

2009-11-25T15:21:25Z

Oprah may not have made it to Tuesday's state dinner, but she will be heading to the White House after all.

The daytime queen will interview the president and first lady for a primetime special called "Christmas at the White House," which will air on ABC on December 13.

The special will include both a solo interview with Obama and a joint interview with the president and first lady, as well as a tour of the White House.

Oprah interviewed Michelle Obama for O Magazine, and she had dinner with Obama in Washington shortly before his inauguration, but this will be her first interview with Obama since he took office.

Jennifer Vanasco: How Adam Lambert Is Hurting Gay Marriage

2009-11-24T13:38:38Z

Yes, Adam Lambert. You’re right.

Hiphop artists and women get away with salacious performances all the time without an uproar. Of course, there was that famous Madonna-and-Britney kiss that caused a stir, but that was likely because the artists were – well, Madonna and Britney.

And yes, Adam Lambert, your performance on ABC’s American Music Awards this week was not really all that raunchy. A kiss is a kiss, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I could have done without you sticking a guy’s head in your crotch spontaneously, but it happened so quickly, and in the midst of so many other things, that if the dancer didn’t mind, I’m not sure “offensive” is what I’d call it.

What I’d call it, instead, is misguided.

Here’s my problem.

You told Out magazine that you didn’t make a big deal out of your sexual orientation during American Idol once pictures of you kissing a man had been exposed because:

“I don’t understand why it has to be about my sexuality. I’m just not going to talk about it one way or another. . . . And then when those pictures came out, I was like, you know what? I thought maybe I’ll just own it and say, ‘Yeah, I’m gay.’ But I didn’t want to label myself.”

That’s interesting, Adam Lambert. When you were worried about winning a contest, you didn’t want to openly attest to being gay. (And, in fact, your people were worried that you would seem “too gay” on Out’s cover.) BUT, when you wanted to make a splash in public, when you wanted to get noticed – suddenly you were all about gay sexuality.

And so my problem is with the timing.

You see, Adam Lambert, you may say that “I’m not trying to lead the fucking way for the civil rights movement that we’re in right now,” but the fact is that we ARE in a struggle for our civil rights and you are a pop culture figure (thanks in no small part to the support of gays and gay allies.)

We are in a dangerous moment. Our political allies are quickly backing away from us, thanks to losses on gay marriage in California and Maine and the Democratic loss of the governorship in New Jersey.

Whereas just over a year ago it seemed like gay marriage was an inevitable wave sweeping the country - and a tsunami in New England, New Jersey and New York – now it feels like the tide has turned. The hate crimes bill victory was followed by a vicious hate crime in Puerto Rico. We have hearings on ENDA, which could go either way. We have Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell hearings which are being put off until 2010. We have a President who isn’t sure he is our friend.

And what is the mainstream most worried about, Adam Lambert? Why are they afraid of our partnerships, our service to our country, our working lives, our families? They are worried because they think gay life is exactly what you portrayed on the American Music Awards: focused on the kind of sex that turns people into animals (almost literally, in this case, with crawling dancers leading you on leashes), geared toward enticing children (ABC is a network owned by Disney, for heaven’s sake), degrading, rapacious, empty.

This is why mainstream America votes against gays, Adam Lambert. Not because of people who have families and jobs and bills and weddings. Because of people like you, who use sexuality thoughtlessly in order to advance your own agenda, instead of thinking about the very real consequences your actions will have on others’ civil rights.

If you were a private citizen, this wouldn’t matter. But you are not. You are able to be openly gay thanks to people who did, in fact, make it their life’s work to “lead the fucking way for the civil rights movement.” You dishonor them – and you hurt all American gays and lesbians – by pretending otherwise.

Stephen Viscusi: Happy Thanksgiving! This Year It Is No Longer Humiliating To Be Explaining Your Unemployment Around the Thanksgiving Table!

2009-11-24T13:04:09Z

Losing your job is dreadful, no matter what the reason. In this journalist's mind, it is still better than health issues, divorce, or death -- but that's it.

Sarah Palin's new book, "Going Rogue" (HarperCollins) just like my book "Bulletproof Your Job" (HarperCollins) and her interview on "Oprah" and then with Barbara Walters...Palin was asked if Levi Johnson would be invited to the Thanksgiving dinner table... reminded me of how we can get trapped with family during the holidays. Under normal circumstances, this is tough enough for some people. But can you imagine having to explain that you're unemployed to the people you see only once a year? Well not this year!

The truth is the reason you were fired really doesn't matter to anyone else. They really only think of you as "unemployed," "not working," and "still looking." That's how you're defined. Unless you are Levi Johnson, explaining around the dining room table, that you just posed for "PLAYGIRL". Or you are Jon Gosselin of "Jon & Kate Plus 8", and you claim you can't find work, because you are too famous. Now those are great excuses.

A job is how society had to judge us, in the past. Now we are defined on how long we have been unemployed and what methods, or search engines we are using to find work. We talk about how no one responds to our resumes, and about "networking".

I receive hundreds of emails from people who have been fired, and a year ago, many of them told me that the worst part of being fired is having to tell a loved one. Now its second nature, during the rest of the year, you can avoid your friends and extended family for a little while, but you may be coming home to someone that, a year ago you would have found it impossible to tell. It is no longer considered humiliating of having to explain yourself over and over, or worse, having to listen to a well-meaning friend or relative dispense unwanted advice. This year, almost no one at the table has a job, so you are all on a level playing field. The odd person out it is the only person at the table with a permanent full time job! And, they don't want to talk about it, for fear of hurting everyone else's feelings.

The holidays, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year's... all right around the corner. You may have to see friends or relatives you see only once a year. You can't avoid it, and as always, it will be your job -- second only to health, a recent divorce, or death -- that everyone wants to talk about.

Basically, a year ago you were screwed. Now the odd one out, is the only person at the table who has kept their job.

Holiday dinner talk this year is about how to figure out how to navigate monster.com or The Ladders, ...maybe pay your COBRA, and of course everyone loves talking about how they have the best way to do a resume!

Look, there's no one answer for everyone. And in all fairness, in journalism, I have to admit that I've never been unemployed myself, so I am writing from the perspective of the readers of my book, "Bulletproof Your Job"(HarperCollins) my columns and who watch me on TV. They e-mail me every day.

I know it seems like everyone is getting fired, but guess what? Most people aren't. Even with a 20 percent overall unemployment, that still means 80 percent of Americans are employed. So your time will come back. So why act unnaturally cheerful about something that is a dreadful experience? You're still going to have to go through it, but with everyone else you know sharing in the experience, you may find it easier. It can fun, to be in a small house, around a dining room table with people you've known forever having to explain that your boss was an ass :-)

Listen, you think it is bad for you? Let's face it, it has to be worse for our spouse or partner.... however, this year...be "Thankful" that you have your patient family, loving spouse or partner, girlfriend, boyfriend--and friends. I always close with some unconventional advice today...consider praying.

Copyright 2009
Stephen Viscusi
May be reproduced without permission of author, as long as author gets credit
Stephen Viscusi is the host of the upcoming TV show "The Headhunter From Hell".
Stephen Viscusi is the author of "Bulletproof Your Job" (HarperCollins) and can be reached at Stephen@viscusi.com. Visit his website @http://www.bulletproofyourjob.com, Follow me on Twitter @workplaceguru and add me on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Nicole Fox Is America's Next Top Model: Who Are Colorado's Reality TV Stars? (PHOTOS, VOTE)

2009-11-19T16:05:21Z

With the victory of a Colorado native on America's Next Top Model Wednesday night, we thought we'd take a look at Colorado's reality TV stars, past and present.

Colorado has quite the impressive array of reality contestants, chefs, bachelors/bachelorettes, models and singers all vying for their 15 minutes of fame.

Take a look at the different reality TV stars who call Colorado home, and vote for your favorite:

Follow HuffPost Denver on Twitter and become a fan of HuffPost Denver on Facebook!

ABC Ratings Best In Over A Year On "Country Music Awards" Boost

2009-11-19T10:19:02Z

NEW YORK — Country music helped ABC to its best ratings week in more than a year.

The network, which narrowly lost to CBS for the distinction of America's most popular TV network last week, aired the Country Music Association awards to 17.2 million people, according to the Nielsen Co.

Linda Franklin: Since When Did 40 Become Old?

2009-11-18T12:45:18Z

Since when did 40 become the cross over to old age? Now that I am well past my fourth decade, hearing that 40 is old seems pretty ridiculous to me. But, I do remember when I was 45, feeling like I had stepped over the aging threshold. I think that all the negative spin about reaching middle age threw me into an emotional slump. Of course now, with the benefit of hindsight, it seems pretty silly.

Things have changed so drastically since our mothers were our age. Women today are incredibly fabulous into their 50's, 60's, and 70's. We have great role models. Look at Diane Sawyer, Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch -- still beautiful, still vivacious, still very sexy and working at what they love to do.

Unfortunately, the media has not given any realistic insight into the lives of women over 40. Shows like Cougar Town portray women as desperate and willing to do anything just to catch the attention of a man. I have been waiting to see a more realistic portrayal of what happens to real women in real life, and last night I got a glimpse of that.

On ABC's Brothers and Sisters, Nora Walker has won the attention of a younger man. She did not set out to do this, it happened -- just like in real life. It was great to see the insecurities behind such a pairing -- just like in real life. Nora was truly surprised and a little embarrassed by the attention -- just like in real life. After all, she's in her 60's, which would justify her hesitation -- but how nice to see she didn't have to squeeze into a pair of skinny jeans to attract a man.

Nora's hesitation to flaunt her relationship in public is something a lot of women are going through. Even though Simon is 47, successful, worldly, and very handsome, it still caused a lot of tongues to wag. That's why so many women are nervous about introducing their younger guy to their friends and family.

I don't know where this particular storyline is going, but I do hope it continues to unfold. It would be great for people to see the truth about a Real Cougar Woman.

Charlie Gibson "Shocked," "Angry" Over Diane Sawyer, Wanted George Stephanopoulos To Replace Him: New York Post

2009-11-18T09:04:00Z

The New York Post's Page Six reports Wednesday on supposed bad blood between Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer, and says the outgoing ABC "World News" anchor was "shocked" and "angry" when he found out Sawyer would be replacing him upon his retirement:

"Charlie has always given Diane the stink eye. He bad-mouths her openly and often," said our source.

Gibson, 66, had been pushing ABC News president David Westin to promote George Stephanopoulos, the host of Sunday morning's "This Week," as his successor.

"He wanted George to get the job," said one source at the network. "He was shocked when he learned Diane got it, and he was really angry that she stole his thunder. As soon as she was named, it was all about Diane."

Shortly after the announcement, The Daily Beast's Rebecca Dana reported that Gibson was "livid" over the choice of Sawyer, a claim that ABC News dismissed as "nonsense."

ABC News also dismissed the Page Six report, calling it "bull[bleep]" and pointing out that the pair attended Walter Cronkite's funeral together and had lunch together last month. "They get along just fine," a spokesman said.

Gibson, for his part, told Page Six, "This notion that there is some kind of enmity that exists between Diane and me is just silly. We worked together for over seven years, side-by-side . . . We laughed together, cried together (particularly during the time after 9/11), and developed a strong mutual bond. I have tremendous respect and fondness for Diane. Diane and I have talked a number of times about the transition and what this job entails. We're having lunch this week to continue the conversation."

The Page Six claim that Gibson wanted Stephanopoulos to replace him and was "shocked" when Sawyer was announced doesn't mesh with ABC News President David Westin's account of the timeline. Westin has said he told Gibson from the moment the subject of retirement was broached that Sawyer would likely be his successor.

"I certainly expressed to him my view it was quite likely that Diane would be the successor," Westin said at the time.

Read the Page Six item here.

Lee Schneider: Shoestring Journalism

2009-11-16T12:29:34Z

Last week I paid a visit to an old friend in television news. I watched the ten screens in his office showing competing news stations and live feeds. I listened to his scanners buzzing with cop voices. His computer instant message system wanted his eyes and ears. His cell phone and Blackberry begged for attention.

What was happening? He was marshaling resources so that a local fire might be covered on his station for a lunchtime broadcast. I noticed that he did a lot of running around to accomplish this, unusual for the boss. But his newsroom had lots of empty cubicles, the result of recent layoffs.

I left him that day with two things: A new appreciation for making a lot of television with few resources and also a massive earache.

It was hard to get my mind around how much stuff was needed just to get a news report on the air. Do you really need that much stuff to do the news?

When I was at NBC and FOX News and ABC, we had helicopters, satellite uplinks, grip trucks, video crews all over the world, dozens of editors and many talented reporters. Even the interns had interns. The cafeteria at NBC may have been sketchy sometimes, but other than that, we had HUGE resources.

Yet today, there are journalists doing much, much more with a whole lot less.

Check out Benjamin Drummond and Sara Joy Steele's "Facing Climate Change" blog and you'll get crisply produced reports on how global warming is changing forest fire suppression. They've posted a story about reindeer husbandry that's fascinating, and I don't even like reindeer. They do it using photographs and audio recordings -- what used to be called a "multi-media" slide show. It might just be the future of journalism. A potent dose of storytelling made on a shoestring. Why does it work?

For one thing, it's portable -- you don't need much stuff. (Well, a helicopter would be nice for some shots.) For another, people relax and tell you things when you're holding a little audio recorder. They don't mind a couple of pictures from a handheld SLR. You get a chance to record the story instead of becoming the story.

(Try showing up in a small town with a nationally-known correspondent, a couple of camera crews, the intern, the intern's intern, and you get what I mean.)

Photographer Jeff Pflueger has posted a story about recently homeless people seeking justice. The post links back to some terrific multimedia storytelling on the streets of Fresno.

More examples of the multimedia movie include Mathilde Piard, an Internet producer at the Palm Beach Post. She's created an interactive site about home birth. Chris Tompkins has posted an inspiring photo slide show about backpacking through Yosemite. I've taken a shot at it, with this piece on lonelyplanet.tv about a sleepless night in India.

Maybe we have seen the future of journalism and it could be much like the past. A storyteller. A slideshow. A mission. Simplicity itself. No need to watch ten televisions at once.

Bella DePaulo: Who's Really Nuts, 20/20 or the 'Crazy Cat Ladies'?

2009-11-15T15:26:43Z

The ABC show 20/20 recently treated its viewers to an all-out condescending pity-party for the women it calls 'crazy cat ladies.' The segment hosted by Elizabeth Vargas, with an accompanying article online, was so over-the-top that it was almost a parody of itself.

The article begins this way:

"Single. Female. Three cats.

Red flag! For most people, the combo invites the label Cat Lady, says Christie Callan-Jones, a filmmaker."

Vargas interviewed the filmmaker about "Cat Ladies," her documentary of four women with cats. Here are some of the quotes you will hear in the 20/20 piece, or the preview of it, and I swear I'm not making up any of them:

• "shadowy lives of cat ladies"
• "shadowy existence consumed by an uncontrollable connection to cats"
• These women "struggle with alienation, loss, and loneliness"
• She (one of the cat ladies) "feels like society has thrown her away"
• She (another cat lady) is "protecting herself with a wall of cats"
• "I'm starting to fall apart"
• The cats "aren't making it any easier for her to find a man."

Fortunately, the viewers were having none of it. The 175 comments posted (so far) to the online story are overwhelmingly excoriating. They take on Vargas, 20/20, and the filmmaker for the stereotyping of cat lovers, the disregard of the number of strays and the good some of these women were trying to do by caring for them, and much more.

I wrote previously about the bogus claim that singles who love their pets are just "compensating" for not having a spouse. That post was called, "What's with the cat, and other questions about singles and their pets."

Here I'll underscore just one big complaint about the 20/20 segment, the online story, and what I could tell about the documentary from these sources: They all create a gratuitous link between being single and being a crazy cat lady. All four of the women (continue reading here).

Trish Kinney: Rhianna and MTV Shine a Light on Domestic Violence

2009-11-09T18:36:53Z

Chris Brown's choices following the violent incident that took place in a car in February on the night of the Grammy Awards did not surprise me, and neither did Diane Sawyer in her recent 20/20 interview of Brown's girlfriend, the victim of his attack. They both pretty much did what I would have expected them to do. On the other hand, Rhianna blew me away in the Sawyer interview and MTV's Sway turned out to be the best role model of all. Trying to sort out what happened between these two very young, very big superstars is not an easy task. But anytime abuse and violence against women hits the news, usually by way of celebrities, it is a rare opportunity for awareness and education surrounding an issue that most people would prefer to ignore, that thrives in secrecy and silence. Brown reminded us of that, after Rhianna's appearance on 20/20, by releasing a statement saying that he feels "all details should remain a private matter between us".

While some have said that if it can happen to this wildly successful, power couple, it can happen to anyone, in this case it is more relevant to contemplate Rhianna's take on fame in the Sawyer interview. She describes the freedom that comes with fame, the absence of limits and boundaries or right and wrong, never being told "no", just doing exactly as you please. Chris Brown was 19 at the time of the incident, having become famous after he burst onto the music scene at just 16 years old. He has stated that some of the biggest stars of the rap and hip-hop music scene reached out to him after the story broke so it is safe to assume that he holds membership in one of the most macho clubs in the world, a musical club whose members feel entitled by fame, money and power. Rapper T.I., a fellow member, was criticized for his comments about Chris Brown stating that "I spoke to him today. He's cool, you know. He's a little concerned about the situation, but he's still the same Chris ... This too shall pass." T.I. later apologized saying he shouldn't have commented before understanding the situation, PR code for he shouldn't have expressed how he really feels because some people won't think it's cool, you know.

Predictably, Chris Brown obviously had a crash course on all the right things to say in the months following the February incident. Rhianna said that he looked as though he might be reading from a teleprompter when he posted an on-line video apology. It was no surprise to hear him say that he took responsibility, he had anger issues, this was not the person he wanted to be, and abuse of any kind is wrong. Who is to say whether he really means those things and can even process his part in all of this yet or whether he is desperately trying to save his public image and his astoundingly successful music career. It didn't help when he released photos of himself enjoying jet skiing, or when he wore a huge necklace allegedly valued at $30,000 that said "oops", or when he twittered a photo of himself performing community service with a tag saying "check out my outfit". He was also criticized for saying on Larry King Live that he didn't remember his violent outburst. You only have to review his performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, with a surprise appearance by Rhianna, to see that he is a monumental talent and I'm sure he meant it when he said that this experience has been very humbling.

Rhianna's powerful, focused, and tough 20/20 appearance was surprising. So often, media personalities who are famous in their own right are credited for a great interview, skillfully finding a way to elicit the tough answers from their guests. But Rhianna barely needed Diane, who dwelled on the police report, asking for repeated confirmation of injuries by simply adding a question mark (he bit you?, you had a mouth full of blood?, he hit you?). When Diane said that it takes an average of seven times for an abuse victim to return to her abuser before she finally leaves, Rhianna said it was more like eight or nine, "actually." If Rhianna had the same coaching that Chris Brown had, she is a far better student than he is. Watching her choose her words carefully, you didn't get the impression that it was for a selfish purpose. She seems to grasp that she has become the public face of domestic violence and a role model for young women who are in the same situation, going so far as to say she is glad it happened to her so that she can now help. Her advice was not to act out of love because love is blind. "F love," she said. She explained her initial return to Chris after the incident as natural, but a mistake, reporting that she quickly came to resent him and was annoyed by him. "I know how to make a decision for me." She proved that in the interview with her strength, powerful body language, and determination. The body heals, she said, but the scars inside are more painful and have a way of coming back. That's pretty good insight from a 21 year old woman who has had to bear humiliating photographs of herself posted all over the world, an experience most crime victims aren't required to face.

Admittedly, I am not a regular MTV viewer and may even have to own up to a somewhat unfair negative opinion of the channel based on stereotypical perceptions of raunchy videos and reality programming, neither of which I actually watch. But based on Sway's November 2 interview of Chris Brown, MTV deserves a lot of credit for the many things they did right. It started with a staggering statistic noting that this year, 1.3 million women will be victims of a violent assault by an intimate partner. Unlike Rhianna, Brown's body language was not empowered and he vacillated from being scared to confused to downright bewildered as to how he could find himself in this situation. Sway, described in his MTV bio as an icon of hip-hop culture and a pivotal part of the MTV News team, never let Brown off the hook but never appeared judgmental either. He asked the tough, appropriate questions and when Brown squirmed or gave an answer that didn't quite measure up, Sway just let it sit there and do its own damage.

One powerful moment came when Sway showed a video clip of an interview Brown did with MTV when he was 16, talking about how abusive his stepfather was to his mom and how he and his sister urged her to leave the relationship. Sway asked Brown what triggered his behavior, what kind of work he has done for himself since then, and what prompted some of his questionable public choices since the incident, stating that people don't believe he took it seriously enough. Sway's questions were more insightful than Brown's answers across the board. More statistics followed including that one in three teens will find themselves in an abusive relationship and 80 percent of teens know someone who has been a victim of abusive behavior. Sway then brought in a developmental psychologist who said not to be ashamed if you find yourself in such a situation, confide in someone you trust, get out of the relationship and remember that violence is never acceptable, and is always wrong. On two occasions, resources were put up on the screen where viewers could get help, including the MTV website which features videos about the warning signs of teen dating violence. Sway ended by saying "hold your head up, keep it righteous, and be safe."

Fan comments on this story have run the gamut including suspicion that Rhianna is speaking now due to the upcoming release of her album, wanting to get this out of the way so she can move on with her career. But who can criticize that? As she said, it happened to her, she didn't do anything. Some have even blamed her professional image, citing her revealing costumes as a contributing cause for the assault. Why didn't she speak sooner? Maybe a 21 year old girl who woke up to find 200 media at her home with helicopters circling above just needed some time to move through the experience before she tried to share it. It takes some victims years to do that in their own living rooms. She did it in a very responsible, public way and stepped into her survivor role with grace and strength. What more could you ask?

Diane Sawyer's Rihanna Interview Brings "20/20" Huge Ratings

2009-11-09T15:55:42Z

Diane Sawyer's interview of Rihanna on Friday's "20/20" was a ratings hit and enough to lift ABC to first in the Adults 18-49 demographic for the night.

"20/20" averaged 8.2 million total viewers — its biggest audience in over 7 months — and garnered a 2.7 A18-49 rating (9 share). Also, its 2.7 A14-34 rating was the show's best since December 2006. The show also added 3.4 million total viewers from its lead-in.

The New York Post called Sawyer's Rihanna interview "what may be one of the last, big-time celeb rity interviews she does before taking over as anchor of ABC's evening newscast."

Robin Roberts Getting Primetime Spotlight

2009-11-09T08:00:09Z

NEW YORK — Robin Roberts is comfortable in the knowledge that when ABC's "Good Morning America" makeover is complete, she will keep her seat at the anchor desk. She just doesn't know who will be sitting next to her.

As she waits, ABC is showing her some love. Roberts is the centerpiece for two prime-time specials this month: a Tuesday night hour featuring country music stars and an interview with Janet Jackson that will air on Nov. 18. The Jackson interview is the type of important "get" for which Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters used to compete.

Michael Russnow: Windows 7 Not so Great as Advertised and Has Compatibility Issues: Is Microsoft in Collusion With Manufacturers Like HP?

2009-11-06T07:18:20Z

A few weeks ago, I had a horrifying PC moment. For the first time in twelve years of Internet surfing, a terrible virus oddly named Total Security disabled my computer. No programs would open. Total Security left me in a total mess.

The price for excising the virus was $200. Since my XP computer was almost six years old, I thought that seemed excessive because I could get a new unit for about $700.

During my initial panic, Geek Squad Guru Julio Sagastume of West Hollywood's Best Buy kindly devoted lots of telephone time for free as I described my woes. Later he and colleague David McClay painstakingly advised me, and after shopping around I bought a Dell 3055 Inspiron computer. Julio and David also assured me all the files on my virus-laden XP computer would be transferred -- disease free -- for $99.99

Then I brought the new PC home, and suddenly there were problems. Understand, I've had computers for over twenty years, so I know how to set them up. However, Windows 7 didn't accept my HP LaserJet 1012 printer or Creative Cam Live! Pro! webcam drivers, nor my Transparent Language WordAce! German dictionary and True Fonts program, all on CD.

Oddly, it did embrace my Altec headset and Magic Spin DVD burner, both bought at the same time as my webcam in 2006. And the DVD burner CD driver said it was for Windows 98! Windows 7 also admitted my Movie Magic Screenwriter program, my Translation Language German tutorial and -- hold onto your hats -- my Microsoft '97 Office CD. Before I'm disparaged for not upgrading, I found no discernible difference in basic word processing over the so-called improved years, so my program suits me just fine.

More about the need to "upgrade" equipment in a moment.

Re the Windows 7 look itself, I was dismayed all my programs downloaded, including Mozilla, IE 8, AOL 9.5 and Skype suddenly appeared in miniscule font size. As a comparison I turned on my newly cleansed XP computer and everything seemed fine.

However, on Windows 7 if I changed display settings, some pages appeared better, while others' data drifted off the screen. Plus websites had overlapping type or showed words meant to be on one line suddenly hanging orphaned onto another all by themselves. This occurred on my personal website (which looks fine on XP) and also on professionally produced sites such as HuffPost.

So, I called Dell and was pleasantly surprised their offshore employees were mostly helpful. I'm not xenophobic, but I've suffered over several years dealing with folks who don't quite understand our language. Very polite but maddening to deal with. With Dell I got good support even with the 12 hour time difference.

A wonderful supervisor took over my computer by remote control. He saw what I was dealing with and I asked: "Why should I keep this computer? It's one thing to have to switch between the new one and XP for the occasional webcam use or printing, but Internet surfing is constant, and my other programs look horrible."

At first he seemed baffled, but then switched to the troubleshoot area of Windows 7 and found problems in "Add-ons" on Skype, AOL and Internet Explorer. Suddenly the fonts were better on my programs, but the Internet problems persisted. Explorer was far better than Mozilla, but neither pleased me.

He determined in our 3-hour session it might be due to my machine's 64-bit configuration. Haven't a clue what he did, but he did something with Explorer and then affixed the Explorer rendering engine onto Mozilla. In short, I now have a small icon in the lower right of my screen, and if I don't like the way a Mozilla page looks -- 2/3 of the time -- I click on the icon and it changes to the Explorer engine while staying on Mozilla, with its bookmarks and other tabs. Everything now looks great.

Strangely, when I go onto Internet Explorer 8 directly there are still problems, and I have no idea what version of Explorer or what engine he used to fix Mozilla's look. But it's better than it was, and, while not perfect, I'm able to function with more power and speed, while still able to use the XP as a sturdy back-up.

But why does this problem exist? Is there something wrong with Mozilla and Internet Explorer re Windows 7? Why does downloading major programs cause add-on issues that never presented themselves on XP? And if you're not having the same problem, why am I when all I did was turn on the machine only to confront this havoc?

Added to this is my primary beef. I have an HP printer less than six years old, and though I know we live in an age of get the latest thing almost every year -- read that to mean cell phones, cars and other gadgets -- how many of us do that? How many of us -- especially in these economic times -- don't hold onto products that still function well? Okay, if we want an improvement, such as an HDTV with mega-screen, that's one thing. That's something new.

But my printer works fine, prints at 15 pages/minute and is still on its original toner cartridge. I even bought a standby cartridge and have yet to open the box. Yet, despite the Dell technician's masterful attempts, he was not able to install the printer. The Hewlett-Packard website says it doesn't support my printer on Windows 7 and directs me to buy a new one for over a hundred dollars that prints 17 pages/minute -- hardly an upgrade when mine works perfectly.

My webcam is only 3 years old. What's Creative Cam's excuse? Why should I have to buy another one, simply because Microsoft doesn't want to include within its software earlier recognition applications as it used to? On the one hand, it still recognizes old MS Word programs, but not many other programs that did a technological handshake with earlier versions of Windows. Yet in the old days, the first Windows program recognized DOS, and, at least through XP, would not render most hardware and software shamefully obsolete.

My first laser printer (Panasonic 4410), bought in 1993 and used with my DOS computer, transitioned beautifully to Windows 95 and continued to work with my XP computer through today (though I bought the HP in 2004 to gain greater speed and operating RAM). On the one hand, a printer can work for 16 years, but the other functions for less than 6 due to incompatibility, not work performance.

What's the cause? Is it Bill Gates' fault for not incorporating into Windows 7 the driver information his company used to do in successive editions or is he in collusion with software and hardware manufacturers like HP, who also refuse to update drivers so that obsolescence becomes the order of the day and we are forced to buy things we really don't need?

If we get a new state of the art TV, we can still connect our old VCR. If we get a new CD or DVD player we can play our old disks. We can still use a dial telephone on a telephone system that has been transformed with fiber optics and satellite transmission. But a new computer forces you to discard perfectly good machinery.

There ought to be a law preventing the computer hardware and software industry from shortchanging consumers so that we get the full use of our equipment as we do for non-computer related appliances and products. Anderson Cooper should do a "Keeping Them Honest" report on CNN, as should other commentators on NBC, CBS, ABC, MSNBC and Fox News. There should also be an uproar on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

All in all this new computer experience has been disappointing, extremely stressful and a whole lot of needless hassle.

Michael Russnow's website is www.ramproductionsinternational.com.

Mark Miller: Blending Agriculture and Technology to Create New Jobs

2009-11-05T15:20:35Z

Tim Will and his wife Eleanor moved to rural North Carolina a few years hoping to pursue a decades-old dream to become organic farmers. Tim had spent his career working for big telecommunications companies as a systems analyst, and more recently had taught history and geography in an urban Miami high school.

They picked Rutherford County in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains after seeing the 1992 film of James Fenimore Cooper's classic novel, "The Last of the Mohicans." "No matter where that is," Will told his wife during one particularly eye-catching scene of Appalachian beauty, "that's where I want you to bury me."

The Wills had become interested in organic farming years earlier, while serving in the Peace Corps in Honduras and Fiji. They moved to Rutherfordton when Tim was 58; his game plan was to continue his work as a high school teacher and take up farming on a small scale.

But Rutherford County had bigger plans for Will. He's unexpectedly found himself leading a unique effort to transform a region hit hard by globalization into an Internet-fueled center for locally-grown organic food. The initiative is taking residents back to their agricultural roots-and putting them back to work.

Will's work has just been recognized with a 2009 Purpose Prize. The award, given annually by the Encore Careers campaign, recognizes older career trailblazers who have demonstrated creative and effective work tackling social problems. This year, the winners were chosen from 1,200 nominees; five winners will receive $100,000 prizes, with another five recipients are getting $50,000 awards.

The prize, now in its fourth year, was created to promote and encourage civic engagement among baby boomers. Along with Will, this year's winners include a psychiatrist who helps saves soldiers' lives by offering free mental health treatment, a former NASA executive who works to treat alcoholism in Native American communities by reviving old customs and traditions, and a couple who honor their son, killed on 9/11, by helping to bring mental health services to countries ravaged by terrorism, violence and war.

Will's teaching plans changed when he found jobs were scarce in his new home, so he accepted a job as a small business developer with the Foothills Connect Business and Technology Center, which had been created to support local small business entrepreneurs and provide community Internet access. But when Will came on the scene, the new center hadn't done much more than set up a few computer terminals for public use. Less than a month later, the director resigned. With no other candidates on the horizon, Will found himself promoted to the top post almost by default.

The challenges were daunting. The area had lost most of the jobs in its key industries-textiles and manufacturing-to globalization. And Will was especially troubled by another discovery: the area had no broadband access to the Internet.

"I thought it was criminal," Will recalls. "I tried explaining to folks that by time you get out of high school, the world expects you to have mastered the Internet, not just getting introduced to it."

His first big achievement at Foothills was snagging a $1.4 million foundation grant to bring broadband Internet access to the community. Aiming to leverage that connectivity to create jobs, Will tried creating an online marketplace to sell the wide array of Appalachian crafts made in the region, but the effort fell flat.

But along the way, Will had stumbled onto another potential source of economic growth. While studying maps of the region, he noticed that there were thousands of families that owned farmable land. "I confirmed with our local tax department that there were 7,000 families with five to 20 acres. Then we compared that list with the names of people who had lost jobs in the textile mills and furniture factories, and we had hundreds of matches."

Most of that land hadn't been under cultivation for years, due to the small size of the individual parcels-but Will knew that size wasn't a barrier for the specialized, organic crops he had in mind. "I started contacting folks to help them understand they didn't need 100 acres to be successful. We're trying to show people how they can grow organic and pesticide free with high flavor-don't go for yield, but quality in stead of quantity."

The next step was connecting farmers to a marketplace, and he found a stream of eager customers in Charlotte restaurants, where chefs complained to Will that they had very little access to high-quality, locally-grown produce. That led to creation of Farmers Fresh Market, an online ordering system that connects Charlotte restaurants with Rutherfordton farmers.

The marketplace has provided a foundation for rebuilding an agriculture-based economy in the region. The network has gone from 35 farmers in 2008 to 90 this year, growing high-value crops like heirloom tomatoes, fennel, leeks, garlic and Swish chard. "They're growing stuff they've never tasted before," Will says with a hearty laugh.

With the venture becoming more popular, Will is working to help farmers grow their business through computer training. Foothills Connect also has helped launch sustainable horticulture programs for adults in the community and high school students.

View the videos on the other 2009 Purpose Prize award winners.

Learn more about the encore careers.

DVR Ratings Bringing TV Networks Money

2009-11-01T21:25:38Z

Against almost every expectation, nearly half of all people watching delayed shows are still slouching on their couches watching messages about movies, cars and beer. According to Nielsen, 46 percent of viewers 18 to 49 years old for all four networks taken together are watching the commercials during playback, up slightly from last year.

Tom Delay Joins Who Wants To Be A Millionaire

2009-10-27T09:55:39Z

Last month, before he could be voted off the show, former Republican Congressman Tom Delay dropped out of ABC's "Dancing With The Stars" due to double stress fractures in his feet. Now, after his brief brush with reality show fame, Delay has popped up on the ABC game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire." Delay will be featured on the show as an "Ask An Expert" lifeline.

Norman Horowitz: News

2009-10-22T10:01:15Z

News as defined by dictionary.com is the presentation of a report on recent or new events [intelligence; information] in a newspaper or other periodical or on radio or television.

In my rarely ever humble opinion, the use of the word to describe those few moments dedicated to what ABC, CBS, and NBC call news is more or less a sham, as is almost everything carried on those cable channels purportedly in the news delivery business. Disguised and sold as news, virtually everything on cable news channels is simply programming.

This will be arguable for many, but not for me.

In my opinion, those purportedly delivering news on CNN, MSNBC, and FNC are all the same. They position themselves as journalists and deliver a small bit of headline stuff. Programs are designed to draw as large an audience as possible to be sold to an advertiser for as much money as possible. I have no problem with this other than how they say they are delivering news, when they are and have been the forerunners of the quintessential reality show!

There has recently been a "dust up" between the White House and the cable entity that sells itself as Fox News.

Had the White House been critical of the Cartoon Network, okay, this would be a bad thing, but being critical of the News Corp cable network pretending to be in the news business is quite another thing.

Fox senior vice president Michael Clemente responded to the criticism by saying: "It's astounding the White House cannot distinguish between news and opinion programming. It seems self serving on their part." I wonder if senior vice president Clemente or people at Fox can distinguish between the two types of programming themselves.

That great newsperson and journalist Glenn Beck compared the White House partisanship to when Richard Nixon attacked the press when the White House began compiling an enemies list.

What happened is not exactly the same as the White House attacking the New York Times, Washington Post, etc. Just because Fox calls itself a "news network" does not make it immune from criticism from the White House, the Catholic Church, or the Board of Rabbis.

Fox News has little to do with news. They are almost all opinion almost all the time.

I would be pleased to have FNC, CNN, and MSNBC identify much of what they do as "opinion" or just "programming" yet they never do that.

MSNBC has little to do with news. They are almost all opinion almost all of the time.

CNN has little to do with news. They are almost all opinion almost all of the time.

Glenn Beck is not a journalist or a news reporter.

Keith Olbermann reports not as a journalist or news reporter.

Wolf Blitzer reports not as a journalist or news reporter.

All of these guys in my opinion entertain an audience because that is the business they are in.

"THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT" -- nothing more!

Fair and Balanced

Norman Horowitz

Danny Groner: Modern Family Follows Dysfunctional TV Family Path

2009-10-21T23:36:09Z

It looks like the breakout hit comedy of the fall has been ABC's Modern Family. A month ago, a Salon reviewer said, "[T]his dysfunctional family comedy really is its own unique, brilliant gem, shining among an otherwise uncomfortably mediocre haul of cheap comedic rhinestones." The show's writing and originality has unquestionably been stellar. The first couple of episodes have reinforced the message behind the show's title, that this family will push the limits and standards of normal family behavior.

Yet there's a longstanding precedent already in place for TV shows that carry the term "Family" in their headers. Television writers have long played up the hostile, bitter and even violent side to families as a way to offset expectations viewers may have to see expressions of love, devotion and unity. Take a look back at how TV shows have presented other families and their odd groupings of characters:

The Proud Family - TV.com: "How embarrassing must it be to have a crazy family? Only 14-year-old Penny Proud knows what that's like, with her over-protective Dad Oscar, her over-loving but wacky Mom Trudy, her funny Grandma Suga Mama, and twin siblings Bee Bee and Cee Cee."

Family Guy - TV.com: "Sick, twisted, politically incorrect and freakin' sweet. The animated series features the adventures of the Griffin family. Peter and Lois have three kids -- the youngest is a brilliant, sadistic baby bent on killing his mother and world domination. Chris, like his father, is obese, has a low IQ and no common sense. Meg desperately tries to be part of the popular crowd, and is coldly rebuffed. Their talking dog Brian keeps baby Stewie in check while sipping martinis and sorting out his own life issues."

Family Double Dare - Nick.com: "Family Double Dare gets the whole family into the mess! Families team up to answer trivia questions (or dare the other team to tackle them first). If the "dared" team "double-dares" right back, then the other team faces a mega-messy "physical challenge." The winning family goes on to the famously gooey and slippery Double Dare Slopstacle Course. "

Family Matters - TV.com: "Family Matters focused on Harriet Winslow and her family of sorts. Carl Winslow, her husband, was a dutiful cop, and a gruff and lovable father to three kids: Eddie Winslow, the rebel son; Laura Winslow, the smart-aleck daughter; and cute little Judy Winslow. They had opened their home to Harriet's sister, Rachel Crawford and her little baby son Richie, and in the very first episode, Carl had to open his home to his cool and streetwise mother, Estelle Winslow, whether he wanted to or not. Everything was going along just fine until one day, Steve Urkel, the inventive nerd, barged into their home and eventually, into their hearts."

Mama's Family - TV.com: "Mama's Family mined humor from a squabbling family in the Midwestern blue collar suburb of Raytown. The noisy clan was headed by Mama, a buxom, gray-haired widow with sharp opinions and a sharper tongue who shared her small house with her high-strung sister Fran, a journalist for a local paper. Mama's lazy, dimwitted son, Vint, a locksmith by trade, moved in at the start of the series with his troublesome teenage children, Buzz and Sonja, after his wife run off to become a Las Vegas show-girl."

All in the Family - TV.com: "Archie Bunker was the main character, and what a character he was. He was televison's most famous bigot, crass and down right rude. Yet he was lovable, with a soft side just beneath the surface. Edith Bunker was his somewhat dizzy wife whom he called "Dingbat." Edith put up with Archie and had qualities about her that made her one of television's most unforgettable characters. Also living in the Bunker household were Archie and Edith's daughter, Gloria, and her husband Mike, or "Meathead" as Archie called him."

Family Affair - TV.com: "Bill Davis' carefree existence as a swinging bachelor was just about perfect. A highly paid consulting engineer, he maintained an elegant apartment off Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and had his domestic needs cared for by a very English gentleman's gentleman, Mr. French. Into this life of independence came three young orphans, the 6-year old twins Buffy and Jody and 15-year-old Cissy. Their parents, Bill's brother and sister-in-law, had died in an accident, and other relatives felt that Bill could best provide for them."

The Addams Family - TV.com: The Addams Family consisted of Gomez and Morticia Addams and their two children, Pugsley and Wednesday. Also included are Uncle Fester, Grandmama, the hairy Cousin Itt, the butler Lurch and Thing!"

While time changes what's considered wacky, television families have always fit the category.

Jessica Rovello: How to Lose Dates and Influence Losers - App Style

2009-10-21T09:26:30Z

About a month ago Pepsi launched a free iPhone app for their Amp energy drink that's getting Red Bull-sized buzz for all the wrong reasons. "Amp Up Before You Score" arms its users with helpful tips (pickup lines and motel locations) to score with (or get slapped by) 24 different types of women. After you've scored you can use the app to save the details of your conquests and post them to your Facebook wall and to Twitter.

When I heard about "Amp Up" and all of the outrage it was generating I knew I had to see it in action - I'm a card carrying feminist who went to an all women's college and was raised on a strict diet of Naomi Wolfe and Joan Crawford. I couldn't wait to be outraged. Then I downloaded the app.

I was offended all right, but mostly by the terrible illustrations of the 24 women. Isn't this Pepsi? Don't they have some cash? The women on the app look like model illustrations from the Duluth Penny Saver. Since when do hot girls have dinosaur arms, zombie eyes and skulls straight out of Whitley Strieber's "Communion?"

Ok, ok, we all know women shouldn't be bucketed neatly into 24 stereotypes. It's objectifying. But haven't we to some extent brought this on ourselves? After all, the longest running reality series on ABC, The Bachelor shows stereotyped women season after season whose single goal in life is to get married even if they have to be humiliated on national TV to do it. How many of the tens of millions of viewers of The Bachelor are men? My guess is not many. E's hottest show, The Girls Next Door, which also has a huge female fan base, is about how great life is when you take your clothes off for strangers and shack up with a man who was born when Calvin Coolidge was President. And don't even get me started on the Kardashians. Women have been allowing themselves to be humiliated and objectified by the media way before Pepsi Amp got in the game.

Let's get one thing straight, there is no one on the planet who would actually use this to pick up girls. If a guy needs help picking up women, he certainly doesn't do it by whipping out his iPod in the middle of a conversation. And if he's pathetic enough to use the app's "bragging feature" than he's a cad who's certainly not going to score again - at least not with anyone on his friends list.

This app was designed to generate buzz for a product, which it has. But unlike the old adage, all press is no longer good press. Most women who see a guy holding Amp will now have a bad taste in their mouths--one less reason for a guy to buy it. So the company whose single greatest marketing coup to date was setting Michael Jackson's hair on fire can now add another notch to their belt. It's hard to create a campaign that turns off one half of your audience and makes the other half question whether its publicly acceptable to use your product. Way to go Pepsi!

Stu Kreisman: It's Official: America Hates Indicted Right Wing Dancers

2009-10-15T14:13:02Z

A few days ago the Los Angeles Times ran a story that the ABC show Dancing With The Stars was suffering a major ratings slump. Possible causes were that it was being hurt by another dancing show against it on FOX and a yet another "CSI Somewhere" on CBS. The article also speculated that the weak lineup of D-List "Celebrities" on the show might have something to do with the viewer falloff.

Well, problem solved! People simply weren't watching the show because Tom DeLay was on it. Most people were boycotting the show because they refused to watch a truly horrible human being try to remake himself by waltzing and smirking into the American zeitgeist. Turns out that the world does not revolve around Republicans and right wing crazies. The former Republican congressman, who is currently indicted in Texas on criminal charges of conspiracy to violate election laws, quit the show after sustaining two stress fractures in his feet. Apparently the absence of one of the sleaziest and most corrupt elected officials ever did wonders for the dance show's ratings. This week's numbers for the DeLay-less Dancing soared.

What were the producers and Disney/ABC thinking when they cast DeLay in the first place? Did they believe that after seeing him do a samba, America would forget what a repulsive human being he is and embrace him in its collective bosom? Did they really think that the majority of Americans were represented by the medication-deprived Tea Baggers who terrorized the country with lies and threats of violence? Who's the moron who thought it would be a great idea to have one of these lunatics dance alongside Donny Osmond? Glenn Beck wasn't available? Earth to ABC... People don't want to see these people anymore.

It's about time the mainstream media got their faces out of the wingnut's behinds. They are a tiny but vocal minority. Their presence on television and hatred for America repulses most of the country. They are not entertaining and cute. They are dangerous and Americans don't like them shoved to the forefront of entertainment and news shows. However the corporate media will continue to force these cretins on the public because they are in bed with them financially.

Hopefully, some will see that America has become a mostly centrist-left leaning country. Conservatism (Especially the way it's being practiced in Washington today) is dying. Maybe it might have been smarter to cast someone from the left like Barney Frank instead of DeLay on Dancing. It might not have been pretty to watch, but I guarantee ratings would have gone through the roof.

It's been a good week. President Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Tom DeLay and Rush Limbaugh have both been banished from the popular culture scene. Hopefully ABC/Disney will take note. But I doubt it.

Tasha Gordon-Solmon: An Open Letter to ABC's Next Bachelor

2009-10-14T00:57:20Z

Dear Jake,

It seems like only yesterday we met. You on my TV, me watching you on my TV, hoping you'd get kicked off already. And just when I thought you were gone, you came back again. You wanted to save the day (which you didn't) and have a little cry. I can (sort of) respect that. But are you seriously back again?

I know you're perfect. So very perfect. And it's really hard for perfect guys to find love, and you're finally getting your chance or whatever, which is great. Look, I remember that time you said, "What I love, I love so hard."

But Jake, it's going to be hard to love you. For two hours at a time. Week, after week. The only thing that kept you from being fatally boring on The Bachelorette was your weird narcissistic preoccupation with your perfection. That's not very promising.

My sweet misguided reject of the reject of the reject of the reject of the reject (Jillian, Jason, Deana and Brad, respectively), what kind of women are going to sign up for the chance to woo the perfect guy with no personality? Not promising at all.

All I can say is, you'd better step it up. I want some tears. And I want grand sweeping gestures to save damsels who aren't really in distress. And I want you rolling around that travel luggage in every single scene. I'd also like you find a personality, if that's possible.

Are we clear? Good. Even though you're totally lame, I really do hope you find love this time around. I just know it's going to be so real for you. Like: really real, in a surreal way.

Sincerely,
Tasha

P.S. Remember the time you just had to tell Jillian that Wes had a girlfriend, in order to save her from getting hurt? And then, it turned out Ed was the one with all the girlfriends, and now Jillian's engaged to him? Bet you feel pretty silly about all that now...