A CBS/CNN merger? "...up against O'Reilly and Olbermann, I'm not sure it would do any better..."

[DeepModem Mom]

Variety: CBS still pondering CNN pairing
Redstone, Moonves talk merger at meeting
By MICHAEL LEARMONTH

CBS chairman Sumner Redstone and CEO Leslie Moonves reignited the prospect of a merger between CBS News and CNN at CBS' annual meeting -- and this time they're talking about a full-blown acquisition of the cable news net....

***

... CBS has shaken up its news division with a new head in Sean McManus and is paying Katie Couric $15 million a year. But ratings for "Evening News" are at historic lows, which makes it more difficult to establish the next generation of correspondents coming into America's living rooms.

That partly explains why CBS reached out to CNN talent like Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Lou Dobbs for "60 Minutes," "Evening News" and "The Early Show," respectively.

CNN may be losing its battle with Fox News, but it increasingly appears that CBS is the one that needs the help, which may be why the rhetoric has shifted from merger to all-out acquisition....

***

The last time CBS made a play for CNN, part of the rationale was that CBS could help CNN produce some compelling programming for primetime that would help it do battle with Fox News.

But the type of programming that works best on cable news nets -- opinionated talk -- isn't exactly in CBS News' sweet spot. "Let's say you had a program at 8 p.m. that was the best of what CNN and CBS produced all day," posits one former network exec. "If that program went up against Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olbermann, I'm not sure it would do any better than Paula Zahn."...

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117966143.html?categoryid=18&cs=1

[Berry Cool]

1. I like that quote.

It essentially equates Billo and Keith--not in terms of content--but as cable news powerhouses.

Keith, you have arrived!

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Yes, indeed! nt