'Goateed Guru' Todd to Host MSNBC Show

(NEWSER) - It took the intervention of a PBS peacemaker to halt the bitterest media fight of the decade, insiders tell the New York Times. Bosses at Fox and at MSNBC owner GE were fed up with Keith Olbermann and Bill O'Reilly's long-running feud—especially after they started savaging each other's networks—and proved receptive when PBS interviewer Charlie Rose spoke to chief executives Rupert Murdoch and Jeffrey Immelt about ending it. More»

With O'Reilly and Olbermann, lets wingnuts 'let off steam'

(NEWSER) - Glenn Beck infuriates many liberals, but they should really be thanking him: His rhetoric tempers fringe sentiments and prevents violence, writes Reihan Salam for the Daily Beast. Talking heads like Beck and Bill O’Reilly “take unspoken anxieties very seriously,” giving voice to a “small and alienated minority,” he contends, arguing that they have “done more to keep Americans safe than 10,000 public service announcements.” More»

(NEWSER) - Politico runs down a list of some of the worst media mistakes of 2008:

• New Hampshire primary: Just about everyone predicted Hillary would lose by double digits, ending her campaign. Not even close.
• McCain-Iseman: The long-awaited New York Times story alleging an improper relationship between McCain and a lobbyist had little substance.
• John Edwards: The mainstream media ignored solid reporting by, yes, the National Enquirer of his affair. Unfortunately for Edwards, bloggers did not.

Leaks about Gregory irk higher-ups; other contenders fuming

(NEWSER) - NBC, peeved about leaks that David Gregory is the next host of Meet the Press, may delay the announcement, the New York Post reports. Ongoing arguments over Tim Russert’s replacement are “at a new peak,” with other NBC talent fuming about being passed over. Chuck Todd, another top contender, may have tipped off the media and thus ruined Gregory’s coronation, originally planned for Sunday. More»

Execs thrilled as new host grabs for Larry King's crown

(NEWSER) - Rachel Maddow has made MSNBC a prime-time contender with dizzying speed, the New York Times reports. The liberal pundit's Rachel Maddow Show more than doubled the network's ratings in the 9 pm slot within days of its debut six weeks ago, and has beaten CNN's Larry King Live among viewers ages 25 to 54 more often than not. More»