MediaWatch: April 1992
Table of Contents:
- MediaWatch: April 1992
- House Bank: Networks Miss Plenty
- NewsBites: A Book Gone Wrong
- Revolving Door: Fox Guarding the Democratic Coop
- TV, Magazines Avoid Covering Clinton Finances
- Reporters Take Cue from Left-Wing Class War Specialists
- Look Who's Advising PBS
- Thomas Trashed Again
- The Watchdog Yawns
- Janet Cooke Award: CBS on CBO: Numbers Fumblers
Revolving Door: Fox Guarding the Democratic Coop
Fox Guarding the Democratic Coop. The Democratic National Committee has called in an expert to help it best showcase this July's convention: Garth Ancier, Vice President for programming at Fox Broadcasting. Electronic Media's Wayne Walley reported March 16 that Ancier is advising Smith-Hemion Productions, the convention organizer, "on such diverse elements as set construction and message delivery to help the political event excite younger viewers and voters." Ancier spent seven years in NBC's programming department before helping to launch the Fox network in 1986 as head of programming. In 1989 he began a tour as President of television production for Walt Disney Television. Last year he returned to NBC as Executive Producer of the short- lived Sunday Best series, rejoining Fox last fall.
Tsongas Tsays. Two newspaper veterans climbed aboard the Paul Tsongas presidential campaign just a few weeks before he dry docked it. St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Jon Sawyer went on leave in early February so he could sign up as an adviser. A foreign policy and defense reporter in the Washington bureau since 1980, Sawyer told MediaWatch that before returning to the bureau he hopes to write a book on his campaign experience. In mid-February Philip Lentz became the Press Secretary. Most recently Deputy Press Secretary to N.Y. Lt. Gov. Stan Lundine, Lentz handled press for New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Richard Ravitch. Until jumping to politics in 1989, Lentz spent seven years with the Chicago Tribune, the last three as New York bureau chief. Lentz spent the fall of 1988 covering Michael Dukakis.
Back for More. Peggy Noonan, a speechwriter for President Reagan, author of President Bush's 1988 convention acceptance speech, and the person who coined the "Read my lips, no new taxes" phrase, has returned to the White House as a speechwriter charged with "message development." Reportedly Noonan, who wrote radio commentaries for Dan Rather in the early 1980s, will move to the campaign staff in June.
Bye-Bye Betty. After 16 years with Today, NBC News decided not to renew the contract for consumer reporter Betty Furness. She made her last appearance on March 18. Before joining New York City's WNBC-TV in 1974, Furness held several political jobs. First she served President Lyndon Johnson as Special Assistant for consumer affairs, followed in 1970 by an appointment by Governor Rockefeller as Executive Director of the New York state Consumer Protection Board. She became Commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs under Democratic Mayor Lindsay in 1973.
Fowler's Fighter. Senator Wyche Fowler, a Georgia Democrat, has brought aboard a new Press Secretary with network television experience. Norm Kurz was Research Director for the News Election Service, a New York area election information service, in 1980 and worked for ABC's election unit during the 1982 campaign. In the mid-'80s Kurz put in a Press Secretary stint with U.S. Representative Les Aspin (D-Wisconsin).
