It more than doubles nearest rival in prime time

(NEWSER) - Last night's big victory for the right extended to the cable airwaves: Nielsen ratings show Fox News obliterated CNN and MSNBC in prime time, reports the LA Times . Fox averaged 6.96 million viewers, while CNN got 2.42 million and MSNBC 1.94 million. Compared to the midterms in 2006, that's up 128% for Fox, down 18% for CNN, and about the same for MSNBC. Ratings for the broadcast networks will be out tomorrow, and the New York Times thinks they'll also fall below Fox. More»

Parker Spitzer 'a load of obnoxious, self-important noise'

(NEWSER) - Kathleen Parker and Eliot Spitzer's CNN talkfest Parker Spitzer made its debut last night and critics say the program by the former New York governor and Washington Post columnist is as bad as predicted.

• The pacing, and the whole show, seems weird, complains Max Read at Gawker . Guests, including columnist Thomas Frank, conservative publisher Andrew Breitbart, consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren, and Social Network writer Aaron Sorkin, "were hustled on and off in about 5 minutes," with Spitzer completely dominating every conversation and Parker not saying much.

CEO explains Comcast's decision in email, interview

(NEWSER) - Oft-criticized NBC Universal president and CEO Jeff Zucker will leave the company when its acquisition by Comcast becomes official. Zucker made his decision public this morning in an email to NBC employees acquired by the Wall Street Journal . Though he says it wasn’t his choice to leave, he calls it “the right decision for me and for the company.” The Comcast takeover is expected to close by the end of the year. More»

Will Tracy-Hepburn routine have legs for upcoming CNN show?

(NEWSER) - Can the man known as a "scowling attorney general" and a "grimacing governor" (not to speak of call-girl customer) really morph into a cable TV charmer? In their first joint interview, Eliot Spitzer and his CNN co-host Kathleen Parker entertain a pair of Wall Street Journal reporters with their Tracy-Hepburn routine. "The only way I can get through a day with Eliot Spitzer is if I drink those 5-hour Energy drinks," says Parker, who the reporters noted was wearing leopard-print heels and holding her blind poodle. "Today I drank two." More»

Promo for 'Parker Spitzer' is a bit awkward, to say the least

(NEWSER) - CNN released its first promo for Eliot Spitzer's new show with Kathleen Parker, and it's called...Parker Spitzer. That "would be a good name for a sitcom that took place at a wacky law firm. Or a bad name for a hotel," writes Alex Pareene on Salon . And the rest of the promo isn't much better than the uninspired name. Still holding out hope for the show itself? Click here for at least two people who think it'll be interesting. More»