Heeeeere's Al: I don't really think that one year from now we'll be discussing the launch of Al Gore's cable TV venture. I think the price of entry is way too high and the hassle far too thick
for someone who's not already a media owner. But let's not forget that Gore has experience here. He may be stiff in front of a camera. But as a US Senator he was savvy. In fact Gore was an early and
active advocate of satellite TV in the mid-80s, way before anyone else really knew what it was. So Gore has proven himself to be a good observer of opportunities in this business. The reports that
came out yesterday that placed him at the center of discussions regarding a new media property launch should point out an opportunity. And that opportunity is all about balanced commentary on cable
TV. Audiences showed through their flock to Fox that they liked loud, brash and conservative commentary. So everybody else flocked that way too. Now its time, I think, for the pendulum to swing back.
That swing is not to liberal comment. It's toward being individual as a media brand. Fox has its brand. MSNBC has a way to go toward developing a brand, so does CNN. CNBC with its financial bent,
actually has a leg up. I don't think Gore's desire to see more liberal commentary will support a whole new media property. But his point should be duly noted.
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Saving Pvt. Lynch: Isn't
the rush toward commercializing the story of Iraqi war prisoner Jessica Lynch everything that's wrong with media these days? Here we have a situation that is vague on facts. It's potentially long on
heroism, drama and the human condition in war. But we don't know all that. Yet, every media outlet is clamoring for the story. The Washington Post has even run a retraction of some of its
coverage. We're trying to make a tangible story out of vague recollection here. It's a recipe for trouble.
At The Buzzer: Let the record show that the story of David Beckham's trade, a
story about a European soccer player, created more buzz than the NBA Finals.
